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Episode 10: Invicta FC 17 Spotlight – Evinger vs. Schneider

Welcome to the latest episode of Invicta FC Radio.

Invicta FC bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger has a reputation for spilling her guts, both in and out of the cage. But you’ve never heard her — or her Invicta FC 17 challenger, Colleen Schneider, for that matter — quite like this before.

In the second installment of Invicta FC Radio’s special profile feature “Spotlight,” Evinger and Schneider take fans and host Jack Encarnacao into lesser-explored sides of themselves; from their starkly different upbringings to their outlooks on God, sexual orientation, regret and adversity.

In riveting detail, these two remarkable athletes chart the life experiences that shaped the women and fighters they are today. It’s the most intimate kind of fight preview, as stark contrasts and surprising parallels reveal themselves in an audio documentary unlike any other in MMA.

Get closer to the title tilt between Tonya Evinger and Colleen Schneider by checking out the latest installment of “Spotlight,” only on Invicta FC Radio.

Invicta FC 17: Evinger vs. Schneider Full Fight Card

Kansas City, Mo. — The lineup for Invicta Fighting Championships 17 is complete.

Three additional fights have been added to the stacked lineup. The match-ups were revealed on the latest episode of Invicta FC Radio.

Flyweight knockout artist Christine “Knuckles” Stanley (4-1) returns to the Invicta cage to take on Colorado’s Shannon Sinn (2-2). Also at 125 pounds, Hawaiian Rachael Ostovich (2-2) meets promotional newcomer Ariel Beck (3-2). Finally, England’s Laura Howarth (2-1) steps into the Invicta cage for the first time against Alexa Conners (0-0) in a bantamweight fight.

The bouts join the previously announced headlining bantamweight title fight between champion Tonya Evinger (17-5) and California’s own Colleen Schneider (10-6), as well as a strawweight championship affair between unbeaten champion Livia Renata Souza (9-0) and UFC veteran Angela “Overkill” Hill (4-2).

The complete fight card for Invicta FC 17 can be found below:

Bantamweight Title: Tonya Evinger (17-5) vs. Colleen Schneider (10-6)
Strawweight Title: Livia Renata Souza (9-0) vs. Angela Hill (4-2)
Strawweight: MIZUKI (11-4) vs. Aline Serio (9-5)
Featherweight: Latoya Walker (5-0) vs. Charmaine Tweet (8-5)
Atomweight: Tessa Simpson (4-1) vs. Julia Jones (4-0)
Featherweight: Amanda Bell (3-3) vs. Megan Anderson (5-2)
Flyweight: Christine Stanley (4-1) vs. Shannon Sinn (2-2)
Flyweight: Rachael Ostovich (2-2) vs. Ariel Beck (3-2)
Bantamweight: Laura Howarth (2-1) vs. Alexa Conners (0-0)

The event takes place Saturday, May 7, from The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif. Tickets for the event, available for $100, $75, $55, and $35, are currently on sale at CageTix.com.

Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), or Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest details on the event.


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.

Invicta FC 17 Adds Strawweight Title Tilt Between Livia Renata Souza and Angela Hill

Kansas City, Mo. — The lineup for Invicta Fighting Championships 17 has added more exciting match-ups.

Joining the previously announced headlining bantamweight title fight between champion Tonya Evinger (17-5) and California’s own Colleen Schneider (10-6) will be five additional bouts.

The co-main event will feature a strawweight championship affair between unbeaten champion Livia Renata Souza (9-0) and UFC veteran Angela “Overkill” Hill (4-2). Brazil’s Souza made the first defense of her belt in January at Invicta FC 15, when she stopped the previously undefeated DeAnna Bennett by first-round TKO. Making her appearance on a third straight Invicta FC card, the challenger Hill has been on a tear since debuting for the organization, knocking out veteran Alida Gray and former title challenger Stephanie Eggink en route to the championship opportunity.

Also in the strawweight division, Japan’s MIZUKI (11-4) looks to capitalize on her Invicta FC 15 win over Lacey Schuckman when she battles Brazilian newcomer Aline Serio (9-5).

