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Invicta FC 27 Results: Kaufman Cruises Past Kianzad, Porto Chokes Morais

Kansas City, Mo.ย โ€” On Saturday, Jan. 13,ย Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 27: Kianzad vs. Kaufmanย fromย the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo. The event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Sarah Kaufmanโ€™s return to the Invicta cage was a successful one as the former Strikeforce bantamweight champion and UFC veteran bested Pannie Kianzad by decision. Kaufmanโ€™s striking arsenal was on full display throughout the contest. She landed her right hand in the clinch throughout the bout, bloodying the nose of Kianzad early in the fight. Kianzad never backed down, firing spinning backfists and a variety of kicks. But Kaufmanโ€™s veteran savvy was too much, as she landed with more and more volume as the fight progressed. The Canadian swept the scorecards after three rounds.

Former flyweight title challenger Vanessa Porto continued her march back towards title contention, dispatching of her fellow Brazilian Mariana Morais in the first round. Porto landed heavy leg kicks as the fight begin, prompting Morais to shoot for a takedown. Porto scrambled to the back of Morais, who desperately tried to defend Portoโ€™s submission attack. Porto sunk in a rear-naked choke late in the round, coercing the tap from Morais.

In a classic striker vs. grappler affair, it was the wrestler, Sharon Jacobson, that came out on top of Canadaโ€™s Ashley Nichols. Jacobson initiated the clinch to start the fight and aimed to take the fight to the mat. Nichols countered with heavy knees and punches, dropping Jacobson in the opening round. Jacobson secured a takedown and was able to recover. The relentless wrestling of Jacobson was the story of the rest of the fight, as she was able to put Nichols on her back repeatedly. The final five minutes was all Jacobson, who used the knee-on-belly technique to pepper Nichols with punches and elbows and capture the win.

Atomweight Ashley Cummins completed dominated promotional debutant Stephanie Alba over three rounds. Cummins was able to take the fight to the mat in every round, where she meticulously delivered ground and pound. The first round was filled with short elbow from the half guard, as Alba could not get off her back. Cummins sought an arm-triangle choke in the second stanza, but Alba defended well. In the final frame, Cummins sought the finish, scoring with combinations before yet another takedown. She dropped punches to the final bell, but had to settle for decision victory.

Guamโ€™s Brogan Walker-Sanchez handed Cheri Muraski her first professional defeat after a grueling, three-round contest. Muraskiโ€™s intentions were clear from the opening bell as she closed the distance and looked to take Walker-Sanchez to the mat. Walker-Sanchez was able to score with elbows from the clinch and use her underhooks to stay standing. Muraski did find herself inside the full guard at one point, but was unable to pass to a dominant position. The pair jostled for position along the fence for the majority of the fight, but two of the three judges rewarded Walker-Sanchez the decision.

Felicia Spencer kept her undefeated record intact, besting debuting featherweight Akeela Al-Hameed by decision. The fight featured a contrast of styles as Al-Hameed employed a boxing attack against Spencerโ€™s taekwondo base. The pair traded head kicks in the opening frame after a grueling stint in the clinch. Al-Hameedโ€™s best moment came in the form of a standing guillotine choke attempt against the fence, but Spencer showcased great flexibility to land knees from the vicarious position. Spencer would gain top control late in the fight, sealing the win on all the judgesโ€™ scorecards.

Strawweight Mallory Martin gave Tiffany Masters a rude welcome to the Invicta FC cage, earning a second-round stoppage due to strikes. Martin pressed forward in the opening round, scoring with her left hook inside the pocket. Masters countered with volume, but Martin took her down and rained elbows from the top. It was more of the same in round two as Martin mounted Masters along the fence and dropped heavy shots. The onslaught led the referee to intervene and give Martin the victory.

Making her professional MMA debut, Muay Thai stylist Loma Lookboonmee put on a striking clinic, battering Mellissa Wang over three rounds. Wang immediately looked to take the fight to the mat, but Loma countered with knees and elbows in the clinch. The shots took their toll on Wang, who bled from her nose and left eye. The fight was paused twice by the referee after the Thai fighter landed knees while Wang was a downed fighter. Despite a point deduction, Loma swept the scorecards with the impressive performance.

In a match-up of strawweight newcomers, Helen Peralta needed less than a round to dispatch of Jade Ripley with strikes. Peralta used her kicks to find her range and began to land her right hand at will. After buckling the knees of Ripley in the clinch, Peralta delivered a series of punches along the fence that forced the referee to halt the contest.

