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Invicta FC 43 Results: Harrison Pounds Out King, Geltmacher Scores Devastating Knockout

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — On Friday, Nov. 20, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 43: King vs. Harrison. The entire fight card aired exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

Making her featherweight debut, top lightweight fighter Kayla Harrison kept her perfect record intact with a dominant performance over Colorado’s Courtney King. The fight started with both athletes trading kicks. Harrison landed a left hand and then looked to snatch a leg. King shrugged her off and the pair clinched up against the cage. When they moved off the fence, Harrison tossed King to the ground and unleashed vicious ground and pound. An elbow opened a massive gash between the eyes of King and she poured blood. Harrison rained heavy shots before passing to mount and then taking the back of King. As the round came to a close, Harrison attacked with an armbar, but King was able to survive. Harrison took the fight right back to the mat in round two, but King did a great job to neutralize her from the bottom. The referee stood the fight up, only for Harrison to score another big takedown and start pursuing the finish. She passed to mount, then secured the crucifix position. An onslaught of short shots forced the referee to intervene and hand Harrison the TKO win.

The co-main event featured one of the best knockouts in Invicta FC history as flyweight Stephanie Geltmacher turned out the lights on Caitlin Sammons. The wrestling stalwart Geltmacher rushed forward and slammed Sammons to the canvas. Sammons quickly bounced to her feet and the pair began a grueling battle in the clinch. They swapped short knees and positions along the fence for a large portion of the round. The referee separated them late in the frame, giving the pair some space. The opened the door for Geltmacher to unleash a devastating right hand that caught Sammons flush on the jaw, putting her out and handing her the first defeat of her career.

Bantamweight Hope Chase gave returning Invicta veteran Brittney Cloudy a rude welcome back to the promotion, scoring a second-round submission win. The karate-stylist Chase bounced around early in the fight, but Cloudy used her boxing to pepper the face of Chase. A right hand from Cloudy open a large cut over the left eye of Chase. Chase worked hard for a takedown, eventually forcing Cloudy to her back. The aggressiveness of Chase continued on the mat as she tried to pass the guard with a cartwheel. Round two saw Cloudy capitalized on Chase’s forward pressure, getting a takedown and taking her back. Chase was patient and was able to escape the position. She worked from the top position and transitioned to Cloudy’s back along the cage. She secured a body triangle and applied the fighting-finishing rear-naked choke.

Strawweight debutant Meaghan Penning survived a tough opening round to get the better of 20-year-old Kansas native Alexa Culp. Culp came out firing, cracking Penning with a series of right hands. The nose of Penning bled and she began to work for a takedown. She was relentless along the fence, attempting trips, body locks and every other variation of takedown, but Culp stayed upright and landed knees. In the second round, Culp slipped in the round and it allowed Penning to get on top. She dropped short hammerfists and eventually took Culp’s back. Culp was patient, eventually spinning into Penning’s guard late in the round. The final stanza saw Culp earn an early takedown. However, once there, she struggled to mount offense. Penning was active on her back, throwing elbows and attacking with an armbar. The fight was sent to the judges and it was Penning who earned her first professional win.

The night kicked off with a battle of flyweight newcomers. California’s Juliana Miller spoiled the professional debut of Arkansas fighter Kendal Holowell with a slick armbar finish. The fight began with Miller marching forward, but Holowell ducked under the strikes and initiated the clinch. She worked hard for the takedown along the fence, putting Miller on her back. Miller was active from the bottom, looking for an armbar and then a leg lock. Holowell escaped and went back to her takedown attack. Miller responded with short elbows, but again ended up on the mat. This time, Miller baited Holowell into a bad spot, transitioning to an armbar and coercing the tap before the three-minute mark.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Kayla Harrison def. Courtney King by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 4:48
Stephanie Geltmacher def. Caitlin Sammons by knockout (punch). Round 1, 4:28
Hope Chase def. Brittney Cloudy by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 2, 4:37
Meaghan Penning def. Alexa Culp by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Juliana Miller def. Kendal Holowell by submission (armbar). Round 1, 2:49

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 (InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

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Invicta FC 43: King vs. Harrison Official Weigh-in Results

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — On Thursday, Nov. 19, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 43: King vs. Harrison. The event takes place Friday, Nov. 20, with the entire card streaming live on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT.

