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Invicta FC 13 Results: Cyborg, Evinger and Hamasaki Leave Vegas with Belts

Las Vegas – On Thursday, July 9, Invicta Fighting Championships made its first trip to Nevada to host Invicta FC 13: Cyborg vs. Van Duin from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino celebrated her 30th birthday with yet another dominant title defense. The Brazilian needed just 45 seconds to put away New Zealand’s Faith Van Duin by TKO. Cyborg was the aggressor throughout, chasing Van Duin around the cage. She wobbled Van Duin with a left hand and followed with a knee that sent Van Duin crashing to the mat and end the fight.

The bantamweight belt is vacant no more as Tonya Evinger dominated Mexico’s Irene Aldana from the opening bell. Evinger caught a kick and brought the fight to the mat. After a scramble, she mounted Aldana and began raining punches. When Aldana tried to escape, Evinger locked up a deep armbar. Aldana showcased a ton of heart and refused to tap. The punishment from Evinger continued in the second and third rounds, as she battered the face of the Mexican fighter. The pace slowed in round four, but Evinger’s dominance continued. A series of heavy blows was enough to force the referee to intervene and hand Evinger the TKO win.

There’s a new champion in the atomweight division as Japan’s Ayaka Hamasaki used a strong grappling game to outwork Brazil’s Herica Tiburcio and earn a split decision win. Hamasaki attacked with flurries of punches before turning to her takedown game. Tiburcio rocked her with a body kick and looked for a guillotine choke, but Hamasaki survived. As the fight progressed, Hamasaki’s takedowns came with more and more ease. Tiburcio remained active from her back, but Hamasaki’s top control was simply too much. Hamasaki became the first Japanese champion in the promotion’s history.

Debuting bantamweights Pannie Kianzad and Jessica-Rose Clark went to war for three rounds, with Sweden’s Kianzad walking away with a clear-cut unanimous decision win. Kianzad was clearly the more technical striker throughout, landing her left hook at will. She mixed in takedowns and was forced to defend an armbar attempt from Clark in round two. As the fight progressed, Kianzad continue to pour it on with punches and kept her perfect record intact.

Amber Brown sent a big message to the atomweight division, becoming the first fighter to defeat Ireland’s Catherine Costigan. Brown marched forward and closed the distance immediately. She powered Costigan to the mat with a trip and landed in mount. Heavy elbows from Brown forced Costigan to give up her back and Brown sunk in a fight-finishing rear-naked choke.

Strawweights Jamie Moyle and Amy Montenegro battled back-and-forth for three rounds, with Moyle eking out a split decision win in her hometown. Moyle scored early with a takedown and took Montenegro’s back, but could not secure a submission. Montenegro answered back with counter shots and pushed the fight against the cage. Moyle’s combinations were the difference as she claimed the nod from the judges.

Making her professional debut, featherweight Amber Leibrock stopped decorated judoka Marina Shafir in just 37 seconds. Leibrock delivered a pair of right hands that dropped Shafir and she followed up with more punches on the ground to earn the TKO.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino def. Faith Van Duin by TKO (punches). Round 1, 0:45 – for featherweight title
Tonya Evinger def. Irene Aldana by TKO (strikes). Round 4, 4:38 – for bantamweight title
Ayaka Hamasaki def. Herica Tiburcio by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 49-46) – for atomweight title
Pannie Kianzad def. Jessica-Rose Clark by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Amber Brown def. Catherine Costigan by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 1, 3:34
Jamie Moyle def. Amy Montenegro by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Amber Leibrock def. Marina Shafir by TKO (punches). Round 1, 0:37


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).

Invicta FC 13: Cyborg vs. Van Duin Official Weigh-in Results

Las Vegas – On Wednesday, July 8, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 13: Cyborg vs. Van Duin, which takes place Thursday, July 9, from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The event will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

Headlining the event will be a featherweight title fight between champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (13-1, 1 NC) and New Zealand’s Faith Van Duin (5-1).

In the night’s co-main event, a new bantamweight champion will be crowned as Tonya Evinger (15-5) locks horns with Mexico’s Irene Aldana (5-1).

Also slated for the event is an atomweight title fight between Brazilian champion Herica Tiburcio (9-2) and Japan’s Ayaka Hamasaki (11-1).

