For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey starts long before they strap on UFC or Bellator gloves.
Every champion in MMA history started out somewhere.
For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey begins long before they strap on UFC, Bellator, or PFL gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, few will succeed.
This month, five fighters on the verge of achieving major promotion notoriety – one for the second time – return to the cage for what could be their stepping-stone fight. There are dozens of fighters close to making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.
A “TUF 30” cast member thinks it’ll be an Invicta FC title shot, if not a UFC opportunity, next if she wins her biggest fight to date.
A bantamweight fighter from Sierra Leone hopes another win under the Fury FC banner shoehorns him into becoming the first fighter to represent his birth country in the UFC.
After nearly three years away, a New Hampshire-based lightweight picked up where he left off and looks to catch the UFC’s eye with his second victory of 2023.
Point-fighting doesn’t simply result in decisions, as one karate specialist hopes to show the UFC with another potential highlight for the reel incoming.
One of Spain’s most experienced fighters has fought all around the world and hopes one more win allows him to check “UFC” off his bucket list.
Check out these photos from the Invicta FC 51 official weigh-ins in Denver.
Check out these photos from the Invicta FC 51 official weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs ahead of the dual title fight event at Reelworks Denver in Denver. (Photos courtesy of Invicta FC)
Invicta FC 50 is set to host a one-night tournament.
A one-night, four-woman tournament is headed to Invicta FC.
The promotion announced on Wednesday in a press release that they’re hosting a tournament to crown a new strawweight champion. The 115-pound tourney will take place at Invicta FC 50, which is set to go down on Nov. 16 in Denver.
The four fighters competing for 115-pound title are [autotag]Valesca Machado[/autotag] (10-3), UFC veteran [autotag]Gloria de Paula[/autotag] (6-5), 20-year-old Brazilian [autotag]Ediana Silva[/autotag] (12-2) and newcomer [autotag]Karolina Wojcik[/autotag] (9-2).
The event will also include two strawweight tournament reserve match-ups –[autotag]Sharon Jacobson[/autotag] (6-5) vs. [autotag]Melissa Oddessa[/autotag] (3-2) and [autotag]Fatima Kline[/autotag] (2-0) vs. Ireland’s [autotag]Danni McCormac[/autotag]k (5-2).
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Both the semifinals and final bout will consist of three, five-minute rounds. Tournament match-ups will be drawn during the event’s weigh-ins on Nov. 15.
Apart from the tournament and tournament reserve matchups, Invicta FC 50 will also feature two women’s bantamweight bouts.
Former Invicta FC title challenger [autotag]Katharina Lehner[/autotag] (7-3) takes on ex-UFC fighter [autotag]Talita Bernardo[/autotag] (8-4), and Denver’s own [autotag]Claire Guthrie[/autotag] (3-1) looks to hand Brazili’s [autotag]Marilia Morais[/autotag] (3-0) her first professional loss.
Invicta FC will be held on Thursday, July 30 in Kansas City, Kan., according to a press release issued by the promotion on Tuesday. The event will stream on UFC Fight Pass.
The event will be held behind closed doors, without fans or media. Fighters will be tested for COVID-19 prior to the event.
In the main event, former Invicta FC strawweight title contender [autotag]Janaisa Morandin[/autotag] returns to action to take on Mexico’s [autotag]Montserrat Ruiz[/autotag].
Morandin (10-3 MMA) looks to snap a two-fight losing skid after finish losses to Virna Jandiroba and Emily Ducote. The 24-year-old strawweight has dropped three of her most recent four fights.
Mexico’s Ruiz (8-1 MMA) hasn’t competed since her promotional debut at Invicta FC 33 in December 2018. On that card, she lost to former UFC fighter Danielle Taylor by unanimous decision.
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The co-headliner features rising flyweight star [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] as she’ll look to continue her winning ways against [autotag]Stephanie Geltmacher[/autotag].
Blanchfield (5-1 MMA) aims to keep up her recent success by picking up her third straight victory. Geltmacher (4-1 MMA) looks to get back in the win column after suffering her first career defeat to Victoria Leonardo at Invicta FC 36 in August 2019.
Also on the card, longtime MMA veteran [autotag]Kaitlin Young[/autotag] (10-10 MMA) fights [autotag]Latoya Walker[/autotag] (5-1 MMA); [autotag]Cynthia Arceo[/autotag] (5-2-1 MMA) battles [autotag]Itzel Esquivel[/autotag] (4-2 MMA); [autotag]Caitlin Sammons[/autotag] (2-0 MMA) fights [autotag]Claire Guthrie[/autotag] (1-0 MMA), and [autotag]Natalya Speece[/autotag] (0-0 MMA) takes on [autotag]Alexa Culp[/autotag] (0-0 MMA).
In summary, the current Invicta FC 41 lineup below:
Invicta FC 40 takes place Thursday, July 2 in Kansas City, Kan.
Invicta FC is back.
The most prominent all-female fight organization in the world will return Thursday, July 2 with Invicta 40 in Kansas City, Kan. at a venue-to-be-named-later. The promotion announced the news in a press release issued Tuesday.
