DXM_0862

Invicta FC 47 Results: Ducote Batters Zappitella to Retain Strawweight Belt

KANSAS CITY, Kan.ย โ€” On Wednesday, May 11,ย Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 47: Ducote vs. Zappitellaย from Memorial Hall.

Strawweight Emily Ducote is still the Invicta champion after stopping former atomweight titleholder Alesha Zappitella after two rounds. Ducote showed great patience and composure to start the fight. She stayed long with her punches and countered whenever Zappitella came forward. Zappitella tried to use her wrestling, but was stuffed by the champion. The challenger stuck with it along the fence, but could not bring the fight to her world. Ducote went after Zappitellaโ€™s left eye in round two, battering it with punches and causing a cut. She stunned Zappitella with a right hand and kept attacking the same spot with precision. Zappitella blinked repeatedly as blood poured out of her eyelid. The doctor was called in to inspect the damage between rounds and halted the contest to protect Zappitella from further harm.

The co-main event featured featherweight Chelsea Chandler edging out Courtney King after three hard-fought rounds. Chandler marched forward immediately and pushed King to the fence. She brought the fight to the ground and moved to mount. She looked to take the back, but King was patient and recovered her guard. She kicked Chandler off and returned to the feet, but Chandler quickly brought the fight back to the clinch and the ground. Ground strikes opened a cut on Kingโ€™s left eye, but she showed her resiliency to once again get back to her feet. King started round two with a bang, sitting down Chandler with a heavy punch. She flurried hard with more punches, but Chandler was able to recover and clinch. Kingโ€™s left eye bled profusely, however she did not back down. A knee to the midsection from King prompted Chandler to close the distance, putting King on her back as the round expired. King probed with kicks in the final stanza, frustrating Chandler. She responded with a takedown, landing in the full guard. King showed an active guard, but Chandler was able to pass to half. King tried to scramble and Chandler punished her with punches. Chandler moved to side control in the center of the cage late in the fight to seal the decision win.

It didnโ€™t take long for atomweight Jillian DeCoursey to re-establish herself as a threat in the division, as she absolutely demolished fellow New York native Lindsey VanZandt in just 61 seconds. The pair traded combinations early in the fight as they looked to find an opening. That opening came in the form of a right hook from DeCoursey, which caught VanZandt flush on the jaw and turned out her lights. The referee rushed in to pull DeCoursey off and she celebrated emphatically.

Former training partners collided when Brazilians Liana Pirosin and Janaisa Morandin met in a flyweight contest. Pirosin used her length to keep Morandin on the outside from the fightโ€™s opening bell. Morandin wasnโ€™t shy about firing heavy leg kicks, but struggled to get into the pocket. Pirosinโ€™s confidence grew as the round progressed, as she peppered Morandin from range. Morandin powered into a takedown, but couldnโ€™t keep the fight on the ground. Morandin again looked to close the distance and clinch in the second frame, but Pirosin shrugged her off. Pirosin continuously fired a lead-leg head kick to keep Morandin honest at range. Morandin pressed forward and found success when she was able to get inside. Her powerful leg kicks turned the legs of Pirosin red. The length and volume of Pirosin still proved to be the difference for most of the round. After exchanging heavy right hands in the opening portion of the final round, Morandin drove Pirosin to the mat. She moved to mount with a guillotine attempt and looked to take Pirosinโ€™s back. Morandin kept the top position and looked for a finish, but it did not come. The judges were split in their verdict, but it was Pirosin who took the decision win.

In the nightโ€™s lone bantamweight clash, Serena DeJesus continued her winning streak after a back-and-forth battle with Brittney Cloudy. Both fighters looked to establish their range early with Cloudy popping her jab and DeJesus firing kicks. The hands of Cloudy scored with volume, but DeJesus scored with thundering body kicks. In round two, a big left from DeJesus backed up Cloudy and she let out a loud yell. Cloudy briefly scored a takedown, but DeJesus powered back to her feet. The pair traded heavy shots in the clinch as Cloudy fired knees and DeJesus answered with elbows. DeJesus was the aggressor in the fightโ€™s last five minutes, pressing forward and landing combinations. A liver kick stunned Cloudy for a moment and DeJesus looked for a finish. It would not come, but DeJesus captured victory on the scorecards.

