Ducote vs. Zappitella Strawweight Title Clash Headlines Invicta FC 47 on Wednesday, May 11

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Invicta Fighting Championships has revealed the fight card for Invicta FC 47: Ducote vs. Zappitella.

The event — which takes place Wednesday, May 11 — features a strawweight title bout between current champion Emily Ducote (10-6) and former atomweight titleholder Alesha Zappitella (9-3, 1 NC). Oklahoma’s Ducote is coming off one of the greatest knockouts in Invicta history, stopping UFC veteran Danielle Taylor via head kick to secure the 115-pound belt and a spot on Sportscenter’s Top 10. The Ohio native Zappitella is coming off a pair of battles with Brazilian Jéssica Delboni. Prior to the pair’s second meeting, the 27-year-old declared her intentions to move up to the strawweight division and the decorated wrestler will face an immediate test opposite the division’s champion.

In the night’s co-main event, Colorado’s Courtney “The Lion” King (4-2) collides with Stockton, California’s Chelsea Chandler (3-1) in a featherweight match-up. King was last in action opposite Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison in the Invicta FC 43 headliner. Chandler rides the momentum of three straight victories under the Invicta banner.

A pair of New York natives meet in the atomweight division as Lindsey “Damsel” VanZandt (7-5) will square off with “Lionheart” Jillian DeCoursey (4-3). The pair met previously as amateurs in 2016, with DeCoursey besting VanZandt by decision.

Former bantamweight title challenger Lisa “Battle Angel” Verzosa (6-2) returns to action opposite the surging Serena “The Southpaw Outlaw” DeJesus (4-2). Verzosa went five rounds with current champion Taneisha Tennant in her last outing, while DeJesus has scored back-to-back wins over UFC veterans Lauren Mueller and Elizabeth Phillips.

Rounding out the fight card, Brazil’s Janaisa “Evil Princess” Morandin (10-4) takes on countrywoman Liana “Li” Pirosin (7-4) in a flyweight bout, and boxing Olympian Jennifer “Dugwen” Chieng (1-1) welcomes Alyssa “Lightning” Linduska (debut) to the promotion at strawweight.

The location, ticketing details and broadcast information for Invicta FC 47: Ducote vs. Zappitella will be announced in the coming weeks.

The full fight card can be found below:

Strawweight Title: Emily Ducote vs. Alesha Zappitella
Featherweight: Courtney King vs. Chelsea Chandler
Atomweight: Lindsey VanZandt vs. Jillian DeCoursey
Bantamweight: Lisa Verzosa vs. Serena DeJesus
Flyweight: Janaisa Morandin vs. Liana Pirosin
Strawweight: Jennifer Chieng vs. Alyssa Linduska

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.

About Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc.
Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc. 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 company Gravitas Ventures; Fight Network, the world’s premier combat sports channel; IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world’s leading wrestling organizations specializing in original programming and live events; Invicta Fighting Championships, the world’s premier all-women mixed martial arts promotion; Game+, the leader in Esports and gaming content; GameTV, the home of game shows and competition-based reality series; and HDNet Movies, which features theatrically released films and documentaries. Anthem also has a significant ownership interest in Pursuit Channel, one of the top outdoor channels in the U.S.