OFFICIALย RESULTS
Sarah Kaufman def. Pannie Kianzad by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Vanessa Porto def. Mariana Morais by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 1, 4:19
Sharon Jacobson def. Ashley Nichols by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Ashley Cummins def. Stephanie Alba by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Brogan Walker-Sanchez def. Cheri Muraski by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Felicia Spencer def. Akeela Al-Hameed by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Mallory Martin def. Tiffany Masters by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 3:36
Loma Lookboonmee def. Mellissa Wang by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-26)
Helen Peralta def. Jade Ripley by TKO (punches). Round 1, 2:22


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.ย Followย Invicta on Twitterย (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagramย (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

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Invicta FC 27: Kianzad vs. Kaufman Official Weigh-in Results

Kansas City, Mo.ย โ€” On Friday, Jan. 12,ย Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 27: Kianzad vs. Kaufman. The eventย takes placeย from the historic Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo., on Saturday, Jan. 13, and streams live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

In the night’s main event,ย Iranian-Swedish fighter Pannie Kianzad (8-2) takes on Canada’s Sarah Kaufman (18-4, 1 NC) in a bantamweight match-up.ย Kianzad aims to get back in the win column after falling against then-champion Tonya Evinger and recent title challengerย Raquel Paโ€™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,ย Vanessa Portoย (19-8) quickly steps back into the cage to face fellow Brazilianย Mariana Moraisย (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.

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

Bantamweight:ย Pannie Kianzad (136.7)* vs.ย Sarah Kaufman (135.4)
Flyweight:ย Vanessa Porto (125.3) vs. Mariana Morais (124.6)
Strawweight: Sharon Jacobson (115.7) vs. Ashley Nichols (115.3)
Atomweight:ย Ashley Cummins (105.6) vs. Stephanie Alba (106)
Flyweight:ย Cheri Muraski (125.4) vs. Brogan Walker-Sanchez (125.4)
Featherweight:ย Felicia Spencer (146) vs.ย Akeela Al-Hameedย (144.7)
Strawweight:ย Mallory Martin (115.3) vs. Tiffany Masters (117.4)*
Atomweight: Mellissa Wang (104.3) vs.ย Loma Lookboonmee (105.9)
Strawweight:ย Jade Ripley (115.9) vs. Helen Peralta (115.6)

* – Kianzad and Masters 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 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.ย Followย Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagramย (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

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Amanda Nunes Joins Invicta FC Athlete Development Team

Kansas City, Mo.ย โ€“ Invicta Fighting Championships today announced the addition of current UFC womenโ€™s bantamweight championย Amanda Nunesย to its athlete development team.

Nunes will join a team tasked with further solidifying the deepest roster in womenโ€™s MMA. The agreementโ€™s core responsibilities will include assisting with the matchmaking process to create compelling fight cards and identifying the champions ofย tomorrow, specifically scouting talent in Brazil and the southeastern United States.

โ€œIโ€™ve known and worked with Amanda for a long time, going all the way back to our Strikeforce days,โ€ said Invicta FC President Knapp. โ€œShe was already part of the Invicta family, but now itโ€™s official; now itโ€™s on paper.

โ€œI canโ€™t think of a better ambassador for the sport and our organization.โ€

After nearly a decade in the sport โ€“ including stints with Strikeforce, Invicta FC, and the UFC โ€“ Nunes captured gold in 2016, defeating Miesha Tate at UFC 200 to become UFC womenโ€™s bantamweight champion. Her career resume features wins over many of MMAโ€™s best including Tate, Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, Sara McMann, Germaine de Randamie, Vanessa Porto, Shayna Baszler, and Julia Budd.

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โ€œIโ€™ve been very fortunate throughout my career to fight for the best organizations in the world,โ€ said Nunes. โ€œIn my new position, I hope to be able to use my experience as a fighter and a champion to help groom the next generation. Iโ€™m honored to be a part of their journey at Invicta.โ€

The appointment is effective immediately. In her first official duty, โ€œThe Lionessโ€ will be front and centerย tomorrow, overseeing the athletes of Invicta FC 27 as they weigh in and square off.

Sheโ€™ll also be in the houseย this Saturday,ย Saturday, Jan. 13, when Invicta returns to Scottish Rite Temple forย Invictaย FCย 27, headlinedย by returning veteranย Sarah Kaufmanย (18-4, 1 NC) taking on former Cage Warriors bantamweight championย Pannie โ€œBanzaiโ€ Kianzadย (8-2).

Invictaย FCย 27 streams live and exclusively viaย UFC Fight Passย atย 8 p.m. ETย /ย 5 p.m. PTย onย Saturday, Jan. 13.

Tickets forย Invictaย FCย 27, priced at $50, $35, or $25, are on sale now viaย Ticketfly.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.ย Followย Invicta on Twitterย (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagramย (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.