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INVICTA FC 9 FULL CARD ANNOUNCED Saturday, November 1st – Live on UFC Fight Pass

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INVICTA FC 9 FULL CARD ANNOUNCED Saturday, November 1st – Live on UFC Fight Pass

Plus Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino Headlines Invicta FC 10

Kansas City, MO – Invicta Fighting Championships today announced the full fight card for its next event. Invicta FC 9: Honchak vs. Hashi will stream live on UFC Fight Pass from The RiverCenter in Davenport, Iowa on Saturday, November 1st.

Training out of nearby Betterndorf, Iowa, Invicta FC Flyweight Champion Barb Honchak (9-2) headlines Invicta FC 9 as she defends her title against Japanese veteran Takayo Hashi (15-4). In the co-main event, strawweight submission specialist Mizuki Inoue (8-2) returns to Invicta to take on undefeated newcomer Karolina Kowalkiewicz (5-0) of Poland.

The full fight card for Invicta FC 9 can be found below:

Barb Honchak (9-2) vs. Takayo Hashi (15-4)
Mizuki Inoue (8-2) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (5-0)
Ayaka Hamasaki (10-1) vs. Herica Tiburcio (8-2)
Kaitlin Young (7-8-1) vs. Cindy Dandois (5-1)
Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (8-7) vs. Jodie Esquibel (4-1)
Amber Brown (3-1) vs. Liz McCarthy (2-1)
Amanda Bell (2-2) vs. Maria Hougaard-Djursaa (5-5)
Shannon Sinn (1-1) vs. Andrea K. Lee (1-0)
Jenny Liou Shriver (2-0) vs. Jamie Moyle (0-0)
Kelly McGill (1-0) vs. Maegan Goodwin (0-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 9 will be available soon.

In addition, Invicta FC 10 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 5th, headlined by Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino (12-1) making her bantamweight debut. Justino, the current Invicta FC Featherweight Champion and former Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight Champion has not lost since 2005. Invicta FC 10 location and event details will be announced at a later date.

For more information, visit InvictaFC.com.

About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship All Pro Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. For more information, visit InvictaFC.com, follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights) and like Invicta on Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights).

Press Contact:
Eric Jackman
718.354.9024
eric@jacktaylorpr.com
or press@invictafc.com

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Full Invicta FC 9 Fight Card

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On Saturday, Nov. 1, Invicta Fighting Championships will head to the RiverCenter in Davenport, Iowa for Invicta FC 9.

In the night’s main event, Invicta flyweight champion Barb Honchak will make the second defense of her 125-pound title as she squares off with Japan’s Takayo Hashi. Honchak captured Invicta gold at Invicta FC 5 in April 2013 and extended her current winning streak to eight with a one-sided performance against current UFC fighter Leslie Smith in December. Hashi, a former Strikeforce title challenger, will be making her Invicta FC debut. The 36-year-old is unbeaten in her last three fights, topping veterans Roxanne Modafferi and Shizuka Sugiyama along the way.

The night’s co-main event will feature the Invicta return of Japanese strawweight Mizuki Inoue, who welcomes unbeaten Polish fighter Karolina Kowalkiewicz to the Invicta cage. The 20-year-old Inoue bested Ultimate Fighter 20 cast member Bec Rawlings at IFC 6 last July and most recently submitted Emi Tomimatsu under the Jewels banner in August. Kowalkiewicz took her record to 5-0 in May, submitting Invicta veteran Jasminka Cive in the first round at KSW 27.

Also on the card, Ayaka Hamasaki will make her second Invicta appearance, but at atomweight. She’ll take on Brazil’s Herica Tiburcio, who will be making her promotional debut. Hamasaki made a successful debut at 105 pounds in August with a first-round TKO finish of former Invicta title challenger Naho Sugiyama. The 22-year-old Tiburcio enters the fight riding a three-fight winning streak. Six of her eight career wins have come via submission.

The 10-fight event will stream live via the UFC’s digital network, UFC Fight Pass.

