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Invicta FC 26 Results: Maia Outlasts Niedźwiedź, Dern Submits Medeiros

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Kansas City, Mo. — On Friday, Dec. 8, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 26: Maia vs. Niedźwiedź from the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo. The event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Jennifer Maia is still the Invicta flyweight champion after a five-round war with Poland’s Aga Niedźwiedź. The Brazilian rocked Niedźwiedź early with a right hand that caused the right cheek of the challenger to swell. Niedźwiedź was able to get the fight to the canvas late in the opening round, but Maia was active from her back. It was Niedźwiedź who did the damage in round two, rocking Maia with punches. The champion survived and implemented her strong clinch game. Maia relentlessly pinned Niedźwiedź to the fence and weighed on her. The grueling action took its toll on Niedźwiedź, as Maia turned up her output in the championship rounds. Both fighters bled from their noses in the final round, but Maia’s volume was the difference as all three judges rewarded her efforts.

Mackenzie Dern stayed undefeated in her Invicta debut, submitting former strawweight title challenger Kaline Medeiros in the third round. Dern found success with her overhand right throughout the fight, rocking Medeiros on several occasions. A mouse formed under the left eye of Medeiros from the heavy shots. The fight found the ground in round two and Dern looked for a toe hold before passing to mount and scoring with ground and pound. Most of the third stanza took place on the feet, but Dern went for the finish in the bout’s final minute. She earned a trip takedown, passed to mount and then earned a tap from an armbar with just seconds remaining in the fight.

A pair of Brazilians delivered one of the bloodiest fights in Invicta history as Janaisa Morandin and Kinberly Novaes went to war for three rounds. The two immediately went to the clinch and began delivering elbows and knees. When they did separate, it was Morandin who scored with big punches. The second round saw Morandin severely damage the nose of Novaes and blood began to pour all over both fighters. The assault by Morandin continued throughout the remainder of the fight as she pressed forward and battered Novaes. Novaes survived to the final horn, but Morandin swept the scorecards.

Two-time flyweight title challenger Vanessa Porto survived an early storm from UFC veteran Milana Dudieva to earn a third-round TKO victory. Porto’s kicking arsenal was on display in the opening stanza, until Dudieva caught her with a punch behind the ear. Porto looked for a takedown, but Dudieva was able to secure the scarf-hold position and eventually took her back. She rained punches, but Porto survived and moved to top position. Round two featured more of Porto’s stand-up attack, as she chewed up the lead leg of Dudieva with kicks. In the final frame, Porto shifted her strikes to the body of Dudieva, backing her against the fence. An onslaught of punches and kicks to the midsection sent Dudieva to the canvas, handing Porto the TKO win.

Brazil’s Virna Jandiroba remained undefeated and sent a message to the rest of the strawweight division, submitting Amy Montenegro inside the first round. Jandiroba peppered Montenegro with body kicks before changing levels and securing a takedown. She smoothly transitioned from side control to mount before locking up the arm of Montenegro and earning the victory.

Former atomweight title challenger Amber Brown got back in the win column with a lightning-fast submission win over Tessa Simpson. Brown looked to get the fight to the ground right off the bat, but Simpson was able to scramble to top position. Brown slapped on an armbar from her back, forcing Simpson to defend and eventually tap less than a minute into the fight.

In a battle of flyweight striking stalwarts, Mexico’s Karina Rodríguez used crisp boxing and volume to edge out Christine Ferea on the scorecards. Ferea’s kicking game was the story early in the fight, but Rodríguez used the clinch to score knees and settle into range. Rodríguez fired combination after combination, but Ferea marched forward throughout the three-round affair. The pair traded until the final bell, but it was Rodríguez who had her hand raised.

Kicking off the night, strawweight Kay Hansen was successful in her professional debut, submitting fellow newcomer Emilee Prince by armbar. Hansen initiated the clinch and took the fight to the mat. She passed to mount, attacked the left arm of Prince and coerced the tap.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Jennifer Maia def. Aga Niedźwiedź by unanimous decision (49-46 x3) – for flyweight title
Mackenzie Dern def. Kaline Medeiros by submission (armbar). Round 3, 4:45
Janaisa Morandin def. Kinberly Novaes by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Vanessa Porto def. Milana Dudieva by TKO (strikes). Round 3, 3:02
Virna Jandiroba def. Amy Montenegro by submission (armbar). Round 1, 2:50
Amber Brown def. Tessa Simpson by submission (armbar). Round 1, 0:50
Karina Rodríguez def. Christine Ferea by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Kay Hansen def. Emilee Prince by submission (armbar). Round 1, 1:23

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. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

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Invicta FC 26: Maia vs. Niedźwiedź Official Weigh-in Results

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Kansas City, Mo. — On Thursday, Dec. 7, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 26: Maia vs. Niedźwiedź. The event takes place from the historic Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, Dec. 8, and streams live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

In the night’s main event, flyweight champion Jennifer Maia (14-4-1) will defend her 125-pound title against undefeated Polish fighter Aga Niedźwiedź (10-0). Brazil’s Maia is coming off back-to-back “Fight of the Year” contenders against Roxanne Modafferi and Vanessa Porto. Niedźwiedź, meanwhile, kept her perfect record intact in May, besting the aforementioned Porto in the Invicta FC 23 main event.

