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Invicta FC 53 to Feature All-Women Commentary Booth

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DENVER — Invicta Fighting Championships is once again breaking barriers in the world of women’s sports.

On Wednesday, May 3, the world’s premier combat sports organization for women will write a new chapter in sports history. At Invicta FC 53, the promotion will become the first major MMA organization to feature an all-women commentary team when play-by-play announcer Aly Trost Martin joins analysts Julie Kedzie and Megan Anderson on the broadcast.

Women have been a staple of the Invicta booth since its inception in 2012, with the MMA pioneer Kedzie providing invaluable insights to over 50 events. Anderson — a former Invicta FC featherweight champion — has been a regular on broadcasts for the past five years. Now, Trost Martin, who has served as an in-cage interviewer and backstage analyst for the promotion, steps into the booth to complete the veteran ensemble.

This is not Trost Martin’s first foray into a play-by-play role, as she has served in the same capacity for Major League Soccer’s Sporting Kansas City franchise. The University of Missouri-Columbia graduate, along with her colleagues Kedzie and Anderson, will join the likes of Mary Shane (MLB), Gayle Sierens (NFL), Sherry Ross (NHL), Leandra Reilly (NBA) and Kathy Long (UFC) as trailblazers in sports commentary history.

Invicta FC 53: DeCoursey vs. Dos Santos takes place from Reelworks Denver and kicks off at 9 p.m. ET/7 p.m. MT. It airs live on Invicta’s official YouTube Channel and Facebook Page, AXS TV in the U.S., Fight Network in Canada, Fox Sports in Mexico, Globo’s Combate in Brazil, DirecTV across Latin America, Viaplay and Match TV in Europe and Star Times across Africa.

The current fight card can be found below:

Atomweight Title: Jillian DeCoursey vs. Rayanne dos Santos
Bantamweight: Olga Rubin vs. Claire Guthrie
Strawweight: Jéssica Delboni vs. Danielle Taylor
Atomweight: Monique Adriane vs. Nicole Geraldo
Flyweight: Liana Pirosin vs. Elise Pone
Atomweight: Elisandra “Lili” Ferreira vs. Flor Hernandez
Flyweight: Ky Bennett vs. Kendal Holowell

About Invicta FC:
Invicta Fighting Championships (invictafc.com) 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 (InvictaFights) and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

About Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc.
Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc. is a global multi-platform media company with offices and studios in Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, New York, Kansas City, Cleveland and Toronto. Anthem’s portfolio includes AXS TV, a leading music, entertainment and lifestyle television channel and digital media company; global film distribution company Gravitas Ventures; Fight Network, the world’s premier combat sports channel; IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world’s leading wrestling organizations specializing in original programming and live events; Invicta Fighting Championships, the world’s premier all-women mixed martial arts promotion;  Game+, the leader in Esports and gaming content; GameTV, the home of game shows and competition-based reality series; and HDNet Movies, which features theatrically released films and documentaries. Anthem also has a significant ownership interest in Pursuit Channel, one of the top outdoor channels in the U.S.

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Invicta FC 24 Features Megan Anderson vs. Helena Kolesnyk Title Fight on July 15

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Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships 24 will be headlined by a featherweight title showdown.

The event, which takes place Saturday, July 15, from the historic Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo., will feature the first title defense for champion Megan Anderson (8-2), as she welcomes unbeaten Helena Kolesnyk (5-0, 1 NC) to the promotion.

“Megan has been on quite a roll over the last two years, establishing herself as a dominant featherweight and building a passionate fanbase here in Kansas City,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. “We’re only looking to book competitive match-ups in this division, so being able to bring in an accomplished striker like Helena is very exciting.”

Anderson, a native of Australia who now resides in Kansas City, captured gold at Invicta FC 21 in January. The 27-year-old stopped Canadian Charmaine Tweet in the second round to earn her fourth straight knockout win inside the Invicta cage.

The challenger Kolesnyk was born in the Ukraine, but now trains out of Moscow, Russia. She has yet to taste defeat through six professional outings. The experienced boxer and Muay Thai practitioner was most recently in action in April, finishing Tatiana Portnova in just 25 seconds. Four of her five wins have come via strikes.

Invicta FC 24 will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT.

Tickets for the event go on sale this Saturday, June 3, at 10 a.m. CT via Ticketfly.com. Additional bouts 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 21 Results: Anderson Stops Tweet, Claims Interim Featherweight Title

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Kansas City, Mo. — On Saturday, Jan. 14, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 21: Anderson vs. Tweet from the historic Scottish Rite Temple. The event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Australia’s Megan Anderson is the interim featherweight champion after her second-round TKO finish of veteran Charmaine Tweet. The two towering fighters wasted little time throwing heavy punches. Tweet clipped Anderson with a right hand that saw the Aussie wobble briefly. Anderson remained calm and continued her forward pressure. Tweet found herself with her back against the fence and Anderson scored with combinations. Late in the opening round, Anderson scored with a big slam. Round two began with a big exchange and Anderson took the fight to the fence. She unloaded on her Canadian foe, forcing Tweet to retreat. Anderson delivered a head kick and Tweet covered up, forcing the referee to intervene and stop the title tilt.