Strawweight Fatima Kline remained undefeated after stopping a very tough Sidney Trillo. After a brief feeling-out process, Kline ducked under a punch and put Trillo on her back. She fired heavy punches along the fence and looked to take Trilloโ€™s back. Eventually Kline secured the position and applied a body triangle. She worked for a choke, but Trillo showcased great defense. Kline countered well to open the second stanza. She secured a body lock and put Trillo on the mat again. From side control, Kline looked for multiple chokes before rolling for an armbar. Trillo stayed calm and escaped to survive the round. Kline used a big combination to drive into a massive takedown in round three. She mounted Trillo and unleashed a heavy barrage of strikes that forced the referee to intervene.

The night kicked off with a strawweight match-up between newcomer Alyssa Linduska ย and former boxing Olympian Jennifer Chieng. Linduska opened the bout with an onslaught of kicks to keep Chieng at range. Chieng found her timing with her jab and peppered the face of Linduska. A big right hand from Chieng landed clean, prompting Linduska to flurry forward and secure the fightโ€™s first takedown. In round two, Linduska again took the fight to the mat, but Chieng countered and gained top position. Chieng eventually took Linduskaโ€™s back, but could not find a finish. The final frame opened with Chieng looking for a throw, but Linduska reversed it and landed in Chiengโ€™s guard. Chieng threw up a triangle attempt from her back. Linduska delivered heavy knees to defend the submission attempt and finished the fight on top. When the scorecards were revealed, it was Linduska who earned the decision win in her pro debut.

OFFICIALย RESULTS
Emily Ducote def. Alesha Zappitella by TKO (doctor’s stoppage). Round 2, 5:00 โ€“ for strawweight title
Chelsea Chandler def. Courtney King by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Jillian DeCoursey def. Lindsey VanZandt by knockout (right hook). Round 1, 1:01
Liana Pirosin def. Janaisa Morandin by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Serena DeJesus def. Brittney Cloudy by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Fatima Kline def. Sidney Trillo by TKO (strikes). Round 3, 4:45
Alyssa Linduska def. Jennifer Chieng by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)


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 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 (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, Cleveland and Toronto. Anthem’s portfolio includesย AXS TV, a leading music, entertainment and lifestyle television channel and digital media company; global film distribution companyย Gravitas Ventures;ย Fight Network, the world’s premier combat sports channel;ย IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world’s leading wrestling organizations specializing in original programming and live events;ย Invicta Fighting Championships, the worldโ€™s premier all-women mixed martial arts promotion;ย 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.

DucoteZappitella

Invicta FC 47: Ducote vs. Zappitella Official Weigh-in Results

KANSAS CITY, Kan.ย โ€“ On Tuesday, May 10, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 47: Ducote vs. Zappitella.

The eventย โ€” which takes place Wednesday, May 11 and can be watched live and free onย Invicta FCโ€™s YouTube channelย andย Facebook page โ€” features a strawweight title bout between current championย 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 Jรฉssica 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.

The card includes six additional match-ups, as former headlinerย Courtney “The Lion” King (4-2) collides with California’s Chelsea Chandler (3-1) in the featherweight co-feature, Phoenix Tournament finalistย Lindsey โ€œDamselโ€ VanZandt (7-5) squares off with fellow New York native โ€œLionheartโ€ Jillian DeCoursey (4-3) at atomweight, and former strawweight title challengerย Janaisa “Evil Princess” Morandin (10-4) of Brazil takes on countrywoman Liana “Li” Pirosin (7-4) in a flyweight bout.

