Grusander

Invicta FC 52 Fight Card Complete with Grusander-Bannon and Kline-Kuziutina

DENVERย โ€” The fight card forย Invicta FC 52: Machado vs. McCormackย is now complete with the addition of two strawweight contests. The bouts join the previously announced match-ups, which take place Wednesday, March 15 from Reelworks Denver.

Two-time atomweight title challenger Minna “Brutsku” Grusander (6-4) of Finland moves to the 115-pound division to take on undefeated Irish athlete Shauna “Mama B” Bannon (4-0). Grusander will step into the Invicta cage for the first time since 2018, when she pushed then-champion Jinh Yu Frey to the limit on two occasions. Bannon, meanwhile, made a successful promotional debut in September and will aim to keep her perfect record intact.

Also in the strawweight division, red-hot prospect Fatima “The Archangel” Kline (3-0) looks to continue her ascension through the ranks when she welcomes Russian judoka Natalia “Kuzya”ย Kuziutina (1-0) to the organization. New York’s Kline showcased her well-rounded attack in January, bestingย Ultimate Fighter veteran Laura Gallardo on the scorecards. American Top Team’s Kuziutina earned an Olympic bronze medal in 2016, but has recently turned her attention toward mixed martial arts.

Additionally, bantamweight Alexa Conners has been forced from her clash with undefeated Mexican Montserrat “Monster” Rendon (5-0). Stepping in for Conners will be Rendon’s countrywoman, Maria “Leona” Favela (4-2), who makes her third Invicta appearance. Finally, veteran Amber Leibrock is out of her match-up with Ramona Pascual (6-5), who now faces Dutch newcomer Kaylee Vos (2-2).

Invicta FC 52: Machado vs. McCormackย is headlined by the first title defense for strawweight championย Valesca “Tina Black” Machado (12-3), who collides with Ireland’s Danni “Mac” McCormack (6-2). The event will be overseen by theย Colorado Combative Sports Commission and will feature open scoring. It kicks off at 9 p.m. ET/7 p.m. MT, and airs live onย Invictaโ€™s officialย YouTube Channelย andย Facebook Page,ย AXS TVย in the U.S., Fight Networkย in Canada,ย Fox Sports in Mexico, Globoโ€™s Combate in Brazil, DirecTV across Latin America, Viaplay and Match TV in Europe and Star Times across Africa. Tickets to the event are on sale now through Eventbrite.

The complete fight card can be found below:

Strawweight Title:ย Valesca Machado vs. Danni McCormack
Strawweight:ย Karolina Wรณjcik vs. Ediana Silva
Strawweight:ย Minna Grusander vs. Shauna Bannon
Bantamweight:ย Montserrat Rendon vs. Maria Favela
Featherweight:ย Ramona Pascual vs. Kaylee Vos
Strawweight:ย Fatima Kline vs. Natalia Kuziutina
Strawweight:ย Sayury Caรฑon vs. Amanda Macioce


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.

Machado

Valesca Machado Defends Strawweight Title Against Danni McCormack at Invicta FC 52

DENVERย โ€” Invicta Fighting Championships will once again touch down in Colorado’s capital, hosting Invicta FC 52: Machado vs. McCormack fromย Reelworks Denverย on Wednesday, March 15.

The event will feature the first title defense for strawweight championย Valesca “Tina Black” Machado (12-3), who collides with Ireland’s Danni “Mac” McCormack (6-2). Both fighters were in action at Invicta FC 50 in November, with Machado defeating bothย Karolina Wรณjcik andย Ediana Silva to capture the 115-pound tournament and championship belt. McCormack was also victorious that night, besting Brazilianย Maira Mazar on the scorecards.

In the night’s co-main event, the aforementionedย Karolina “Polish Assassin” Wรณjcik (10-3) andย Ediana “Mel Pitbull” Silva (12-3) look to rebound after falling short in their most recent bouts.ย Wรณjcik toppedย UFC veteran Gloria de Paula to reach the strawweight tournament final before dropping a decision to the champion Machado. Silva similarly pushed Machado to the limits in their semifinal match-up, but ultimately fell short in the eyes of the judges.

Also on the card, undefeated Mexican bantamweight Montserrat “Monster” Rendon (5-0) meets veteran Alexa Conners (6-4), California’sย Amber “Touch ‘Em Up” Leibrock (6-4) welcomes Hong Kong native Ramona Pascual (6-5) back to the Invicta cage at featherweight, and Colombia’s Sayury Caรฑon (2-0) takes on fellow strawweight newcomer Amanda Macioce (1-0). Additional bouts for the event will be announced at a later date.

Invicta FC 52: Machado vs. McCormack will be overseen by theย Colorado Combative Sports Commission and will feature open scoring. The event will kick off at 9 p.m. ET/7 p.m. MT, airing live onย Invictaโ€™s officialย YouTube Channelย andย Facebook Page,ย AXS TVย in the U.S., Fight Networkย in Canada,ย Fox Sports in Mexico, Globoโ€™s Combate in Brazil, DirecTV across Latin America, Viaplay and Match TV in Europe and Star Times across Africa. Tickets to the event are on sale now through Eventbrite.

The current fight card can be found below:

Strawweight Title:ย Valesca Machado vs. Danni McCormack
Strawweight:ย Karolina Wรณjcik vs. Ediana Silva
Bantamweight:ย Montserrat Rendon vs. Alexa Conners
Featherweight:ย Amber Leibrock vs. Ramona Pascual
Strawweight:ย Sayury Caรฑon vs. Amanda Macioce


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.