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Check out these photos from the fights at Invicta FC 55, which featured a bantamweight title fight between Talita Bernardo and Olga Rubin.
Check out these photos from the fights at Invicta FC 55, which featured a bantamweight title fight between champ [autotag]Talita Bernardo[/autotag] and challenger [autotag]Olga Rubin[/autotag] at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. (Photos by Dave Mandell, Invicta FC)
The world’s most prominent women-only fight promotion, Invicta FC has a new broadcast home.
Invicta FC is back from an eight-month hiatus and it’s found a new broadcast home.
Tuesday, its parent company Anthem Sports & Entertainment announced the promotion has signed an exclusive deal with CBS Sports to air five Invicta FC events in 2024. Invicta FC 55 will be the first of those events and marks the promotion’s first card since October. It takes place June 28 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan.
“CBS Sports is the perfect partner for Invicta FC,” Invicta FC founder Shannon Knapp said in a written statement “By joining forces with their global platform, we’re set to bring our world-class events to an even larger audience. 2024 will be a landmark year for us, packed with unparalleled matchups and title fights exclusive to Invicta. We are excited to showcase our world-class events and demonstrate why Invicta FC is the leading brand in women’s MMA, giving fans around the world a front-row seat to the action.”
The full Invicta FC 24 schedule includes
Since its conception in 2012, Invicta FC has served as the most established women-only mixed martial arts promotion in the world. Anthem Sports and Entertainment acquired the brand in April 2021. Its president is former Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.
As it stands, Invicta FC 55 features seven fights including a headlining women’s bantamweight title fight between [autotag]Talita Bernardo[/autotag] (10-4) vs. [autotag]Olga Rubin[/autotag] (9-3). Also on the card, former UFC fighter [autotag]Kay Hansen[/autotag] (7-6) battles [autotag]Sayury Canon[/autotag] (3-0).
The full Invicta FC 55 fight card includes:
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)
Check out these photos from Invicta FC 48 in Denver.
Check out these photos from the six-fight card of Invicta FC 48 in Denver, which featured a bantamweight title fight between Taneisha Tennant and Olga Rubin. (Photos courtesy of Dave Mandel, Invicta FC)
Check out these photos from the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 48 in Denver.
Check out these photos from the Invicta FC 48 weigh-ins ahead of Thursday’s event at ReelWorks Denver which features a bantamweight title fight between champion Taneisha Tennant and challenger Olga Rubin. (Photos courtesy of Dave Mandel, Invicta FC)
Bellator MMA has parted ways with over a dozen fighters, including more than a handful of notable names.
Eighteen fighters are no longer on the Bellator roster.
Among those who have parted ways includes former featherweight champion Daniel Straus, former light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary, boxer-turned-MMA-fighter Heather Hardy, and former UFC fighter Bec Rawlings. The list also includes two fighters who never got to compete after signing with the promotion because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s unclear whether each fighter was released, left on their own accord, or elected not to re-sign with the promotion. However, a Bellator official recently informed MMA Junkie that the promotion is moving on without the 18 fighters listed below.
Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 234, which took place Thursday in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Bellator hosted its latest oversees event Thursday with Bellator 234, which aired Friday via tape delay on Paramount from Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel.
An upset occurred in the heavyweight headliner of the card when [autotag]Linton Vassell[/autotag] (19-8 MMA, 8-5 BMMA) stopped [autotag]Sergei Kharitonov[/autotag]’s (29-7 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) unbeaten streak with a second-round TKO for his first win in the weight class since moving up from light heavyweight.
For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 20 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 234.
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Betting favorites went 2-1 on the main card. Betting odds weren’t available for two fights.
Betting favorites fell to 12-7 (with two no contests and one draw) in Bellator main events this year.
Total fight time for the six-bout main card was 43:23.
Vassell improved to 1-1 since he moved up to the heavyweight division in March.
Vassell has earned 15 of his 19 career victories by stoppage.
Vassell earned his first knockout victory since Feb. 27, 2015 – a span of 1,721 days (nearly five years) and eight fights.
Kharitonov has suffered six of his seven career losses by stoppage.
Kharitonov has suffered both of his Bellator losses by knockout.
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[autotag]Roger Huerta[/autotag] (24-12-1 MMA, 1-5 BMMA) fell to 0-3 since he returned to Bellator for a second stint in April 2018. He hasn’t earned a victory with the promotion since April 2010.
Huerta fell to 4-11 in his past 15 fights dating back to August 2008.
[autotag]Aviv Gozali[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA), 18, is the youngest fighter to reach four Bellator wins.
Gozali has earned all four of his career victories by submission.
[autotag]Haim Gozali[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) has earned all 12 of his career victories by stoppage.
Gozali has earned all four of his Bellator victories by first-round submission.
[autotag]Artur Pronin[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) has suffered all four of his career losses by stoppage.
[autotag]Grachik Bozinyan[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) suffered the first decision loss of his career.
[autotag]Sinead Kavanagh[/autotag] (6-4 MMA, 3-4 BMMA) improved to 2-3 since she moved up to the Bellator women’s featherweight division.
Kavanagh has earned all of her career stoppage victories by knockout.
[autotag]Olga Rubin[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) has suffered consecutive losses after starting her career 6-0.
Rubin has suffered both of her career losses by knockout.
Check out the results from Bellator 234, where Linton Vassell got back in the win column in a big way.
[autotag]Linton Vassell[/autotag] is back in the win column – and in a big way.