Invicta FC 9 Fight Card

Flyweight Title Fight: Champion Barb Honchak (9-2, Iowa) vs. Takayo Hashi (15-4-1, Japan)

Strawweight: Mizuki Inoue (8-2, Japan) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (5-0, Poland)

Atomweight: Ayaka Hamasaki (10-1, Japan) vs. Herica Tiburcio (8-2, Brazil)

Bantamweight: Kaitlin Young (7-8-1, California) vs. Cindy Dandois (5-1, Belgium)

Atomweight: Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (8-7, Oklahoma) vs. Jodie Esquibel (4-1, New Mexico)

Atomweight: Amber Brown (3-1, New Mexico) vs. Liz McCarthy (2-1, Oregon)

Featherweight: Amanda Bell (2-2, Oregon) vs. Maria Hougaard-Djursaa (5-5, Denmark)

Flyweight: Shannon Sinn (1-1, Colorado) vs. Andrea K. Lee (1-0, Lousiana)

Strawweight: Jenny Liou Shriver (2-0, Idaho) vs. Jamie Moyle (Pro Debut, Nevada)

Bantamweight: Kelly McGill (1-0, California) vs. Maegan Goodwin (Pro Debut, Oklahoma)

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Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino To Make Her Bantamweight Debut on December 5

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A date has been revealed for the Invicta bantamweight debut of Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino.

The Brazilian, who currently holds the Invicta FC featherweight title, will return to 135 pounds at Invicta FC 10 on Friday, December 5.

Cyborg will make her first return to the cage since last July, when she captured the 145-pound Invicta belt with a fourth-round TKO over Marloes Coenen at Invicta FC 6. The 29-year-old has picked up two straight TKO wins under the Invicta banner.

At this point in time, no opponent has been announced for the Brazilian. Invicta FC 10 will stream live via the UFC’s digital network, UFC Fight Pass. An opponent for Justino, as well as the event’s location, is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

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Barb Honchak vs. Takayo Hashi Headlines Invicta FC 9 on November 1

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Invicta Fighting Championships is headed to Iowa.

The all-women’s promotion will visit the RiverCenter in Davenport on Saturday, Nov. 1, for its ninth event. It will mark the first time the promotion has ventured outside its home of Kansas City, Mo.

In the night’s headlining affair, the promotion’s flyweight champion, Barb Honchak, will look to make the second defense of her 125-pound title as she takes on Japan’s Takayo Hashi.

Honchak captured Invicta gold at Invicta FC 5 in April 2013 with a dominant performance against Brazil’s Vanessa Porto. The 35-year-old then extended her current winning streak to eight with another one-sided performance against current UFC fighter Leslie Smith in December. The win marked Honchak’s fourth victory under the Invicta banner. In addition to her wins over Porto and Smith, Honchak also holds notable victories over The Ultimate Fighter 20 cast members Aisling Daly and Felice Herrig.

Hashi, a former Strikeforce title challenger, will be making her Invicta FC debut. The 36-year-old is unbeaten in her last three fights, topping veterans Roxanne Modafferi and Shizuka Sugiyama along the way. Hashi previously competed at bantamweight and has faced notables Cat Zingano, Tara LaRosa and Sarah Kaufman. Hashi has gone five rounds twice in her 20-fight career. She has appeared under the Smackgirl, Jewels and Deep Jewels banners in a career that spans an entire decade.

Invicta FC 9 will stream live via the UFC’s digital network, UFC Fight Pass. No additional fights for the event have been revealed at this point in time, but more announcements from the promotion are expected in the coming weeks.

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INVICTA FC 8 behind the scenes from an athlete’s perspective

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Maureen Riordon takes the camera and goes behind the scenes at Invicta FC 8 to give an inside look from an athlete’s perspective.

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Waterson defends and Kankaanpaa secures gold at Invicta FC 8

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On Saturday, Sept. 6, Invicta Fighting Championships made its long-awaited return as it hosted its eighth event from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

In the night’s main event, atomweight champion Michelle Waterson made the first defense of her belt as she took on Japan’s Yasuko Tamada. Waterson, or “The Karate Hottie,” rode a five-fight winning streak that dated back to 2010. The 28-year-old captured Invicta gold last April with a fourth-round armbar of Jessica Penne at Invicta FC 5. Tamada, meanwhile, made her promotional debut. The Megumi Fujii-trained fighter had picked up three straight wins under the Deep/Jewels banner heading into the title affair, which marked her first bout outside of her native Japan.

