Invicta FC: Rodriguez vs. Torquato Official Weigh-in Results
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — On Thursday, May 20, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC: Rodriguez vs. Torquato. The event takes place Friday, May 21, with the entire card streaming live on YouTube beginning at 7 p.m. ET. The main card will also be broadcast live on AXS TV in the United States and Fight Network in Canada beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
In the headliner, Mexico’s Karina Rodriguez (8-4) faces off with Brazilian Daiana Torquato (10-3) for the vacant 125-pound title. Rodriguez is no stranger to the spotlight, having gone the distance with former champion Vanessa Porto and defeating UFC veterans DeAnna Bennett and Milana Dudieva inside the Invicta cage. Torquato rides a six-fight winning streak in the title affair, having also faced Bennett and Dudieva in the Phoenix Series 2 tournament.
“I know it’s going to be a great fight,” said Rodriguez of the title clash. “[Torquato’s] aggressive. She’s a striker. We’re going to try to kill each other over five rounds.”
Torquato responded, “This is the best I’ve ever been. It’s going to be a war. Whoever has the biggest heart is going to win.”
The co-main event will see newly crowned atomweight queen Alesha “Half Pint” Zappitella (8-2, 1 NC) defend her 105-pound belt against Brazilian challenger Jéssica Delboni (10-2). Michigan’s Zappitella captured gold at Invicta FC 42 last year, scoring the promotion’s first Von Flue choke finish against Ashley Cummins. Delboni was in action on the same card, defeating former champion Herica Tiburico on the scorecards.
“She’s been preparing for the old Alesha and she’s not going to be ready for what I bring to the table,” declared the champion Zappitella. “I’m ever-evolving and becoming the best mixed martial artist I can be. I’m better than the last ‘Half Pint’ you saw in the cage.”
The challenger Delboni retorted, “It’s going to be a very tough fight, the toughest of my life. I asked for the belt and I have to be ready when opportunity knocks. If I win, I’m the best in the world.”
Below are the results of the event’s weigh-ins:
Flyweight Title: Karina Rodriguez (124.7) vs. Daiana Torquato (124.9)
Atomweight Title: Alesha Zappitella (104.9) vs. Jéssica Delboni (104.8)
Flyweight: Juliana Miller (125.3) vs. Claire Guthrie (126)
Flyweight: Josee Storts (128.7)* vs. Maria Favela (125.5)
Strawweight: Fatima Kline (115.6) vs. Ariana Melendez (114.8)
Flyweight: Elise Pone (124.7) vs. Chrissy Yandolli (125.9)
* – Storts missed the flyweight limit of 126 pounds and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse
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 globally integrated multi-platform media company with offices and studios in Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, New York, Kansas City and Toronto. Anthem’s portfolio includes AXS TV, a leading music, entertainment and lifestyle television channel and digital media company; 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.
