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BARB HONCHAK RETAINS FLYWEIGHT TITLE AT INVICTA FIGHTING 7
/in News /by InvictaFCBARB HONCHAK RETAINS FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WITH UNANIMOUS DECISION OVER LESLIE SMITH AT INVICTA FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS 7
Lauren Murphy Wins Inaugural Invicta Fighting Championships
Bantamweight Title With TKO Of Miriam Nakamoto
Honchak-Smith Wins “Fight Of The Night” & Nina Arsanoff Wins “KO Of The Night
KANSAS CITY, MO. (Dec. 7, 2013) – Barb Honchak won a hard-fought, unanimous decision victory to retain the Invicta FC Flyweight World Championship over challenger Leslie Smith in Saturday’s Invicta Fighting Championships 7 at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Mo.
Honchak (9-2) and Smith (6-4-1) traded blows in the all-action bout, but it was Honchak’s technical striking and ability to take Smith to the ground and inflict damage that was the difference. All three judges scored the bout 49-46.
“I knew Leslie would be tough,” said Honchak, who has won seven fights in a row. “I wanted to take her down because that’s what I’ve been working on.
I thought we had a great striking battle. I think we had one close round, but at least four of the rounds were mine:”
Smith didn’t disagree with the decision when asked about the judges’ scorecards at the post-fight press conference.
“Barb was the better fighter tonight,” Smith said. “I feel like I never turned it on 100 percent. It wasn’t a surprise to me at the end because I feel like I could have fought a much better fight.”
Lauren Murphy (8-0) won inaugural Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship via fourth round TKO when the previously unbeaten Miriam Nakamoto (2-1, 1 NC) had to stop fighting due to a knee injury.
Murphy and Nakamoto traded shots in the first two rounds before the undefeated Murphy turned the tide with a takedown toward the end of the third. Nakamoto appeared to injure her knee during the takedown and struggled to get back up with Murphy repeatedly landing blows to close out the round.
Just :23 seconds into the fourth, Nakamoto slipped and instantly grabbed her right knee as she fell to the canvas in pain. Referee Mike England immediately ended the bout.
“When I came back in the third I just wanted to keep it going the next couple of rounds,” Murphy said. “I think she’s an amazing fighter and if she wants a rematch I’d be happy to do it.
“I saw her nose was bloodied and I could taste the blood in my mouth from when she hit me. Nothing gets you more excited than two people beating the shit out of each other.”
Tecia Torres (3-0) put on a dominant performance to keep her undefeated record intact against Felice Herrig (9-5) with a unanimous decision (30-27 three times). Herrig, who was making her highly-anticipated Invicta debut, was completely dominated by the shorter Torres, who showcased an impressive arsenal of strikes and kicks.
“What shocked me was total domination,” Torres said. “I’ve always looked up to her so it was an honor to be in the same cage. Everything just came together. People think I’m one dimensional, but not tonight.
“I think I’m pretty close to the title, but I’m in no rush.”
In a battle of unbeatens, Joanne Calderwood (8-0) handed fellow strawweight contender Katja “Killer Bunny” Kankaanpaa (8-1-1) her first loss with a unanimous decision scored 29-28 by all three judges.
“I’ll just fight whoever is in front of me,” said Calderwood when asked if she deserves a shot at the Invicta Strawweight belt. “That’s my job. I’ll leave the rest up to them.”
Julia Budd (6-2) defeated fellow Canadian Charmaine Tweet (4-4) to remain undefeated in four bouts under the Invicta banner with convincing unanimous decision victory (30-27).
After the fight, Budd didn’t back down when asked by Invicta analyst Miesha Tate if she’d like to fight Invicta Featherweight World Champion Cris Cyborg Justino.
“I’m looking to be the best and looking to fight the best,” Budd said. “Whoever they put in front of me I’m happy to fight.”
Vanessa Porto (16-6) kicked off the PPV telecast with a unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 twice) over Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-4) in a three-round flyweight.
Tonya Evinger (12-6) closed out the free one-hour live viewing portion with a unanimous decision (29-28 three times) over Sarah D’ Alelio (7-5). In the opening bout of the evening, flyweight Nina Ansaroff (6-4) scored a TKO (strikes) at 3:54 of the second round over Munah Holland (5-3).
About Invicta Fighting Championships:
Invicta is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts 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 and sports aficionado Janet Martin, 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 about Invicta or its events and fighters visit www.invictafc.com or follow on Twitter @InvictaFights.
About Integrated Sports Media:
North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Mirko Filipovic, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson and Roy Nelson, in addition to World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Gennady Golovkin, Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Paulie Malignaggi, Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr., Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media has distributed numerous International soccer matches featuring teams like Real Madrid, Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com or follow on Twitter @IntegratedPPV.
CONTACTS:
Doug Jacobs, Integrated Sports Media, 201.610.1500, doug@integratedsportsnet.com
Bob Trieger, Full Court Press, 978.664.4482, bobtfcp@hotmail.com
Mike Afromowitz, 917.566.8754, mikea@yourwitzend.com
Matt Donovan, Brener Zwikel & Associates, 352-262-3073, mattd@bzapr.com
Miesha Tate Joins Invicta FC 7 as a commentator for this Saturday’s event
/in News /by InvictaFCKANSAS CITY, MO. (Dec. 2, 2013) – Women’s MMA superstar Miesha Tate will join the announcing team as guest analyst for this Saturday’s Invicta Fighting Championships 7, airing live on pay-per-view from Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Mo.
Tate will call the nine-bout event featuring three world championship fights alongside play-by-play announcer Michael Schiavello and color analyst and Invicta veteran “King” Mo Lawal. Schiavello, a long-time broadcaster, will call his first Invicta PPV telecast.
Tate, a former Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion, will face UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champ Ronda Rousey in a long-awaited rematch at UFC 168 later this month.
Invicta Fight Championships 7 is being distributed in North America by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via IN Demand, DISH, Avail-TVN in the United States, as well as Bell TV, Shaw PPV, SaskTel, TELUS, and MTS in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $14.95. In addition, viewers worldwide may purchase the show at www.invictafc.com and the Invicta Fighting Championship’s Facebook page.
Invicta is also offering a FREE one-hour live viewing in North America, starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, available via all aforementioned PPV carriers and The Fight Network in Canada. Viewers worldwide may also watch the free bouts, featuring Sarah D’ Alelio (7-4) vs. Tonya Evinger (11-6) at bantamweight and Munah Holland (5-2) vs. Nina Arsanoff (5-4) at flyweight, via www.invictafc.com and Invicta Fighting Championship’s Facebook.
In Saturday’s main event, Invicta FC flyweight (125 pounds) champion Barb Honchak (8-2) will defend her title against three-time “Fight of the Night” winnerLeslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (6-3-1). In the co-feature, Invicta FC strawweight (115 pounds) champion Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (9-2) will defend her belt against undefeated Brazilian superstar Claudia Gadelha (11-0). In a third world title fight, the inaugural Invicta FC bantamweight (135 pounds) world championship title will be on the line, featuring knockout artist Lauren Murphy (7-0) against unbeaten rising star Miriam Nakamoto (2-0, 1 NC).
For additional information please visit www.IntegratedSportsnet.com or www.invictafc.com.
About Invicta Fighting Championships: Invicta is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts 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 and sports aficionado Janet Martin, 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 about Invicta or its events and fighters visit www.invictafc.com or follow on Twitter @InvictaFights.
About Integrated Sports Media: North America’s leading distributor of International Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit sports events has presented World Championship and world-class mixed martial arts shows featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Sylvia, Bobby Lashley, Mirko Filipovic, Bob Sapp, Jeff Monson and Roy Nelson, in addition to World Championship and world-class boxing matches featuring Gennady Golovkin, Erik Morales, Vitali Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Cristian Mijares, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Jr., Tomasz Adamek, Paulie Malignaggi, Ivan Calderon, Rocky Martinez, Nicolai Valuev, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera, Arthur Abraham, David Haye, John Ruiz, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr., Brian Viloria, Giovani Segura and Ruslan Chagaev. In addition, Integrated Sports Media has distributed numerous International soccer matches featuring teams like Real Madrid, Club America of Mexico and the National Teams of Argentina, Honduras, El Salvador and the USA. For more information on upcoming Integrated Sports events visit www.integratedsportsnet.com or follow on Twitter @IntegratedPPV.
INVICTA FC 7 COMING TO KANSAS CITY ON DECEMBER 7TH
/in News /by InvictaFCINVICTA FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS RETURNS DEC. 7!
