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Invicta FC 14 Results: Evinger Batters Kianzad, Bennett Edges Kankaanpää

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Kansas City, Mo. — On Saturday, Sept. 12, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 14: Evinger vs. Kianzad from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 8 p.m. ET.

In the night’s main event, bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger made Sweden’s Pannie Kianzad pay for missing weight, handing her the first defeat of her career. Evinger closed the distance and took Kianzad to the ground right off the bat. She scored with punches and elbows before taking her back. Evinger looked for a rear-naked choke, but then transitioned to an armbar attempt as the first round ended. Round two opened with Evinger dropping Kianzad with a right hand. She followed her to the ground and bloodied the nose of Kianzad with punches and elbows. Evinger was relentless with her attack from the top position, earning the second-round stoppage.

Utah’s DeAnna Bennett remained undefeated after a grueling, three-round war with former strawweight champion Katja Kankaanpää. Bennett used her length and size in the opening round, forcing the Finnish fighter to counter. However, Kankaanpää began to come forward more as the round progressed. Round two saw more clinch work and Bennett repeatedly threatened with guillotine choke attempts. The second round closed with Kankaanpää in a deep choke, but the bell saved her. The final frame clearly belonged to Kankaanpää, who put Bennett on her back and controlled her throughout the round. It wasn’t enough though, as the judges at cageside rewarded Bennett for her efforts in the early rounds.

Veteran Roxanne Modafferi used her experience edge to best promotional newcomer Mariana Morais. Modafferi scored with punches on the feet, but when she took Morais to the ground, she really poured it on. She passed to mount with ease and rained punches and elbows. It was more of the same in round two, as Modafferi simply outclassed the Brazilian. Round three saw Modafferi earn a takedown, but Morais countered with a guillotine attempt. Modafferi calmly escaped and then continued her onslaught, forcing referee John McCarthy to halt the fight and put the veteran back in the win column.

Andrea Lee rebounded from the first loss of her career to score a third-round armbar finish of Rachael Ostovich. Lee’s striking prowess was display throughout the first round, as she peppered Ostovich with kicks and punches to the body. Lee nearly secured a rear-naked choke as the first stanza closed, but Ostovich was saved by the bell. Ostovich found her range early in round two, but Lee dropped her with a stiff left hand. Lee mounted the Hawaiian and pounded away, but the bell sounded once again. The final round was all Lee, who battered Ostovich with knees and then took her back on the ground. Just as the fight was about to go the distance, Lee transitioned for an armbar and Ostovich verbally submitted with just two seconds left.

Belgium’s Cindy Dandois spoiled the Invicta debut of Australia’s Megan Anderson, submitting her via triangle choke in round two of their featherweight bout. Anderson connected with a right hand that prompted Dandois to take the fight to the ground. She threatened with an armbar and then transitioned to a mounted triangle, but Anderson was able to survive the round. When the fight hit the ground again in round two, Dandois again locked in the triangle choke and forced Anderson to submit.

Two-time national wrestling champion Sharon Jacobson continued to make her mark on the strawweight division, becoming the first to defeat Jamie Moyle. Moyle attacked with kicks early to slow Jacobson’s advance, but it didn’t last long as Jacobson flurried forward and pinned Moyle to the cage. The pair traded knees and elbows from the clinch, but Jacobson was able to slam Moyle to the canvas on multiple occasions. The hard-fought battle went the distance with Jacobson earning a unanimous decision victory.

Atomweight Jinh Yu Frey used a striking advantage to outwork Liz McCarthy and take home a unanimous decision win. Frey mixed in a variety of kicks to complement her punches. She also scored with takedowns in each of the first two rounds to keep McCarthy guessing. McCarthy never stopped coming forward, but Frey’s movement and footwork were the difference on the scorecards.

J.J. Aldrich gave late-replacement opponent Rosa Acevedo a rude welcome to the Invicta cage, scoring a violent, first-round knockout. Aldrich landed with her hands early, but it was a knee to the liver that stunned Acevedo along the fence. A pair of follow-up punches and Acevedo was out for good.

Flyweight Aspen Ladd built upon her impressive debut earlier this year with a dominant win over Amanda Bobby Cooper. The pair spent the majority of the first round in the clinch before Ladd took the fight to the mat. Ladd again scored a takedown in round two and unleashed a violent barrage that bloodied Cooper. She then transitioned to an armbar and coerced a tap.

