Bellator MMA bolsters women’s featherweight roster with additions of Paim, Dufresne, and Razafiarson
Bellator MMA bolsters women’s featherweight roster with additions of Paim, Dufresne, and Razafiarson
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (March 12, 2015) – Bellator MMA remains committed to developing the top women’s featherweight division in mixed martial arts, and the latest additions to the company’s roster include Roberta “Crusher” Paim (4-0), Alexis “Sneaky Zebra” Dufresne (5-2) and Iony Razafiarison (2-0).
Debut dates and opponents will be announced for all three fighters in the near future.
Paim, Dufresne and Razafiarison join Arlene “Angerfist” Blencowe (5-4), Julia “The Jewell” Budd(7-2), Marloes “Rumina” Coenen (22-6), Holly “Lil Bear” Lawson (0-1) and Talita “Treta” Nogueira(6-0) on the Bellator MMA women’s featherweight roster.
“We’re proud to be bringing these three talented athletes to our women’s featherweight division,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “I see several potential matchups that would make for some great fights. We will continue to build and support the premiere women’s featherweight division in MMA.”
A native of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, the 5-foot-6 Paim is undefeated through the first four contests of her professional career. While comfortable in the submission game, the powerful Paim has used a strong striking game to end fights, as well. Fighting exclusively in her native country thus far, Paim has yet to find a single opponent capable of lasting past the opening round, as she has taken home first-round finishes in each of her appearances to date.
The 24-year-old Dufresne is a Team Quest fighter and five-time International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation world champion. Dufresne turned her attention to mixed martial arts in 2012 and rattled off five consecutive wins to start her career – all five results coming in the opening round and averaging just under 77 seconds in length. More recently, Dufresne dropped a pair of hard-fought decisions while making a run at 135 pounds but now returns to her more natural weight class of 145 pounds for her Bellator MMA debut.
Razafiarison is a French export who has notched victories in her first two professional contests. The 30-year-old Razafiarison, a grappling specialist who has trained in camps all over the world, fought most recently in January, when she earned a decision win over Sandra Ameziane. In her professional debut, Razafiarison scored a first-round submission.
