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Invicta FC 15: Cyborg vs. Ibragimova Post-Fight Wrap

Followingย Invicta FC 15: Cyborg vs. Ibragimova, Invicta FC play-by-play commentator TJ De Santis, color commentator Julie Kedzie, and staff writer Rob Tatum sat down to discuss the event and share their thoughts on the night’s action.

De Santis and Kedzie also catch up with featherweight fighter Amanda Bell who was scheduled to face Ediane Gomes. However, due to weight cutting issues, the fight was scrapped. Bell talks about the cancellation of the bout and what might be next for “The Lady Killer.”

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Invicta FC 15 Results: Cyborg, Souza Retain Belts With First-Round Finishes

Costa Mesa, Calif.ย โ€” On Saturday, Jan. 16, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 15: Cyborg vs. Ibragimova from the The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center.ย The event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Passย at 9 p.m. ET.

In a match-up that featured two dominant finishers, Brazilian Cristiane โ€œCyborgโ€ Justino stopped Russiaโ€™s Daria Ibragimova with just two seconds left in the opening stanza to retain her featherweight title. Ibragimova swung for the fences from the opening bell, then changed levels for a takedown attempt. Cyborg showcased great balance, but the Russian was relentless. Cyborg delivered short punches and elbows that damaged the left eye of Ibragimova. Ibragimova continued to try to get the fight to the mat, but Cyborgโ€™s punishment took its toll. Late in the round, a right hand from Cyborg dropped the Russian and a pair of follow-up punches halted the contest.

Invicta strawweight champion Livia Renata Souza wasted little time in her first title defense, ending the unbeaten run of challenger DeAnna Bennett with a violent, first-round TKO finish. Bennett came forward with flurries to open the bout, but Souza defended well. A body kick from Souza landed flush to Bennettโ€™s liver and sent her falling the ground. Souza rained hammerfists, forcing the stoppage just 90 seconds into the fight.

Bantamweight Colleen Schneider put together the most complete performance of her Invicta tenure, edging the ever-tough Raquel Paโ€™aluhi by split decision. Schneiderโ€™s counter striking was on display throughout the affair, as she quickly opened a cut between the eyes of Paโ€™aluhi. Paโ€™aluhi tried to take the fight to the mat over and over, but Schneider showcased great balance and scrambling. An elbow from Schneider caused blood to leak from the nose of Paโ€™aluhi. Midway through the fight, the left eye of the Hawaiian swelled badly as Schneider began to target it with punches. Paโ€™aluhi never stopped coming forward and looking for takedowns, but in the end, it was Schneider who claimed the win on the scorecards.

Amber Brown continued to move up the atomweight ladder with quick finish of promotional newcomer Shino VanHoose. Brown landed a left hand early and backed the 20-year-old against the cage. VanHoose left her neck exposed and Brown latched onto it. VanHoose scored with a trip and landed on top, but Brown maintained her grip on the neck. As Brown recovered her full guard, VanHoose was forced to tap.

Strawweights Mizuki Inoue and Lacey Schuckman engaged in a back-and-forth affair, with Japanโ€™s Mizuki claiming a third-round submission via armbar. Schuckman earned a big takedown in the first round and even briefly took Mizukiโ€™s back. Mizuki escaped and gained top position. She attacked with an armbar, but Schuckman countered with an inverted triangle attempt from her back. In the second and third rounds, Mizuki took control, tossing Schuckman to the mat and delivering heavy ground and pound. She repeatedly looked for the armbar finish and late in the final frame, she coerced the tap from Schuckman.

In her Invicta FC debut, UFC veteran Angela Hill wasted little time sending a message to the rest of the division, stopping Alida Gray in under two minutes. The pair traded single shots early, but a right hand from Hill stunned Gray. She smelled blood in the water and went for the finish. A series of knees and punches connected, but it was a knee to the body that sent Gray crashing to the canvas.

Kicking off the action, featherweights Megan Anderson and Amber Leibrock went to war. Leibrock rocked Anderson early with a right hand, but the Australian responded by initiating the clinch and punishing Leibrock with knees and elbows. Andersonโ€™s pressure along the cage took its toll on Leibrock, as did repeated kicks to her lead leg. Midway through the third round, Anderson delivered a big knee that dropped Leibrock and she swarmed with punches to earn the TKO.

