Sherdog’s Top 10: Defunct Promotions

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9. Smackgirl (2001-08)

The rise of Invicta Fighting Championships, the inclusion of first one and now two women’s divisions in the UFC and Ronda Rousey’s meteoric ascent to mainstream recognition have brought women’s MMA to the forefront of the sport as a whole. The history of female competition, however, is long and illustrious, and few promotions did more to lay the groundwork for today’s state of affairs than Japan’s Smackgirl.

Smackgirl held 66 events between 2001 and 2008, and many of the best women’s MMA fighters of all-time put in work in Smackgirl. Megumi Fujii, Rin Nakai, Roxanne Modafferi, Hitomi Akano and Hiroko Yamanaka are just a few of the fighters who got their starts under its banner. The promotion fell into financial difficulty toward the end of its run in 2008, was bought out and now operates under the Jewels name after a substantial rebranding project. Nevertheless, Smackgirl remains a linchpin in the history of women’s MMA.

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