Growing up in Ohio, Alesha started wrestling – as the sole girl in boys' team – at the age of five.[5] She also played softball, but quit it after her coach advised her to drop wrestling in order to focus in the "girl sport" which would get her somewhere.[5] She went on to become a two-time Ohio state champion in girls wrestling, five-time All-American before eventually placing sixth in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials.[6]
Mixed martial arts career
Invicta
Early Invicta career
Zappitella made her professional debut against Jayme Hinshaw at KOTC Equalizer on 15 October 2016. She won the fight by unanimous decision. She would go on to amass a 3–0 record, with a single no-contest, which earned her the notice of Invicta Fighting Championships. Invicta scheduled her debut against Shino VanHoose at Invicta FC 30: Frey vs. Grusander.[7] VanHoose later withdrew from the bout and was replaced by Jillian DeCoursey.[8] Zappitella won the bout by unanimous decision.[9]
Zappitella was scheduled to fight Viviane Pereira at Invicta FC 35: Bennett vs. Rodriguez II. Pereira missed the scales, weighing in 0.6 lbs over the atomweight limit.[12] Zappitella lost for the first time in her professional career, as Pereira won the fight by unanimous decision.[13]
Following her first loss, Zappitella briefly left Invicta, being scheduled to fight Kanna Asakura at RIZIN 18.[14] Asakura won the fight by split decision.[15]
Returning to Invicta, Zappitella was scheduled to fight Kelly D'Angelo at Invicta FC 39: Frey vs. Cummins II. Zappitella snapped her two-fight losing streak, winning the bout by unanimous decision.[16]
Zappitella was scheduled to fight Ashley Cummins at Invicta FC 42: Cummins vs. Zappitella for the vacant Invicta FC Atomweight Championship.[20] Cummins was the more dominant party throughout the first two rounds, winning the majority of striking exchanges and stopping Zappitella's takedowns. In the first minute of the third round, Zappitella managed to land an early takedown and countered Cummins' guillotine choke attempt with a Von Flue choke.[4] It was the first Von Flue choke finish in Invicta FC history.[21]
Zappitella made her first title defense against Jéssica Delboni at Invicta 44: Rodríguez vs. Torquato on May 21, 2021.[22] She won the bout by a razor close split decision. Two of the judges scored the fight 48–47 in Zappitella's favor, while the third judge scored it 48–47 in Delboni's favor.[23] All of the media members scored the fight for Delboni.[24]
Zappitella rematched Jéssica Delboni on January 12, 2022, at Invicta FC 45.[25] She lost the bout and the title via unanimous decision, with scores of 50–45, 50–45 and 49–46.[26]
^"Alesha "Half Pint" Zappitella". facebook.com. Retrieved 14 May 2021. Alesha "Half Pint" Zappitella · Follow 14 March 2020 · I received my purple belt in jiu jitsu shortly after beating a man who owns his own gym and placed at worlds in jiu jitsu. Women, I can help you be prepared for the worst situations that life throws your way. It's better to be prepared and never have to use it than to be sorry. Sunday from 10-12 at SFS, I will be holding a class for any woman to join for free. I hope to see you there.