OFFICIALย RESULTS
Cristiane โ€œCyborgโ€ Justino def. Daria Ibragimova by knockout (punches). Round 1, 4:58 – for featherweight title
Livia Renata Souza def. DeAnna Bennett by TKO (body kick and punches). Round 1, 1:30 – for strawweight title
Colleen Schneider def. Raquel Paโ€™aluhi by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Amber Brown def. Shino VanHoose by submission (guillotine choke). Round 1, 2:36
Mizuki Inoue def. Lacey Schuckman by submission (armbar). Round 3, 3:41
Angela Hill def. Alida Gray by knockout (knee to the body). Round 1, 1:39
Megan Anderson def. Amber Leibrock by TKO (strikes). Round 3, 2:33


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship, all-pro mixed martial artsย (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform toย hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executiveย Shannon Knapp, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of womenโ€™sย MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors andย identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. For more information,ย visitย InvictaFC.com, follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights) and like Invicta onย Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights).

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Episode 4: Invicta FC 15 Pre-Fight Show

Invicta FC play-by-play commentator TJ De Santis sits down with the participants of Invicta FC 15 prior to the event.

On this special broadcast, De Santis chats with Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino ahead of her title defense with Daria Ibragimova. Justino shares her thoughts on her opponent, her legacy, and what her goals are in mixed martial arts. Along with nearly every fighter from the card, De Santis also chats with matchmaker Julie Kedzie about this card, the future of Invicta FC, and what you should expect Saturday when tuning into UFC Fight Pass.

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Invicta FC 15: ‘Cyborg’ vs. Ibragimova Official Weigh-in Results

Costa Mesa, Calif.ย โ€” On Friday, Jan. 15, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 15: Cyborg vs. Ibragimova, which takes place Saturday, Jan. 16, from the The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center.ย The event will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Passย at 9 p.m. ET.

Headlining the event will be featherweight championย Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (14-1, 1 NC), who will put her belt on the lineย against Russian newcomer Daria Ibragimova (9-1). Cyborg successfully defended her 145-pound title at Invicta FC 13 in July, stopping New Zealandโ€™s Faithย Van Duin in under a minute. Ibragimova will make her promotional debut riding a seven-fight winning streak. Seven of her nine career victories have come via submission and six of her wins have come inside the first round.

In the co-main event, the strawweight title will be up for grabs between champion Livia Renata Souza (8-0) and fellow unbeaten DeAnna Bennett (8-0).ย The Brazilian Souza captured the 115-pound title with a fourth-round finish of Katja Kankaanpรครคย at Invicta FC 12. Seven of the 24-year-old’s wins have come via submission, including five in the first round.ย Utahโ€™s Bennett has won four straight inside the Invicta cage. Since dropping to 115 pounds, she has topped Norma Rueda Center, as well as the aforementioned Kankaanpรครค,ย in her last two outings.

Below are the results of the event’s weigh-ins, which were held at the Team Punishment Gym.

Featherweight Title:ย Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (144.6) vs. Daria Ibragimova (143.7)
Strawweight Title:ย Livia Renata Souza (113.9) vs. DeAnna Bennett (114.6)
Bantamweight:ย Raquel Paโ€™aluhi (135.5)ย vs. Colleen Schneider (136.2)*
Atomweight:ย Amber Brown (105.7) vs.ย Shino VanHoose (105.3)
Strawweight:ย Lacey Schuckman (114.9)ย vs.ย Mizuki Inoue (114.3)
Strawweight:ย Angela Hill (115.1) vs. Alida Gray (115.9)
Featherweight:ย Megan Anderson (145.3) vs. Amber Leibrock (145.7)

* – Schneider weighed in at 136.4 pounds on her initial attempt. She was fined 25 percent of her fight purse for missing weight


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship, all-pro mixed martial artsย (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform toย hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executiveย Shannon Knapp, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of womenโ€™sย MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors andย identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. For more information,ย visitย InvictaFC.com, follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights) and like Invicta onย Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights).