The night kicked off with a pair of debuting lightweights as Felicia Spencer battered Rachel Wiley to earn a first-round TKO. Spencer took Wiley to the mat early and battered her with elbows, forcing the referee to intervene.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Tonya Evinger def. Pannie Kianzad by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 3:34
DeAnna Bennett def. Katja Kankaanpää by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Roxanne Modafferi def. Mariana Morais by TKO (strikes). Round 3, 4:40
Andrea Lee def. Rachael Ostovich by verbal submission (armbar). Round 3, 4:58
Cindy Dandois def. Megan Anderson by submission (triangle choke). Round 2, 2:41
Sharon Jacobson def. Jamie Moyle by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Jinh Yu Frey def. Liz McCarthy by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
J.J. Aldrich def. Rosa Acevedo by knockout (knee and punches). Round 1, 2:24
Aspen Ladd def. Amanda Bobby Cooper by submission (armbar). Round 2, 4:42
Felicia Spencer def. Rachel Wiley by TKO (strikes). Round 1, 3:32

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 14: Evinger vs. Kianzad Official Weigh-in Results

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Kansas City, Mo. — On Friday, Sept. 11, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 14: Evinger vs. Kianzad, which takes place Saturday, Sept. 12, from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The event will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 8 p.m. ET.

Headlining the event will be a five-round bantamweight fight between Tonya Evinger (16-5) and unbeaten Swede Pannie Kianzad (8-0). The fight was slated to be for Evinger’s 135-pound title, but with Kianzad missing weight, it will be a non-title affair.

The veteran Evinger earned the 135-pound belt with a fourth-round TKO of Irena Aldana at Invicta FC 13 in July. The win marked Evinger’s fourth straight win inside the Invicta cage, and seventh straight overall.

Kianzad made her promotional debut at Invicta FC 13 and earned a unanimous decision win over Australia’s Jessica-Rose Clark. The 23-year-old held gold under the Cage Warriors banner prior to signing with Invicta earlier in 2015.

In the co-main event, former strawweight titleholder Katja Kankaanpää will look to rebound from her Invicta FC 12 title defeat when she takes on undefeated DeAnna Bennett.

Below are the results of the event’s weigh-ins, which were held in the Aladdin Hotel in Kansas City.

Bantamweight Title: Tonya Evinger (135)# vs. Pannie Kianzad (136.7)^
Strawweight: Katja Kankaanpää (115.6) vs. DeAnna Bennett (117.4)+
Flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi (124.9) vs. Mariana Morais (125.9)
Flyweight: Rachael Ostovich (125.8) vs. Andrea Lee (125)
Featherweight: Cindy Dandois (145.6) vs. Megan Anderson (145.1)
Strawweight: Jamie Moyle (115.6) vs. Sharon Jacobson (116)
Atomweight: Jinh Yu Frey (105.8) vs. Liz McCarthy (105.4)
Strawweight: J.J. Aldrich (115.7) vs. Rosa Acevedo (118.2)*
Flyweight: Aspen Ladd (125.7) vs. Amanda Bobby Cooper (125.1)
Lightweight: Rachel Wiley (155) vs. Felicia Spencer (155.3)

* Acevedo elected not to cut any additional weight and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse
+ Bennett elected not to cut any additional weight and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse
^ Kianzad elected not to cut any additional weight and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse
# Evinger weighed in at 135.2 pounds on her first attempt and was fined 20 percent of her fight purse

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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Sharon Jacobson: Catching a Dream

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Dreams do not only exist in your imagination. Although the ones that occur in your sleep may be far-fetched and unattainable, others require hard work and dedication to bring to fruition. However, not all dreams are created equal.

Strawweight Sharon Jacobson didn’t grow up aspiring for success in combat sports. The two-time national champion wrestler had no idea what the future held when she first stepped onto a wrestling mat at the age of 16.

“I thought I’d be avoiding PE class and that would be about it,” Jacobson said with a laugh. “I actually ended up having to take a weightlifting class my senior year because even though my coach gave me a letter [for wrestling], I was never actually on the men’s team. They had a women’s team, but it always fizzled out, so I never officially received a letter for it. For some reason, it didn’t count as a PE class. So it still came back to haunt me.”