The co-main event also featured Invicta gold on the line. The promotion’s vacant strawweight title was up for grabs when Invicta vet Katja Kankaanpaa squared off with newcomer Stephanie Eggink. Finland’s Kankaanpaa was one of the few 115-pound fighters on the Invicta roster that wasn’t brought over to the UFC. “The Killer Bunny” suffered the first and only loss of her career to Joanne Calderwood at Invicta FC 7, but rebounded with a second-round armbar finish of Alyona Rassohyna in May. Eggink stepped into the Invicta cage riding a three-fight winning streak. The 26-year-old captured XFC gold in her last fight by submitting veteran Angela Magana with a triangle choke.

The 10-fight event kicked off Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. The entire fight card streamed live on UFC Fight Pass.

Invicta atomweight champion Michelle Waterson retained her 105-pound title by becoming the first to stop Japan’s Yasuko Tamada. Waterson opened with a flurry of kicks to set the tone for the opening round. When Tamada got close, Waterson clinched and fired knee after knee. The champion mixed in flurries of punches with an occasional head kick, but Tamada never went down. It was more of the same in round two as Waterson poured it on with more knees and kicks to the body. Tamada never stopped coming forward, despite the assault. In the third round, Waterson was more patient with her shots. She continued to land knees and Tamada’s face began to swell badly. Late in the round, Waterson delivered a kick to the face of Tamada that wobbled her for the first time along the fence. Waterson followed with punches and referee Greg Franklin stepped in to halt the bout.

Invicta crowned a new strawweight champion as Finland’s Katja Kankaanpaa scored a come-from-behind, fifth-round d’arce choke finish of Stephanie Eggink. In the opening round, Eggink used her jab to keep Kankaanpaa at bay, but the Finnish fighter was able to score a takedown. Eggink quickly attacked with a triangle attempt and swept to the mount. Kankaanpaa showed great submission defense and survived the round. Kankaanpaa’s takedown came much sooner in round two and she was more conservative with her movement to nullify Eggink’s attack off her back. Eggink was able to stand and scored with combinations late in the frame. The third stanza saw Eggink scoring early on the feet and along the cage with knees. Kankaanpaa was able to muscle the fight to the ground, but Eggink again attacked with a triangle choke. Eggink transitioned to an armbar, but Kankaanpaa escaped. Eggink used a leg lock attempt to sweep to the top position, but Kankaanpaa returned the leg lock attempt as the round closed. Kankaanpaa worked hard for a takedown in the fourth round and got it briefly. She then dove for another and Eggink was able to sit down into the mount. She rained heavy shots and Kankaanpaa gave up her back. Eggink pounded away for the remainder of the round, but could not get the finish. Kankaanpaa went for broke in the final round and set up a deep d’arce choke that forced Eggink to tap.

Veteran Tonya Evinger spoiled the bantamweight debut of Brazil’s Ediane Gomes, earning a first-round armbar finish. Evinger came out firing with her jab, but Gomes secured a body lock along the fence. Gomes looked to bring the fight to the ground, but Evinger reversed the position and ended up on top. Gomes attacked with a heel hook, prompting Evinger to look for a toe hold. The pair worked back to their feet, but Evinger again brought the fight to the ground. Gomes looked for an armbar and then a guillotine choke, but Evinger moved to mount. From the dominant position, Evinger locked up the fight-ending armbar.

Two of the sport’s pioneers closed out their trilogy as Roxanne Modafferi used a vastly improved striking attack to best Tara LaRosa via unanimous decision. Modafferi put her footwork and head movement to work from the opening bell, keeping LaRosa guessing on the feet. LaRosa swung with wild power shots, but failed to connect. Modafferi increased her output in round two as LaRosa’s pace slowed down. Modafferi landed numerous kicks to the body and clean, one-two combinations. In the final round, Modafferi dropped LaRosa with a beautiful shot down the middle, but coaxed her back to the feet for more punishment. When it was all said and done, Modafferi walked away with clear-cut victory.

Flyweight DeAnna Bennett made opponent Michelle Ould pay for missing weight, scoring a violent, second-round TKO via liver shot. Bennett pushed the action early, forcing Ould against the cage. The pair jostled for position with Bennett scoring with knees. Midway through the round, Bennett caught an Ould kick and brought the fight to the ground briefly. Late in the round, Bennett again scored with knees. In round two, Bennett continued her advance, landing a liver kick and punches that saw Ould buckle along the cage.

