Herica Tiburcio Forced Out of Invicta FC 9, Bout with Ayaka Hamasaki Scrapped

Kansas City, Mo. – The atomweight contest between Brazil’s Herica Tiburcio (8-2) and Japan’s Ayaka Hamasaki (10-1) has been scratched from this Saturday’s Invicta FC 9 event, as visa issues for Tiburcio have forced the 22-year-old off the card at the last minute.

Tiburcio was slated to make her promotional debut for Invicta FC, currently riding a three-fight winning streak. Hamasaki, who previously fought for the organization at Invicta FC 6 in July of 2013, was looking for her second win in a new division after dropping to atomweight earlier this year.

Invicta FC 9 takes place from the RiverCenter in Davenport, Iowa. The event will stream live via the UFC’s digital network, UFC Fight Pass. In the night’s main event, Invicta flyweight champion Barb Honchak (9-2) will make the second defense of her 125-pound title as she squares off with Japan’s Takayo Hashi (15-4). The night’s co-main event will feature the Invicta return of Japanese strawweight Mizuki Inoue (8-2), who welcomes unbeaten Polish fighter Karolina Kowalkiewicz (5-0) to the Invicta cage.