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2014 Invicta FC Fan’s Choice Awards

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Now that 2014 is in the books, it’s time to reflect on some of the great fights and performances that took place inside the Invicta cage over the last year.

Over the last week, we asked you, the fans, to help determine winners in five categories: Fighter of the Year, Fight of the Year, Knockout of the Year, Submission of the Year and Upset of the Year.

The votes have been tallied and your voices have been heard. Let’s take a look at the winners.

Upset of the Year

Brazil’s Herica Tiburcio scored the year’s biggest upset in December. The 22-year-old shocked the MMA world with her third-round submission win over Michelle Waterson at Invicta FC 10 to capture the Invicta atomweight title.

Tiburcio edged out red-hot bantamweight Tonya Evinger, who spoiled the 135-pound debut of Brazilian Ediane Gomes at Invicta FC 8 with a first-round armbar finish.

Submission of the Year

The year’s top submission award went to Mexican bantamweight Irene Aldana. The hard-hitting fighter battered opponent Peggy Morgan from the opening bell of their Invicta FC 8 contest, setting up the fight-finishing rear-naked choke.

Aldana’s dominant performance beat out newly crowned strawweight champion Katja Kankaanpää’s d’arce choke finish of Stephanie Eggink.

Knockout of the Year

There was little debate as to which fighter earned the nod for knockout of the year. Mexico’s Alexa Grasso joined her Lobo Gym teammate Irene Aldana, taking the first of three awards, for her violent finish of Alida Gray at Invicta FC 10.

Grasso’s big victory topped DeAnna Bennett’s win over Michelle Ould from Invicta FC 8.

Fight of the Year

Alexa Grasso’s win over Alida Gray was enough to secure the knockout of the year award, but it was her hard-fought Invicta debut against a very game Ashley Cummins at Invicta FC 8 that was voted as the fight of the year.

Cummins pushed the undefeated Mexican fighter for the full 15 minutes, but when it was all said and done, Grasso walked away with the decision win. The back-and-forth battle bested another strawweight war between Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Mizuki Inoue for the honor.

Fighter of the Year

There were many deserving candidates for this year’s fighter of the year award. From champions Herica Tiburcio and Katja Kankaanpää to the resurgent Tonya Evinger and Roxanne Modafferi, all the nominees made a strong case inside the Invicta cage in 2014.

Yet, once again, it was unbeaten strawweight Alexa Grasso who earned your votes as the fighter of the year. The 21-year-old Mexican fighter moved her record to 6-0 with wins over Ashley Cummins and Alida Gray in her two bouts in the Invicta cage.

Thanks to all of you that voted! Remember you can go back and re-live all of the year’s action on UFC Fight Pass.

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Strawweight Lynn Alvarez Returns to Invicta FC

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Kansas City, Mo. — A familiar face is returning to Invicta Fighting Championships.

Strawweight Lynn Alvarez has rejoined the promotion to strengthen the 115-pound division.

The 29-year-old Alvarez has scored six wins over the course of her nine-fight career that dates back to 2007. Five of those victories have come via submission.

“Lights Out” has competed against many of the sport’s elite, including former Invicta champion Carla Esparza. The veteran holds wins over current Invicta fighters Michelle Waterson and Michelle Ould.

“I’m excited to be back with Invicta,” said Alvarez. “They’re doing amazing things for women’s MMA and treat their fighters right. I can’t wait to fight for them and earn my way to their 115-pound title.”

Alvarez will return to the Invicta cage in early 2015.

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).

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Invicta FC Signs Flyweight Aspen Ladd

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Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships has added a new face to its flyweight division.

Joining the 125-pound ranks will be 19-year-old Californian Aspen Ladd. The fighter will make her professional debut in the Invicta cage after amassing an 8-1 record as amateur.

In Ladd’s most recent outing, she captured the Tuff-N-Uff flyweight title with a first-round submission win over Roma Pawelek. The victory marked Ladd’s fifth win inside the first round and her sixth career finish.