In the first lightweight bout in Invicta history, Canada’s Charmaine Tweet used her experience and superior technique to get the better of her younger foe, Veronica Rothenhausler. The power-punching Rothenhausler was swinging for the fences early, but Tweet countered well with her jab. Tweet was able to back Rotherhausler against the cage and briefly looked for a standing rear-naked choke, but abandoned it. Tweet caught a kick from Rothenhausler and brought the fight to the mat. She quickly moved to the mount and then took Rothenhausler’s back. She flattened out Rothenhausler and rained punches. When Rothenhausler rolled to her back, Tweet finished her with punches from the top.

Bantamweight Irene Aldana made quick work of UFC veteran Peggy Morgan, scoring a first-round, rear-naked choke finish. Mexico’s Aldana dropped Morgan early with a big shot and flurried for a finish along the fence. Morgan was able to recover and get back to her feet, but it wasn’t long before Aldana delivered another heavy right hand that crumpled Morgan. Aldana moved to mount and rained punches, forcing Morgan to give up her back. The Mexican fighter quickly attacked Morgan’s neck to coerce the tap.

Mexico’s Alexa Grasso kept her unbeaten record intact with a unanimous decision over fellow strawweight Ashley Cummins. Cummins started the fight strong, peppering Grasso with punches and scoring with a big takedown. But once the fight hit the mat, Grasso latched onto a deep armbar attempt and delivered punches from her back. Cummins survived the round, but her pace slowed in round two. Both fighters scored with combinations in round two, but Cummins was unable to bring the fight to the mat. Grasso opened up with her hands in the last round, helping her claim the decision win.

Atomweight Jodie Esquibel started slow, but finished strong, edging out newcomer Jinh Yu Frey by split decision. Frey rocked Esquibel badly in the opening frame with a left kick. She quickly took Esquibel’s back and looked for a rear-naked choke, but Esquibel escaped and finished the round on top. The second stanza was very close as both fighters struggled to find their range. Esquibel went for broke in the final frame, battering Frey with combinations and bloodying her face. The late effort was enough to convince two of the judges to hand Esquibel the win.

Colorado strawweight J.J. Aldrich impressed in her professional debut, dominating Florida’s Delaney Owen on her way to a unanimous decision. Aldrich was the aggressor early, prompting Owen to look for a takedown. Aldrich showcased excellent takedown defense to keep the fight standing and peppered Owen with knees. Owen did score with a nice hip toss in round two, but Aldrich transitioned to her back and threatened with a rear-naked choke. Owen survived the round, but her pace slowed in the final frame, allowing Aldrich to score a takedown. Aldrich rained punches and elbows from the top as Owen desperately looked for a heel hook late, and the judges rewarded Aldrich for her efforts.

FULL RESULTS BELOW

Michelle Waterson def. Yasuko Tamada by TKO (strikes). Round 3, 4:58 – for atomweight title
Katja Kankaanpaa def. Stephanie Eggink by submission (d’arce choke). Round 5, 2:03 – for vacant strawweight title
Tonya Evinger def. Ediane Gomes by submission (armbar). Round 1, 3:31
Roxanne Modafferi def. Tara LaRosa by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
DeAnna Bennett def. Michelle Ould by TKO (liver kick and punches). Round 2, 1:34
Charmaine Tweet def. Veronica Rothenhausler by TKO (punches). Round 1, 4:05
Irene Aldana def. Peggy Morgan by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 1, 2:50
Alexa Grasso def. Ashley Cummins by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Jodie Esquibel def, Jinh Yu Frey by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-27)
J.J. Aldrich def. Delaney Owen by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Rob Tatum has been covering the sport of MMA since 2009. He currently serves as the Assistant Editor of COMBATPRESS and InvictaFC.com staff writer.

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Fighting Words: Michelle Waterson

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Reshaping herself during the layoff, the new and improved Michelle Waterson steps back into the cage September 6th to defend her Invicta FC Atomweight World Championship against battle hardened veteran Yasuko Tamada.