The co-main event features former strawweight title challenger Kaline Medeiros (8-5) and undefeated grappling stalwart Mackenzie Dern (4-0).

Below are the results of the event’s weigh-ins.

Flyweight Title: Jennifer Maia (123.3) vs. Aga Niedźwiedź (124.6)
Strawweight: Kaline Medeiros (115.8) vs. Mackenzie Dern (115.9)
Strawweight: Janaisa Morandin (115.4) vs. Kinberly Novaes (121.8)*
Flyweight: Vanessa Porto (127.6)* vs. Milana Dudieva (125.6)
Strawweight: Amy Montenegro (117.6)* vs. Virna Jandiroba (114.3)
Atomweight: Amber Brown (106.3)* vs. Tessa Simpson (105.4)
Flyweight: Christine Ferea (125.7) vs. Karina Rodríguez (124.7)
Strawweight: Kay Hansen (114.4) vs. Emilee Prince (115.5)

* – Novaes, Porto, Montenegro and Brown were each fined 25 percent of their fight purses for missing weight

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. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

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Jennifer Maia vs. Agnieszka Niedźwiedź Headlines Invicta FC 26

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Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships will return to action on Friday, Dec. 8, from the historic Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo. The event streams live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT.

In the night’s main event, flyweight champion Jennifer Maia (14-4-1) will defend her 125-pound title against undefeated Polish fighter Agnieszka Niedźwiedź (10-0). Brazil’s Maia is coming off back-to-back “Fight of the Year” contenders against Roxanne Modafferi and Vanessa Porto. Niedźwiedź, meanwhile, kept her perfect record intact in May, besting the aforementioned Porto in the Invicta FC 23 main event.

The co-main event features the return of Japan’s MIZUKI (12-4) against Brazilian Janaisa Morandin (9-1). The 23-year-old MIZUKI enters the contest having won four straight, including a second-round armbar finish of Lynn Alvarez in her most recent Invicta appearance. Morandin thrilled in an action-packed bout at Invicta FC 25, taking home “Fight of the Night” honors for her battle with former champion Livia Renata Souza.

Also on the card, former flyweight title challenger Vanessa Porto (18-8) takes on Australia’s Jessica-Rose “Jessy Jess” Clark (7-4, 1 NC).

The current fight card for Invicta FC 26 can be found below:

Flyweight Title: Jennifer Maia (14-4-1) vs. Agnieszka Niedźwiedź (10-0)
Strawweight: MIZUKI (12-4) vs. Janaisa Morandin (9-1)
Flyweight: Vanessa Porto (18-8) vs. Jessica-Rose Clark (7-4, 1 NC)

Tickets for the event go on sale Saturday, Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. CT via Tickeyfly.com. Additional bouts for the event will be announced at a later date.

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. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

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Invicta FC 23 Results: Niedźwiedź Edges Porto, Modafferi Batters D’Alelio

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Kansas City, Mo. — On Saturday, May 20, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 23: Porto vs. Niedźwiedź from the historic Scottish Rite Temple. The event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Agnieszka Niedźwiedź remained undefeated, besting Brazilian Vanessa Porto. The former title challenger Porto fired leg kick after leg kick to open the bout, but Niedźwiedź was able to take her to the ground. The Polish fighter could not maintain top position as Porto scrambled free. Niedźwiedź looked for a guillotine choke, but could not coerce the tap. Late in the round, Niedźwiedź looked for a D’arce choke, but time expired. Round two saw Porto again score with strikes, and she gained top position. She aggressively dove into the guard of Niedźwiedź and fell into a triangle choke. Porto did not panic, but she was forced to defend the choke and an armbar until the round closed. Porto’s striking was very effective in the final round, battering the lead leg of Niedźwiedź. The nose of Niedźwiedź bled heavily, but her early takedowns and submission attempts were the difference, as she earned the decision victory.

Roxanne Modafferi continued her march back toward title contention with the most complete performance of her Invicta career. “The Happy Warrior” was knocked down by opponent Sarah D’Alelio just seconds into the fight, but she was able to recover. Modafferi was able to clip D’Alelio later in the round. She took the back of D’Alelio and threatened with choke attempts, but D’Alelio was able to defend. In round two, Modafferi scored with a combinations, before taking the fight to the canvas. D’Alelio looked for a heel hook, but Modafferi defended and passed to her back. D’Alelio spun into the guard of Modafferi, but was forced to fend off a triangle choke attempt. Round three was all Modafferi, as she quickly put D’Alelio on her back and moved to mount. Modafferi landed a huge elbow that split open the forehead of D’Alelio, prompting the referee to halt the contest.