A native of Pioneer, Calif., Ladd is part of Team MMAGOLD and trains under the tutelage of coach Jim West.

“I’m thrilled,” said Ladd of signing with the promotion. “It’s been my dream for years now, ever since I first started fighting.

“I always assumed there would be three things in my life: work, fighting and school. This is the combination. I get to do my passion for work and I couldn’t be happier. I just have to prove myself.”

Look for Ladd’s Invicta debut in early 2015.

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).

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Invicta FC 10 Results: Herica Tiburcio Submits Michelle Waterson, Claims Atomweight Championship

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On Friday, Dec. 5, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 10: Waterson vs. Tiburcio from the Arena Theatre in Houston. The eight-fight event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

The night’s main event saw the atomweight championship change hands as Brazil’s Herica Tiburcio submitted Michelle Waterson in the third round via guillotine choke. Tiburcio was aggressive from the beginning of the fight. She caught a kick from Waterson and took the fight to the ground. Waterson countered with an armbar from her back, but Tiburcio escaped. Tiburcio attacked with a guillotine choke, but Waterson scored a takedown and moved into mount late in the frame. Waterson was able to get the fight to the ground early in round two, but Tiburcio used a leg lock to get the top position. Waterson was able to regain the top position, but Tiburcio attacked Waterson’s arm along the fence. Waterson refused to tap as the round came to a close. In round three, Waterson missed a hook kick and Tiburcio planted her on the ground. She locked up a guillotine choke and rolled to her back, forcing Waterson to submit.

In the co-main event, bantamweight Tonya Evinger earned her second straight armbar victory, submitting Cindy Dandois in the second round. Evinger came out throwing big shots, prompting Dandois to look for a takedown. Evinger ended up on top and quickly moved to the crucifix. She dropped heavy left hands from the top, which caused Dandois to give up her back. Evinger sought the TKO finish, but Dandois survived the stanza. In round two, Dandois immediately shot for a takedown, but again it was Evinger that claimed the dominant position. She took the back of Dandois, transitioned for the armbar and forced the tap.

Veteran Roxanne Modafferi handed Andrea Lee the first loss of her career via split decision. Lee scored early and often with her striking, but Modafferi was able to close the distance and get the fight to the ground. Lee fought hard to get back to her feet, but Modafferi stuck to her like glue. In round two, Lee absorbed a head kick from Modafferi before being taken down once again. However, Lee was able to move to mount briefly before the round closed. The last round saw Modafferi work hard for the finish, taking Lee’s back and raining punches. When it was all said and done, Modafferi got the nod on the scorecards.

Flyweight DeAnna Bennett remained undefeated, earning a hard-fought decision over Brazil’s Jennifer Maia. Bennett landed with her hands early in the fight, slowing Maia’s forward advance. Maia responded by pressing Bennett against the cage. Bennett was able to break free and score with body kicks. Maia marched forward as the fight progressed, but it wasn’t enough, as Bennett earned the win.

Peggy Morgan made a successful return to the featherweight division, outlasting newcomer Andria Wawro. Morgan used her length early, keeping Wawro at range. Wawro returned fire, landing numerous overhand rights. Morgan absorbed the shots and continued to score with punches, taking home the unanimous decision win.

Mexico’s Alexa Grasso remained undefeated and sent a message to the rest of the strawweight division, earning a violent, first-round TKO over Alida Gray. Grasso stunned Gray early with punches. A big shot from Grasso sent Gray to the canvas and Grasso flurried for the finish.

Atomweight Jinh Yu Frey scored a dominant, first-round submission win in the night’s second bout. Frey took the back of opponent Cassie Robb and coerced a tap at the midway point of the opening frame.