The card was slated to be headlined by a strawweight title fight between Emily “Gordinha” Ducote (9-6) and Mexico’s Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz (9-1). Both fighters successfully made championship weight – Ducote at 114.5 pounds and Ruiz at 113.3 pounds – but there were positive COVID-19 tests that potentially exposed the main event athletes to the virus. Safety is the utmost priority for Invicta FC events and the enhanced pandemic protocols have forced the postponement of the bout to a future date.

As a result of the change, the featherweight debut of two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison (7-0) will now serve as the night’s headliner. Harrison takes on veteran Courtney “The Lion” King (4-1).

Harrison, a sixth-degree black belt in judo, has compiled a perfect record competing in the lightweight division under the Professional Fighters League banner. Five of her seven victories have come inside the distance. She most recently captured the promotion’s lightweight tournament with a decision win over UFC veteran Larissa Pacheco. Colorado’s King enters the bout riding a three-fight winning streak that includes two submission victories. The 27-year-old most recently submitted fellow Invicta alum Audrey Wolfe in December. She also holds wins over Holli Logan and Colbey Northcutt.

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

Featherweight: Courtney King (145.2) vs. Kayla Harrison (145.9)
Flyweight: Stephanie Geltmacher (124.9) vs. Caitlin Sammons (124.2)
Bantamweight: Brittney Cloudy (137.3)* vs. Hope Chase (135.9)
Strawweight: Alexa Culp (115.6) vs. Meaghan Penning (115.9)
Flyweight: Juliana Miller (125.2) vs. Kendal Holowell (125.8)

* – Cloudy missed the bantamweight limit of 136 pounds and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse

Additionally, former featherweight title challenger Kaitlin Young weighed in as a reserve fighter, hitting the scale at 145.9 pounds.

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 (InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

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Invicta FC 43: Ducote vs. Conejo Fight Card Preview

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On Friday, Nov. 20, Invicta Fighting Championships returns to action with its 43rd event from Kansas City, Kan. The event will air live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 8 p.m. CT. Let’s take a deeper look at the night’s fight card.

Strawweight Title: Emily Ducote vs. Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz

The main event will have a vacant title on the line, as former Bellator MMA and Invicta title challenger Emily Ducote looks to take out Mexican star Montserrat Ruiz for the strawweight championship.

Ducote enters this title fight with experience fighting for a belt. She has challenged for the Bellator flyweight championship and Invicta strawweight championship, but fell short in both conquest. That said, the BJJ brown belt is well-rounded and tough as nails. Ducote is comfortable wherever the fight takes place. She did pick up her most recent win at Invicta FC 40, where she bested UFC veteran Juliana Lima on the scorecards. That win earned her this shot at the title.

Across from Ducote is Ruiz, a wrestler and ground fighter who has tasted defeat just once in her career. Possessing a strong submission game, Ruiz proved to the world that she was ready for this title shot in her most recent outing, a scarfhold keylock of Janaisa Morandin. This is her first shot at a major MMA championship.

Who will hold the belt come fight night? Will Ducote finally break through and win a major MMA belt, or will Ruiz add Ducote to her growing highlight reel, nabbing the title in the process?

Featherweight: Courtney King vs. Kayla Harrison

Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison is looking to make a successful debut at 145 pounds in the co-main event, as the $1 million PFL lightweight tournament winner takes on Invicta vet Courtney King.

With PFL’s 2020 campaign canceled due to COVID-19, Harrison has been afforded an opportunity to test the waters at featherweight. The top prospect will look to repeat her success in the lighter weight class. Harrison is an absolute brute, as her physical strength is uncanny. Obviously, the gold medal judoka has excellent takedowns and grappling, as she controls her opponent from the top and tires them out. She throws big ground-and-pound and has a strong submission game as well.