There was more to the story, though. The active-duty Army Sergeant and Invicta FC fighter had other reasons for choosing wrestling over a normal gym class.

“I really didn’t like that I had to wear a uniform every day. Which sounds funny now that I’m in the Army, but I was a poor kid and I couldn’t afford more than one set. So bringing it back and forth every day was just a hassle. It would get stinky. It didn’t make sense to me that I had to pay money for a uniform,” explained the 32-year-old.

“That’s also why I chose wrestling. It’s a poor sport. Pretty much all you need is some wrestling shoes and a U.S. wrestling card.”

Whether she expected it or not, Jacobson’s wrestling career took off. Following high school, she wrestled at the University of Minnesota at Morris and captured the 2006 U.S. National Title at 121 pounds. In 2008, she enlisted in the Army as part of the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).

“I definitely saw it as an opportunity to further my wrestling career, but you get paid while you train, which isn’t normal unless you have sponsors,” she revealed. “I take pride in wearing that uniform and representing the United States as an athlete and a soldier. I don’t just wrestle. I’m a Horizontal Construction Engineer.”

Now in her second stint with WCAP, Jacobson is enjoying herself more and still growing as an athlete.

“You have to have a job, and every three years you get released to do that job and you come back a year later. You have benchmarks you have to meet. You can look at it as a driving force or as a lot of pressure,” admitted the Colorado Springs resident.

“I feel like the first time I was in, there was so much pressure and it stressed me out. Now that I’m back, I’m just having fun with it.”

During Jacobson’s last break from WCAP, she discovered mixed martial arts. After spending most her life on the wrestling mats, the new sport was invigorating and, despite its own challenges, less taxing on the body.

“I don’t like to talk about my age, but I’m not 18, I’m not 21 anymore. The American mentality with wrestling is go, go, go, grind, grind, grind,” Jacobson explained. “I’ve wrestled for 16 years and to be able to go to boxing practice and focus on something new, it’s refreshing.

“When I only have wrestling, I feel the pressure. Now that I have MMA too, I don’t. I’m more than just a wrestler. I go to jiu-jitsu practice to mix it up. Then I go to wrestling practice and kick some butt. Before, I would think it was hard and I’d get it handed to me. But when I come back feeling refreshed, it’s more exciting and fun.”

The biggest challenge for Jacobson has been finding time. With a new passion for MMA, she had to balance her wrestling career and serving the country.

“It’s actually kind of hard,” Jacobson admitted. “Being in the Army and on the National Team, there’s so many requirements. My job in the Army is to wrestle.

“I have to do [MMA] on my own. I have to go and get a third or fourth workout in. But those are more fun. The boxing coach from WCAP is opening up a boxing and MMA gym. I work with them a lot. It’s good. I feel like I have a second family in them.

“I have a wrestling family and a boxing family. They’re all very supportive. They find time with me. I have to go above and beyond.”

Even with such a heavy workload, Jacobson managed a remarkable feat in 2015. Nine years after capturing her first U.S. Nationals title, she repeated it this spring.

“After I won Nationals, people asked if I was going to stop fighting and I was like, ‘No, why can’t I do both?’ I went and won a fight and two weeks later I won Nationals. It’s working,” declared Jacobson.

Just before Nationals, Jacobson made both her Invicta FC and strawweight debut against Delaney Owen after initially signing with the promotion as a flyweight.

“I was walking around at 130 [pounds], so it didn’t make sense for me to cut five pounds to fight girls that cut 15-20,” said Jacobson. “I have a smaller stature and I feel more comfortable. I’m lighter and faster. I still have my strength. I think Delaney thought I was a lot bigger than I was. I just feel like this is a better weight for me.”

Jacobson scored a unanimous decision win over Owen, but that wasn’t the only good part of her experience with the world’s largest all-women’s promotion.

“I love Invicta,” she exclaimed. “I was really excited about it. My teammate Randi Miller was on Invicta FC 1. Raquel [Pennington] was on it. Cat [Zingano] was on it. I knew what the process was like.

“I was excited about media day and taking pictures. It was all very positive. It was fun. Invicta embraces diversity. They embrace looks, personalities, whatever.”

Her win over Owen was her third professional win, as well as her third straight victory. However, it was the first time she went the distance.

“I was kind of pissed because I really wanted to finish. It’s a huge rush. It’s like a drug — once you taste it, you want more,” joked Jacobson. “It was a little bit disappointing. She got me good a few times, but I was able to come back from it. I don’t want to do that with every fight, but if I have to, I will.”

Now, the Colorado-based fighter will turn her attention to unbeaten Jamie Moyle at Invicta FC 14 on Sept. 12 in Kansas City, Mo. But she’s not stopping there. There’s another dream already in the back of her mind.

“I feel like every fight I take the same approach. I definitely have respect for them and their skill set, but I plan on going in there and beating them up. Doing my thing. If she gives me something, I’m going to take it. I hope to win in dominating fashion,” said Jacobson.

“Obviously, I want that belt. It’s not a like a tournament where you can just go through it in one day and get it. It’s a process; it’s different. I don’t see it as pressure. I don’t see it as ‘I have to win’ because of it. I see it as I’m going to win because I have the skill set and the determination.”

That determination is one of Jacobson’s biggest attributes and she’s out to prove through her performances in the cage and on the wrestling mat that others can follow in her footsteps.

“I hope to inspire people. I feel like it’s never too late if you still have it in you. I just hope they see me as a respectable role model for younger generations in wrestling and MMA,” she said.

“My name’s ‘Dreamcatcher’ and I want to catch those dreams. I’m tired of chasing them and coming up short. I’m in it to win.”

If Jacobson’s journey from trying to skip out on gym class to National champion to Invicta combatant is any indication, her dreams are well within reach.

Sharon would like to thank Heavenly Father, her family, the coaches and athletes at WCAP, Prime BJJ, Triple Threat MMA and Boxing, Lashifyme.com and One Yoga USA.

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Pannie Kianzad: Feeling Warm and Alive

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Stepping into an enclosed cage to fight another human being is not for the weak of heart or mind. For those that embrace it, the sport of mixed martial arts provides a fulfilling career.

This is a reality that 23-year-old bantamweight Pannie Kianzad knows firsthand. Born in Iran, Kianzad and her family moved to Sweden when she was very young. The youngest of four children, Kianzad was quickly drawn to competition.

“At some point, we all did martial arts, but I’m the only one that continued and has it as a profession,” said the fighter. “Of course, my mom wanted me to put my time in something else like my brothers and sister, but I think after 10 years, she gets it.

“I’m made to do this and this makes me happier than anything.”

The joy that Kianzad finds in the cage is a far cry from her initial experience in combat sports. At the age of 13, she picked up boxing and, over the course of her teen years, she had more than two dozen amateur bouts. Yet, she has no regrets over hanging up her boxing gloves.

“I didn’t box ’cause I wanted to; I did it for other people,” explained Kianzad. “I thought boxing was defining me as a person. No sport is defining you to be anything. It’s all about you.

“MMA made me like myself a bit more every day. And when you do find your team that supports you and loves you, you find more happiness.”

Kianzad’s support came in the form of Rumble Sports in Copenhagen, Denmark. Under the guidance of UFC veteran Mats Nilsson, she’s learned to recognize her skills. It has helped change her demeanor for the best.

“I literally thought I was trash and not worth any happiness on this earth,” Kianzad said of her early training in MMA. “My coach is helping me realize that it’s OK to take it all in and be proud. So when I can prove to myself that I am making it, it gives me a warm feeling.”

The term “making it” might be an understatement for Kianzad. Through eight professional outings, she’s yet to taste defeat in the cage. Along the way, she earned the Cage Warriors bantamweight title, one of the most prestigious belts in Europe. However, Kianzad isn’t letting the success go to her head.

“I know how it feels to be defeated,” revealed the Swede. “[I’ve] been in tough battles — three rounds and five. I think the biggest key is to always stay humble outside the cage and a beast inside it.”

In July, Kianzad made her Invicta FC debut in Las Vegas against Australia’s Jessica-Rose “Jessy Jess” Clark. She walked away with a clear-cut decision win after three rounds of action, but Kianzad was forced to overcome the nerves of competing in the United States for the first time.

“I cry a lot before my fights. It’s not out of sadness. I don’t really know what it is, but my tears just keep coming during warm-up,” said Kianzad. “I think it’s a good thing. Then I know I’m alive and ready to go.”

Nerves weren’t the only issue for the fighter on fight night. She had rolled her ankle on the day of the event.