The night kicked off with a flyweight contest between promotional newcomers Rachael Ostovich and Evva Johnson. Ostovich scored with power punches and well-timed takedowns to overcome Johnson’s submission attempts and claim the split decision win.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Herica Tiburcio def. Michelle Waterson by submission (guillotine choke). Round 3, 1:04 – for atomweight title
Tonya Evinger def. Cindy Dandois by submission (armbar). Round 2, 1:23
Roxanne Modafferi def. Andrea Lee by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
DeAnna Bennett def. Jennifer Maia by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Peggy Morgan def. Andria Wawro by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Alexa Grasso def. Alida Gray by TKO (punches). Round 1, 1:47
Jinh Yu Frey def. Cassie Robb by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 1, 2:36
Rachael Ostovich def. Evva Johnson by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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Invicta FC 10 Official Weigh-in Results and Photo Gallery

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On Thursday, Dec. 4, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 10: Waterson vs. Tiburcio which takes place Friday, Dec. 5, from the Arena Theatre in Houston.

In the night’s main event, Invicta FC atomweight champion Michelle Waterson (12-3) will face Brazilian challenger Herica Tiburcio (8-2).

Waterson is coming off the first defense of her title, a TKO victory over Yasuko Tamada (15-9) in September. The win marked the champion’s 10th finish in 12 career victories.

Tiburcio, currently riding a three-fight winning streak, was slated to make her promotional debut at Invicta FC 9, but visa issues forced her off the card. Six of the 22-year-old challenger’s career wins have come via submission.

Red-hot bantamweight contender Tonya Evinger (14-5), coming off a first-round submission of Ediane Gomes, meets Belgium’s Cindy Dandois (5-1) in the co-main event.

The eight-fight event will stream live and exclusively via UFC Fight Pass beginning at 9 p.m. ET on Friday.

Below is a photo gallery shot by Invicta FC’s Esther Lin.

Below are the results of the event’s weigh-ins.

Michelle Waterson (105) vs. Herica Tiburcio (105) – for atomweight title
Tonya Evinger (134.75) vs. Cindy Dandois (135)
Roxanne Modafferi (125) vs. Andrea K. Lee (125.5)
Jennifer Maia (124) vs. DeAnna Bennett (125)
Andria Wawro (147)* vs. Peggy Morgan (145)
Alida Gray (115) vs. Alexa Grasso (115.25)
Jinh Yu Frey (106.25)* vs. Cassie Robb (105.25)
Rachael Ostovich (126) vs. Evva Johnson (125)

* – Wawro and Frey were fined 25 percent of their fight purse

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Invicta FC 10 Loses Charmaine Tweet vs. Faith Van Duin

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Houston – A medical concern identified by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has forced the cancellation of the Invicta FC 10 featherweight bout between Canada’s Charmaine Tweet (6-4) and New Zealand’s Faith Van Duin (4-1) that was slated for Dec. 5 in Houston.

Invicta FC 10 streams live on UFCFIGHTPASS.com from the Arena Theatre in Houston on Friday, Dec. 5 and is headlined by Invicta FC atomweight champion Michelle Waterson (12-3) taking on Brazilian challenger Herica Tiburcio (8-2). In the co-headline bout, red-hot bantamweight contender Tonya Evinger (14-5) meets Belgium’s Cindy Dandois (5-1).

Tickets for Invicta FC 10 are on sale now and can be purchased at the venue box office, via charge-by-phone by calling 713-772-5900 or online at arenahouston.com.

For more information, visit InvictaFC.com.

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).

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Irene Aldana Out of Invicta FC 10, Bout With Marion Reneau Moved to 2015

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Kansas City, Mo. – Due to a severe case of bronchitis that required hospitalization, Invicta Fighting Championships has announced that Mexican bantamweight Irene Aldana (4-1) has been forced out of a planned match-up with Marion Reneau (4-1) at Invicta FC 10 on Dec. 5 in Houston.

The bout has been rescheduled for early 2015.

Invicta FC 10 streams live on UFCFIGHTPASS.com from the Arena Theatre in Houston on Friday, Dec. 5 and is headlined by Invicta FC atomweight champion Michelle Waterson (12-3) taking on Brazilian challenger Herica Tiburcio (8-2). In the co-headline bout, red-hot bantamweight contender Tonya Evinger (14-5) meets Belgium’s Cindy Dandois (5-1).