Former atomweight champion Herica Tiburcio survived a closely contested war with Tessa Simpson. Simpson caught a kick early and put the Brazilian on the ground. Tiburcio muscled her way on top, but was tied up inside the guard of Simpson. Simpson eventually worked her way back to the feet and the pair traded kicks. In round two, Simpson displayed her boxing prowess, but Tiburcio was able to earn a takedown. She looked for a guillotine choke and then a heel hook, but Simpson was able to escape. The third round was equally competitive, with Tiburcio scoring a takedown and Simpson attacking with a leg lock off her back. The back-and-forth bout resulted in a split verdict from the judges, with Tiburcio coming out with the win.

Making her Invicta debut, bantamweight Kelly Faszholz cruised past Elizabeth Phillips with fluid combinations. Faszholz marched forward from the opening bell, frequently landing her right hand. Phillips looked to clinch and score with throws, but Faszholz was able to avoid being put on her back. The cage work of Faszholz was grueling, as she scored with short punches and knees along the fence. Faszholz continued her assault in the second and third rounds, forcing Phillips to backpedal and counter. Late in the fight, Phillips scored with a takedown, but it was too little, too late, as Faszholz swept the judges’ scorecards.

Flyweight Andrea Lee faced a tough battle against newcomer Liz Tracy, eking out a split decision win. Lee’s striking was methodical at range in the first stanza, but Tracy’s wrestling game turned the tides. Every time Lee tried to open up, Tracy would shoot or initiate the clinch. When the fight hit the ground, the pair scrambled for position, with Tracy spending more time on top. The forward march of Tracy was relentless, but Lee was able to score with knees in the clinch and stuff multiple takedown attempts. Tracy’s hip toss was her most effective weapon, but she struggled to keep Lee on the mat. Lee twice looked to take the back of Tracy, and attacked with an armbar, but to no avail. The hard-fought bought went the distance, with Lee emerging victorious.

Returning to the featherweight division, Brazil’s Ediane Gomes edged out a very tough Pam Sorenson by split decision. Gomes pressured forward recklessly to open the bout, forcing Sorenson against the cage and then to the ground. From inside the guard, Gomes scored with short shots from top position. It was more of the same to open the second round, as Gomes battered Sorenson with punches before earning a takedown. Gomes was less active from the top, prompting the referee to stand up the fight. Back on the feet, Sorenson pushed the pace, clipping Gomes with counter right hands. In the final round, Sorenson’s striking was on display as the pace of Gomes dwindled. It wasn’t enough though, as Gomes earned the win.

Striking stalwarts Tiffany Van Soest and Christine Ferea put on a show in their strawweight affair. Van Soest was crisp with her kicks in the opening stanza as both fighters gauged their range. In the middle round, Ferea came forward aggressively and both fighters scored from the clinch with elbows and punches. The final frame was largely spent on the ground as Ferea looked for a takedown, but Van Soest initially landed on top. Ferea powered to top position and eventually moved to mount. She rained strikes from the top, but could not find the finish, as Van Soest claimed the victory on the scorecards.

Kicking off the night’s action, bantamweights Yaya Rincón and Brooksie Bayard engaged in a three-round battle. Rincón, who was making her professional debut, quickly took the fight to the ground and took the back of Bayard. Bayard defended the choke attempts and was able to get the fight back to the feet. The story of the fight was the crisp counter striking of Rincón. She peppered the face of Bayard with straight right hands. Bayard was game, coming forward and firing overhand rights. It wasn’t enough, however, as Rincón captured the decision win.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Agnieszka Niedźwiedź def. Vanessa Porto by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Roxanne Modafferi def. Sarah D’Alelio by TKO (strikes). Round 3, 1:37
Herica Tiburcio def. Tessa Simpson by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Kelly Faszholz def. Elizabeth Phillips by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Andrea Lee def. Liz Tracy by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Ediane Gomes def. Pam Sorenson by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Tiffany Van Soest def. Christine Ferea by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Yaya Rincón def. Brooksie Bayard by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

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. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

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Invicta FC 23: Porto vs. Niedźwiedź Official Weigh-in Results

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Kansas City, Mo. — On Friday, May 19, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 23: Porto vs. Niedźwiedź. The event takes place from Scottish Rite Temple on Saturday, May 20, and streams live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

In the night’s main event, former flyweight title challenger Vanessa Porto (18-7) meets undefeated Agnieszka Niedźwiedź (9-0) of Poland. Brazil’s Porto will look to rebound from her back-and-forth battle with champion Jennifer Maia last spring at Invicta FC 16. Niedźwiedź will be making her second promotional appearance, having defeated veteran Christine Stanley at Invicta FC 18.

