Young

Shanna Young and Victoria Leonardo Join Phoenix Series 2 Tournament; Draw Format Revealed

Kansas City, Mo. โ€“ The lineup for the second installment of the Invicta FC Phoenix Series has changed.

Flyweights Cheri Muraski (6-2) and Marilia Santos (10-3) have both been forced out of the event which takes placeย Sept. 6 from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. Stepping in will be Invicta FC veteran and recent Contender Series combatant Shanna Young (6-2) and Invicta FC 36 “Fight of the Night” winner Victoria Leonardo (6-1). Young and Leonardo join the previously announced roster of fighters competing in the one-night tournament.

The single-elimination tournament will feature one-round fights in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, with the tournament final being a three-round affair to determine the tournament champion. The eight tournament participants will be matched up during the event’s ceremonial weigh-ins on Thursday, Sept. 5. Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp will perform the draw, while Phoenix Series play-by-play commentator Laura Sanko will serve as master of ceremonies.

In addition to the changes in the tournament lineup, two reserve bouts will join the fight card. Twenty-year-old Californian Kay Hansen (4-3) steps into the Invicta cage for the seventh time against undefeated Venezuelan prospect Carolina Jimenez (6-0). Also,ย Kansas-based Chantel Coates (1-1) looks to repeat her record-setting knockout prowess against French Polynesian newcomer Flore Hani (1-1).

The updated fight card can be found below:

Flyweight Tournament Final:ย TBD vs. TBD
Flyweight Co-Main Event:ย Alexa Conners (5-3) vs. Mariya Agapova (6-1)
Flyweight Bout:ย Josee Storts (1-0) vs. Helen Lucero (0-0)
Flyweight Tournament Semifinal:ย TBD vs. TBD
Flyweight Tournament Semifinal:ย TBD vs. TBD
Flyweight Reserve Bout No. 2:ย Kay Hansen (4-3)ย vs. Carolina Jimenez (6-0)
Flyweight Reserve Bout No. 1:ย Chantel Coates (1-1) vs. Flore Hani (1-1)
Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal:ย TBD vs. TBD (Randomly Drawn)
Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal:ย TBD vs. TBDย (Randomly Drawn)
Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal:ย TBD vs. TBDย (Randomly Drawn)
Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal:ย TBD vs. TBDย (Randomly Drawn)

Phoenix Series 2 Quarterfinalists
Daiana Torquato (9-3)
DeAnna Bennett (10-5-1)
Liz Tracy (5-3)
Maiju Suotama (8-4)
Milana Dudieva (12-8)
Miranda Maverick (5-2)
Shanna Young (6-2)
Victoria Leonardo (6-1)

Tickets to the event can be purchased now through Eventbrite.


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.

Octagon

Invicta FC Partners with Zebra Athletics

Kansas City, Mo. โ€“ย Invicta FC, the worldโ€™s largest all-womenโ€™s mixed martial arts organization. announced today a new sponsorship and equipment agreement withย Zebra Athletics, the worldโ€™s leading outfitter of martial arts and MMA training facilities.

The multi-year agreement between the two organizations formalizes Zebra Athletics as the official equipment partner of Invicta FC.ย Zebra has created a new, custom 28-foot octagonal cage for the promotion featuring Zebraโ€™s premium flooring. Additionally, Zebra will be outfitting the locker room warm-up areas at every Invicta event with 1.5-inch Zebra Mats, striking bags and other training gear.

“Invicta FC is a perfect fit for our partner program at Zebra Athletics,” stated Zebra President,ย Kyle Fisher. “Zebra has always, and will always, be committed to growing womenโ€™s combat sports, so being able to partner with one of MMAโ€™s leading organizations, with the deepest roster of women on the planet, allows us to double down on that commitment. Shannon Knapp is a pioneer in the sport, and someone for whom I have a great deal of respect and admiration, so itโ€™s truly an honor to now consider her and her organization a part of the Zebra family.โ€

Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp added,ย “When evaluating partners, itโ€™s important that their culture and values align with Invictaโ€™s, and Zebra Athletics matches them to a โ€˜Tโ€™. Weโ€™ve worked with the Zebra team on a number of projects over the years and have always appreciated not only the quality of their products but their support for and commitment to growing womenโ€™s MMA. Iโ€™m excited to expand our partnership with Zebra further and for our athletes to begin competing on the best equipment in the industry.”

Zebra cages and equipment debuted for the organization at Invicta FC 36 on Friday, Aug. 9 in Kansas City, Kan.


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.