Below are the results of the event’s weigh-ins, which were held in the Brera Ballroom at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Featherweight Title: Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (144.6) vs. Faith Van Duin (144.9)
Bantamweight Title: Tonya Evinger (134.7) vs. Irene Aldana (134.7)
Atomweight Title: Herica Tiburcio (104.8) vs. Ayaka Hamasaki (104.7)
Bantamweight: Pannie Kianzad (135.3) vs. Jessica-Rose Clark (134.3)
Atomweight: Amber Brown (105.4) vs. Catherine Costigan (104.8)
Strawweight: Amy Montenegro (115.7) vs. Jamie Moyle (115)
Featherweight: Marina Shafir (145.2) vs. Amber Leibrock (145.6)


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).

Invicta FC 13 Official for Las Vegas on July 9

Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships is headed to Las Vegas with a championship tripleheader.

The promotion will make its first trip to Nevada on Thursday, July 9, as part of International Fight Week. The event takes place from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan and will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

Headlining the event will be a featherweight title fight between champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (13-1, 1 NC) and New Zealand’s Faith Van Duin (5-1). Cyborg successfully defended her 145-pound title at Invicta FC 11, stopping Canadian Charmaine Tweet in 46 seconds. The win marked the Brazilian’s third straight finish inside the Invicta cage. Van Duin made her promotional debut at Invicta FC 12 in April and submitted Amanda Bell in the second round with a schoolyard choke.

In the night’s co-main event, a new bantamweight champion will be crowned as Tonya Evinger (15-5) locks horns with Mexico’s Irene Aldana (5-1). Evinger enters the title affair riding a six-fight winning streak, including three straight in the Invicta cage. Aldana, meanwhile, has scored back-to-back first-round stoppages over Peggy Morgan and Colleen Schneider under the Invicta banner.

Also slated for the July event is an atomweight title fight between Brazilian champion Herica Tiburcio (9-2) and Japan’s Ayaka Hamasaki (11-1). The pair were originally expected to meet at Invicta FC 9 last fall, but when that fell through, Tiburcio submitted Michelle Waterson at Invicta FC 1o to capture the 105-pound strap.

The full seven-fight card for Invicta FC 13 can be found below:

Featherweight Title: Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (13-1, 1 NC) vs. Faith Van Duin (5-1)
Bantamweight Title: Tonya Evinger (15-5) vs. Irene Aldana (5-1)
Atomweight Title: Herica Tiburcio (9-2) vs. Ayaka Hamasaki (11-1)
Bantamweight: Pannie Kianzad (7-0) vs. Jessica-Rose Clark (5-1)
Atomweight: Amber Brown (4-1) vs. Catherine Costigan (5-0)
Strawweight: Amy Montenegro (6-1) vs. Jamie Moyle (2-0)
Featherweight: Marina Shafir (1-1) vs. Amber Leibrock (0-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 13 will be available through Ticketmaster.


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).

Invicta FC 12 Results: Livia Renata Souza Submits Katja Kankaanpää to Claim Strawweight Title

Kansas City, Mo. – Invicta Fighting Championships returned to the Municipal Auditorium on Friday, April 24 for Invicta FC 12: Kankaanpää vs. Souza. The event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

A new champion was crowned in the strawweight division as Brazil’s Livia Renata Souza submitted Finland’s Katja Kankaanpää in the fourth round. Souza attacked the champion from the opening bell, taking the fight to the ground and taking Kankaanpää’s back. Kankaanpää showed heart and defended rear-naked choke attempts. The momentum swung toward Kankaanpää as the fight progressed. She used a smothering top game in the middle frames, delivering short shots and keeping Souza from mounting offense. In round four, Souza again found herself on her back, but she slapped on a triangle choke and Kankaanpää was forced to tap and relinquish her belt.

Brazilian Vanessa Porto exacted revenge on Roxanne Modafferi, claiming a decision win in the pair’s rematch. Porto used her leg kicks to slow Modafferi’s movement and mixed in takedowns in each of the first two rounds. Modafferi countered with flurries, bloodying the nose of Porto. A right hand from Porto clipped Modafferi in round two, but she survived and pushed hard in the third round. Modafferi’s efforts were not enough as Porto took the fight on the judges’ scorecards.