A pair of featherweight clashes join the action as unbeaten Texan Latoya “Black Mamba” Walker (5-0) meets Canadian Charmaine “No So Sweet” Tweet (8-5), while Oregon’s Amanda “The Lady Killer” Bell (3-3) tangles with Australian Megan Anderson (5-2).

Finally, newcomers Tessa “The Typhoon” Simpson (4-1) and Julia “Jewels” Jones (4-0) match-up in an atomweight bout.

The current fight card for Invicta FC 17 can be found below:

Bantamweight Title: Tonya Evinger (17-5) vs. Colleen Schneider (10-6)
Strawweight Title: Livia Renata Souza (9-0) vs. Angela Hill (4-2)
Strawweight: MIZUKI (11-4) vs. Aline Serio (9-5)
Featherweight: Latoya Walker (5-0) vs. Charmaine Tweet (8-5)
Atomweight: Tessa Simpson (4-1) vs. Julia Jones (4-0)
Featherweight: Amanda Bell (3-3) vs. Megan Anderson (5-2)

The event takes place Saturday, May 7, from The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif. Tickets for the event, available for $100, $75, $55, and $35, are currently on sale at CageTix.com.

Three additional bouts for Invicta FC 17 will be announced later this week via Invicta FC Radio, which is available via Soundcloud or iTunes.

Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), or Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest details on the event.


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.

Tonya Evinger vs. Colleen Schneider Headlines Invicta FC 17 on May 7

Kansas City, Mo. — The date and location of Invicta Fighting Championships 17 have been set.

The promotion will once again land at The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Saturday, May 7.

The event will be headlined by a bantamweight title fight pitting champion Tonya Evinger (17-5) against California’s own Colleen Schneider (10-6).

Evinger enters her first title defense riding an eight-fight winning streak, including six finishes. The 31-year-old captured 135-pound gold at Invicta FC 13 with a fourth-round TKO of Irene Aldana. In her most recent outing, Evinger stopped Sweden’s Pannie Kianzad at Invicta FC 14 in a non-title affair.

The challenger Schneider will step into her title challenge having won four straight of her own. She was in action at Invicta FC 15 in January, earning a decision win over Raquel Pa’aluhi and securing her place as the No. 1 contender for Evinger’s belt.

Additional bouts for the event will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for Invicta FC 17 are currently on sale at CageTix.com. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), or Instagram (@InvictaFC) for more details on the event.


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.

Invicta FC 14 Results: Evinger Batters Kianzad, Bennett Edges Kankaanpää

Kansas City, Mo. — On Saturday, Sept. 12, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 14: Evinger vs. Kianzad from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 8 p.m. ET.

In the night’s main event, bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger made Sweden’s Pannie Kianzad pay for missing weight, handing her the first defeat of her career. Evinger closed the distance and took Kianzad to the ground right off the bat. She scored with punches and elbows before taking her back. Evinger looked for a rear-naked choke, but then transitioned to an armbar attempt as the first round ended. Round two opened with Evinger dropping Kianzad with a right hand. She followed her to the ground and bloodied the nose of Kianzad with punches and elbows. Evinger was relentless with her attack from the top position, earning the second-round stoppage.

Utah’s DeAnna Bennett remained undefeated after a grueling, three-round war with former strawweight champion Katja Kankaanpää. Bennett used her length and size in the opening round, forcing the Finnish fighter to counter. However, Kankaanpää began to come forward more as the round progressed. Round two saw more clinch work and Bennett repeatedly threatened with guillotine choke attempts. The second round closed with Kankaanpää in a deep choke, but the bell saved her. The final frame clearly belonged to Kankaanpää, who put Bennett on her back and controlled her throughout the round. It wasn’t enough though, as the judges at cageside rewarded Bennett for her efforts in the early rounds.

Veteran Roxanne Modafferi used her experience edge to best promotional newcomer Mariana Morais. Modafferi scored with punches on the feet, but when she took Morais to the ground, she really poured it on. She passed to mount with ease and rained punches and elbows. It was more of the same in round two, as Modafferi simply outclassed the Brazilian. Round three saw Modafferi earn a takedown, but Morais countered with a guillotine attempt. Modafferi calmly escaped and then continued her onslaught, forcing referee John McCarthy to halt the fight and put the veteran back in the win column.

Andrea Lee rebounded from the first loss of her career to score a third-round armbar finish of Rachael Ostovich. Lee’s striking prowess was display throughout the first round, as she peppered Ostovich with kicks and punches to the body. Lee nearly secured a rear-naked choke as the first stanza closed, but Ostovich was saved by the bell. Ostovich found her range early in round two, but Lee dropped her with a stiff left hand. Lee mounted the Hawaiian and pounded away, but the bell sounded once again. The final round was all Lee, who battered Ostovich with knees and then took her back on the ground. Just as the fight was about to go the distance, Lee transitioned for an armbar and Ostovich verbally submitted with just two seconds left.

Belgium’s Cindy Dandois spoiled the Invicta debut of Australia’s Megan Anderson, submitting her via triangle choke in round two of their featherweight bout. Anderson connected with a right hand that prompted Dandois to take the fight to the ground. She threatened with an armbar and then transitioned to a mounted triangle, but Anderson was able to survive the round. When the fight hit the ground again in round two, Dandois again locked in the triangle choke and forced Anderson to submit.

Two-time national wrestling champion Sharon Jacobson continued to make her mark on the strawweight division, becoming the first to defeat Jamie Moyle. Moyle attacked with kicks early to slow Jacobson’s advance, but it didn’t last long as Jacobson flurried forward and pinned Moyle to the cage. The pair traded knees and elbows from the clinch, but Jacobson was able to slam Moyle to the canvas on multiple occasions. The hard-fought battle went the distance with Jacobson earning a unanimous decision victory.

Atomweight Jinh Yu Frey used a striking advantage to outwork Liz McCarthy and take home a unanimous decision win. Frey mixed in a variety of kicks to complement her punches. She also scored with takedowns in each of the first two rounds to keep McCarthy guessing. McCarthy never stopped coming forward, but Frey’s movement and footwork were the difference on the scorecards.

J.J. Aldrich gave late-replacement opponent Rosa Acevedo a rude welcome to the Invicta cage, scoring a violent, first-round knockout. Aldrich landed with her hands early, but it was a knee to the liver that stunned Acevedo along the fence. A pair of follow-up punches and Acevedo was out for good.

Flyweight Aspen Ladd built upon her impressive debut earlier this year with a dominant win over Amanda Bobby Cooper. The pair spent the majority of the first round in the clinch before Ladd took the fight to the mat. Ladd again scored a takedown in round two and unleashed a violent barrage that bloodied Cooper. She then transitioned to an armbar and coerced a tap.

The night kicked off with a pair of debuting lightweights as Felicia Spencer battered Rachel Wiley to earn a first-round TKO. Spencer took Wiley to the mat early and battered her with elbows, forcing the referee to intervene.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Tonya Evinger def. Pannie Kianzad by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 3:34
DeAnna Bennett def. Katja Kankaanpää by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Roxanne Modafferi def. Mariana Morais by TKO (strikes). Round 3, 4:40
Andrea Lee def. Rachael Ostovich by verbal submission (armbar). Round 3, 4:58
Cindy Dandois def. Megan Anderson by submission (triangle choke). Round 2, 2:41
Sharon Jacobson def. Jamie Moyle by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Jinh Yu Frey def. Liz McCarthy by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
J.J. Aldrich def. Rosa Acevedo by knockout (knee and punches). Round 1, 2:24
Aspen Ladd def. Amanda Bobby Cooper by submission (armbar). Round 2, 4:42
Felicia Spencer def. Rachel Wiley by TKO (strikes). Round 1, 3:32


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 14: Evinger vs. Kianzad Official Weigh-in Results

Kansas City, Mo. — On Friday, Sept. 11, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 14: Evinger vs. Kianzad, which takes place Saturday, Sept. 12, from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The event will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 8 p.m. ET.

Headlining the event will be a five-round bantamweight fight between Tonya Evinger (16-5) and unbeaten Swede Pannie Kianzad (8-0). The fight was slated to be for Evinger’s 135-pound title, but with Kianzad missing weight, it will be a non-title affair.

The veteran Evinger earned the 135-pound belt with a fourth-round TKO of Irena Aldana at Invicta FC 13 in July. The win marked Evinger’s fourth straight win inside the Invicta cage, and seventh straight overall.

Kianzad made her promotional debut at Invicta FC 13 and earned a unanimous decision win over Australia’s Jessica-Rose Clark. The 23-year-old held gold under the Cage Warriors banner prior to signing with Invicta earlier in 2015.

In the co-main event, former strawweight titleholder Katja Kankaanpää will look to rebound from her Invicta FC 12 title defeat when she takes on undefeated DeAnna Bennett.

Below are the results of the event’s weigh-ins, which were held in the Aladdin Hotel in Kansas City.

Bantamweight Title: Tonya Evinger (135)# vs. Pannie Kianzad (136.7)^
Strawweight: Katja Kankaanpää (115.6) vs. DeAnna Bennett (117.4)+
Flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi (124.9) vs. Mariana Morais (125.9)
Flyweight: Rachael Ostovich (125.8) vs. Andrea Lee (125)
Featherweight: Cindy Dandois (145.6) vs. Megan Anderson (145.1)
Strawweight: Jamie Moyle (115.6) vs. Sharon Jacobson (116)
Atomweight: Jinh Yu Frey (105.8) vs. Liz McCarthy (105.4)
Strawweight: J.J. Aldrich (115.7) vs. Rosa Acevedo (118.2)*
Flyweight: Aspen Ladd (125.7) vs. Amanda Bobby Cooper (125.1)
Lightweight: Rachel Wiley (155) vs. Felicia Spencer (155.3)

* Acevedo elected not to cut any additional weight and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse
+ Bennett elected not to cut any additional weight and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse
^ Kianzad elected not to cut any additional weight and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse
# Evinger weighed in at 135.2 pounds on her first attempt and was fined 20 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. For more information, visit InvictaFC.com, follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights) and like Invicta on Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights).

Invicta FC 14 Gets New Main Event, Full Fight Card Revealed

Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships today revealed the entire fight card for Invicta FC 14, which will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass on Saturday, Sept. 12, from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

Headlining the event will be a bantamweight title fight between recently crowned champion Tonya Evinger (16-5) and unbeaten Swede Pannie Kianzad (8-0).

The previously announced strawweight title fight between champion Livia Renata Souza (8-0) and No. 1 contender Alexa Grasso (7-0) has been postponed until a later date due to an injury that prevented Grasso from training.

The veteran Evinger earned the 135-pound belt with a fourth-round TKO of Irena Aldana at Invicta FC 13 in July. The win marked Evinger’s fourth straight win inside the Invicta cage, and seventh straight overall.

Kianzad made her promotional debut at Invicta FC 13 and earned a unanimous decision win over Australia’s Jessica-Rose Clark. The 23-year-old held gold under the Cage Warriors banner prior to signing with Invicta earlier in 2015.

In the co-main event, former strawweight titleholder Katja Kankaanpää will look to rebound from her Invicta FC 12 title defeat when she takes on undefeated DeAnna Bennett.