About Zebra Athletics:
With more than 20 years outfitting gyms and studios, Zebra Athletics is the worldโ€™s leading outfitter of training facilities. Zebra was the first flooring company to bring high-end MMA Mats, Martial Arts Mats, and other flooring options to the Martial Arts disciplines. Zebra has since expanded its products to include those suited for the Tactical Combative, Yoga and Ninja Obstacle Course training disciplines.ย Zebra has sold over 750,000 mats worldwide and is the official equipment partner of Invicta FC. Thousands of BJJ, Traditional Martial Arts, and MMA Championships have been won on Zebra Athleticsโ€™ equipment. For all the latest Zebra news, follow on Twitter (@ZebraMats), Facebook (Facebook.com/zebramats) and Instagram (@ZebraMats).

Bennett

Phoenix Series Returns on Sept. 6, Features Flyweight Tournament

Kansas City, Mo. โ€“ The Phoenix Series is returning.

After a thrilling debut event in May that crowned a new strawweight champion, Invicta Fighting Championships will once again hold an eight-woman, one-night tournament on Sept. 6 from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The single-elimination tournament will feature one-round fights in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, with the tournament final being a three-round affair to determine the tournament champion.

The eight tournament participants will be matched up during a random draw prior to the event.

As was the case during the inaugural tournament, the quarterfinal fighters will have plenty of incentive to finish their fights. Each finish will earn the winning fighter a monetary bonus, but more importantly, the fastest finisher in the quarterfinal round will have the luxury of picking their opponent for the semifinals based on the remaining three combatants. If there are no finishes in the quarterfinals, the semifinal match-ups will again be determined by random draw.

Phoenix Series 2 will feature the flyweight division and includes a mix of promising prospects, UFC veterans and a former title challenger.

The field will include three fighters who recently competed in the flyweight contender tournament. UFC veteran โ€” and former strawweight title challenger โ€” DeAnna Bennett (10-5-1) aims to rebound from her hard-fought defeat against Karina Rodriguez in the Invicta FC 35 main event. Fellow UFC veteran Milana Dudieva (12-8) also hopes to bounce back from a loss to Rodriguez in a โ€œFight of the Nightโ€ performance at Invicta FC 34. Finally, 22-year-old submission stalwart Miranda Maverick (5-2) will be out to prove herself against the field of veterans.

They are joined by a pair of Invicta veterans known for their grappling acumen. Coloradoโ€™s Cheri Muraski (6-2) returns to the Invicta cage for the first time since Invicta FC 29. Her opponent from that event, Portlandโ€™s Liz Tracy (5-3), also enters the tournament field.

Rounding out the lineup will be a trio of promotional newcomers. Daiana Torquato (9-3) makes her Invicta debut riding the momentum of seven straight wins in her native Brazil. Also hailing from Brazil, Contender Series veteran Marilia Santos (10-3) hopes to capture the form that has earned her wins across the globe. Finally, Strikeforce veteran Maiju Suotama (8-4) of Finland will test her mettle under the Invicta banner for the first time.

In addition to the eight tournament fighters, the event will showcase two non-tournament bouts.

The nightโ€™s co-main event โ€” which takes place between the tournament semifinals and final โ€” features Alexa Conners (5-3) against Invicta newcomer Mariya Agapova (6-1). Conners will make her fifth appearance under the Invicta banner, but her first at 125 pounds. Agapova recently appeared on Dana Whiteโ€™s Tuesday Night Contender Series, but suffered her first career defeat to Invicta veteran Tracy Cortez.

Taking place between the tournamentโ€™s quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, 21-year-old Missouri flyweight Josee Storts (1-0) takes on fellow newcomer Helen Lucero (0-0), who will be making her professional debut.

The broadcast team from the first Phoenix Series tournament remains intact as Invicta FC post-fight correspondent and former Invicta fighter Laura Sanko once again calls play-by-play. Joining Sanko on the call will be veteran cageside analyst Jimmy Smith. All of the action will air live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

A pair of tournament reserve match-ups will be added to the fight card in the coming weeks. Tickets to the event can be purchased now through Eventbrite.

Phoenix Series 2
Cheri Muraski (6-2)
Daiana Torquato (9-3)
DeAnna Bennett (10-5-1)
Liz Tracy (5-3)
Maiju Suotama (8-4)
Marilia Santos (10-3)
Milana Dudieva (12-8)
Miranda Maverick (5-2)

Non-Tournament Bouts
Alexa Conners (5-3) vs. Mariya Agapova (6-1)
Josee Storts (1-0) vs. Helen Lucero (0-0)


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.