New Zealand’s Faith Van Duin earned a big win in her Invicta debut, submitting Amanda Bell in the second round with a schoolyard choke. Van Duin put Bell on the mat early in the fight and threatened with an armbar. Bell escaped and reversed the position, dropping big hammerfists on the Kiwi. In the second round, Van Duin caught a kick and took Bell down again. She locked onto Bell’s neck and coerced a tap.

Raquel Pa’aluhi continued her march up the bantamweight ladder, edging Brazilian Ediane Gomes by unanimous decision. The Hawaiian scored with right hands and a big throw in the opening stanza, but Gomes countered with a heel hook attempt. In round two, Pa’aluhi hurt Gomes badly with a body shot and flurried hard for a finish. Gomes managed to recover and put together a strong final round. It wasn’t enough; however, as Pa’aluhi took home the victory on the scorecards.

Featherweight Latoya Walker remained unbeaten, edging Peggy Morgan by unanimous decision. Morgan used her reach to keep Walker at bay early, but Walker found her range and connected repeatedly with her overhand right. She rocked Morgan badly in round two, but could not find the finish. Morgan’s face wore the damage from Walker’s heavy shots as the fight went the distance.

Lacey Schuckman returned to the Invicta cage and needed less than two minutes to score a TKO win over Jenny Liou. Schuckman was aggressive early with her strikes, wobbling Liou with a flurry. She was patient with her follow-up punches, battering Liou against the cage and forcing the stoppage.

In her Invicta debut, strawweight Sharon Jacobson used a mix of aggressive striking and powerful wrestling to defeat a scrappy Delaney Owen. Jacobson overpowered Owen early, but Owen showed resolve and clipped Jacobson with a heavy shot that damaged her right eye. Jacobson went to her wrestling game and was able to claim a sweep on the scorecards.

Former training partners Shannon Sinn and Maureen Riordon went to war, with Sinn claiming the unanimous decision win. The two flyweights traded heavy shots from the opening bell, with Sinn landing more frequently. Riordon never stopped marching forward, but Sinn’s combinations and clinch work were the difference on the scorecards.

In a battle of promotional newcomers, Sijara Eubanks used her grappling prowess to set up a finish with her hands, handing Gina Begley a first-round TKO loss. Begley scored early on the feet, but once Eubanks took the fight to the mat, Eubanks delivered heavy shots and forced the referee to intervene.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Livia Renata Souza def. Katja Kankaanpää by submission (triangle choke). Round 4, 3:58 – for strawweight title
Vanessa Porto def. Roxanne Modafferi by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Faith Van Duin def. Amanda Bell by submission (schoolyard choke). Round 2, 0:38
Raquel Pa’aluhi def. Ediane Gomes by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Latoya Walker def. Peggy Morgan by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Lacey Schuckman def. Jenny Liou by TKO (strikes). Round 1, 1:53
Sharon Jacobson def. Delaney Owen by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Shannon Sinn def. Maureen Riordon by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Sijara Eubanks def. Gina Begley by TKO (strikes). Round 1, 4:59


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).

Three Bouts Added to Invicta FC 12 Lineup

Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships has added three new bouts to Invicta FC 12 which takes place Friday, April 24 from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

In the night’s co-main event, flyweight Roxanne Modafferi (17-11) will square off with Brazilian Vanessa Porto (17-6). The pair met previously in 2008, with Modafferi earning a third-round TKO victory. Modafferi has earned back-to-back wins inside the Invicta cage, earning decisions over Tara LaRosa and Andrea Lee. Porto, who challenged for the Invicta title at Invicta FC 5, also rides a two-fight winning streak, including a decision win over Zoila Frausto at Invicta FC 7.

Joining the Modafferi-Porto fight will be two featherweight contests. New Zealand’s Faith Van Duin (4-1) will make her promotional debut against the resurgent Amanda Bell (3-2), while Peggy Morgan (3-2) returns to welcome Latoya Walker (4-0) to the promotion.

Invicta FC 12 will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass. Headlining the event will be a strawweight title fight between Finland’s Katja Kankaanpää (10-1-1) and Brazil’s Livia Renata Souza (7-0).

Ticket information and additional bouts for Invicta FC 12 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. For more information, visit InvictaFC.com, follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights) and like Invicta on Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights).