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Invicta FC 29 Results: Kaufman Submits Lehner, Claims Bantamweight Title

Kansas City, Mo. — On Friday, May 4, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 29: Kaufman vs. Lehner from the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo. The event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

There’s a new champion in the bantamweight division as veteran Sarah Kaufman secured the first submission victory of her storied career, choking Germany’s Katharina Lehner in the third round. There was no feeling-out process as the pair exchanged punches in the center of the cage following the opening bell. Kaufman was fluid with her combinations, but Lehner responded with heavy right hands of her own. Round two saw Kaufman secure double underhooks and earn a takedown. She attacked with an arm-triangle choke, but Lehner was able to survive and escape. Kaufman again secured a takedown in the third round and opened up a large cut on Lehner with ground and pound. She sensed the finish was near and attacked the neck of the German fighter. Once the rear-naked choke was locked in, Lehner tapped and Kaufman claimed the title.

In the night’s co-main event, veteran Pannie Kianzad returned to the win column, defeating Brazilian newcomer Bianca Daimoni. The boxing skills of Kianzad were on display early and often, as she lit up Daimoni with combinations on the feet. Daimoni tried to answer with kicks, but Kianzad stayed out of range. A left hook from Kianzad dropped Daimoni in the second stanza. Kianzad was confident in the final five minutes, snapping the head of Daimoni frequently with her jab. There was no doubt on the scorecards as Kianzad earned every round from each of the judges.

The flyweight bout between Pearl Gonzalez and Brazil’s Bárbara Acioly did not last long as Gonzalez secured a first-round armbar finish. Gonzalez wobbled Acioly with a left hand in the first exchange, but the Brazilian was able to recover. The pair traded body kicks, but Gonzalez earned a takedown and moved to mount. She looked for an armbar, but Acioly scrambled to top position. Gonzalez threatened with a triangle choke before again switching to the armbar and coercing the tap from Acioly.

Marciea Allen made a successful return to the promotion, scoring a first-round TKO after opponent Julia Avila suffered an injury to her finger. Within the fight’s first minute, Allen fired a kick that caught Avila in the hand. She tried to shake it off, but the referee realized she was injured and waved off the contest.

Flyweight veterans Liz Tracy and Cheri Muraski went the distance, with Tracy capturing the decision nod. Tracy’s forward pressure was the story of the fight, as she closed the distance and forced Muraski to work in the clinch. Tracy was able to move to Muraski’s back on multiple occasions, scoring with short shots. Tracy used her wrestling to secure takedowns in each of the first two frames. Muraski’s face wore the damage of Tracy’s punches, but she fought back hard in the final round. It was too little, too late as Tracy left victorious.

Making her professional debut, Lisa Spangler edged Sarah Kleczka in a back-and-forth affair. Spangler did damage to the lead leg of Kleczka with leg kicks in the opening stanza. Kleczka answered with frequent overhand rights and kicks to the body of Spangler. As the fight wore on, Spangler capitalized on Kleczka’s takedown attempts, scoring with heavy hammerfists. When the scorecards were read, it was Spangler who walked away with the win.

In a battle of featherweights, Macy Chiasson topped Allison Schmidt after three, hard-fought rounds. Chiasson used her height and reach advantage, as well as switching stances, to puzzle Schmidt early. She repeatedly scored with punches from range, causing the face of Schmidt to swell. Schmidt looked to bring the fight to the mat often, but Chiasson’s takedown defense held up, as she continued to score on the feet. After three rounds, Chiasson swept the scorecards.

Strawweight Helen Peralta picked up her second straight win in the Invicta cage, handing newcomer Cheyanne Vlismas her first professional defeat. Peralta’s kicks were the story in round one, as Vlismas looked to counter. In round two, it was the hands of Peralta that did the damage, as she dropped Vlismas with a right straight-left hook combination. Vlismas was game, surviving the onslaught and pressing the action in the final frame. It wasn’t enough, however as Peralta claimed the decision victory.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Sarah Kaufman def. Katharina Lehner by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 3, 4:30 – for bantamweight title
Pannie Kianzad def. Bianca Daimoni by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Pearl Gonzalez def. Bárbara Acioly by submission (armbar). Round 1, 1:30
Marciea Allen def. Julia Avila by TKO (finger injury). Round 1, 0:49
Liz Tracy def. Cheri Muraski by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Lisa Spangler def. Sarah Kleczka by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Macy Chiasson def. Allison Schmidt by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Helen Peralta def. Cheyanne Vlismas by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)


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.

Invicta FC 29: Kaufman vs. Lehner Official Weigh-in Results

Kansas City, Mo. — On Thursday, May 3, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 29: Kaufman vs. Lehner. The event takes place from the historic Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, May 4, and streams live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 7 p.m. CT.

