Invicta FC 44 Adds Miesha Tate and Yves Edwards to Commentary Team, Plus Fans Return
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – It will truly be a new era at Invicta FC 44 on Friday, Aug. 27.
When the world’s premier combat sports organization for women returns to pay-per-view for the first time in eight years, it will feature two new faces in the commentary booth, as well as the return of fans for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate and MMA pioneer Yves Edwards will provide color commentary alongside Invicta FC staples TJ De Santis — who will handle his usual play-by-play duties — and Taryn Tempel — who will provide cageside reporting.
The 34-year-old Tate recently restarted her MMA career following a four-year absence from competition. “Cupcake” defeated Marion Reneau in July to put herself back in the spotlight. A native of Washington state, Tate previously provided guest commentary at both Invicta FC 7 and Invicta FC 14.
Edwards, who retired from fighting in 2014, began his career in 1997. He fought for promotions such as Pride FC, Strikeforce, Bellator MMA and the UFC across 66 career bouts. Since retiring, the Bahamas native has provided commentary for the Professional Fighters League, as well as desk analysis for Fox Sports.
Invicta FC 44: A New Era is headlined by a strawweight title clash as top contenders Emily “Gordinha” Ducote (9-6) and “Dynamite” Danielle Taylor (11-5) square off for the vacant 115-pound strap. The second half of the double main event features Lisa “Battle Angel” Verzosa (6-1) opposite Phoenix Tournament winner Taneisha “Triple Threat” Tennant (3-1) to determine a new bantamweight champion.
The main card will be distributed on pay-per-view via traditional cable and satellite carriers beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Digital customers around the world can pre-order the event immediately from FITE for $19.99 in the United States, $14.99 in Canada and $9.99 in the rest of the world.
Prior to the main card, the Invicta FC 44 Prelims will be broadcast in the U.S. on AXS TV and streamed for free worldwide on Invicta FC’s YouTube channel beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The preliminary portion of the card has added an atomweight bout between North Carolina’s Katie “Maquina Asesina” Perez (2-1) and Colorado newcomer Natalie Salcedo (debut), who was undefeated as an amateur.
The event will also feature the return of fans in attendance. Tickets to the event — which emanates from Memorial Hall — are on sale now through Eventbrite. Per local safety precautions, all fans in attendance will be required to wear masks. A limited number of media will also be allowed to attend.
As with any Invicta event, the safety of its athletes, their corners, its staff, commission officials and fans is of the utmost priority. All participants will be tested for COVID-19 prior to the event.
Invicta FC 44: A New Era
Strawweight Title: Emily Ducote vs. Danielle Taylor
Bantamweight Title: Lisa Verzosa vs. Taneisha Tennant
Flyweight: Brogan Sanchez vs. Mara Romero Borella
Strawweight: Jodie Esquibel vs. Kelly D’Angelo
Bantamweight: Serena DeJesus vs. Lauren Mueller
Invicta FC 44 Prelims (updated)
Flyweight: Caitlin Sammons vs. Helen Peralta
Atomweight: Katie Saull vs. Monique Adriane
Atomweight: Katie Perez vs. Natalie Salcedo
Featherweight: Kayla Yontef vs. Carlene Chandler
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.