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Ediane Gomes vs. Amanda Bell Pulled From Invicta FC 15

Costa Mesa, Calif.ย โ€”ย The fight card for Invicta Fighting Championships 15ย has undergone a last-minute change.

The promotion has announced that featherweightย Ediane Gomes (10-4) suffered complications during her weight cut and her bout withย Amanda Bell (3-3) has been pulled from the card.

The event will now proceed with seven contests.

Invicta FC 15 will be headlined by featherweight championย Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (14-1, 1 NC), who will put her belt on the lineย against Russian newcomer Daria Ibragimova (9-1). In the co-main event, the strawweight title will be up for grabs between champion Livia Renata Souza (8-0) and fellow unbeaten DeAnna Bennett (8-0).

The event will take place fromย The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Saturday, Jan. 16. The eventย willย stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

The updated fight card for Invicta FC 15 can be found below:

Featherweight Title:ย Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (14-1, 1 NC) vs. Daria Ibragimova (9-1)
Strawweight Title:ย Livia Renata Souza (8-0) vs. DeAnna Bennett (8-0)
Bantamweight:ย Raquel Paโ€™aluhi (5-4)ย vs. Colleen Schneider (9-6)
Atomweight:ย Amber Brown (5-1) vs.ย Shino VanHoose (4-3)
Strawweight:ย Lacey Schuckman (11-8)ย vs.ย Mizuki Inoue (9-4)ย 
Strawweight:ย Angela Hill (2-2) vs. Alida Gray (4-2)
Featherweight:ย Megan Anderson (4-2) vs. Amber Leibrock (1-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 15ย are on sale now and can be purchased atย fightcluboc.tix.com.


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship, all-pro mixed martial artsย (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform toย hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executiveย Shannon Knapp, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of womenโ€™sย MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors andย identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. For more information,ย visitย InvictaFC.com, follow Invicta on Twitterย (@InvictaFights) and like Invicta onย Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights).

Lacey Schuckman

Lacey Schuckman: Anyone, Anywhere

A fighter’s record in mixed martial arts can be a seriously misleading piece of information. For every legitimate, undefeated prospect, there are dozens of others that have feasted on less experienced foes to inflate their worth.

In contrast, there are numerous veterans of the sport who have stepped up on short notice or moved up in weight just for an opportunity. These fighters have records that are the most misleading of all.

Take 27-year-old strawweight Lacey Schuckman, who began competing in combat sports nearly a decade ago. When the Colorado native was getting her feet wet in the cage, amateur MMA wasn’t even sanctioned in Colorado or Nevada. Schuckman ended up facing fighters far more experienced, sometimes on just a week’s notice.

“In the early days it was really hard to find competitors; it’s why I ended up going pro so quickly,” explained the fighter of her short amateur career. “Now that there’s such an influx, I wish I could go back and do it all over again. But I definitely learned a lot through the whole experience.”

Since turning pro in 2009, Schuckman has been in the cage nearly 20 times. Amongst the names on her resume are three current or former Invicta FC champions: Carla Esparza, Michelle Waterson and Ayaka Hamasaki.

“I wouldn’t say I have any regrets,” said Schuckman with a laugh. “I’ve learned a lot and it’s helped me to get comfortable where I want to compete. It gave me an opportunity to fight a lot of women that not many people can say they fought. I think some of the fights would have been smarter later (or earlier) in my career. Things like that maybe I would change, but I learned so much. That’s the reason I am where I am right now.”

After nearly three years away from the promotion, Schuckman returned to Invicta in 2015, scoring a first-round stoppage of Jenny Liou at Invicta FC 12. But it is one of her previous Invicta appearances that she credits for helping her improve her fight game.

“I took [the Hamasaki fight] on two weeks’ notice, so I wasn’t able to prepare as I should have. But it really showed me what I need to improve on. I thank her a lot for helping me become the new and improved Lacey,” said Schuckman.

Schuckman’s performance against Liou was one of the most dominant of her career. It was a testament to the hard work she’s put in through the years. Instead of waiting for her opponent to attack and looking to counter, it was pedal to the metal for the Colorado fighter.