In the main event, ex-UFC fighter [autotag]Juliana Lima[/autotag] returns against ex-Bellator fighter [autotag]Emily Ducote[/autotag] in a strawweight matchup. Also on the card, atomweights [autotag]Lindsey VanZandt[/autotag] and [autotag]Alesha Zappitella[/autotag] face off in a co-main event showdown.
Lima (10-6 MMA) has lost three of her most recent four outings. Her lone loss in that stretch came against Danielle Taylor by split decision in May 2019.
Ducote (8-6 MMA) has gone 2-1 since her Bellator departure in late 2018. After winning back-to-back fights over Kathryn Paprocki and Janaisa Morandin, Ducote lost a split decision to Kanako Murata at Invicta FC 38 in November.
VanZandt (7-3 MMA) has gone 1-2 over her most recent three fights. After defeating Shino VanHoose at Invicta FC 37 in October, Vandzandt was defeated by Rena Kubota via third-round corner-stoppage.
Zappitella (6-2 MMA) snapped a two-fight losing skid at Invicta FC 39 in February when she defeated Kelly D’Angelo by unanimous decision.
The event is expected to stream on UFC Fight Pass.
The current Invicta FC 40 lineup includes:
Emily Ducote vs. Juliana Lima
Lindsey VanZandt vs. Alesha Zappitella
[autotag]DeAnna Bennett[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Victoria Leonardo[/autotag]
[autotag]Chelsea Chandler[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Liv Parker[/autotag]
[autotag]Laura Anderson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Claire Guthrie[/autotag]
[autotag]Genia Goodin[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Shelby Koren[/autotag]
In a fight that turned into arguably the bloodiest in the promotion’s history, Julija Stoliarenko became Invicta’s new bantamweight champ.
In a fight that turned into arguably the bloodiest in the promotion’s history, [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag] took a split decision from [autotag]Lisa Verzosa[/autotag] to become Invicta FC’s new bantamweight champion.
Stoliarenko (9-3-1) took a split decision at Invicta FC: Phoenix Series 3 from Verzosa (5-1), who was dealt her first pro loss – and also given two massive cuts on the forehead and under her left eye that bled profusely starting in the third round. Despite those cuts and what seemed to be a mostly dominant performance from the new champion, Verzosa won 49-46 from one judge. Stoliarenko had two other cards 48-46 and 49-46 to win the vacant belt.
The victory may have set up a future title fight with Taneisha Tennant, who won Invicta’s one-night bantamweight tournament earlier in the event at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The card streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
Verzosa and Stoliarenko came out firing with punches and kicks. The fight spilled the canvas, then quickly moved back to the feet. There, Stoliarenko landed hard kicks and punches and kept Verzosa stuck mostly counter-punching. With two minutes left, the two started firing at each other again. When the fight went to the canvas again, Stoliarenko grabbed Verzosa’s arm for a submission attempt, but Verzosa worked out of it and finished the round on top.
But Verzosa rallied in the second and took the round to even things up. It was the first time the open scoring seemed to have an effect on things.
In the third, Verzosa was drilled with a massive elbow that opened up a huge cut on her forehead. Her face quickly became a bloody horror show, and Stoliarenko went after it big time. She landed hard right before the end of the round, and the cageside doctor took a look in between rounds and let it go on. Somehow, Verzosa smiled in between rounds even though the vertical cut on her forehead looked like she’d been hit with an axe.
Lisa Verzosa
Stoliarenko went after the cut right away in the fourth, and the cut opened up quickly. Stoliarenko threw jabs and elbows, then went high with a kick. Stoliarenko was bloodied up, herself, but from her nose. The canvas was covered with blood, and it got a little bloodier each time Stoliarenko landed on Verzosa’s head.
The scores were a little all over the place after four rounds, though. Despite looking like something from a horror movie, Verzosa was up 39-37 on one of the cards. Stoliarenko was up 39-37 on one and 39-36 on another.
Verzosa seemed to push hard in the fifth, likely because she had been told she was down on two of the judges’ cards. She was covered in her own blood. Stoliarenko was covered in Verzosa’s blood thanks to a second massive cut under the left eye. But already, Stoliarenko had done enough to secure a win as long as she didn’t get finished.
Tennant shuts down Guardado’s comeback story
[autotag]Taylor Guardado[/autotag] had a Cinderella story working for her, but ultimately came up short against [autotag]Taneisha Tennant[/autotag].
Guardado, once a top MMA prospect whose only amateur loss came to Ronda Rousey, returned to fighting after nearly nine years away – and she did so in Invicta’s single-night bantamweight tournament. She reached the final, but Tennant was too much and took a unanimous decision.
Their fight also was notable because it featured open scoring – which meant Guardado’s corner knew after each of the first two rounds that she was down on the cards.
To reach the final, Guardado had a one-round unanimous decision win over [autotag]Claire Guthrie[/autotag] and a one-round split decision win over [autotag]Serena DeJesus[/autotag]. Tennant topped [autotag]Brittney Victoria[/autotag] and [autotag]Hope Chase[/autotag] by unanimous decision to reach the final.
