Tag: Invicta FC 46

Invicta FC 46 results: Karina Rodriguez retains flyweight title in close split decision

The main event of Invicta FC 46 came down to the wire, but the champ Karina Rodriguez earned a close split decision to retain her title.

It wasn’t easy, but [autotag]Karina Rodriguez[/autotag] can still call herself Invicta flyweight champion.

In a short-notice rematch at Invicta FC 46, Rodriguez (10-4) met Daiana Torquato, the same fighter she defeated to become Invicta champ in May 2021 at Invicta on AXS TV. Ketlen Souza was the originally scheduled opponent for Rodriguez, but was forced out of the contest due to undisclosed reasons. Torquato (10-5) was elevated from her co-main bout against Milana Dudieva to get another crack at claiming Invicta gold.

The flyweights picked up right where they left off in their first meeting, as Torquato and Rodriguez wasted little time in the first round before trading strikes. Both fighters found success on the feet early, but Torquato hit a beautiful outside trip takedown to take the fight to the mat with around 40 seconds remaining. It was a close round that left the judges split on who earned 10 points on the scorecard.

Torquato looked to clinch more in the second round and successfully brought the fight to the mat with over a minute remaining this time. However, Torquato couldn’t get much done on the ground because the champ did well to stop any significant offense.

Rodriguez was able to stay upright for the entirety of the third round and let her hands and feet go often as Torquato was unable to find success in the clinch game, but she was able to land nice kicks.

The fourth round was similar to the third, until Torquato went for a takedown that was initially reversed with over a minute to go. However, Torquato was able to get back on top before they returned to the feet and traded strikes before heading to their stools for the final break of the fight.

The fifth was the highest-paced round of the fight with back-and-forth action throughout. Both fighters knew the fight was close and did their best to put their stamp on the round. Rodriguez landed a few hard strikes before Torquato looked to clinch. The champ kept the fight standing and the pair picked their strikes until the fight concluded.

The two judges who saw the fight in favor of Rodriguez were Kevin Champion who saw it 48-47 and Greg DiVilbiss who turned in the widest score of 49-46. The dissenting judge who scored the fight for Torquato was judge David Sutherland who turned in a 48-47 for the challenger.

Although it came down to a split decision, Rodriguez secured the first defense of her title, as she picked up her second-straight win over Torquato.

The full results of Invicta FC 46 include:

  • Karina Rodriguez def. Daiana Torquato via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46) – for flyweight title
  • Denise Gomes def. Milana Dudieva via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:56
  • Liz Tracy def. Danielle Taylor via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Kristina Williams def. Flore Hani via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Monique Adriane def. Paulina Granados via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)

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A decade later, Invicta FC boss Shannon Knapp has big plans to ‘keep the sport moving for the females’

With Invicta FC rapidly approaching its 10-year anniversary, president Shannon Knapp has big plans for the future.

It’s been just shy of a decade since Invicta FC held its first event. The promotion has gone through many phases since April 2012, and company president Shannon Knapp argues the best days are still ahead.

In a crowded MMA space, Invicta FC distinguished itself from the outset by building a roster solely of female fighters. Since then, it’s been a breeding ground for some of the top names in the sport.

The likes of former UFC champions Cris Cyborg, Amanda Nunes, Rose Namajunas, and Carla Esparza, as well as Cat Zingano, Michelle Waterson, Tecia Torres and countless other notables have passed through the Invicta FC cage, and Knapp thinks her organization has evolved into a fundamental piece of MMA’s foundation.

“I know that if Invicta FC doesn’t succeed, it hurts the sport,” Knapp told MMA Junkie. “I’ve always known that. I’ve known that Invicta is instrumental in pushing things forward and keeping the sport moving for the females, making sure they get fair pay and holding people’s feet to the flame in making sure they get treated well. I know that if we don’t exist, it’s a different landscape out there.”

Invicta FC will hold its 46th numbered event tonight, with Invicta FC 46 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The entire event streams live on MMA Junkie’s YouTube page at 8 p.m. ET and is headlined by a flyweight championship bout between Karina Rodriguez (9-4) and Daiana Torquato (10-3).

Rose Namajunas (red) is among many notable UFC stars who’ve competed in Invicta FC.

Looking back at the early Invicta FC events, the name value is eye-popping. Some of the biggest stars of today gained experience and built their skills in Knapp’s promotion, but as time has worn on, the task of cultivating talent has become more difficult.