“I really wanted to go out there and prove to people that I belong in Invicta,” she declared. “I’ve been in this sport so long. I was there before a lot of these girls thought of MMA. I tried to recapture who I was when I first started fighting.

“We really emphasized sticking to the basics. It made me feel really good. I’ve become such a defensive fighter, but in that fight I played my cards for once. It was a blast.”

One of the keys to Schuckman’s success has been her unique training environment. Unlike most fighters who train in large gyms with groups of other combatants, Schuckman and her husband, Randall, operate in a grassroots environment.

“Since Randall and I have made this our profession for the last five or six years, the only way we were able to train and fight was to train other people to support our living costs,” revealed Schuckman. “We started our own smaller gym and started bringing in individual coaches. The reason we stand apart is that we are invite-only. We get to pick everyone that we train with. Since we have individual coaches, we get private lessons every day for each individual art.”

Further aiding in Schuckman’s development has been the longtime relationship with her husband. The pair met at 12 years old and Randall has served as Lacey’s coach throughout her MMA career. The closeness of their marriage carries over to fight preparation and keeps the fighter disciplined.

“I can’t ever cheat on my diet,” joked Schuckman. “And I always have to get mitts in, even if it’s at midnight. He’s always thinking of things. When you live with your coach, they’re always like do this or do that. It’s definitely very hard, but it helps me a lot because I’m always under the scrutiny of my coach.”

The dedication and hard work that Schuckman has put in through her lengthy career helped her gain the respect of her peers and many in the sport. So when she called out Japanese young gun Mizuki Inoue, it came as no surprise that her request was obliged for Invicta FC 15 on Jan. 16 in Costa Mesa, Calif.

“I’m really excited for this fight because me and her match up very similarly,” said Schuckman. “We’ve both fought some of the toughest competition in our weight classes and we both started very young.

“I have the age and experience on her, which plays to my favor. She’s got a karate background; I’ve got a karate background. I think stylistically, we’re going to match up well. She’s a tough enough challenge that people are casting me as the underdog.

“Hopefully people will get to see what I can do and join my side for once. It’s going to be a striking war. We’re going to throw some hands.”

With a career that has had its fair share of ups and downs, multiple weight classes, short-notice fights and the likes, Schuckman has been through more than most fighters could ever imagine. Through thick and thin, she’s fought through and persevered to get back to the sport’s highest level.

“It’s very exciting to be on the main stage and be featured on a promotion like Invicta,” she said. “I always hoped and always dreamed big. I always hoped I’d be a part of it.”

Although her record might be misleading, Schuckman has earned the right to be someone else’s anyone, anywhere opportunity.


Lacey would like to thank her head coach and husband, Randall Schuckman, her BJJ professor Joaquin Baca, her boxing coach Steve Mestas, her wrestling coach Mike Laurita, her Muay Thai coach Don Lee, all of her teammates at Team Goonies, her sponsors: 90 Degree by Reflex, Martial Arts Life Apparel, Fighter Girls, Grit Mouthguards, MMA Roadhog Racing, Mass Destruction MMA, Qalo Rings, Eyefight Sports Nutrition, Tan Time, Smokin’ Photos, Oral IV, Dr. Jessica Riechert, DC and Xionx Maximum Performance Bands, her manager, Rosa at White Buffalo Fight Management, and last but not least, all of the private and gofundme donors.

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Invicta FC 15 Loses Christine Stanley vs. Katy Collins

Kansas City, Mo.ย โ€”ย The fight card for Invicta Fighting Championships 15ย has lost one of its bouts.

The promotion has announced that the flyweight contest between Christine Stanley (4-1) and Katy Collins (3-1) has been scratched from the event after Collins suffered an ankle injury in training.ย Collins, who fights out of Branson Fight Club in Missouri, was herself a late replacement for Shannon Sinn (2-2), who also succumbed to a pre-fight injury.

The event will now proceed with eight contests.

Invicta FC 15 will be headlined by featherweight championย Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (14-1, 1 NC), who will put her belt on the lineย against Russian newcomer Daria Ibragimova (9-1). In the co-main event, the strawweight title will be up for grabs between champion Livia Renata Souza (8-0) and fellow unbeaten DeAnna Bennett (8-0).