Invicta FC 47: Ducote vs. Zappitella takes place from Memorial Hall. It will be overseen by the Kansas Athletic Commission and will feature open scoring. The action begins atย 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.

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

Strawweight Title: Emily Ducote (114.4) vs. Alesha Zappitella (114.9)
Featherweight:ย Courtney King (145.5) vs. Chelsea Chandler (145.8)
Atomweight:ย Lindsey VanZandt (106) vs. Jillian DeCoursey (105.9)
Flyweight: Janaisa Morandin (125.7) vs. Liana Pirosin (125.9)
Bantamweight: Serena DeJesus (135.6) vs. Brittney Cloudy (135.3)
Strawweight:ย Fatima Kline (115.9) vs. Sidney Trillo (114.8)
Strawweight:ย Jennifer Chieng (115.6) vs. Alyssa Linduska (115.6)


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 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 (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, Cleveland and Toronto. Anthem’s portfolio includesย AXS TV, a leading music, entertainment and lifestyle television channel and digital media company; global film distribution companyย Gravitas Ventures;ย Fight Network, the world’s premier combat sports channel;ย IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world’s leading wrestling organizations specializing in original programming and live events;ย Invicta Fighting Championships, the worldโ€™s premier all-women mixed martial arts promotion;ย 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.

CDN

Countdown to Invicta FC 47: Ducote vs. Zappitella

KANSAS CITY, Kan.ย โ€“ย Invicta Fighting Championshipsย will host an action-packed night of womenโ€™s mixed martial arts action on Wednesday, May 11. The worldโ€™s premier combat sports organization for women returns forย Invicta FC 47: Ducote vs Zappitella.ย The event will take place from Memorial Hall in Kansas City and isย headlined by a strawweight championship bout.

In the nightโ€™s main event,ย strawweight championย Emily Ducote (10-6) meets former atomweight titleholder Alesha Zappitella (9-3, 1 NC).ย 

Premiering a week before the live event is the documentary,ย Countdown to Invicta FC 47.ย Viewers will get an in-depth look at the training camps of both Ducote and Zappitella as they prepare for their main event match-up.

Oklahomaโ€™s Ducote is coming offย a highlight-reel knockoutย of UFC veteran Danielle Taylor. โ€œThe fact that Iโ€™ve fought so many great girls gives me confidence to trust and handle myself in this fight wherever it goes. Iโ€™m going to do my best on May 11th and I expect to defend my title.โ€

Zappitella was most recently in action opposite Brazilian Jรฉssica Delboni. Prior to the bout with Delboni, Zappitella made it clear that 115 pounds was in her immediate future. โ€œIโ€™m always the smaller fighter. I definitely think Emily is taking me lightly and I think that she really just thinks that Iโ€™m just some small atomweight. Sheโ€™s not that much bigger than me. Iโ€™m not concerned about Emilyโ€™s power. I have fought girls that are bigger her and I have practiced with girls that are much better than her.โ€

Countdown to Invicta FC 47 can be viewed in its entirety below.

[av_video src=’https://youtu.be/RNCPNekgl2s’ mobile_image=” attachment=” attachment_size=” format=’16-9′ width=’16’ height=’9′ conditional_play=” av_uid=’av-ostxcc’]

CREDITS
Direction and Editing:ย Jorge Barbosa
Cinematography:ย Cynthia Vance and Mark Johnston

Invicta FC 47: Ducote vs. Zappitellaย will be overseen by the Kansas Athletic Commission and will feature open scoring. The event will kick off at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT live and free onย Invicta FCโ€™s YouTube channel.


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 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 (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, Cleveland and Toronto. Anthem’s portfolio includesย AXS TV, a leading music, entertainment and lifestyle television channel and digital media company; global film distribution companyย Gravitas Ventures;ย Fight Network, the world’s premier combat sports channel;ย IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world’s leading wrestling organizations specializing in original programming and live events;ย Invicta Fighting Championships, the worldโ€™s premier all-women mixed martial arts promotion;ย 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.