 

 

Corey Smith: Your most recent bout was your upset win over Jessica Penne for the Invicta FC Atomweight title in April of 2013. What have you worked on improving since that bout?

Michelle Waterson: It has been a long layoff, but I was expected to fight in December. In December I started to get myself going for a training camp, but that didn’t end up happening. I just told myself that if I want to be a professional fighter it is something I have to do on a daily basis. I have to improve myself. I worked a lot on my wrestling, and putting muscle on. I had free time and freedom to choose what to improve on.

 

CS: Your win over Penne was nominated for Upset of the Year at the annual Fighter’s Only awards. What do think it symbolized that women’s bout was nominated?

MW: It was a huge fight. It has always been a goal of mine to obtain the belt, it was tremendous. Plus Jessica Penne was the belt holder, and it allowed me to really showcase my willingness to fight through adversity. There are times in life or in a fight that you can doubt yourself, but as long as you fight through it there is always going to be light at the end of the tunnel. That’s something that I was able to learn, and hopefully that inspired some other people out there after that fight.

 

CS: What were your first thoughts when you learned of the Invicta UFC Fight Pass deal? What do you think it means for the sport of WMMA in general?

MW: I think if you are going to partner up with anyone in MMA, it would be the UFC. Now we have a big brother looking over our shoulders and taking care of us is how I see it. I think that it’s going to be a good relationship. The sky is the limit with the two organizations, and the only way to go is up.

 

CS: Your opponent at Invicta FC 8 on September 6th, Yasuko Tamada, is an experienced Japanese veteran on a three fight win streak. How familiar are you with Tamada? What do see as the key to the matchup?

MW: I’m not too familiar with her. I’ve only seen a couple fights of hers, and they were pretty old. I do know that she is a Japanese veteran that will fight anybody. I know that she is kind of an awkward south paw, so for me what I am really focusing on is to try to keep it standing. It’s always a goal of mine, every fight that I go into. With the strength I’ve been able to put on over this past year, and the wrestling if I want to keep it standing I’ll be able to. Those are the keys for me.

 

CS: With the added muscle mass that you have put on over the past year, have you noticed any differences in the weight cut this time around?

MW: I am heavier than normal, but I am pretty excited to go into the fight with the extra muscle. It will be worth it come fight time.

 

CS: Other than the weight cut, what do you consider the hardest aspect of being a fighter?

MW: The mental battles that you find yourself in every day. It’s easy to go into the gym and train really hard for one day. But when you have to do it five to six times a week, day in and day out, it can start wearing on you. You aren’t always going to have great days, and sometimes when you have a bad day it can play with you mentally. You have to learn how to stay strong, and learn how to take the good days with the bad days.  You have to learn how to be your best on your worst day.

 

CS: What is your mood on fight night? Do you have any routines or superstitions that you have to perform?

MW: I try not to get too superstitious or too routine, because I feel like every fight is different. So if something doesn’t go right in the routine it would just throw me off. I just go into it with an open mind, and I try to stay in the present. I think that’s a very important thing. I try to just enjoy my fight. We all have that anxiety and those butterflies. If you are able to control that, and harness it for the better I think you are better off. That is what I tend to do on fight day, just get all those emotions under control and use them in the cage.

 

CS: Who generally accompanies you to the cage? What type of feedback and coaching do you prefer from your corners?

MW: My husband, Coach Jackson, and Coach Wink have been in my corner for my last couple fights. So I’ve got a pretty rock star corner team. I’m pretty good at just staying in the zone and hearing what I need to hear when I need to hear it. Coach Jackson has always been real good at saying the right thing at the right time. My husband is really good at being there for me and keeping me nice and calm. Coach Wink is the kind of coach that is real up front, and I work two or three times a week with him. He gives me the confidence in myself to just go in there and give it my all because of all the work we put in before the fight even starts.

 

CS: For those that have not experienced it, how would you describe the walk out to the cage?

MW: That’s the worst part of it all! You are basically walking into the cage, where they are going to lock you in with this other person. This other person is trying to take your head off, and there isn’t anywhere for you to go. To me the anticipation is always worse than the actual event.

 

CS: Aside from fight preparation, how much MMA do you watch purely for enjoyment?