The event will take place fromย The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Saturday, Jan. 16. The eventย willย stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

The updated fight card for Invicta FC 15 can be found below:

Featherweight Title:ย Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (14-1, 1 NC) vs. Daria Ibragimova (9-1)
Strawweight Title:ย Livia Renata Souza (8-0) vs. DeAnna Bennett (8-0)
Bantamweight:ย Raquel Paโ€™aluhi (5-4)ย vs. Colleen Schneider (9-6)
Atomweight:ย Amber Brown (5-1) vs.ย Shino VanHoose (4-3)
Strawweight:ย Angela Hill (2-2) vs. Alida Gray (4-2)
Strawweight:ย Lacey Schuckman (11-8)ย vs.ย Mizuki Inoue (9-4)
Featherweight:ย Amanda Bell (3-3) vs. Ediane Gomes (10-4)
Featherweight:ย Megan Anderson (4-2) vs. Amber Leibrock (1-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 15ย are on sale now and can be purchased atย fightcluboc.tix.com.


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship, all-pro mixed martial artsย (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform toย hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executiveย Shannon Knapp, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of womenโ€™sย MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors andย identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. For more information,ย visitย InvictaFC.com, follow Invicta on Twitterย (@InvictaFights) and like Invicta onย Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights).

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Episode 3: Alexa Grasso Talks Return, Souza’s Comments, Invicta FC 15 and 16 News

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TJ De Santis is back with another episode of Invicta FC Radio. On this broadcast he is joined by strawweight contender Alexa Grasso. Plus Laura Sanko gets you “In The Loop” with breaking news.

It’s been nearly a year since Mexico’s Alexa Grasso has competed inside the InvictaFC cage. During that layoff Grasso has rehabbed an injury while the 115-pound division has gone through changes through the ranks. Not only has strawweight proved to be a talent rich division, but a Brazilian named Livia Renata Souza has taken the top spot. Grasso discusses her time away from active competition, when she will be back, who she think will be the strawweight champion after Invicta FC 15, and how she feels about Souza calling her a “runner.”

Invicta FC 15 is just one week away and Laura Sanko has some late breaking news that will shake up the card set to take place in Costa Mesa. Plus Sanko gives us a nugget about featherweight athlete Megan Anderson that not many people know.

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Episode 2: President Shannon Knapp, Invicta 2015 Fan Choice Awards, Modafferi, Ostovich, Lee

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Invicta FC Radio returns with it’s second full episode. On this broadcast TJ De Santis chats with Invicta FC president Shannon Knapp, matchmaker Julie Kedzie, and fighters Andrea “KGB” Lee, Roxanne Modafferi, and Rachael Ostovich.

If that wasn’t enough De Santis and Kedzie recap a year of knockouts, submissions, and moments from 2015 that earned fighters this year’s “Fan Appreciation Awards.”

Plus we check in with cage report Laura Sanko who get’s us “in the loop” with the latest news and information regarding women’s mixed martial arts, Invicta FC, and the upcoming card set for January 16th in Costa Mesa, California.

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Episode 1: President Shannon Knapp, Matchmaker Julie Kedzie, โ€˜Spotlight: Souza vs Bennettโ€™

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On the inaugural edition of Invicta FC Radio. play-by-play man TJ De Santis chats with Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp and matchmaker Julie Kedzie, while reporter Jack Encarnacao also debuts his unique “Spotlight” segment.

With Invicta FC 15 coming up, Knapp joins the program to discuss the card. She also announces the four additional bouts for the Jan. 16 event in Costa Mesa, Calif. The Invicta FC President also sheds some light on Invicta FC 16, a date, tentative location, and what you can expect from the promotion in the coming year.

Kedzie jumps on board to breakdown what we can expect from the January card including the fights just added. The matchmaker explains what these fights will do for their respective divisions and what you can expect from some of these match-ups.

Invicta FC radio debuts its “Spotlight” feature with Jack Encarnacao. This feature digs deep into the co-main event title fight between champion Livia Renata Souza and challenger DeAnna Bennett. Encarnacao focuses on the story of who these athletes are, where they come from, and what they are truly fighting for beyond the Invicta FC strawweight championship.