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

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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.

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Phoenix Series Returns on Sept. 6, Features Flyweight Tournament

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Kansas City, Mo. – The Phoenix Series is returning.

After a thrilling debut event in May that crowned a new strawweight champion, Invicta Fighting Championships will once again hold an eight-woman, one-night tournament on Sept. 6 from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. 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 a random draw prior to the event.

As was the case during the inaugural tournament, the quarterfinal fighters will have plenty of incentive to finish their fights. Each finish will earn the winning fighter a monetary bonus, but more importantly, the fastest finisher in the quarterfinal round will have the luxury of picking their opponent for the semifinals based on the remaining three combatants. If there are no finishes in the quarterfinals, the semifinal match-ups will again be determined by random draw.

Phoenix Series 2 will feature the flyweight division and includes a mix of promising prospects, UFC veterans and a former title challenger.

The field will include three fighters who recently competed in the flyweight contender tournament. UFC veteran — and former strawweight title challenger — DeAnna Bennett (10-5-1) aims to rebound from her hard-fought defeat against Karina Rodriguez in the Invicta FC 35 main event. Fellow UFC veteran Milana Dudieva (12-8) also hopes to bounce back from a loss to Rodriguez in a “Fight of the Night” performance at Invicta FC 34. Finally, 22-year-old submission stalwart Miranda Maverick (5-2) will be out to prove herself against the field of veterans.

They are joined by a pair of Invicta veterans known for their grappling acumen. Colorado’s Cheri Muraski (6-2) returns to the Invicta cage for the first time since Invicta FC 29. Her opponent from that event, Portland’s Liz Tracy (5-3), also enters the tournament field.

Rounding out the lineup will be a trio of promotional newcomers. Daiana Torquato (9-3) makes her Invicta debut riding the momentum of seven straight wins in her native Brazil. Also hailing from Brazil, Contender Series veteran Marilia Santos (10-3) hopes to capture the form that has earned her wins across the globe. Finally, Strikeforce veteran Maiju Suotama (8-4) of Finland will test her mettle under the Invicta banner for the first time.

In addition to the eight tournament fighters, the event will showcase two non-tournament bouts.

The night’s co-main event — which takes place between the tournament semifinals and final — features Alexa Conners (5-3) against Invicta newcomer Mariya Agapova (6-1). Conners will make her fifth appearance under the Invicta banner, but her first at 125 pounds. Agapova recently appeared on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, but suffered her first career defeat to Invicta veteran Tracy Cortez.

Taking place between the tournament’s quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, 21-year-old Missouri flyweight Josee Storts (1-0) takes on fellow newcomer Helen Lucero (0-0), who will be making her professional debut.

The broadcast team from the first Phoenix Series tournament remains intact as Invicta FC post-fight correspondent and former Invicta fighter Laura Sanko once again calls play-by-play. Joining Sanko on the call will be veteran cageside analyst Jimmy Smith. All of the action will air live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

A pair of tournament reserve match-ups will be added to the fight card in the coming weeks. Tickets to the event can be purchased now through Eventbrite.

Phoenix Series 2
Cheri Muraski (6-2)
Daiana Torquato (9-3)
DeAnna Bennett (10-5-1)
Liz Tracy (5-3)
Maiju Suotama (8-4)
Marilia Santos (10-3)
Milana Dudieva (12-8)
Miranda Maverick (5-2)

Non-Tournament Bouts
Alexa Conners (5-3) vs. Mariya Agapova (6-1)
Josee Storts (1-0) vs. Helen Lucero (0-0)

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.

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Cheri Muraski Meets Brogan Walker-Sanchez at Invicta FC 27

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Kansas City, Mo. — The final slot on the Invicta Fighting Championships 27 fight card is now filled.

Undefeated Cheri Muraski (4-0) will face promotional newcomer Brogan Walker-Sanchez (4-0) in a flyweight contest.

Colorado’s Muraski made her Invicta debut at Invicta FC 25 in August, submitting Tracy Cortez in the second round. Guam’s Walker-Sanchez has also opened her career with four straight victories, including a decision win over Invicta veteran Gabby Romero.

Invicta FC 27 takes place Saturday, Jan. 13, from the historic Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo. The event streams live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT. It will feature a bantamweight headliner between Iranian-Swedish fighter Pannie Kianzad (8-2) and Canada’s Sarah Kaufman (18-4, 1 NC).

The complete fight card for Invicta FC 27 can be found below:

Bantamweight: Pannie Kianzad (8-2) vs. Sarah Kaufman (18-4, 1 NC)
Flyweight: Vanessa Porto (19-8) vs. Mariana Morais (12-5)
Strawweight: Sharon Jacobson (4-2) vs. Ashley Nichols (3-1)
Atomweight: Ashley Cummins (5-4) vs. Stephanie Alba (3-1, 1 NC)
Flyweight: Cheri Muraski (4-0) vs. Brogan Walker-Sanchez (4-0)
Featherweight: Felicia Spencer (3-0) vs. Akeela Al-Hameed (0-0)
Strawweight: Mallory Martin (1-2) vs. Tiffany Masters (2-1)
Atomweight: Mellissa Wang (1-0) vs. Loma Lookboonmee (0-0)
Strawweight: Jade Ripley (0-0) vs. Helen Peralta (0-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 27 are on sale now via Tickeyfly.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. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

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Nine Athletes Join Invicta FC Roster

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Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships has added nine new faces to its roster.

Joining the strawweight division will be undefeated Brazilian Virna Jandiroba (11-0). The 28-year-old, dubbed “Carcará,” most recently defeated UFC veteran Ericka Almeida. She also holds a submission victory over UFC and Invicta FC veteran Lisa Ellis.

The flyweight division has six new fighters, including four who are unbeaten: Mara Romero Borella (10-4, 1 NC), Chan-Mi Jeon (5-0), Bárbara Acioly (4-0), Karina Rodríguez (4-2), Cheri Muraski (3-0) and Tracy Cortez (0-0).

  • Italy’s Borella will join the promotion having won four of her last five fights.
  • At just 19 year old, South Korea’s Jeon has finished four of her five wins with strikes, capturing ALL FC’s flyweight championship in the process.
  • The 28-year-old Acioly also hails from Brazil and has stopped three of her four wins inside the first round.
  • Mexico’s Rodríguez has stopped her opponent in three of her four wins and has faced the likes of Invicta FC veteran Alexa Grasso.
  • Colorado’s Muraski, who was 6-1 as an amateur before turning pro in late 2016, submitted Invicta FC veteran Shannon Sinn in her last outing.
  • Cortez, a Tuff-N-Uff flyweight titleholder, fights out of Arizona and will make her professional debut inside the Invicta cage after going 6-0 as an amateur.

“There are a lot of eyeballs on the 125-pound weight class right now,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. “We have a card coming up on May 20 that showcases some of the best flyweights in the world.

“Being able to add such a talented group of athletes to that flyweight mix will only push the entire division further. We’re expecting to see great match-ups right away, while also looking ahead to the exciting opportunities our younger prospects will have as they develop here at Invicta.”

Finally, two fighters slated to make their professional debuts have joined the atomweight division. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt Jillian DeCoursey (0-0) compiled a record of 8-1 as an amateur. California’s Ashley Medina (0-0) went 4-1 in the amateur ranks, including two wins via armbar.

All of the new athletes are expected to make their promotional debuts later in 2017.

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.