The UFC has purged large portions of Invicta FC’s roster on multiple occasions over the years as it attempted to build up its own women’s divisions. The likes of Bellator and PFL also have women’s weight classes, meaning the challenge of finding and building talent only becomes increasingly difficult.

Knapp thinks she’s positioned now better than ever to find, build and keep talent, though. Invicta FC has had several working partnerships over the years, from UFC Fight Pass and now Anthem Sports & Entertainment, which purchased the company in April 2021.

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Knapp said the deal with Anthem has become a game changer. Knapp, who was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame this past weekend, argues everything she’s accomplished has been despite a series of limitations placed around her.

Anthem’s investment has opened up all kinds of doors, Knapp said, and she thinks she’s now in position to help the Invicta FC brand flourish like never before.

“The team at Anthem, they get it, they see it, and they support it,” Knapp said. “It’s the type of partnership I’ve never had and I’ve always dreamed of. I’m usually very selective in who I work with and who I bring in. I’ve probably missed some opportunities because of that, but at previous times I didn’t think people would see the vision and keep the athletes as the priority. Anthem has that same vision. They care about the athletes and want to make it the best for everyone involved.”

Knapp said her vision for Invicta FC goes well beyond putting on a fight card every few months and leaving it at that. She said she wants to expand the brand’s identity, and in her mind that means diving into different realms of the combat sports sphere.

“You never rest,” Knapp said. “I feel like there’s other combat sports I want to tackle. The dream is to launch, under the Invicta banner, to have all the different genres of combat and really help women move along overall in combat sports.”

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Invicta FC 46: Rodriguez vs. Torquato 2 live stream and results

Watch a live video stream of Invicta FC 46, headlined by a title fight between Karina Rodriguez and Daiana Torquato, right here on MMA Junkie.

Invicta FC 46 takes place Wednesday at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan., and MMA Junkie will provide the official live stream and results of the event right here beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

A flyweight title rematch headlines the event as [autotag]Karina Rodriguez[/autotag] looks to defend for the first time against [autotag]Daiana Torquato[/autotag]. The pair first met at Invicta on AXS TV, where Rodriguez (9-6) won a unanimous decision over Torquato (10-4) to claim the vacant title.

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The co-main event will see another pair of flyweights clash as [autotag]Denise Gomes[/autotag] (4-1) attempts to make it five wins in a row in her Invicta FC debut against UFC veteran [autotag]Milana Dudieva[/autotag] (12-8).

Below is the complete lineup and results for Invicta FC 46:

MAIN CARD (MMA Junkie, 8 p.m. ET):

  • Karina Rodriguez vs. Daiana Torquato – for flyweight title
  • Milana Dudieva vs. Denise Gomes
  • Danielle Taylor vs. Liz Tracy
  • Kristina Williams vs. Flore Hani
  • Paulina Granados vs. Monique Adriane
  • Fatima Kline vs. Nadia Vera

Kristina Williams reinvented, refreshed after leaving ‘toxicity’ behind before Invicta FC debut

A six-fight Bellator alum, Kristina Williams discusses the adversities she’s battled since last in the spotlight.

Since she was last in the spotlight, [autotag]Kristina Williams[/autotag] pressed restart. She felt she needed it – and the major changes she made already are proving beneficial.

In 2020, Williams (4-3) was cut from Bellator. In 2021, she suffered a triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) injury. Nearing her first fight of 2022, Wednesday at Invicta FC 46, Williams switched up her training situation.

“This is probably one of the best training camps that I’ve had,” Williams told MMA Junkie. “I switched gyms recently before my camp started pretty much. I’m training at a couple of new gyms now that are really low drama. It’s very nice and relaxed, so I feel like I’m very ready for this fight.”

Williams didn’t dive into too many details about exactly what the toxicity was that she dealt with, but she spoke about how difficult it was to make the decision to pack up and move her preparation away from the place and people with whom she was so familiar.

“It was a lot of toxicity at the gym, drama and pressure,” Williams said. “I just wasn’t in a good space with my gym and everything. It was a really bad situation. … It was hard because those people kind of become your family, and you have to decide to walk away because it’s not good for you even though you love them. It’s really hard. It definitely has paid off, and I’m in a much better place now.”

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Now a bit removed from her decision, Williams already can see the improvements in her game. She’s improved noticeably, in her estimation, since her six-fight stint with Bellator that included wins over Heather Hardy, Bruna Ellen, and current Invicta strawweight champion Emily Ducote.