King is the woman tasked with taking on Harrison and will bring it come fight night. She’s riding a three-fight surge, which includes two wins by submission. It’s unlikely that she’ll want to grapple with the decorated Harrison, but she is a capable striker. This is her first Invicta appearance since February of 2019, where she choked out Holli Salazar.

Will the Olympian secure a win going into PFL’s 2021 season and keep her undefeated record? Or will King derail the hype train and hand the highly regarded Harrison her first loss?

Flyweight: Stephanie Geltmacher vs. Caitlin Sammons

A pivotal flyweight bout could push forward a future title contender in the next bout, as top prospect Caitlin Sammons steps in on late notice to take on the scrappy Stephanie Geltmacher. Sammons steps in for Trisha Cicero, who was forced off the event.

Geltmacher is a four-time All-American collegiate wrestler, so she always enters the cage with an excellent base. That said, she’s Hawaiian also, so she has no problem getting into a barn-burning brawl. She’s very physically strong and has rag dolled opponents in the past. Geltmacher is coming into this fight off her only career loss to Victoria Leonardo, which was an fan-friendly fight to say the least.

As for Sammons, the BJJ black belt has been dominant in her three career pro fights, all of which have come under the Invicta banner. She has a knockout, submission and decision on her record against Christina Adcock, Chantel Coates and Claire Guthrie, respectively. She also had quite the successful amateur career. Sammons is very aggressive in terms of trying to force a ground battle, and once the fight gets there, she dominates.

In this battle of prospects, who will come out on top? Will Sammons keep her perfect record intact, or will Geltmacher get back into the win column and put her name amongst the top contenders of Invicta’s 125-pound division?

Bantamweight: Brittney Cloudy vs. Hope Chase

A late addition to the card has been made and it will be in the bantamweight division, as Brittney Cloudy makes her return to Invicta against Hope Chase.

Cloudy is a former collegiate track athlete who successfully transitioned to a pro MMA career. She was supposed to fight at Invicta 42, but her fight was scrapped before fight night. Cloudy is a strong striker and is a Golden Gloves champion as an amateur boxer. After a great amateur career, she has shown to be a solid prospect, possessing technical, powerful boxing and an underrated submission game. Her only two losses came via split decision in bouts that could have easily gone her way. This is her first Invicta fight since her pro debut in 2018 against top Invicta flyweight Erin Blanchfield.

Across from Cloudy is Chase, a 21-year-old prospect with a bright future in the sport. She has a karate and boxing background, so look out for Chase’s skills on the feet. She enters this fight after a semifinal finish in the Invicta Phoenix Series tournament, where she bested Julia Ottolino before falling to eventual tournament winner Taneisha Tennant. Prior to the tournament, she was on a two-fight winning streak.

In a division clamoring for talent and contenders, every win matters. Will Cloudy make a triumphant return to the organization where she made her pro debut, or will Chase notch the biggest win of her career?

Strawweight: Alexa Culp vs. Meaghan Penning

After making a successful pro debut in her last fight, Alexa Culp looks to score her second win when she welcomes Meghan Penning to Invicta in the latter’s first professional fight.

Culp is part of a strong stable of female fighters at Glory MMA & Fitness in Kansas, so it comes as no shock that the 20-year-old fighter has shown such promise. She went undefeated as an amateur before turning pro in her most recent bout. In her pro debut under the Invicta banner, Culp choked out Natalya Speece, showing off high grappling skills for a BJJ blue belt.

As for Penning, she is similarly a BJJ blue belt with a knack for finishing fights. She has never gone to a judges’ scorecards in her five-fight amateur career, scoring two knockouts and two submissions — while falling via submission in her lone loss. Penning is aggressive and exciting, and hopes to make a name for herself with Invicta fans while making her pro debut.

Will the 20-year-old James Krause protégé keep with her winning ways? Or, will Penning score a massive win in her pro debut, establishing herself as an up-and-coming strawweight to watch?

Flyweight: Juliana Miller vs. Kendal Holowell

A pair of newcomers to Invicta are set to meet in the flyweight division, as Kendal Holowell makes her professional MMA debut against one-fight pro Juliana Miller.