The full 10-fight card for Invicta FC 14 can be found below:

Bantamweight Title: Tonya Evinger (16-5) vs. Pannie Kianzad (8-0)
Strawweight: Katja Kankaanpää (10-2-1) vs. DeAnna Bennett (7-0)
Flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi (17-12) vs. Mariana Morais (9-2)
Flyweight: Rachael Ostovich (2-1) vs. Andrea Lee (2-1)
Featherweight: Cindy Dandois (5-2) vs. Megan Anderson (4-1)
Strawweight: Jamie Moyle (3-0) vs. Sharon Jacobson (3-1)
Atomweight: Jinh Yu Frey (3-1) vs. Liz McCarthy (2-1)
Strawweight: J.J. Aldrich (1-1) vs. Daniela Kortmann (1-0)
Flyweight: Aspen Ladd (1-0) vs. Amanda Bobby Cooper (1-0)
Lightweight: Rachel Wiley (0-0) vs. Felicia Spencer (0-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 14 are available now 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 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 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).

Fighting Words: Tonya Evinger

A fighter’s fighter, veteran Tonya Evinger is always looking for a fight, and next up on the list is the ever tough Ediane Gomes at Invicta FC 8 September 6th.

 

Corey Smith: Before you began to focus more on mixed martial arts, you actually wrestled for the US Senior Freestyle team. How do you think that prepared you for success in MMA?
Tonya Evinger: When I started MMA, there were no wrestlers coming in. I was definitely ready to fight anyone. The hard part was finding someone that wanted to fight me. I got turned down by everyone. I remember so many girls turned me down. I looked online, and I searched and searched to find anyone. Back then you couldn’t search “MMA,” you had to search no holds barred fighting or something like that.
TE: It was a little tough. No one wanted to fight me because they said I needed more experience. Which was complete BS. I think no one wanted to fight because I was a wrestler. When all the wrestlers started coming over to MMA, wrestling was a big part of their winning. Still today I think wrestlers are in the best shape. MMA fighters look the best, but I think wrestling is just a really tough sport. You grind and grind and grind.
CS: As a well respected veteran of the sport, what advice would you give to an up and coming athlete in WMMA?
TE: I think that a lot of veterans that came in when I came in have similar advice. It’s changed a lot. Now there is amateur and pro and all that. When I came in it was nothing like that, no amateur or pro, you just fought. The athletic commissions came in and made all the pro and amateur deal. It’s a little different now, but I always tell my athletes now fight every fight you can fight. Fight anyone that you can fight, win or lose as an amateur you get to start over when you go pro.
TE: So get those hard fights, those ones that pull your heart out, the ones you learn a lot from. Learn to get your butt kicked, how to defend things, what the pace is going to be like, you learn so many lessons every single fight. I think that for anyone coming in don’t be scared, just jump in there and throw down. You have nothing to lose. I fought that way myself, I think my record shows that. I’ll take any fight.
CS: As someone who has seen the growth off MMA from the beginning, what types of changes have you noticed?
TE: I just feel like I’m a fighter. I wrestled for so long. When you go to a tournament, some of them come up with stupid excuses not to fight you. They take a bye against you, and then they wrestle someone else later. So they just didn’t want to lose. That’s just stupid. When you take a bye, you lose anyways. So why not just wrestle me and take the chance.
TE:  I’m a fighter. I say I’m going to fight, and I fight. I run my mouth off, but I step in there do what I say I’m going to do. I’m not an internet fighter. I don’t want to post pictures and get sponsors, then never take any fights. That’s just unacceptable.
TE: I would never let my little brothers do that, I’ve made them fight when they were sick or injured. I’ve fought with a broken hand multiple times. I’ve fought with a fractured foot one time; I’ve fought with all kinds of injuries. I tell this to my fighters all the time. They want to make excuses and all this come fight time, but it’s too late. You’re not coming in my gym and training and then telling everyone you’re a fighter, and then do all this stuff to back out last minute.
TE: You’re either a fighter or you’re not. It’s not my choice if you haven’t trained hard enough. I’ve done that, but I should have trained harder. I think I’m a good enough athlete to win every fight, but you have to be ready when you step in there. I think there are a lot of BS athletes out there.
TE: When MMA first started getting popular, everybody and their mom was a fighter. It was the biggest joke I’d ever seen. Now you see the kids that have stuck it out and are still fighting. There are just too many posers out there. I won’t be one of them. No way will I sit here and run my mouth, announce that I am going to fight everybody, and then not fight anyone because of some stupid reason.
CS: Invicta FC recently signed a content distribution deal with the UFC to broadcast all future bouts via UFC Fight Pass. What do you think the deal does for the sport of WMMA?
TE: Our internet feed was down every time, and there was always some kind of problem. Invicta has taken it a lot farther than anyone else. There are a lot of promotions out there that try to do all women’s cards, but it was set up for failure. I still think it’s really tough to promote an all female card. Invicta has the best girls in the world, and they have the top talent, but we just don’t get the coverage. I don’t really understand it.
TE: Maybe it’s the fans that don’t care, they just want to see a couple women’s fights on a male card. But I think the talent is there for Invicta to be a mainstream promotion, and be on a real cable channel or network that people can see it in abundance. I do think it is going to go up though.
TE: The women’s MMA community is very supportive. They can’t hide which women are on TUF, they can’t hide anyone because the fans know all the female fighters. The women’s community is very supportive, and everyone talks a lot and pushes the females. It’s awesome watching the girls fight. I think that Invicta is very entertaining.

