Yamanaka vs. LaRosa

[The Sandmen]

Hiroko Yamanaka looks a bit uneasy. Hopefully this doesn't affect her performance.
Tara LaRosa looks like she's feeling the pressure.
This is the first time they meet inside the cage
The bets gives an equal chance to both fighters to score the win today.
The referee of the bout is Mario Yamasaki.

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Round 1
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The bell announces the first round!
Tara LaRosa goes with a looping right hand while Hiroko Yamanaka jumps back and jabs
LaRosa seems staggered and Hiroko Yamanaka runs to capitalize with a bunch of jabs and crosses.
Some nice shots from Hiroko Yamanaka
that stun LaRosa.
LaRosa looks to be in very good shape.
Tara LaRosa and Yamanaka engage in a wild exchange of punches!
Both fighters are connecting and this could be ending soon if either lands a lucky punch.
LaRosa's Chin is bruised after the punishement she's received!
LaRosa has a small cut in her Chin
Yamanaka feints and moves forward to hit with a hook
what a crushing shot!
LaRosa's Chin is beginning to swell
LaRosa tries some clinching in order to control the fight...
Well done. LaRosa is clinching with Yamanaka.
Hiroko Yamanaka tries to shrug her way out of the clinch.
Yamanaka circles out and slips free of Tara LaRosa's grip. Nice job of getting out of that position.
Yamanaka launches a furious hook!
That hits LaRosa's chin like a wrecking ball! LaRosa loses balance and goes to the mat.
Yamanaka is standing while LaRosa is on the ground on her back
Yamanaka moves backwards and gestures for Tara LaRosa to stand up.
Tara LaRosa is on her feet again.
Yamanaka moves backwards and Tara LaRosa is asking her if she came today for fighting or running.
LaRosa is holding Hiroko Yamanaka's right leg... She's trying to take her down.
Hiroko Yamanaka loses balance and goes to the ground.
Tara LaRosa is in side mount over Hiroko Yamanaka
Tara LaRosa looks to pass to mount...
Yamanaka creates space and scrambles back to her feet.
Both fighters continue the fight on their feet. You can hear how the people agree with that decision.
LaRosa is swinging for the fences!
Yamanaka backpedals and creates space. Tara LaRosa is asking her if she is going to fight!
Tara LaRosa gets sloppy and Hiroko Yamanaka tries to take advantage...
Quick hook by Hiroko Yamanaka
Good shot! LaRosa has reasons to be worried.
Not a desiderable position that LaRosa is in now. Hiroko Yamanaka is well knowed for her strong and relentless GnP.
Yamanaka decides to launch some tentative punches
Hiroko Yamanaka takes the best of a brief punching exchange.
Hiroko Yamanaka fakes a punch and shows some footwork moving aside.
Yamanaka goes to the body...
She punishes LaRosa's ribs with a couple of hooks.
Tara LaRosa throws an uppercut
Yamanaka slips it.
Hiroko Yamanaka moves forward looking for a hole in her opponent's defense.
LaRosa leads with a punch
Hiroko Yamanaka avoids it and lands flush with a counter uppercut!
LaRosa's Chin is beginning to swell
Hiroko Yamanaka tries to show her boxing skills with a one-two combo
and those punches are landing on LaRosa's face
Yamanaka pushes Tara LaRosa and moves away from her. She seems to be recovering her breath.
The clock says 3:30 in the 1 round
Tara LaRosa tries to take the fight to the ground with a one leg takedown...
Hiroko Yamanaka jumps backwards and frees her leg.
Poorly executed technique. Hiroko Yamanaka looks to counter!
Hiroko Yamanaka steps forward and fires a high kick!
Vicious high kick, I can't believe that landed!
That punishment by Hiroko Yamanaka has left LaRosa staggered! Hiroko Yamanaka should try push forward now and finish this!
Yamanaka tries to grapple
She puts LaRosa in a double underhook!
Tara LaRosa tries to shrug her way out of the clinch.
Yamanaka is determined to work from the clinch. She pummeled through and managed to retain her position.
Both fighters are tied in a clinch.
Yamanaka tries to take Tara LaRosa down... LaRosa stumbles backwards and Hiroko Yamanaka launches a few punches...
One swing hits hard LaRosa's jaw!
LaRosa's Chin is bruised after the punishement she's received!
LaRosa doesn't want to clinch as she ducks under Hiroko Yamanaka embrace and tries to move away...
Hiroko Yamanaka pushes LaRosa forward and doesn't allow her to break the clinch.
LaRosa seems a bit groggy... her movements are not very coordinated now.
The fighters are clinching.
Yamanaka tries to take Tara LaRosa down... LaRosa stumbles backwards and Hiroko Yamanaka launches a few punches...
One swing hits hard LaRosa's jaw!
The ref pulls off Hiroko Yamanaka! LaRosa seems confused and a bit dazed as the bell sounds the bout over.
LaRosa has a small cut in her Chin

Winner is Hiroko Yamanaka by TKO (Punch) at 4:13 Round 1

Statistics: Hiroko Yamanaka
Punches 20/24 (83%)
Kicks 1/1 (100%)
Clinch strikes 2/6 (33%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 11 s

Statistics: Tara LaRosa
Punches 3/8 (38%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 1/2 (50%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 1/1 (100%)
Time on the ground 22 s

Both of these ladies need some toughness. And upgrades. They are reasonable 8-10 spot fighters, but are clearly no match in their present state against the 1-5s.

It’s kind of hard, cause no one upgrades their women because there is such a gap between the high end fighters and the low end fighters, so to compensate for this, I upgrade my mid-tier women fighters to mix up the upper echelon, and the result is a deeper pool of high-end women, separated from the low end core.
Upgrade your ladies, folks.

[xx - Former Phoenix Fight Club]

Well, that's partly due to the fact that the women needed to be created a little differently than the men, (at the very least initially) and they weren't. The reason I say that is because the women, while allot have been fighting for years, are still relatively new to the sport from a fans perspective and their actual abilities should've been focused on more than the fact of just who they've fought and whether they have a Wikipedia page or not.

That's just an observation, not a complaint... it's just that most of the women, unless their names are Carano, Cyborg, Rousey & possibly even Kaufman, Kedzie or Davis, are all virtually "nobodies" from a fan perspective unless you're a die hard or have actually followed women's MMA as much as someone like myself has. I'm personally not surprised that the gap is so wide in talent in the women's division at all, to be perfectly honest.

[The Sandmen]

The women are made differently from the men. VERY differently. Especially at first, when all their fights went to decision. We tweaked that, though, cause people were getting bored and the women deserved better.

As for the observation, at first, I would agree, but at this point, it's no longer really true. The top women you mention are the ones who have been upgraded. No one has upgraded the "nobodies", since far fewer people are dedicated to their women. All of the women WERE created to their strengths, weaknesses, and abilities, but when people are upgrading some in one direction significantly more than others are, there are clearly people left in the dust. Those are the people I am talking about. The neglectarinos. Has nothing to do with their raw builds (Yamanaka, for instance, Sugiyama, LaRosa, and even under performers like Herrig, Couture (before upgrades) etc)

Also, keep in mind, PHX, we are talking about me, and "me" has definitely "actually followed women's MMA as much as someone like [yourself] has"

[xx - Team GAP]

I know practically nothing about the women mma fighters... so perhaps many other people are more like me.. than you... so maybe thats why women fighters aren't being upgraded.. or perhaps people think they would be wasting points by upgrading women fighters cause they know they don't stand a chance in a fight against carano, cyborg, rousey etc..