“It was actually seconds before the fight,” acknowledged the fighter. “I just brushed it off. I had Jessy in front of me, so I couldn’t focus on that.”

Luckily, the ankle didn’t affect her performance in the cage. However, the fight did produce one of the more memorable moments of the year when Kianzad maneuvered to reverse mount and struck Clark with her backside.

“It’s not the first time I have ended up in a reversed mount. It’s like a special skill of mine. But the butt drop was a first,” she said with a laugh.

Kianzad’s win over Clark earned her a title shot against newly crowned champion Tonya Evinger at Invicta FC 14 on Sept. 12 in Kansas City, Mo. Now, she’ll look to add some new hardware to her trophy case.

“I never got to defend my belt in Cage Warriors, so it feels good to get a chance to prove myself once again,” said Kianzad. “It means a lot to me to fight for one of the biggest promotions in the world and get a chance to bring that bling home.”

The fight will be in hostile territory for the European fighter, as Evinger is a Missouri native and will have the crowd behind her.

“I love fighting in enemy territory, to be the underdog,” admitted Kianzad. “This is what we do, what we train for, what we desire. I work very hard for my fights and I know we will put on a show.”

If things go Kianzad’s way on Sept. 12, she’ll leave Kansas City feeling warm, alive and, most importantly, happy.

Pannie would like to thank her team at Rumble Sports, her family, Fit4Fight, K.O Store, Dirty Rebel, MMAnytt, Massage Templet, Revolutionary Fitness Sweden, and all of her fans from all around the world.

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Andrea Lee: Striving For Greatness

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“I want to be a G.O.A.T.”

Without context — or at least an explanation of the acronym — you might think flyweight Andrea Lee has been punched in the head one too many times. But that’s not the case.

The 26-year-old Texas native is a determined fighter who wants nothing more than to achieve greatness in combat sports. Lee’s start in martial arts came while she was working as a waitress in a sports bar. It’s a far cry from where she is today.

“I didn’t expect to go this far,” explained Lee. “At first, I just wanted to do it as a hobby and learn to defend myself.

“But I learned to fight. And that was something I wanted to do as a kid. I started competing and fell in love with it. [Now] I want to be remembered as the greatest of all time.

“I’m a pretty competitive person, so it made me want to keep going.”

Keep going, she has. Lee was a natural in both the ring and the cage. With only a few years of training, she captured two Louisiana Golden Gloves titles. In 2013, she claimed the National Golden Gloves championship. However, her success in the boxing ring wasn’t enough to keep her away from MMA.

“We were thinking of going to the Olympics, which is why I was mainly focused on boxing at first, but we decided that MMA was our best route,” declared the fighter. “Women’s MMA was taking off and boxing was kind of dying.

“Plus, I was more attached to MMA from the beginning anyway.”

Despite a preference for the cage, Lee continued to develop her skills while competing in boxing, Muay Thai and kickboxing. Along the way, she married her coach, Donny Aaron. The pair’s relationship created an interesting dynamic to her training.

“Donny… he pushed me. It’s probably the toughest part of training. It’s more personal. When he’s getting on me about something or going harder on me than anybody else, sometimes he gets under my skin. I get angry ’cause he’s yelling at me to do something; I get frustrated,” revealed Lee candidly.

“It’s not easy to be married to your coach. The coaching never ends. It’s really hard for us to find any time for husband and wife. When we go home, he’s talking to me about things I did at the gym, in my fight… or he’s talking to me about what I’m eating, taking my protein shakes, taking my supplements. It’s constant, nonstop.”

The relentless coaching from Aaron, a former kickboxer, has turned Lee from a novice into a decorated combatant in every aspect of combat sports. And although the pair’s coach-student relationship is a huge part of their day-to-day life, they do their best to focus on something more important: their daughter, Ainslee.

“It’s amazing, but it’s not easy,” said Lee of raising her daughter. “I have a really great family, both mine and Donny’s. She’ll hang out at the gym while we train in the morning. Then they’ll pick her up after work and take care of her.

“They make it easy for us to train. It’s difficult because I’m always training and I want to have some mother-daughter time. I don’t always get that. I make a lot of sacrifices, but I make up for it too. Whenever I’m on my off days and we’re home, I’ll play with her, even when I’m tired.”

With both parents thriving in combat sports, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ainslee followed in their footsteps. But according to Lee, it may not be that straightforward.