Sorenson

Invicta FC 36 Results: Sorenson Bests Young, Claims Featherweight Title

Kansas City, Kan.ย โ€” On Friday, Aug. 9,ย Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 36: Sorenson vs. Youngย from Memorial Hall. The entire fight card aired exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

Pam Sorenson is the new Invicta FC featherweight champion after defeating Kaitlin Young in the nightโ€™s main event. Young stayed a range early in the fight, but forced Sorenson to back up. Sorenson responded by throwing overhands and then changing levels for a takedown. She struggled to keep Young down initially, but eventually secured top position. Young gave up her back to stand and delivered a knee to a grounded Sorenson. That foul resulted in a point a deduction, but the fight continued. In round two, Youngโ€™s striking began to take over. That was short-lived though, as Sorenson ducked under a right hand and put her on the ground. She took Youngโ€™s back and threatened with a rear-naked choke. The veteran Young did not panic, calmly defending the submission attempt and spinning into the guard of Sorenson. Round three was nearly a carbon copy of the second, with Sorenson bringing the fight to the mat, but Young finding ways to defend and work to top position. Sorenson finished the round with an armbar attempt and her best striking exchange of the bout. In round four, the grappling exchanges turned in favor of Young for a moment. She spun into Sorensonโ€™s half guard, then passed to mount and looked for an arm-triangle. Sorenson escaped and finished the frame strong. The final round was punctuated with yet another Sorenson takedown. She nearly mounted Young, but settled for taking her back along the fence. She held that position until the final bell, securing the dominant performance. The judges rendered a unanimous verdict after the five-round affair.

Strawweight newcomer Emily Ducote did not waste any time putting her stamp on the promotion, crushing former title challenger Janaisa Morandin inside the first round. Ducote use her reach to keep the Brazilian Morandin on the outside. Morandin tried to flurry to boxing range, but was met with stiff right hands. That was the tone of the fight, as with less than a minute left in the first stanza, a right hand from Ducote put Morandin on the canvas. Ducote smelled blood and rained heavy punches, forcing the referee to intervene.

Brazilโ€™s Jรฉssica Delboni picked up a split-decision win over fellow atomweight Lindsey VanZandt. Delboni fired kicks to open the contest. VanZandt looked to return fire, but the Brazilian caught a kick and dumped her to the canvas. Delboni peppered VanZandt with kicks to prevent her from getting to her feet. When she did work to her feet, Delboni put her back on the mat. VanZandt threatened with a triangle choke late in the round, but could not find a finish. It was VanZandt who opted to take the fight to the ground in the middle round. She put Delboni on her back, then took her back and secured a body-triangle. Delboni defended the submission attempts and spun to top position, but VanZandt closed the frame with an armbar attempt. Round three started with a Delboni takedown, but she did little with it and the fight returned to the feet. The fighters jostled for position in the clinch for the remainder of the fight, sending the fight to the scorecards. When the scores were revealed, it was Delboni who walked away victorious.

Victoria Leonardo put the first blemish on the record of Oklahomaโ€™s Stephanie Geltmacher after a three-round war. There was no feeling-out process between the two flyweights as Geltmacher quickly barreled forward. Leonardo answered with short shots. Geltmacher earned a brief takedown, but Leonardo bounced right back to her feet. The taller Leonardo used her height and reach advantage to batter the face of Geltmacher from distance. In round two, Geltmacherโ€™s nose opened up from Leonardoโ€™s punches. That didnโ€™t slow her down, however as she took the fight to the ground and took Leonardoโ€™s back. Leonardo remained calm and scrambled to top position, where she delivered more punishment. Both fighters wore plenty of damage entering the fightโ€™s last frame. Leonardo was unrelenting at range, cracking Geltmacher with right hand after right hand. Geltmacher never stopped coming forward, despite her nose bleeding heavily. The back-and-forth battle went the distance and Leonardo edged out the decision win.

Atomweight Alyse Anderson scored a hard-fought decision victory over late-notice opponent Katie Saull. The first round belonged to Anderson, as she was able to push Saull to the cage and take her back on the feet. She applied a body-triangle and dragged Saull to the ground. She worked hard for a rear-naked choke, but the Canadian defended well. Saullโ€™s boxing was on display early in round two, but Anderson was able to close the distance and take the fight to the ground. Saull was active from her back, preventing Anderson from mounting offense or passing her guard. The final stanza opened with Saull landing from range, forcing Anderson to clinch along the fence. Anderson powered the fight to the mat, but once again could not pass the guard. The judges were called upon and awarded Anderson the split-decision nod.

Flyweight Caitlin Sammons earned her second straight win, submitting knockout artist Chantel Coates in the second round via rear-naked choke. Coates largely dominated the opening round, peppering Sammons with her hands. Sammons delivered low kicks to get the fight at range, but frequently found herself absorbing punches. Coates dropped Sammons briefly near the end of the round with a left hand. It was more of the same early in round two, as Coates continued to find success in the stand-up department. The tide of the fight turned quickly as Sammons secured a trip takedown and took the back of Coates. She quickly applied a choke and coerced the tap from Coates.