MW: I try to watch all my teammates fight. If there is a show that is going on free TV, I will try to catch it. My husband is a big boxing fan, so between boxing and MMA something is always on in our house. We enjoy just watching it, and forgetting about it after we watch.

 

CS: Outside of the gym and MMA, what types of activities do you enjoy for fun? What helps you to relax?

MW: We go to the park a lot, and just hang out. Sometimes we will just sit down and do little art projects. Play tea cup or play Ninja Turtles. It really just depends on the type of mood my daughter is in.

 

CS: Lastly, MMA takes a team to succeed alone inside the cage. Who would you like to thank?

MW: I want to thank primary sponsors; AmericanaMMA who sells my signature T-Shirt, if anyone else wants to be on Team Hottie!

MW: Onnit Supplements and SportsFood.Com. I have tons of others, and they will be on my banner.

MW: If you want to keep up with me I’m active on Instagram and Twitter @KarateHottieMMA!

MW: If you don’t subscribe to UFC FightPass, you better! This show is going to go down in history and you will be sad that you missed it!

 

Invicta FC 8 takes place September 6th live from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The full card will air live via UFC Fight Pass. Click below for tickets, or to subscribe to UFC FightPass.

 

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Fighting Words: Katja Kankannpaa

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The “Killer Bunny” Katja Kankaanpaa returns to the Invicta FC cage in search of gold when she challenges Stephanie Eggink for the vacant World Strawweight Title September 6th at Invicta FC 8.

 
Corey Smith: Your last appearance in the Invicta FC cage, you suffered the first defeat of your career, a decision loss to Joanne Calderwood. Most athletes agree you learn more from your defeats than your wins. What did you learn?
KK: Most of all, I learned a lot on the mental side. The fight was tough and if I had been mentally stronger, the decision could have gone the other way. I thought that I was ready, but didn’t trust myself enough to take the win.

 
CS: You bounced back with a submission victory this past May. How important was it for you to stay active outside the Invicta cage?
KK: It was very important because otherwise the pause from fighting would have been too long. When fights are in steady intermissions you can keep a good touch to fighting. It also was very nice to have a fight at my home country, especially since it had been so long since my last fight here in Finland.

 

CS: Most fighters list the weight cut as the hardest aspect of being a fighter. Setting that aside, what do you consider the hardest aspect of being a fighter?
KK: Lack of time. Sometimes it’s hard to schedule my day. I have a day job and when I add in training to my day schedule, I haven’t much free time left.

 

CS: Invicta FC recently signed a content distribution deal with the UFC, specifically all future Invicta bouts will be available via UFC Fight Pass. What were your thoughts when you first heard about the deal?
 KK: Its huge thing and big step for Women’s MMA.

 
CS: Your bout on September 6th at Invicta FC 8, will be for the vacant Strawweight championship. How familiar are you with your opponent, Stephanie Eggink? What do you believe is the key to the matchup?
KK: I’m not so familiar. I just watched a couple of fight videos of hers, so that’s it. I just need to believe in myself and do my own things in the fight. I’m a well rounded fighter and I think if I just fight on my own level I can win the fight.

 

CS: The bout will see a new champion crowned in the Invicta FC Strawweight division. Does this carry any added pressure for you?
KK: I hope not =) I try to think that this fight is just one fight among others but I’m not sure if that works because I’m excited being in the title fight.

 

CS: Who generally accompanies you to the cage? What type of feedback and coaching do you prefer from your corners?
KK: My manager and one of my coaches are with me in the cage.  I just need simple instruction in a fight.

 

CS: For those that have not experienced it, how would you describe the walk out to the cage?
KK: I’m excited and focused on the fight. All the training is behind me and it is time to fight.

 

CS: Outside of the gym and MMA, what types of activities do you enjoy for fun? What helps you to relax?
KK: There are so many things that I would like to do, but sadly I haven´t much free time to do them. But just to mention a few: Climbing, swimming, cycling and running. I feel I’m always  going somewhere but when I’m a home I just relax watching movies with my husband and playing with our dog.

 

CS: Lastly, MMA takes a team to succeed alone inside the cage. Who would you like to thank?
KK: My team, coaches, manager and all my training partners who have helped me with training.  My family, my husband and my sponsors. I am very happy and pleased that I have people like you around me.