Tickets for Invicta FC 10 are on sale now and can be purchased at the venue box office, via charge-by-phone by calling 713-772-5900 or online at arenahouston.com.

For more information, visit InvictaFC.com.

About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship, all-pro mixed martial rts (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).

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Andrea Lee Replaces Vanessa Porto at Invicta FC 10

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Kansas City, Mo. – After being notified of an unforeseen delay in visa processing, Invicta Fighting Championships today announced that flyweight title contender Vanessa Porto (17-6) will no longer face veteran Roxanne Modafferi (16-11) at Invicta FC 10 on Dec. 5.

Rather than waiting for the visa issue to be resolved, Invicta FC officials have tapped rising prospect Andrea Lee (2-0) to replace Porto. Lee, the 2013 Women’s National Golden Gloves Champion, impressed in her Invicta debut, a victory over Shannon Sinn at Invicta FC 9 in November.

Porto is expected to return to the Invicta cage in early 2015 at Invicta FC 11.

Invicta FC 10 streams live on UFCFIGHTPASS.com from the Arena Theatre in Houston on Friday, Dec. 5 and is headlined by Invicta FC atomweight champion Michelle Waterson (12-3) taking on Brazilian challenger Herica Tiburcio (8-2). In the co-headline bout, red-hot bantamweight contender Tonya Evinger (14-5), coming off a first-round submission of Ediane Gomes, meets Belgium’s Cindy Dandois (5-1).

Tickets for Invicta FC 10 are on sale now and can be purchased at the venue box office, via charge-by-phone by calling 713-772-5900 or online at arenahouston.com.

For more information, visit InvictaFC.com.

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).

Press Contact:
Eric Jackman
718.354.9024
eric@jacktaylorpr.com
or press@invictafc.com

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Invicta FC 10 Full Card Announced for Friday, December 5

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Kansas City, Mo. – Invicta Fighting Championships today announced the full fight card for Invicta FC 10: Waterson vs. Tiburcio, which will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass from the Arena Theatre in Houston on Friday, Dec. 5.

In the night’s headline bout, Invicta FC atomweight champion Michelle Waterson (12-3) will face Brazilian challenger Herica Tiburcio (8-2).

Waterson is coming off the first defense of her title, a TKO victory over Yasuko Tamada (15-9) in September. The win marked the champion’s 10th finish in 12 career victories.

Tiburcio, currently riding a three-fight winning streak, was slated to make her promotional debut at Invicta FC 9, but visa issues forced her off the card. Six of the 22-year-old challenger’s career wins have come via submission.

Red hot bantamweight contender Tonya Evinger (14-5), coming off a first-round submission of Ediane Gomes, meets Belgium’s Cindy Dandois (5-1) in the co-headline bout.

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

Atomweight Title Fight: Michelle Waterson (12-3) vs. Herica Tiburcio (8-2)
Bantamweight: Tonya Evinger (14-5) vs. Cindy Dandois (5-1)
Flyweight: Vanessa Porto (17-6) vs. Roxanne Modafferi (16-11)
Flyweight: Jennifer Maia (9-3-1) vs. DeAnna Bennett (5-0)
Featherweight: Charmaine Tweet (6-4) vs. Faith van Duin (4-1)
Bantamweight: Irene Aldana (4-1) vs. Marion Reneau (4-1)
Featherweight: Peggy Morgan (2-2) vs. Andria Wawro (3-1)
Strawweight: Alexa Grasso (5-0) vs. Alida Gray (4-1)
Atomweight: Jinh Yu Frey (2-1) vs. Cassie Robb (0-2)
Flyweight: Rachael Ostovich (1-1) vs. Evva Johnson (1-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 10 are on sale now and can be purchased at the venue box office, via charge-by-phone by calling 713-772-5900 or online at arenahouston.com.

For more information, visit InvictaFC.com.