Tennant tried to work inside leg kicks early in the opening round, but a minute in found herself taking a look at a Guardado takedown attempt with a single leg. Tennant’s height and reach seemed to work for her early. Midway through, Tennant landed a snapping kick, but Guardado stayed on her feet and landed a counter right hand. With a minute left in the round, the two traded punches and Guardado went after a takedown. Tennant got away with a mild cage grab to stay on her feet, then sprawled out of the position and ended the round on top. Thanks to the open scoring, it was known between rounds Tennant was up 10-9 on all three judges’ scorecards.
Guardado lost her mouthpiece a minute into the second round, but kept throwing punches. Tennant’s jab was on point, though, and kept Guardado from being able to put a ton together. Once again, Tennant picked up 10-9 scores from all three judges – though the round seemed closer than the first.
The third round was much of the same for Tennant, who never let Guardado get going in what was her pro MMA debut. Her first two fights in the tournament actually count as exhibition bouts since they only were scheduled for one round.
With the tournament win, Tennant said she hopes for a title shot later this year.
Open scoring kicks off with easy decision
The first fight to feature open scoring was perhaps a little anticlimactic, even if it was historic. [autotag]Kay Hansen[/autotag] dominated [autotag]Liana Pirosin[/autotag] for a unanimous decision. She took a pair of 30-27s and a 30-26. After the first two rounds, commission officials stood behind each fighter’s corner, outside the cage, and held a tablet device up that showed the round score from the three judges. With the tablet behind the fighters’ backs, it was incumbent on their corners to decide whether or not to tell their fighters the scores.
It probably wouldn’t have mattered much. Hansen dominated Pirosin on the canvas in the first round for a clear 10-9 from all three judges. It was have been surprising to hear either fighter thought the scoring would be any different. The second round was much of the same, though Hansen picked up a 10-8 from one judge in that round.
Afterward, Hansen advocated to continue the open scoring experiment, saying she wants to know if she’s up or down because it might influence how she’d fight.
In the semifinals, Guardado took a split decision in a one-round fight against DeJesus. And Tennant outworked Chase for a unanimous decision.
The opening quarterfinal round of tournament fights, like the semifinals, were set to be just one round each. And all four bouts went five minutes and resulted in 10-9 across-the-board unanimous decisions.
DeJesus topped [autotag]Kerri Kenneson[/autotag], Guardado took Guthrie out of the tourney, Chase dominated [autotag]Julia Ottolino[/autotag], and Tennant outworked Victoria.
The card also featured a pair of tournament alternate fights, also a round a piece. [autotag]Kelly Clayton[/autotag] submitted [autotag]Florina Moeller[/autotag] with a rear-naked choke with just nine seconds left in their bout. And [autotag]Mitzi Merry[/autotag] took a unanimous decision from [autotag]Morgan Hickam[/autotag]. But neither fighter was needed later in the tourney.
Invicta FC: Phoenix Series 3 results:
Julija Stoliarenko def. Lisa Verzosa via split decision (46-49, 48-46, 49-46) – to win vacant bantamweight title
Taylor Guardado vs. Taneisha Tennant – bantamweight tournament final
Kay Hansen def. Liana Pirosin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
The vacant bantamweight title will be filled and a one-night tournament will go down on March 6.
Invicta FC’s Phoenix Series returns for its third installment on Friday, March 6, the company announced Wednesday.
The card at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan., which will stream live on UFC Fight Pass, has a little something for everyone, with a headlining bout for the vacant Invicta FC bantamweight title in addition to a one-night, eight-woman elimination tournament.
The main event features 24-year-old phenom [autotag]Lisa Verzosa[/autotag] (5-0 MMA) against former “Ultimate Fighter” competitor [autotag]Julija Stoliarenko [/autotag](8-3-1).
Verzosa, who has earned four of her five career wins in Invicta, last defeated Kerri Kenneson at Invicta FC 38. Stoliarenko is on a four-fight win streak entering her Invicta debut. There’s no doubt what her favorite move is, as all eight of her career wins have been via first-round armbar.
The bantamweight belt was last held by Sarah Kaufman, who now competes for PFL.
The eight-women tournament, with matchups to be determined by blind draw prior to the show, will feature one five-minute round during the quarterfinals and semifinals, then the final will be held over three, five-minute rounds.
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The full list of competitors: [autotag]Kerri Kenneson[/autotag] (3-2 MMA), [autotag]Brittney Victoria[/autotag] (3-1 MMA), [autotag]Erin Harpe[/autotag] (2-0 MMA), T[autotag]aneisha Tennant[/autotag] (2-0 MMA), [autotag]Claire Guthrie[/autotag] (1-0 MMA), [autotag]Hope Chase[/autotag] (2-1 MMA), [autotag]Auttumn Norton[/autotag] (1-1 MMA), and [autotag]Taylor Guardado[/autotag] (0-0 MMA).
Additionally, there are a pair of tournament alternate bouts in Mitzi Merry (2-1 MMA) vs. Morgan Hickam (1-2 MMA) and Serena DeJesus (1-1 MMA) vs. Julia Ottolino (1-0 MMA).