 

CS: This past December was your first bout with Invicta FC. How has your experience been like with the company?
TE: Shannon is great. The reason they call me is because they know I take fights. They called me and I said yes. They don’t have to convince me much. When’s the card? Let’s do it. As long as it’s against a quality fighter, or an opportunity that I can’t pass up, I’m going to take that fight. I’m not going to take anything ridiculous. If you pay me well and it’s a good opportunity, hell yeah. I’m happy to be fighting again. I like fights.
CS: On September 6th at Invicta FC 8, you will be challenging Ediane Gomes as she makes her 135lb debut. How familiar are you with Gomes and what are you expecting out of the bout?
TE: To be honest, I’ve heard her name a couple times. I don’t know a lot about her, never really cared since she wasn’t in my weight class. She hasn’t really done anything to catch my eye. That might just be because she wasn’t in my weight class. When she posted that stuff about calling out everybody, I thought how arrogant is that? How arrogant.
TE: I felt it disrespected the whole weight class. She hasn’t even made the weight class, how are you going to call out everyone? No one is afraid. People aren’t afraid that you are coming down. I don’t get it. People surprise you; maybe she is a good fighter. I’m going to put it out there, and see where it goes, see if she can handle it.
CS: This bout will take place close to where you train in Missouri. Are you anticipating any type of home field advantage?
TE: No. I think that it drives the athletes more, but I am not a believer in that. I think you perform or you don’t. It’s up to you. I like fighting in my hometown. I need someone to cheer for me. I watch them cheer for everyone else, but crickets for me. At least in Missouri I’ll have someone that knows my name.
TE: I never understood people that don’t want to fight in front of friends or family though. Why are you fighting then? Just go to the gym and train. Don’t take fights and compete if you don’t want people to watch you, or have people there that support you. That’s crazy.
CS: Outside of MMA, what do you do for fun and to relax?
TE: I don’t do anything. I work and I watch TV. I don’t do much. I hang out with my dog. My dog and I take selfies all day long. He’s a redhead just like me, full of attitude. He’s fantastic. He’s a red haired Dachshund.
TE: We like to take walks, and anything he can pee on he does. He likes to snuggle. We get some alone time, and watch TV. He’s a Dachshund with like deer legs.  He has that Dachshund personality. He is always barking at things.
CS: Lastly, MMA takes a team to succeed alone inside the cage. Who would you like to thank?
TE: My gyms: Gracie Barra Champions, Aaron Pena. Scott Ward and Team Warrior Concepts.  No-Gi BJJ Victor Pozas.
TE: My sponsors: Unique Kennels, The_Scalper. Iron Jaw Custom Mouth Guards, Dudley at Ignite,Align Chiropractic, Made MMA, RJ Contracting, ATP Mechanix, Outlaw Fight Gear, Airloop Glove, Drying Ring, Duomachy, Tap or Sleep.
TE: Jay at Fresh Start Entertainment, and Shawn Burdett.

 

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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