Despite also fighting the likes of current Bellator women’s flyweight champion Juliana Velasquez and former title challenger Denise Kielholtz, Williams has no regrets about her time with Bellator or the difficult road she took as a beginner.

“I learned a lot of performing under pressure and how much I needed to evolve my ground game and everything. I definitely think I fought up really fast. That kind of played into it a lot. I don’t regret fighting there. It just put me in a different spot than I would’ve.”

Invicta FC 46 takes place Wednesday at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The card can be watched live and free on MMA Junkie. Williams takes on Flore Hani (4-1) in a three-round flyweight bout. She’s eager to display a culmination of mental and physical adjustments, proper recovery, and a new team’s backing.

“I feel like I’ve improved technically a whole lot, not just in striking but everywhere,” Williams said. “… I really want to get as far as I can in Invicta right now. I want to go up the ladder and take hard fights and get better.”

Ketlen Souza out of Invicta FC 46, Daiana Torquato to rematch Karina Rodriguez for flyweight title

A flyweight title rematch is now set for Invicta FC 46 after Ketlen Souza was forced out of the main event.

The main event of Invicta FC 46 is now a flyweight title rematch.

[autotag]Ketlen Souza[/autotag] (11-3) was scheduled to face Karina Rodriguez (9-4) for the Invicta flyweight title on March 9 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan., however, the Brazilian has been forced out of the contest, the promotion announced. The reason for the change was not disclosed.

The new main event of Invicta FC 46 will be a title fight rematch as Daiana Torquato (10-4) will be elevated from her originally-scheduled co-main bout to face Rodriguez for the second-straight time. The pair first met at Invicta on AXS TV in May 2021, where Rodriguez won via unanimous decision.

With the main event shuffle, Milana Dudieva (12-8) will now face Denise Gomes (4-1) in the new flyweight co-main event.

Invicta FC 46 will be simulcast on both MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel, as well as Invicta FC’s YouTube channel, in addition to live-streaming on MMA Junkie starting at 8 p.m. ET on March 9.

The updated Invicta FC card includes:

  • Karina Rodríguez vs. Daiana Torquato – for flyweight title
  • Milana Dudieva vs. Denise Gomes
  • Danielle Taylor vs. Liz Tracy
  • Kristina Williams vs. Flore Hani
  • Paulina Granados vs. Monique Adriane
  • Fatima Kline vs. Nadia Vera

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Invicta FC 46 to live stream March 9 on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel

Invicta FC returns to MMA Junkie for its second event of 2022.

Invicta FC is returning to MMA Junkie for its second event of 2022.

Invicta FC 46, which takes place March 9 will be simulcast on both MMA Junkie’s and Invicta FC’s YouTube channels, in addition to live-streaming on MMA Junkie starting at 8 p.m. ET. The event takes place at Police Athletic League in Kansas City, Kan.

“After a great event in January, we are thrilled to be working with MMA Junkie again for this upcoming card,” Invicta FC president Shannon Knapp said Wednesday in a statement. “They are supportive of our athletes and we are thankful to have them on board for another event.”

The promotion’s first event of the year, Invicta FC 45, live-streamed on MMA Junkie on Jan. 12. The event featured an atomweight title bout which saw Jessica Delboni defeat Alesha Zappitella in a dominant unanimous decision victory to become champion.

At Invicta FC 46, another exciting title fight headlines its March event as Mexico’s [autotag]Karina Rodriguez[/autotag] puts her flyweight championship on the line against [autotag]Ketlen Souza[/autotag].

Rodriguez (9-4) claimed the vacant flyweight title by defeating Daiana Torquato via unanimous decision at Invicta on AXS TV in May 2021 to make history as the first Mexico-born champion in the promotion’s history.

Souza (11-3) will make her Invicta debut in a title bout riding hot on a three-fight win streak. In 2021, the Brazilian won three fights in less than three months’ time and will look to make a big splash with an immediate title shot.

The full lineup of Invicta FC 46 includes:

  • Karina Rodríguez vs. Ketlen Souza – for flyweight title
  • Daiana Torquato vs. Milana Dudieva
  • Danielle Taylor vs. Liz Tracy
  • Kristina Williams vs. Flore Hani
  • Paulina Granados vs. Monique Adriane
  • Fatima Kline vs. Nadia Vera