In the night’s main event, the bantamweight title will be on the line between Canadian Sarah Kaufman (19-4, 1 NC) and German fighter Katharina Lehner (7-0). Kaufman is a former Strikeforce champion and UFC veteran who returned to the promotion in January and defeated former No. 1 contender Pannie Kianzad. The undefeated Lehner earned a first-round finish of Alexa Conners at Invicta FC 25 in her most recent Invicta appearance.

The night’s co-main event also takes place in the bantamweight division as Iranian-Swedish fighter Pannie Kianzad (8-3) welcomes Brazilian Bianca Daimoni (7-2) to the promotion.

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

Bantamweight Title: Sarah Kaufman (133.7) vs. Katharina Lehner (135)
Bantamweight: Pannie Kianzad (134.8) vs. Bianca Daimoni (139.6)*
Flyweight: Pearl Gonzalez (123.8) vs. Bárbara Acioly (126.3)*
Bantamweight: Julia Avila (135.8) vs. Marciea Allen (135.8)
Flyweight: Liz Tracy (125.1) vs. Cheri Muraski (125.6)
Bantamweight: Sarah Kleczka (133.8) vs. Lisa Spangler (134.5)
Featherweight: Allison Schmidt (145.1) vs. Macy Chiasson (144.7)
Strawweight: Helen Peralta (115.6) vs. Cheyanne Vlismas (115.7)

* – Daimoni and Acioly were each fined 25 percent of their fight purses for missing weight


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.

Invicta FC 29 Fight Card Adds Nine Bouts

Kansas City, Mo. — After venturing to Salt Lake City for its most recent event, Invicta Fighting Championship is returning to the historic Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, May 4 for Invicta FC 29. The event will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT.

In the night’s main event, the bantamweight title will be on the line between Canadian Sarah Kaufman (19-4, 1 NC) and German fighter Katharina Lehner (7-0). Kaufman is a former Strikeforce champion and UFC veteran who returned to the promotion in January and defeated former No. 1 contender Pannie Kianzad. The undefeated Lehner earned a first-round finish of Alexa Conners at Invicta FC 25 in her most recent Invicta appearance.

The night’s co-main event also takes place in the bantamweight division as Iranian-Swedish fighter Pannie Kianzad (8-3) welcomes Brazilian Bianca Daimoni (7-2) to the promotion.

Following a successful debut at Invicta FC 28, UFC veteran Pearl Gonzalez (7-3) makes a quick turnaround to take on Brazil’s Bárbara Acioly (4-2) in a flyweight match-up.

Also on the card, Julia “Raging Panda” Avila (4-0) debuts against returning bantamweight veteran Marciea Allen (6-2), flyweight Liz Tracy (4-2) meets Colorado’s Cheri Muraski (4-1), undefeated bantamweight Yaya Rincón (2-0) takes on Washington’s Lisa “The Strangler” Spangler (0-0), newcomers Allison Schmidt (1-0) and Macy Chiasson (1-0) clash at featherweight, Helen Peralta (1-0) tangles with Cheyanne Vlismas (1-0) in a strawweight bout, and 18-year-old Croatian flyweight Adriana Vuković (0-0) debuts in the Invicta cage against a yet-to-be-named opponent.

The fight card for Invicta FC 29 can be found below:

Bantamweight Title: Sarah Kaufman (19-4, 1 NC) vs. Katharina Lehner (7-0)
Bantamweight: Pannie Kianzad (8-3) vs. Bianca Daimoni (7-2)
Flyweight: Pearl Gonzalez (7-3) vs. Bárbara Acioly (4-2)
Bantamweight: Julia Avila (4-0) vs. Marciea Allen (6-2)
Flyweight: Liz Tracy (4-2) vs. Cheri Muraski (4-1)
Bantamweight: Yaya Rincón (2-0) vs. Lisa Spangler (0-0)
Featherweight: Allison Schmidt (1-0) vs. Macy Chiasson (1-0)
Strawweight: Helen Peralta (1-0) vs. Cheyanne Vlismas (1-0)
Flyweight: Adriana Vuković (0-0) vs. TBD

Tickets for Invicta FC 29 are in sale now via Ticketfly.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.

Invicta FC 27 Features Pannie Kianzad vs. Sarah Kaufman Main Event

Kansas City, Mo. — The fight card for Invicta Fighting Championships 27 has taken shape.

The event, which takes place Saturday, Jan. 13, from the historic Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo., 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).