Hawaii’s Raquel Pa’aluhi made short work of former No. 1 contender Pannie Kianzad, earning a first-round submission win. After both fighters landed kicks, Pa’aluhi latched onto a single-leg takedown to put Kianzad on her back. Pa’aluhi worked patiently from the top before taking Kianzad’s back. Once there, she softened up the Swede with punches to lock in the fight-finishing rear-naked choke.

Newcomer Leah Letson gave UFC veteran Elizabeth Phillips a rude welcome to the Invicta cage. Phillips scored with an overhand right early, but as she circled along the fence, Letson unleashed a left head kick that caught her flush on the chin. Phillips crashed to the mat and Letson finished her off with punches.

Two of the bantamweight division’s most promising fighters went to battle for three rounds with Aspen Ladd remaining undefeated by unanimous decision over Sijara Eubanks. Ladd fired jab-cross combinations throughout the opening round, but Eubanks was able to score with a late slam. The middle stanza saw both fighters score on the feet, but Ladd’s volume outpaced Eubanks. Ladd opened round three with a takedown, but Eubanks was able to reverse the position late. It was too little, too late for Eubanks, however as Ladd claimed victory.

Andrea Lee got back in the win column, needing just 74 seconds to stop fellow flyweight Jenny Liou. Lee pressured Liou from the opening bell, backing her up with punches. Liou tried to circle away, but Lee got her against the cage and delivered a heavy body shot that sent Liou to the canvas. Lee flurried and forced the referee to halt the contest.

Strawweights Amy Montenegro and Celine Haga put on one of the greatest fights in Invicta history with a back-and-forth battle. Haga was able to threaten Montenegro with multiple submissions in the opening round, but Montenegro countered with an armbar late in the round. Haga tapped, but it was after the bell had sounded. Round two saw Montenegro quickly gain top position and pound on Haga with elbows. Montenegro worked to top position again in round three, but it was Haga who attacked aggressively from her back. As time expired, Haga applied a schoolyard choke and Montenegro went unconscious, but it was after time expired. When the scorecards were read, Montenegro walked away with the decision win.

In her professional MMA debut, Muay Thai specialist Christine Ferea showcased her striking prowess against Hawaii’s Rachael Ostovich. Ferea scored at range early in the fight, but Ostovich turned the tide in round two by scoring a takedown and threatening to submit Ferea. In the final round, Ferea caught Ostovich with a clean head kick. Ostovich dove for another takedown, but Ferea smelled blood and flurried for the finish.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Megan Anderson def. Charmaine Tweet by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 2:05 – for interim featherweight title
Raquel Pa’aluhi def. Pannie Kianzad by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 1, 3:40
Leah Letson def. Elizabeth Phillips by knockout (head kick and punches). Round 1, 1:18
Aspen Ladd def. Sijara Eubanks by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Andrea Lee def. Jenny Liou by TKO (punches). Round 1, 1:14
Amy Montenegro def. Celine Haga by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Christine Ferea def. Rachael Ostovich by TKO (head kick and punches). Round 3, 1:29

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 21: Anderson vs. Tweet Official Weigh-in Results

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Kansas City, Mo. — On Friday, Jan. 13, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 21: Anderson vs. Tweet. The event takes place from Scottish Rite Temple on Saturday, Jan. 14 and streams live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

In the night’s headliner, Australia’s Megan Anderson (7-2) and Canada’s Charmaine Tweet (9-5) battle for the interim featherweight title. Anderson, who now resides in Kansas City, enters the match-up having won three straight fights, including back-to-back, first-round knockout victories over Peggy Morgan and Amanda Bell. A former title challenger, Tweet returned to the promotion in May, delivering a first-round finish of Latoya Walker via spinning backfist. The victory extended her current winning streak to three.

The co-main event features a bantamweight match-up between Sweden’s Pannie Kianzad (8-1) and Hawaii’s Raquel Pa’aluhi (5-5).

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

Interim Featherweight Title: Megan Anderson (144.5) vs. Charmaine Tweet (143.5)
Bantamweight: Pannie Kianzad (135.8) vs. Raquel Pa’aluhi (135.0) 
Featherweight: Elizabeth Phillips (145.9) vs. Leah Letson (145.6)
Bantamweight: Sijara Eubanks (135.7) vs. Aspen Ladd (135.3)
Flyweight: Andrea Lee (125.1) vs. Jenny Liou (126.0)
Strawweight: Amy Montenegro (115.7) vs. Celine Haga (115.1)
Flyweight: Rachael Ostovich (126.0) vs. Christine Ferea (125.3)

* – The 120-pound catchweight bout between Jodie Esquibel and Kali Robbins has been canceled. Esquibel weighed in at 118.8 pounds, while Robbins missed weight at 126.4 pounds.

