Alesha Zappitella (born February 28, 1995) is an American mixed martial artist who fights in the Atomweight division of Invicta Fighting Championships, where she is a former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion.
Growing up in Ohio, Alesha started wrestling â as the sole girl in boys' team â at the age of five. 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. 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.
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 3âÂÂ0 record, with a single no-contest, which earned her the notice of Invicta Fighting Championships. Invicta scheduled her debut against Shino VanHoose at . VanHoose later withdrew from the bout and was replaced by Jillian DeCoursey. Zappitella won the bout by unanimous decision.
Zappitella was scheduled to fight Amber Brown at . She won the fight by unanimous decision.
Zappitella was scheduled to fight Viviane Pereira at . Pereira missed the scales, weighing in 0.6 lbs over the atomweight limit. Zappitella lost for the first time in her professional career, as Pereira won the fight by unanimous decision.
Following her first loss, Zappitella briefly left Invicta, being scheduled to fight Kanna Asakura at RIZIN 18. Asakura won the fight by split decision.
Returning to Invicta, Zappitella was scheduled to fight Kelly D'Angelo at . Zappitella snapped her two-fight losing streak, winning the bout by unanimous decision.
Zappitella was scheduled to fight Lindsey VanZandt at . Zappitella won the fight by split decision (28-29, 29âÂÂ27, 30âÂÂ27). The majority of media members scored the fight for Zappitella.
Zappitella was scheduled to fight Ashley Cummins at for the vacant Invicta FC Atomweight Championship. 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. It was the first Von Flue choke finish in Invicta FC history.
Zappitella made her first title defense against Jéssica Delboni at on May 21, 2021. She won the bout by a razor close split decision. Two of the judges scored the fight 48âÂÂ47 in Zappitella's favor, while the third judge scored it 48âÂÂ47 in Delboni's favor. All of the media members scored the fight for Delboni.
Zappitella rematched Jéssica Delboni on January 12, 2022, at . She lost the bout and the title via unanimous decision, with scores of 50âÂÂ45, 50âÂÂ45 and 49âÂÂ46.
Moving up to Strawweight, Zappitella faced Emily Ducote for the Invicta FC Strawweight Championship on May 11, 2022, at . She lost the bout after doctors stopped the bout after the second round due to a cut on her eyelid.
Zappitella works as a paraprofessional educator in the Howell Public Schools district. Zappitella also works as a women's self defense coach at the Michigan Institute of Athletics.
She is a fan and avid player of the collectible strategy card game .
|- |Loss |align=center| 9âÂÂ4 (1) |Emily Ducote | TKO (doctor stoppage) | | |align=center|2 |align=center|5:00 |Kansas City, Kansas, United States | |- | Loss | align=center| 9âÂÂ3 (1) | Jéssica Delboni | Decision (unanimous) | | | align=center| 5 | align=center| 5:00 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 9âÂÂ2 (1) | Jéssica Delboni | Decision (split) | | | align=center| 5 | align=center| 5:00 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 8âÂÂ2 (1) | Ashley Cummins | Submission (Von Flue choke) | | | align=center| 4 | align=center| 1:20 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 7âÂÂ2 (1) | Lindsey VanZandt | Decision (split) | | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 6âÂÂ2 (1) | Kelly D'Angelo | Decision (unanimous) | | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | |- | Loss | align=center| 5âÂÂ2 (1) | Kanna Asakura | Decision (split) | Rizin 18 | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Nagoya, Japan | |- | Loss | align=center| 5âÂÂ1 (1) | Viviane Pereira | Decision (unanimous) | | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 5âÂÂ0 (1) | Amber Brown | Decision (unanimous) | | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 4âÂÂ0 (1) | Jillian DeCoursey | Decision (unanimous) | | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | |- | Win |align=center|3âÂÂ0 (1) | Kyna Sisson | Decision (split) | WXC 71: Night of Champions 10 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Southgate, Michigan, United States | |- | NC |align=center| | Stephanie Alba | NC (overturned) | Combate 13 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 2âÂÂ0 | Ding Miao | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Kunlun Fight MMA 9 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 1:17 | Sanya, China | |- | Win |align=center|1âÂÂ0 | Jayme Hinshaw | Decision (unanimous) | KOTC: Equalizer | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, United States |
|- |Win |align=center| 2âÂÂ2âÂÂ1 |Jessica Ertl |Submission (Keylock) |NAFC: Super Brawl | |align=center|1 |align=center|2:00 |Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States | |- |Draw |align=center| 1âÂÂ2âÂÂ1 |Tiffany Masters |Draw (Decision) |KOTC: Bitter Enemies | |align=center|3 |align=center|3:00 |Keshena, Wisconsin, United States | |- |Loss |align=center| 1âÂÂ2 |Cynthia Arceo |TKO (Punches) |KOTC: Warriors | |align=center|1 |align=center|0:09 |Socorro, Texas, United States | |- |Loss |align=center| 1âÂÂ1 |Kyna Sisson |Submission (Triangle choke) |WXC 56: College Throwdown | |align=center|2 |align=center|2:36 |Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States |<small>For the WXC Amateur Strawweight Championship.</small> |- |Win |align=center| 1âÂÂ0 |Elane Santiago |Decision (Unanimous) |WXC 54: Night of Champions 7 | |align=center|3 |align=center|3:00 |Southgate, Michigan, United States | |-