Kianzad aims to get back in the win column after falling against then-champion Tonya Evinger and recent title challenger Raquel Pa’aluhi. Kaufman is a former Strikeforce champion and UFC veteran who previously competed in the Invicta cage in 2013. She holds victories over fellow Invicta veterans Shayna Baszler, Takayo Hashi, Roxanne Modafferi, Liz Carmouche and Leslie Smith.

In the night’s co-main event, Vanessa Porto (19-8) quickly steps back into the cage to face fellow Brazilian Mariana Morais (12-5). Porto was in action at Invicta FC 26 in December, stopping UFC veteran Milana Dudieva by strikes. The 21-year-old Morais returns to the promotion for the first time since 2015, where she faced former title challenger Roxanne Modafferi.

Also announced for the event, wrestling stalwart Sharon Jacobson (4-2) takes on decorated striker Ashley Nichols (3-1) in a strawweight bout, Missouri native Ashley Cummins meets promotional newcomer Stephanie Alba (3-1, 1 NC) at atomweight, undefeated flyweight Brogan Walker-Sanchez (4-0) of Guam will debut against a to-be-announced opponent, featherweight finisher Felicia Spencer (3-0) welcomes Akeela Al-Hameed (0-0) to the professional ranks, strawweights Mallory Martin (1-2) and Tiffany Masters (2-1) clash in a bout that was originally slated for Invicta FC 24, atomweight Muay Thai standout Loma Lookboonmee (0-0) makes her professional MMA debut against Mellissa Wang (1-0), and Jade Ripley and Helen Peralta make both their Invicta and professional debuts in a strawweight match-up.

The 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: Brogan Walker-Sanchez (4-0) vs. TBA
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.

Invicta FC 25 Fight Card Complete With Seven New Bouts

Kansas City, Mo. — The fight card for Invicta Fighting Championships 25 is complete.

The event, which takes place from the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino on Thursday, Aug. 31, marks the promotion’s return to California. All of the action streams live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. PT.

Joining the previously announced championship doubleheader in the bantamweight and strawweight divisions will be seven additional match-ups.

South Carolina’s Alexa Conners (4-1) returns to the Invicta FC cage to welcome undefeated German bantamweight Katharina Lehner (5-0) to the promotion. Conners has reeled off four straight wins leading into the bout, including a decision win at Invicta FC 20. Lehner will make her promotional debut after beginning her career with five straight wins in her home country of Germany and capturing the Respect FC championship.

In the strawweight division, wrestling stalwart Sharon Jacobson (4-1) returns from a two-year absence to take on undefeated Kali Robbins (4-0). Jacobson, a two-time national champion wrestler and member of the Army Reserves, is coming off back-to-back “Fight of the Night” performances over Jamie Moyle and Delaney Owen. Robbins, dubbed “Pop Tart,” has yet to taste defeat in her professional or amateur career and has finished all four of her professional victories.

Atomweight Shino VanHoose (5-5) will make her second Invicta appearance when she faces off with newcomer Alyse Anderson (3-0). VanHoose most recently earned a second-round TKO win over Sarah Lagerstrom, while Michigan’s Anderson is undefeated thus far in her mixed martial arts career.

The bantamweight division will hold two additional bouts on the card, each featuring a pair of returning veterans. Kelly McGill-Velasco (2-1) squares off with Amberlynn Orr (0-1) in one match-up and California’s Yaya Rincón (1-0) takes on Swiss judoka Stephanie Egger (2-1) in the other pairing.

Flyweight newcomers clash when Colorado’s Cheri Muraski (3-0) meets Tracy Cortez (0-0) of Arizona. Cortez will be making her professional debut after going 6-0 as an amateur.

Finally, accomplished atomweight amateurs Ashley Medina (0-0) and Jillian DeCoursey (0-0) will each compete as professionals for the first time in the night’s opening bout.

The complete fight card for Invicta FC 25 can be found below:

Bantamweight Title: Raquel Pa’aluhi (6-5) vs. Yana Kunitskaya (9-3, 1 NC)
Strawweight Title: Livia Renata Souza (10-1) vs. Jodie Esquibel (6-2)
Bantamweight: Alexa Conners (4-1) vs. Katharina Lehner (5-0)
Strawweight: Sharon Jacobson (4-1) vs. Kali Robbins (4-0)
Atomweight: Shino VanHoose (5-5) vs. Alyse Anderson (3-0)
Bantamweight: Kelly McGill-Velasco (2-1) vs. Amberlynn Orr (0-1)
Bantamweight: Yaya Rincón (1-0) vs. Stephanie Egger (2-1)
Flyweight: Cheri Muraski (3-0) vs. Tracy Cortez (0-0)
Atomweight: Ashley Medina (0-0) vs. Jillian DeCoursey (0-0)

Tickets for the event can be purchased now through the Tachi Palace website.


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.