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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Megan Anderson vs. Charmaine Tweet Elevated To Interim Featherweight Title Fight

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Kansas City, Mo. — A title will be on the line at Invicta Fighting Championships 21.

The previously announced main event between Megan Anderson (7-2) and Charmaine Tweet (9-5) will now be a five-round affair for the interim featherweight championship.

The fight will mark Anderson’s first chance at Invicta gold. The Australian, who now resides in Kansas City, enters the match-up having won three straight fights. The streak, which includes back-to-back, first-round knockout victories over Peggy Morgan and Amanda Bell, earned the 26-year-old the 2016 Invicta FC Fan Choice Awards for “Fighter of the Year” and “Knockout of the Year.”

A former title challenger, Canada’s Tweet returned to the promotion in May, delivering her own “Knockout of the Year” contender with a first-round finish of Latoya Walker via spinning backfist. The victory extended her current winning streak to three.

Additionally, former strawweight title challenger DeAnna Bennett (8-2) has been forced out of her bout with Jodie Esquibel (5-2). Replacing Bennett will be undefeated newcomer Kali “Pop Tart” Robbins (4-0), and the match-up with Esquibel will now be a 120-pound catchweight. Robbins, who hails from Milwaukee, has finished all four of her professional wins, including three inside the first round.

Invicta FC 21 will take place Saturday, Jan. 14 from the historic Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo. The event will air live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

The updated fight card for Invicta FC 21 can be found below:

Interim Featherweight Title: Megan Anderson (7-2) vs. Charmaine Tweet (9-5)
Bantamweight: Pannie Kianzad (8-1) vs. Raquel Pa’aluhi (5-5)
Catchweight (120 pounds): Jodie Esquibel (5-2) vs. Kali Robbins (4-0)
Bantamweight: Sijara Eubanks (2-1) vs. Aspen Ladd (4-0)
Flyweight: Andrea Lee (4-2) vs. Jenny Liou (6-4)
Flyweight: Heather Hardy (0-0) vs. Brieta Carpenter (0-0)
Strawweight: Amy Montenegro (7-2) vs. Celine Haga (10-13)
Flyweight: Rachael Ostovich (3-2) vs. Christine Ferea (0-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 21 can be purchased via Ticketfly.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. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

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Megan Anderson vs. Charmaine Tweet Headlines Invicta FC 21

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Kansas City, Mo. — The main event for Invicta Fighting Championships 21 is set.

As announced during the Invicta FC 20 broadcast, featherweights Megan Anderson (7-2) and Charmaine Tweet (9-5) will square off on Saturday, Jan. 14 from the historic Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo. The event will air live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

Australia’s Anderson, who now resides in Kansas City, rides a three-fight winning streak into the match-up. The 26-year-old has stopped five of her seven wins, including back-to-back, first-round knockout victories over Peggy Morgan and Amanda Bell inside the Invicta cage.

Tweet returned to the promotion in May, earning a first-round knockout win over Latoya Walker via spinning backfist. The victory extended her current winning streak to three. A former title challenger, Tweet has finished eight of her nine wins inside the first round.

The fight will be joined by the promotional and MMA debut of boxing world champion Heather Hardy.

The current fight card for Invicta FC 21 can be found below:

Featherweight: Megan Anderson (7-2) vs. Charmaine Tweet (9-5)
Flyweight: Heather Hardy (0-0) vs. TBA

Ticket information and additional bouts for Invicta FC 21 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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Australia’s Megan Anderson Latest Addition to Invicta FC Featherweight Division

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Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships has added a new face.

Joining the promotion will be Australian featherweight Megan Anderson (4-1).

“I’m very excited to be joining the Invicta roster,” said the fighter. “Invicta FC is a very respected and well-renowned organization and they are one of the front runners in the growth and rise of women in mixed martial arts. Being signed to an international promotion such as Invicta, it’s the ultimate dream for anyone in mixed martial arts. I’m very excited to be able to show them what this Aussie can do.”

Anderson becomes the fifth Australian fighter to sign with the promotion, joining former strawweight title challenger Bec Rawlings, atomweight Alex Chambers, featherweight Fiona Muxlow and recently signed bantamweight Jessica-Rose Clark.

“I’m very honored and proud to be representing my country in the Invicta cage,” said Anderson. “We may be far away from the action, but we certainly bring it every time we step into that cage.”

Training out of Empire Martial Arts, Anderson hails from Gold Coast, Australia. She currently rides a four-fight winning streak that includes back-to-back submission finishes.

“I go in there to get the job done in the most ruthless and brutal way possible!,” declared Anderson. “The only thing I’ve got to say to the other women in the division is you’ve all officially been put on notice.”

Look for Anderson’s promotional debut to take place later in 2015.

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).