“I would embrace it. I’d love it, if that’s something she wants to do. It’s definitely something that Donny wants her to do. He would like to push her into it, but I think the more that he pushes, she’s like, ‘I don’t want to do it.’

“If she sees other kids getting into it, she’ll be more apt to do it. Anything he wants her to do, she’s going to rebel,” Lee joked.

While her daughter’s future may still be up in the air, Lee’s is more clear. After a lightning-fast TKO win in her professional debut that saw her kick off her opponent’s finger, Lee was signed by Invicta Fighting Championships. “KGB” impressed in her promotional debut, edging out Shannon Sinn. Just a month later, Lee was called upon for a big step up in competition against Roxanne Modafferi at Invicta FC 10.

“I’m still happy about that fight. I don’t regret it at all,” said Lee of her first professional defeat. “It was a huge leap for me in my career. Being able to compete against Roxanne, it was an honor. The only way to get better is to compete at a high level. She’s on that level.”

Lee fell short on the scorecards in Houston against Modafferi, but the Louisiana-based fighter proved she’s much more than a striker by pushing the veteran for a full three rounds.

“It was a tough fight. I was able to give her a run for her money,” recalled Lee. “I ended up losing a split decision, so somebody thought I won the fight. There were a lot of things in my jiu-jitsu that I had been training and working on that I was able to apply in that fight. I found myself in good positions considering the level she’s on, so I was very happy about that.”

With so many accolades in the striking arts, Lee’s performance against Modafferi showcased glimpses of a different side of her fight game: her self-proclaimed “underrated” ground game. But, unfortunately for Lee, there was something amiss in the cage that night that kept her from proving just how skilled she really is.

“You know, I’m not making excuses, but I don’t feel like I was completely there that night,” she declared. “The performance against Roxanne, I didn’t really get to display anything against her.

“I’m not the type of person that will back out of a fight, especially the day of the fight or two days before. I ruptured my eardrum leading up to that fight. I knew going into the fight, it was going to be tough for me. She was already a tough opponent and being sick was going to make it even tougher. I wasn’t in the right state of mind. I wasn’t able to defend things that I should have been defending. I am better than that.”

Lee will have an opportunity to prove it on Sept. 12 in Kansas City, Mo., when she takes on Hawaii’s Rachael Ostovich at Invicta FC 14. The two fighters have fought on the same card in the past, but Lee has no problem setting aside their existing relationship to get back in the win column.

“Her and her family are so nice. It’s going to suck having to punch each other in the face,” Lee said with a laugh. “But at the end of the day, we’re going to be friends. Whatever happens, happens.”

A win against Ostovich would help Lee rebuild the momentum she needs to be considered for 125-pound title contention, as well as for her long-term goal of being the best in the sport.

“I still think I’m on the right track. Just a couple more fights,” said Lee. “Obviously, I have one with Rachael Ostovich. Then probably two or three more after that. If I continue to excel, impress and win, I think I’ll have the opportunity to be next in line.”

Being the greatest of all time may still be years away, but it’s clear that Lee has a plan to get there. Now her job is to go out and execute in the Invicta cage.

Andrea would like to thank: her sponsors: Carbonation Toy, Classic Sound, Martial Arts Life and Amber Sports. Also her head coach, Donny Aaron, all of her coaches and training partners from Karate Mafia and Elite Combat Academy, and the girls that came in for this camp: Sharon Jacobson, Amanda Bobby Cooper and Jinh Yu Frey.

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Rosa Acevedo Replaces Daniela Kortmann at Invicta FC 14

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Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships today announced a change to the fight card for Invicta FC 14, which will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass on Saturday, Sept. 12, from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

German strawweight Daniela Kortmann (1-0) has encountered visa issues and has been forced out of her scheduled bout against J.J. Aldrich (1-1).

Replacing Kortmann will be Rosa Acevedo (3-1). Acevedo will make her promotional debut riding a two-fight winning streak. She most recently defeated Amanda Lovato via second-round armbar in February.

Invicta FC 14 is headlined by a bantamweight title fight between recently crowned champion Tonya Evinger (16-5) and unbeaten Swede Pannie Kianzad (8-0).

In the co-main event, former strawweight titleholder Katja Kankaanpää will look to rebound from her Invicta FC 12 title defeat when she takes on undefeated DeAnna Bennett.