In his return to heavyweight, Vassell, a former two-time light heavyweight title challenger, defeated [autotag]Sergei Kharitonov[/autotag] via second-round TKO on Thursday. The fight between Vassell (20-8 MMA, 8-5 BMMA) and Kharitonov (30-8 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) served as the headliner for Bellator 234, which took place at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel, and aired on Paramount/DAZN on Friday via tape delay.
The fight opened with Kharitonov stalking Vassell, who was content to circle on the outside during the opening couple of minutes of Round 1 before shooting in for a takedown. It was initially stuffed, but Vassell managed to complete it despite Kharitonov’s initial grabbing of the fence. Vassell spent the second half of the round controlling from top position with composed ground-and-pound until the horn sounded.
Round 2 opened the same way as the first, but Vassell mixed things up with a high kick that was blocked before shooting for another takedown. This time, Vassell completed it on his first attempt, and the two men crashes to the canvas. It didn’t take long for Vassell to control Kharitonov’s back. At one point, Vassell sunk in a rear-naked choke that he released in favor of throwing punches from a back mount. All Kharitonov could do was turtle up, forcing the stoppage midway through the round.
With the victory, Vassell snapped a three-fight losing streak that consisted of losses to champion Ryan Bader, former champ Phil Davis and highly touted prospect Valentin Moldavsky. Kharitonov, meanwhile, suffered his first defeat in eight fights dating back to March 2017.
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Father and son had a successful night at home one last time.
First, 46-year-old [autotag]Haim Gozali[/autotag] (12-6 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) was victorious, defeating [autotag]Artur Pronin[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) by first-round heel hook submission. Then, in the night’s next bout, 18-year-old [autotag]Aviv Gozali[/autotag] (4-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) won with his own first-round submission, using an anaconda choke to finish [autotag]Zaka Fatullazade[/autotag] (14-9 MMA, 0-1 BMMA).
Afterward, as expected, Haim, affectionately known as “Batman,” announced his retirement after more than 21 years as a professional fighter.
Batman as left the cage thanks to @bellatormma to give me opportunity to fight in the biggest organisation in the world.
And thanks to all my fans that give me the strength to continue.
And to all my fans I love you!!!
and to all the haters I love you too!!!
His son replied:
Love you pops good luck on your new way I’m here to continue the Legacy
[autotag]Austin Vanderford[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) still has a perfect record.
Vanderford, who made his debut with Bellator earlier this year, won his third fight with the promotion, earning a unanimous decision over [autotag]Grachik Bozinyan[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA).
Vanderford, the husband of UFC star Paige VanZant, has gotten off to a good start in Bellator since being denied a UFC contract last year following a submission win on “Dana White’s Contender Series.” He’s 3-0 with the promotion and 9-0 overall.
Complete Bellator 234 results include:
Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 234, which takes place Thursday with a Sergei Kharitonov vs. Linton Vassell main event.
Bellator’s busy November continues this week with Bellator 234, which takes place Thursday at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel, but won’t air until Friday on Paramount via tape-delay.
A heavyweight matchup serves as the main event of the card. [autotag]Sergei Kharitonov[/autotag] (29-6 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) will look to inch close to getting a fight for Bellator gold, while [autotag]Linton Vassell[/autotag] (18-8 MMA, 7-5 BMMA) looks to get his first win since moving up to the heavyweight division earlier this year.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 16 pre-event facts about Bellator 234.
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Kharitonov is 11-1 (with two no contests) in his past 14 fights dating back to September 2011.
Kharitonov’s five-fight Bellator unbeaten streak at heavyweight is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Cheick Kongo (nine) and Tyrell Fortune (eight).
Kharitonov has earned 27 of his 29 career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his Bellator wins.
Kharitonov vs. Matt Mitrione at Bellator 215 marked the third shortest no contest in Bellator/UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE combined history at just 15 seconds. Only Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachim Spiritwolf (6 seconds) at Strikeforce Challengers 12 and Kevin Casey vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (11 seconds) at UFC Fight Night 80 were faster.
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Vassell’s three-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May 2017.
Vassell was unsuccessful in his heavyweight debut when he lost a decision to Valentin Moldavsky at Bellator 218 in March.
Vassell’s seven victories in Bellator light-heavyweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Liam McGeary (nine), Phil Davis (eight) and Emanuel Newton (eight).
Vassell’s three submission victories in Bellator light-heavyweight competition are tied with four other fighters for most in divisional history.
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[autotag]Roger Huerta[/autotag] (24-11-1 MMA, 1-4 BMMA) is 0-2 since he returned to Bellator for a second stint in April 2018. He hasn’t earned a victory with the promotion since April 2010.
Huerta is 4-10 in his past 14 fights dating back to August 2008.
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[autotag]Olga Rubin[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) competes in her sixth Bellator women’s featherweight bout, the third most appearances in divisional history behind Arlene Blencowe (nine) and Julia Budd (seven).
[autotag]Sinead Kavanagh[/autotag] (5-4 MMA, 2-4 BMMA) is 1-3 since she moved up to the Bellator women’s featherweight division.
[autotag]Grachik Bozinyan[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) is the youngest of the eight scheduled main card fighters.
Bozinyan has earned all 10 of his career victories by stoppage. He’s finished seven of those wins in Round 1.
[autotag]Aviv Gozali[/autotag]’s (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) 11-second submission win at Bellator 225 stands as the fastest in company history.
Gozali, at 18, became the youngest fighter to earn a bellator win at Bellator 209 in November 2018.
