KANSAS CITY, Kan.ย โ The first fight card from Invicta Fighting Championships in 2022 has undergone some shuffling.
The planned co-main event between Coloradoโs โGrizzlyโ Claire Guthrie (3-1) and UFC veteranย Lauren “Princess Tiger” Mueller (5-4) has been scratched from the event. As a result, a 150-pound catchweight contest between newcomers Ramona Pascual (5-2) and Shamir “Hella Kitty” Peshewa (2-0) has been elevated to the penultimate billing. Pascual, a Hong Kong native, makes her Invicta debut riding a three-fight winning streak. Tennessee’s Peshewa stopped Invicta veteran Gina Elliott in her most recent bout.
Additionally, with the loss of the strawweight bout betweenย Hilarie Rose (5-3) and Emily “Spitfire” Whitmire (4-5), two additional match-ups have been added to the fight card. Sluggers Helen “Iansรฃ” Peralta (4-2) and “The Piece” Elise Pone (1-0) collide in a flyweight bout and Canada’s “Queen of the North” Katie Saull (3-5) takes on fellow atomweight Tamika Jones (1-0).
In the night’s headliner, current atomweight titleholderย Alesha “Half Pint” Zappitella (9-2, 1 NC) meets Brazilian challengerย Jรฉssica Delboni (11-3) for a second time. The pair engaged in a back-and-forth battle in their first meeting in May, with Zappitella emerging with a split-decision victory to hold onto her belt. The No. 1 contender Delboni will be out for revenge in her second crack at gold.
Invicta FC 45: Zappitella vs. Delboni 2 will be the first event on Invicta FC’s new night of Wednesday for 2022, taking place Jan. 12 in Kansas City. The event will be simulcast onย Invicta FCโs YouTube channelย and MMA Junkie beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
The updated fight card for Invicta FC 45 can be found below:
Atomweight Title:ย Alesha Zappitella vs. Jรฉssica Delboni
Catchweight (150 pounds): Ramona Pascual vs. Shamir Peshewa
Bantamweight: Monica Franco vs. Hailey Cowan
Flyweight: Helen Peralta vs. Elise Pone
Atomweight:ย Katie Saull vs. Tamika Jones
Bantamweight:ย Maria Favela vs. Sarah Kleczka
About Invicta FC:
Invicta Fighting Championships (invictafc.com) 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 womenโsย 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 (InvictaFights) and Instagramย (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.
About Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc.
Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc.ย is a global multi-platform media company with offices and studios in Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, New York, Kansas City and Toronto. Anthem’s portfolio includes AXS TV, a leading music, entertainment and lifestyle television channel and digital media company; global film distribution companyย Gravitas Ventures;ย Fight Network,ย the world’s premier combat sports channel;ย IMPACT Wrestling,ย one of the world’s leading wrestling organizations specializing in original programming and live events;ย Invicta Fighting Championships, the worldโs premier all-women mixed martial arts promotion;ย Game+, the leader in Esports and gaming content;ย GameTV,ย the home of game shows and competition-based reality series; andย HDNet Movies, which features theatrically released films and documentaries. Anthem also has a significant ownership interest inย Pursuit Channel, one of the top outdoor channels in the U.S.