Shanna Young and Victoria Leonardo Join Phoenix Series 2 Tournament; Draw Format Revealed

Kansas City, Mo. – The lineup for the second installment of the Invicta FC Phoenix Series has changed.

Flyweights Cheri Muraski (6-2) and Marilia Santos (10-3) have both been forced out of the event which takes place Sept. 6 from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. Stepping in will be Invicta FC veteran and recent Contender Series combatant Shanna Young (6-2) and Invicta FC 36 “Fight of the Night” winner Victoria Leonardo (6-1). Young and Leonardo join the previously announced roster of fighters competing in the one-night tournament.

The single-elimination tournament will feature one-round fights in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, with the tournament final being a three-round affair to determine the tournament champion. The eight tournament participants will be matched up during the event’s ceremonial weigh-ins on Thursday, Sept. 5. Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp will perform the draw, while Phoenix Series play-by-play commentator Laura Sanko will serve as master of ceremonies.

In addition to the changes in the tournament lineup, two reserve bouts will join the fight card. Twenty-year-old Californian Kay Hansen (4-3) steps into the Invicta cage for the seventh time against undefeated Venezuelan prospect Carolina Jimenez (6-0). Also, Kansas-based Chantel Coates (1-1) looks to repeat her record-setting knockout prowess against French Polynesian newcomer Flore Hani (1-1).

The updated fight card can be found below:

Flyweight Tournament Final: TBD vs. TBD
Flyweight Co-Main Event: Alexa Conners (5-3) vs. Mariya Agapova (6-1)
Flyweight Bout: Josee Storts (1-0) vs. Helen Lucero (0-0)
Flyweight Tournament Semifinal: TBD vs. TBD
Flyweight Tournament Semifinal: TBD vs. TBD
Flyweight Reserve Bout No. 2: Kay Hansen (4-3) vs. Carolina Jimenez (6-0)
Flyweight Reserve Bout No. 1: Chantel Coates (1-1) vs. Flore Hani (1-1)
Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal: TBD vs. TBD (Randomly Drawn)
Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal: TBD vs. TBD (Randomly Drawn)
Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal: TBD vs. TBD (Randomly Drawn)
Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal: TBD vs. TBD (Randomly Drawn)

Phoenix Series 2 Quarterfinalists
Daiana Torquato (9-3)
DeAnna Bennett (10-5-1)
Liz Tracy (5-3)
Maiju Suotama (8-4)
Milana Dudieva (12-8)
Miranda Maverick (5-2)
Shanna Young (6-2)
Victoria Leonardo (6-1)

Tickets to the event can be purchased now through Eventbrite.

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.