Miller is undefeated as an amateur and a pro, so she’s never tasted defeat in a mixed martial arts contest. She’s a BJJ purple belt that regularly competes in high-level grappling tournaments, showing how solid her ground game is. Miller will look for takedowns early and often, so she can show off those grappling chops in an attempt to score the finish.

Holowell makes her pro debut after a 7-1 run as an amateur. She is a blue belt in BJJ, meaning she likely is giving up some skill on that mat with Miller. That said, she’s got solid striking as well, which she will look to employ in this bout. Holowell is making her debut after the biggest win of her amateur career, a unanimous decision victory over Cara Greenwell.

This is a battle of prospects looking to gain notoriety in this fight. Does Miller make it two wins in two fights as a pro, or does Holowell make a successful debut?

This piece is a special contribution from Riley Kontek, a veteran combat sports writer whose work has appeared on Bleacher Report MMA, Combat Press and the MMA Intel Blog. You can follow Riley on Twitter.

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Invicta FC 43 Gets New Headliner, Kayla Harrison Joins Co-Main Event

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Invicta FC 43 has a new main event, as well as more starpower.

COVID-19 has forced the postponement of a planned flyweight title fight between UFC veteran Pearl “The Chi-Town Princess” Gonzalez (10-5) and 21-year-old Erin “Cold Blooded” Blanchfield (6-1). As a result, the strawweight title clash between Emily “Gordinha” Ducote (9-6) and Mexico’s Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz (9-1) has been elevated to top-billing on Friday, Nov. 20. Oklahoma’s Ducote will challenge for a belt for the second time, having come up short against Kanako Murata at Invicta FC 38. Ducote bounced back with a win over UFC veteran Juliana Lima at Invicta FC 40 in July and with Japan’s Murata signing with the UFC, the title is now vacant. Ruiz was also in action in July, submitting former title challenger Janaisa Morandin in the first round of the Invicta FC 41 main event.

In addition to the main event change, two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison (7-0) will serve as the opponent for veteran Courtney “The Lion” King (4-1). Harrison, a sixth-degree black belt in judo, has compiled a perfect record competing in the lightweight division under the Professional Fighters League banner. Five of her seven victories have come inside the distance. She most recently captured the promotion’s lightweight tournament with a decision win over UFC veteran Larissa Pacheco. The fight with King will mark the 30-year-old’s debut at 145 pounds. Colorado’s King enters the bout riding a three-fight winning streak that includes two submission victories. The 27-year-old most recently submitted fellow Invicta alum Audrey Wolfe in December. She also holds wins over Holli Logan and Colbey Northcutt.

The previously announced flyweight bout between Oklahoma’s Stephanie “Hold Fast” Geltmacher (4-1) and Florida’s Trisha Cicero (4-3) has changed after Cicero has been forced to withdraw from the event. Stepping in will be another Floridian, as Caitlin “Ginger” Sammons (3-0) aims to keep her perfect record intact against the decorated wrestler Geltmacher.

Also joining the card, bantamweight “Hurricane” Hope Chase (2-1) welcomes “The Quiet Storm” Brittney Cloudy (2-2) back to the promotion, while 20-year-old Alexa Culp (1-0) looks to score another “Performance of the Night” bonus against promotional newcomer Meaghan Penning (0-0) at strawweight.

Invicta FC 43 takes place in Kansas City and airs live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT. The event will be overseen by the Kansas Athletic Commission and will feature open scoring. With the ongoing pandemic, Invicta FC 43 will take place behind closed doors — sans fans and media. As with any Invicta event, the safety of its athletes, their corners, its staff and commission officials is of the utmost priority. All participants will be tested for COVID-19 prior to the event.

The updated Invicta FC 43 fight card can be found below:

Strawweight Title: Emily Ducote vs. Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz
Featherweight: Courtney King vs. Kayla Harrison
Flyweight: Stephanie Geltmacher vs. Caitlin Sammons
Bantamweight: Brittney Cloudy vs. Hope Chase
Strawweight: Alexa Culp vs. Meaghan Penning
Flyweight: Juliana Miller vs. Kendal Holowell

About Invicta FC:
Invicta Fighting Championships (invictafc.com) 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 (InvictaFights) and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.