TICKETS ON SALE
FRIDAY, OCT. 18 FOR
WOMEN’S MMA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TRIPLEHEADER
IN KANSAS CITY
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Oct. 12, 2013) – Women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion Invicta Fighting Championships will return to Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City with a stacked, nine-bout event featuring three world title fights, including a main event showdown between reigning flyweight champion Barb Honchak (8-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa and three-time “Fight of the Night” winner Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith(6-3-1) of Pleasanton, Calif.
Tickets priced from $35, for the highly-anticipated return of Invicta FC women’s MMA action go on sale at 10 a.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 18, at TicketFly.com.
“We are excited about returning to the big stage in full force with another loaded card featuring a fantastic mix of world championship bouts and other world-class MMA action that will see a collection of the best women fighters on the planet face off against each other,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp.
In the co-main event, Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (9-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. will put her strawweight (115 pounds) championship on the line against surging, undefeated superstar Claudia Gadelha (11-0) of Mossoro, Rio Grande Do Norte Brazil.
In the first-ever Invicta FC bantamweight (135 pounds) world championship bout, hard-hitting KO artist Lauren Murphy (7-0) of Anchorage, Alaska will battle fellow unbeaten star Miriam Nakamoto (2-0, 1 NC) of Dublin, Calif.
The 34-year-old Honchak, a protégé of former world champion Pat Miletich, dominated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vanessa Porto to become the first Invicta FC 125 pound champion in history on July 13. The victory was Honchak’s seventh straight.
Smith, a 31-year-old striking aficionado, has become a memorable face by engaging in all-out slugfests with her opponents on the five Invicta FC cards that she has appeared on. On July 13, Smith, in her firsts start at flyweight after a healthy run at bantamweight, outgunned Jennifer Maia to earn a unanimous decision after three rounds of action.
The 26-year-old Esparza, a student of famed trainer Colin Oyama, will step in the cage for the first time since sustaining a knee injury in training earlier this year. In her last effort at Invicta FC 4 on January 5, she notched her fourth consecutive win, a unanimous decision over “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt.
Gadelha has been unstoppable with her submission game and, lately, her striking, since turning pro in 2008. The 24-year-old will make her second start under the Invicta FC banner after scoring a third round (3:58) TKO on JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki with a barrage of punches on July 13.
Murphy has been perfect, thus far, in the Invicta FC cage, earning back-to-back unanimous decision victories over Kaitlin Young and Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio on April 5 and July 13, respectively. Prior to her Invicta FC debut, the 30-year-old had scored TKO finishes on all five her career opponents.
The 37-year-old Nakamoto, a seasoned Muay Thai champion extended her unblemished record at Invicta FC 6, scoring a thunderous first round (2:08) TKO on Duda Yankovich with a knee strike and series of punches. The finish earned Nakamoto “KO of the Night” honors.
In other main card action, Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig (9-4) of Buffalo Grove, Illin. will make her highly-anticipated Invicta FC debut and put a four-fight win streak on the line in a strawweight matchup opposite unbeaten, fast-rising star Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (3-0) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Another matchup of unbeaten rising stars will pit Joanne Calderwood (7-0) of Glasgow, Scotland against Katja “Killer Bunny” Kankaanpaa (8-0-1) of Seinajoki, Southern Ostrobothnia Finland at strawweight.
Heavy-handed powerhouse Julia “The Jewel” Budd (5-2) of Port Moody, British Columbia Canada will put a three-fight win streak on the line against submission ace Charmaine “Not So Sweet” Tweet (4-3) Regina, Saskatchewan Canada in a featherweight (145 pounds) scrap.
Porto (15-6) of Sao Paulo, Brazil will look to rebound from a defeat the hands of Honchak at the last Invicta FC event in July when she collides with fellow superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-3) of Cincinnati, Ohio at flyweight. Porto has claimed 10 of her 15 professional career victories by way of submission while Gurgel has defeated a host of top rivals, including Jessica Aguilar and Megumi Fujii during her outstanding four plus year professional career.
Kelly Kobold (18-3) of Minneapolis, Minn. will make her long-awaited Invicta FC debut in a bantamweight tilt with fellow ferocious finisher Tonya “Triple Threat” Evinger (11-6) of Odessa, Mo.
In another meeting between two Invicta FC newcomers, hard-punching Munah “The Perfect Storm” Holland (5-2) of Elmwood Park, N.J. will face streaking Nina “The Strina” Ansaroff (5-4) of Fort Lauderdale at flyweight.