 

Invicta FC 8 takes place September 6th live from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The full card will air live via UFC Fight Pass. Click below for tickets, or to subscribe to UFC FightPass.

 

ticketmasterlogo

 

UFC-Fight-Pass

 

 

 

 

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Fighting Words: Stephanie Eggink

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Invicta FC newcomer Stephanie Eggink steps right into the fire when she faces off against Katja Kankaanpaa for the vacant Invicta FC World Strawweight title September 6th at Invicta FC 8.

 
Corey Smith: You have an extensive background in boxing, even fighting for the US National Team at one point. How did you first get started in Boxing? Was that your first entry in martial arts?
Stephanie Eggink: I started boxing when I was 16 and I fell in love. I had done Tae Kwondo when I was young but most of my life I played soccer. When I walked into the boxing gym for the first time I knew I had found my sport.

 
CS: You took a few bouts as professional boxer, but quickly transitioned in MMA. What prompted the switch?
SE: I got bored with boxing. Not discrediting the sport at all, but I was 21 and restless. I was sick of doing the same thing in the gym all the time. And, I realized how much more fun it is to sit on top of someone and punch them than do it standing.

 
CS: Other than obvious rule differences, what would you say is the biggest difference between MMA and Boxing?
SE: Wrestling and ground game are obviously not part of boxing, and a huge part of MMA. Luckily I took to BJJ very quickly so the transition to the ground was ok, but the in between stuff (wrestling) was more of a challenge to conform to, and I’m still working on it. But, both are combat sports, where someone is trying to hurt you and you them. There’s a lot of parallels there, ones you can’t find in any other sports.

 
CS: Your nickname “Snowflake” is rather unique to the world of MMA. How did that come about?
SE: Long story, one I can’t really share with you, but Sam Wilson started calling me that when I was still fighting ammy and it stuck. You can try to get the story out of her if you want to! What I tell people is that I’m unique, like a snowflake!

 
CS: Your upcoming bout at Invicta FC 8 will mark an exactly one year layoff for you. Do you have any concerns with ring rust? How does winning one title prepare you to win another?
SE: Ring rust is a real thing but that typically gets shaken off in the gym. I feel confident right now, the fact that I haven’t fought doesn’t mean I haven’t been training. School took precedence over fighting for this past year, and I don’t regret that at all. Having prepared for a title fight before helped me for this camp, I know what kind of shape I need to be in, but my last fight only lasted one round so I have never gone a full 5 before. Should be interesting!

 
CS: You will be facing Katja Kankaanpaa at Invicta FC 8 on September 6th for the vacant Invicta FC Strawweight championship. How familiar are you with Kankaanpaa and what should fans expect out of the bout?
SE: I think its going to be fight of the night. She is very aggressive, I am very elusive. Our opposite styles will make for a good fight. She is strong and good at what she does, but so am I.

 

CS: What is your mood on fight night? Do you have any routines or superstitions that you have to perform?
SE: I’m calm and collected right now, I feel very confident in my skill set. As far as superstitious stuff…this is kind of weird…but I always shave my entire body (other than my head) before I fight. Haha. I don’t know why but I have done it since I was just boxing and it makes me feel like I’m preparing my body for battle. Weird, I know.

 
CS: Who generally accompanies you to the cage? What type of feedback and coaching do you prefer from your corners?
SE: My dad is always in my corner, he has been since my first pro boxing fight. He doesn’t coach me but he is always there, my biggest support. Other than him Shayna Baszler has been in my corner for my past 3 fights and will be this time as well, she is a book of knowledge and the best coach I have ever had. Also, my striking coach Luke will be in my corner, I just started working with him this camp. Shayna’s wrestling and MMA knowledge and his striking knowledge will compliment each other well.

 

CS: Lastly outside of the gym, what types of activities do you enjoy for fun? What helps you to relax?
SE: Between working as a medic and training, I don’t have a whole lot of time for extra activities! I am excited to be able to some time off and do things I enjoy, like hiking and rock climbing, after this camp is over. However, I do read a lot, every night before bed. Historical non fiction is my genre of choice (I’m a nerd).

 

Invicta FC 8 takes place September 6th live from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The full card will air live via UFC Fight Pass. Click below for tickets, or to subscribe to UFC FightPass.

 

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