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).

Press Contact:
Eric Jackman
718.354.9024
eric@jacktaylorpr.com
or press@invictafc.com

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Invicta FC 9 Results: Honchak Retains Title, Kowalkiewicz Edges Inoue

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On Saturday, Nov. 1, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 9: Honchak vs. Hashi from the RiverCenter in Davenport, Iowa. The nine-fight event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

In the night’s main event, Invicta flyweight champion Barb Honchak successfully defended her 125-pound title with a hard-fought decision win over Japan’s Takayo Hashi. Honchak’s strategy from the very beginning was to force Hashi against the fence and grind her out. Honchak was able to impose her will on the challenger and score with short punches and knees from the clinch. Hashi earned takedowns late in the third and fourth rounds, but she was unable to hold the champion on the ground. Honchak let her hands go late in the fifth frame, leaving no doubt who had won the contest.

The night’s co-main event featured the Invicta return of Japanese strawweight Mizuki Inoue, who welcomed unbeaten Polish fighter Karolina Kowalkiewicz to the Invicta cage. Kowalkiewicz used her length to keep Inoue at range during the first round, scoring with combinations and leg kicks. In the middle stanza, Inoue was able to score with a hip toss and put Kowalkiewicz on her back. Kowalkiewicz was able to survive the tough position and the round. The final frame saw Kowalkiewicz return to landing on the feet, but Inoue fired back. When it was all said and done, Kowalkiewicz claimed the narrow split decision win.

Stepping into the cage on just a week’s notice, Hawaii’s Raquel Pa’aluhi survived a tough first round and earned the nod over Kaitlin Young on the scorecards. Young battered Pa’aluhi in the opening frame, opening up multiple cuts on the Hawaiian’s face. Pa’aluhi bounced back in rounds two and three with takedowns. Pa’aluhi threatened to finish the fight with a rear-naked choke and strikes, but Young was able to survive to the final bell.

Jodie Esquibel put together one of the best performances of her career, outstriking Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc and earning a lopsided, unanimous decision win. Esquibel used her speed and footwork to land combination after combination and frustrate Rivera-Calanoc. The Jackson’s MMA fighter mixed in takedowns and survived a late guillotine attempt from Rivera-Calanoc to claim the victory.

Atomweights Amber Brown and Liz McCarthy engaged in a back-and-forth war that saw Brown eke out the win via split decision. McCarthy repeatedly took the fight to the ground with her wrestling, but Brown landed the more effective strikes. A knee from Brown opened a large cut over McCarthy’s right eye in round two, leading to a bloody affair.

Amanda Bell returned to the Invicta cage and scored a first-round TKO over promotional newcomer Maria Hougaard-Djursaa. Bell came out firing and overwhelmed the Danish fighter. Once on the mat, Bell rained punches and forced the referee to halt the bout late in the opening stanza.

Veteran striker Andrea K. Lee used her stand-up game to get the better of fellow flyweight Shannon Sinn. Lee dropped Sinn early and battered her throughout the remainder of the contest to take home the win on the scorecards.

Strawweight Jamie Moyle scored an impressive decision win in her pro debut, battering Jenny Liou Shriver for three rounds. Shriver had no answer for Moyle’s striking and suffered her first career loss.

Kelly McGill spoiled the pro debut of Maegan Goodwin in the first fight of the evening. The bloody affair saw McGill open up Goodwin with an elbow, helping her seal the decision win and move to 2-0.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Barb Honchak def. Takayo Hashi by unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45) – for flyweight title
Karolina Kowalkiewicz def. Mizuki Inoue by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Raquel Pa’aluhi def. Kaitlin Young by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Jodie Esquibel def. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Amber Brown def. Liz McCarthy by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Amanda Bell def. Maria Hougaard-Djursaa by TKO (strikes). Round 1, 4:56
Andrea K. Lee def. Shannon Sinn by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Jamie Moyle def. Jenny Liou Shriver by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Kelly McGill def. Maegan Goodwin by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)