Maiju Suotama Replaces Kristina Williams in Invicta FC 49 Co-Main Event
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The fight card for Invicta FC 49 has undergone a late change.
Oklahoma’s Kristina “Warhorse” Williams (6-3) has been forced out of her co-headlining bout. Stepping in to replace Williams will be Strikeforce and Phoenix Tournament veteran Maiju “Mountain Momma” Suotama (8-6). The Finnish flyweight has stopped seven of her eight career victories, including five via knockout. She’ll square off with Brazilian knockout artist Ketlen “Esquentadinha” Souza (11-3), who makes her Invicta debut riding a three-fight winning streak.
Also joining the card, Ultimate Fighter veterans collide as Utah’s Kaytlin “Katniss” Neil (5-4) meets Hannah “The Hurricane” Guy (4-1) in another flyweight match-up.
Invicta FC 49 takes place Wednesday, Sept. 28 from the Sugar Creek Casino in Hinton, Okla. The fight card is headlined by an atomweight title clash between champion Jéssica Delboni (12-3) and challenger “Lionheart” Jillian DeCoursey (5-3). The Brazilian Delboni is making the first defense of her 105-pound belt. New York’s DeCoursey emphatically made her case for a title shot with a highlight-reel, 61-second knockout of Lindsey VanZandt at Invicta FC 47.
The event will be broadcast on AXS TV in the U.S., Fight Network in Canada, and Invicta’s official YouTube Channel and Facebook Page, kicking off at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. Tickets to the event are on sale now through StubWire.
The updated fight card can be found below:
Atomweight Title: Jéssica Delboni vs. Jillian DeCoursey
Flyweight: Maiju Suotama vs. Ketlen Souza
Strawweight: Liz Tracy vs. Valesca Machado
Flyweight: Kaytlin Neil vs. Hannah Guy
Flyweight: Helen Peralta vs. Poliana Botelho
Bantamweight: Brittney Cloudy vs. Montserrat Rendon
Strawweight: Nadia Vera vs. Shauna Bannon
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.