Bantamweight debutants graced the cage in the nightโ€™s second bout as Erin Harpe took on Auttumn Norton. Harpe was aggressive to open the bout, flurrying forward and looking for a takedown. Norton kept the fight upright for a moment, but eventually Harpe took her down with a single and delivered ground and pound. The second stanza took place on the feet with Norton showcasing her hand speed and repeatedly finding the jaw of Harpe with punches. The fightโ€™s final frame featured a quick takedown from Harpe, who re-established her top control. She briefly mounted Norton and busted open her nose with strikes. The judges at cageside were split, but Harpe earned the victory.

Kicking off the nightโ€™s action were bantamweight newcomers Julia Ottolino and Megan Cawley. Ottolino used constant forward pressure and leg kicks to establish her range. Cawley looked to counter, but struggled to match the output of the Chicago native. Cawley landed a counter left hook in round two that briefly stunned Ottolino, but she could not capitalize. The third round saw Ottolino unleash multiple superwoman punches that found the jaw of Cawley. The fight went the distance and the judges rendered a clean sweep for Ottolino.

OFFICIALย RESULTS
Pam Sorenson def. Kaitlin Young by unanimous decision (50-44, 49-45, 48-45) – for featherweight title
Emily Ducote def. Janaisa Morandin by knockout (punches). Round 1, 4:03
Jรฉssica Delboni def. Lindsey VanZandt by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Victoria Leonardo def. Stephanie Geltmacher by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Alyse Anderson def. Katie Saull by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Caitlin Sammons def. Chantel Coates by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 2, 4:10
Erin Harpe def. Auttumn Norton by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-27)
Julia Ottolino def. Megan Cawley by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)


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.

Sorenson

Invicta FC 36: Sorenson vs. Young Official Weigh-in Results

Kansas City, Mo.ย โ€” On Thursday, Aug. 8, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 36: Sorenson vs. Young.ย The eventย takes placeย from from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan., on Friday, Aug. 9, with the entire card streaming live on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 7 p.m. CT.

In the night’s main event,ย Minnesotans Pam “Bam” Sorenson (7-3) and “The Striking Viking” Kaitlin Young (10-9-1) battle for the vacant featherweight title.

The co-main event features former strawweight title challengerย Janaisa Morandin (10-2), who welcomes veteran Emily Ducote (7-5) to the promotion.

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

Featherweight Title:ย Pam Sorenson (144.8) vs. Kaitlin Young (145)
Strawweight:ย Janaisa Morandin (119.6)* vs. Emily Ducote (115.8)
Atomweight:ย Jรฉssicaย Delboni (105.4) vs. Lindsey VanZandt (105.7)
Flyweight:ย Stephanie Geltmacher (125.5) vs. Victoria Leonardo (125.7)
Atomweight: Alyse Anderson (105.8)ย vs. Katie Saull (105.9)
Flyweight:ย Chantel Coates (126.5)# vs. Caitlin Sammons (125.2)
Bantamweight:ย Erin Harpe (134.5) vs. Auttumn Norton (136)
Bantamweight:ย Megan Cawley (135.5) vs. Julia Ottolino (135.1)

* – Morandin missed the strawweight limit of 116 pounds and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse

# – Coates missed the flyweight limit of 126 pounds and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse


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.

Saull

Katie Saull Steps In For Anastasia Nikolakakos, Faces Alyse Anderson at Invicta FC 36

Kansas City, Mo.ย โ€” The lineup for Invicta FC 36, which takes place Friday, Aug. 9ย at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan., has undergone a last-minute change.

Undefeated atomweight Anastasia Nikolakakos has been forced out of her match-up withย Alyse Anderson. Stepping in on short notice is promotional newcomer Katie Saull (3-3). The 31-year-old Canadian fighter trains out of SBG Ireland in Dublin and has shared the cage with Invicta veterans Cassie Robb and Lindsey VanZandt.

Additionally, the return of Phoenix Rising tournament finalist Kailin Curran has been pushed back to a later date.

Invicta FC 36 streams live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT and will be headlined by a featherweight title tilt between Minnesotans Pam “Bam” Sorenson (7-3) and “The Striking Viking” Kaitlin Young (10-9-1).

The updated Invicta FC 36 fight card can be found below:

Featherweight Title:ย Pam Sorenson vs. Kaitlin Young
Strawweight:ย Janaisa Morandinย vs. Emily Ducote
Atomweight:ย Jรฉssicaย Delboni vs. Lindsey VanZandt
Flyweight:ย Stephanie Geltmacher vs. Victoria Leonardo
Atomweight: Alyse Andersonย vs. Katie Saull
Flyweight:ย Chantel Coatesย vs. Caitlin Sammons
Bantamweight:ย Erin Harpe vs. Auttumn Norton
Bantamweight:ย Megan Cawley vs. Julia Ottolino

Tickets for Invicta FC 36 can be purchased throughย Eventbrite.


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.