The co-main event also takes place in the flyweight division as veteran Roxanne Modafferi (20-13) faces off with Sarah D’Alelio (11-6). Modafferi will aim to get back into title contention, having fallen short in her title conquest at Invicta FC 19. D’Alelio returns to the promotion riding a four-fight winning streak that includes a submission win at Invicta FC 16.

Below are the results of the event’s weigh-ins.

Flyweight: Vanessa Porto (125.8) vs. Agnieszka Niedźwiedź (126)
Flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi (125.7) vs. Sarah D’Alelio (125.6)
Atomweight: Herica Tiburcio (105.5) vs. Tessa Simpson (105.8)
Bantamweight: Elizabeth Phillips (140.4)* vs. Kelly Faszholz (135.3)
Flyweight: Andrea Lee (125.5) vs. Liz Tracy (125.4)
Featherweight: Ediane Gomes (145.4) vs. Pam Sorenson (145.4)
Strawweight: Tiffany Van Soest (115.4) vs. Christine Ferea (115.9)
Bantamweight: Brooksie Bayard (135.4) vs. Yaya Rincón (135.4)

* – Phillips missed the bantamweight limit of 136 pounds and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse

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. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

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Vanessa Porto vs. Agnieszka Niedźwiedź Set For Invicta FC 23 Main Event

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Kansas City, Mo. — The fight card for Invicta Fighting Championships 23 has finalized six fights, including three in the flyweight division.

In the night’s main event, former flyweight title challenger Vanessa Porto (18-7) meets undefeated Agnieszka Niedźwiedź (9-0) of Poland. Brazil’s Porto will look to rebound from her back-and-forth battle with champion Jennifer Maia last spring at Invicta FC 16. Niedźwiedź will be making her second promotional appearance, having defeated veteran Christine Stanley at Invicta FC 18.

The co-main event also takes place in the flyweight division as veteran Roxanne Modafferi (20-13) faces off with Sarah D’Alelio (11-6). Modafferi will aim to get back into title contention, having fallen short in her title conquest at Invicta FC 19. D’Alelio returns to the promotion riding a four-fight winning streak that includes a submission win at Invicta FC 16.

A third flyweight contest between Andrea Lee (6-2) and promotional newcomer Liz Tracy (3-1) will complete the spotlight on the 125-pound division.

Joining the flyweight match-ups are three additional bouts. Former atomweight champion Herica Tiburcio (10-4) takes on Tessa Simpson (5-1), UFC veterans Elizabeth Phillips (6-5) and Kelly Faszholz (3-2) square off in a bantamweight affair, and striking stalwarts Tiffany Van Soest (0-1) and Christine Ferea (1-0) clash at strawweight.

The event takes place Saturday, May 20, from the historic Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo. The event streams live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 8 p.m. ET.

The current Invicta FC 23 fight card can be found below:

Flyweight: Vanessa Porto (18-7) vs. Agnieszka Niedźwiedź (9-0)
Flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi (20-13) vs. Sarah D’Alelio (11-6)
Atomweight: Herica Tiburcio (10-4) vs. Tessa Simpson (5-1)
Bantamweight: Elizabeth Phillips (6-5) vs. Kelly Faszholz (3-2)
Flyweight: Andrea Lee (6-2) vs. Liz Tracy (3-1)
Strawweight: Tiffany Van Soest (0-1) vs. Christine Ferea (1-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 23 will go on sale Monday, April 17 via Ticketfly.com. Additional bouts for the event will be announced at a later date.

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. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

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Invicta FC Welcomes Three New Fighters

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Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships today announced the signing of three fighters to its roster.

Joining the flyweight division is undefeated Polish fighter Agnieszka Niedzwiedz (7-0). The 21-year-old began training judo at the age of seven. She transitioned to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA in her teens and now holds the rank of purple belt in BJJ. Six of her seven career wins have come before the final bell, including four via strikes.

Brazil’s Talia Santos (13-0) is the latest addition to the bantamweight division. The Astra Fight Team product has an extensive background in Muay Thai and boxing. Ten of her 11 stoppage wins have come inside the first round. The 22-year-old holds the rank of blue belt in both BJJ and Luta Livre.

The strawweight division has also gained a fresh face, as Iceland’s Sunna Rannveig Davidsdottir (0-0) will make her professional debut in the Invicta cage. The 30-year-old has professional kickboxing experience and captured the IBJJF European championship in 2015 as a blue belt. “Tsunami” was also crowned the IMMAF European champion last year.

Bouts for the new roster additions have not been finalized at this time. Check InvictaFC.com for future updates on all three fighters.

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. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.