The updated fight card can be found below:

Bantamweight Title: Tonya Evinger (16-5) vs. Pannie Kianzad (8-0)
Strawweight: Katja Kankaanpää (10-2-1) vs. DeAnna Bennett (7-0)
Flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi (17-12) vs. Mariana Morais (9-2)
Flyweight: Rachael Ostovich (2-1) vs. Andrea Lee (2-1)
Featherweight: Cindy Dandois (5-2) vs. Megan Anderson (4-1)
Strawweight: Jamie Moyle (3-0) vs. Sharon Jacobson (3-1)
Atomweight: Jinh Yu Frey (3-1) vs. Liz McCarthy (2-1)
Strawweight: J.J. Aldrich (1-1) vs. Rosa Acevedo (3-1)
Flyweight: Aspen Ladd (1-0) vs. Amanda Bobby Cooper (1-0)
Lightweight: Rachel Wiley (0-0) vs. Felicia Spencer (0-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 14 are available now through Ticketmaster.

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 14 Gets New Main Event, Full Fight Card Revealed

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Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships today revealed the entire fight card for Invicta FC 14, which will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass on Saturday, Sept. 12, from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

Headlining the event will be a bantamweight title fight between recently crowned champion Tonya Evinger (16-5) and unbeaten Swede Pannie Kianzad (8-0).

The previously announced strawweight title fight between champion Livia Renata Souza (8-0) and No. 1 contender Alexa Grasso (7-0) has been postponed until a later date due to an injury that prevented Grasso from training.

The veteran Evinger earned the 135-pound belt with a fourth-round TKO of Irena Aldana at Invicta FC 13 in July. The win marked Evinger’s fourth straight win inside the Invicta cage, and seventh straight overall.

Kianzad made her promotional debut at Invicta FC 13 and earned a unanimous decision win over Australia’s Jessica-Rose Clark. The 23-year-old held gold under the Cage Warriors banner prior to signing with Invicta earlier in 2015.

In the co-main event, former strawweight titleholder Katja Kankaanpää will look to rebound from her Invicta FC 12 title defeat when she takes on undefeated DeAnna Bennett.

The full 10-fight card for Invicta FC 14 can be found below:

Bantamweight Title: Tonya Evinger (16-5) vs. Pannie Kianzad (8-0)
Strawweight: Katja Kankaanpää (10-2-1) vs. DeAnna Bennett (7-0)
Flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi (17-12) vs. Mariana Morais (9-2)
Flyweight: Rachael Ostovich (2-1) vs. Andrea Lee (2-1)
Featherweight: Cindy Dandois (5-2) vs. Megan Anderson (4-1)
Strawweight: Jamie Moyle (3-0) vs. Sharon Jacobson (3-1)
Atomweight: Jinh Yu Frey (3-1) vs. Liz McCarthy (2-1)
Strawweight: J.J. Aldrich (1-1) vs. Daniela Kortmann (1-0)
Flyweight: Aspen Ladd (1-0) vs. Amanda Bobby Cooper (1-0)
Lightweight: Rachel Wiley (0-0) vs. Felicia Spencer (0-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 14 are available now through Ticketmaster.

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 14 Slated For Kansas City on Sept. 12

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Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships today announced the date and location of its next event.

Invicta FC 14 will take place Saturday, Sept. 12 from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The event will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

Headlining the event will be a strawweight title fight between champion Livia Renata Souza (8-0) and challenger Alexa Grasso (7-0).

The Brazilian Souza will enter the contest looking to defend her title for the first time. Seven of the 24-year-old’s wins have come via submission, including five in the first round. She captured the 115-pound title with a fourth-round finish of Katja Kankaanpää at Invicta FC 12.

Like the champion, Mexico’s Grasso has yet to taste defeat in her career. The 21-year-old has earned three straight wins in the Invicta cage, besting Mizuki Inoue, Alida Gray and Ashley Cummins to earn her shot at gold.

In the co-main event, Katja Kankaanpää will look to rebound from her title defeat against unbeaten DeAnna Bennett.

Also slated for the card is a flyweight contest between Rachael Ostovich and Andrea Lee.

Ticket information and additional bouts for Invicta FC 14 will be announced at a later date.

UPDATE - Aug. 10, 2015

An injury to Alexa Grasso has resulted in a new main event for Invicta FC 14. More information can be found here.

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).