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Invicta FC 54 Results: McCormack Puts Wójcik to Sleep, Retains Strawweight Title

BOSTON – On Friday, Oct. 27, Invicta Fighting Championships made its debut on the East Coast, hosting Invicta FC 54: McCormack vs. Wójcik from Citizens House of Blues.

In the night’s headliner, Ireland’s Danni McCormack retained her 115-pound strap after choking challenger Karolina Wójcik unconscious in the fight’s fourth round. Wójcik never tapped, but was finished for the first time in her career. The finish punctuated a dominant night for the champion, who controlled the action from the fight’s onset.

Former flyweight title challenger Kristina Williams got back in the win column after edging out Irish newcomer Dee Begley on the scorecards after three rounds.

Andrea Amaro spoiled the night of Massachusetts native Hilarie Rose by securing a first-round rear-naked choke.

In the featherweight division, Riley Martinez made quick work of Germany’s Julia Dorny, taking the back and coercing a tap less than two minutes into the fight.

Kicking off the night, bantamweight Maria Djukic picked up a decision nod over Brazilian Fernanda Araujo.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Danni McCormack def. Karolina Wojcik by technical submission (rear-naked choke). Round 4, 1:22– for strawweight title
Kristina Williams def. Dee Begley by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Andrea Amaro def. Hilarie Rose by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 1, 4:19
Riley Martinez def. Julia Dorny by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 1, 1:48
Maria Djukic def. Fernanda Araujo by unanimous decision (30-37, 29-28, 29-28)

The planned strawweight bout between Valesca Machado and Kalindra Faria was removed from the event due to illness.

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 Toronto, Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, New York, Kansas City and Cleveland. 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 with broadcast distribution across 10+ countries and available globally through multiple OTT platforms; IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world’s leading wrestling organizations; Invicta Fighting Championships, the world’s premier all-women mixed martial arts promotion;  Game+, the leader in sports wagering, 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. For more information, visit www.anthemse.com.

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Invicta FC 54: McCormack vs. Wójcik Official Weigh-in Results

BOSTON — On Thursday, Oct. 26, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 54: McCormack vs. Wójcik, which takes place Friday, Oct. 27 from Citizens House of Blues.

The event will feature the first title defense for strawweight champion Danni “Mac” McCormack (7-2), who collides with Polish challenger Karolina “Polish Assassin” Wójcik (11-3). Both fighters were in action at Invicta FC 52 in March, with McCormack making history as the promotion’s first Irish champion by dethroning Brazilian Valesca Machado after five hard-fought rounds. Wójcik, meanwhile, edged out Brazilian Ediana Silva in the co-main event to claim No. 1 contender status.

In the co-main event, Brazilian Kalindra Faria (19-9-1) brings a wealth of combat sports experience as she squares off with her countrywoman, Valesca “Tina Black” Machado (12-4), in a strawweight collision.

Invicta FC 54: McCormack vs. Wójcik will kick off at 8 p.m. ET, airing live on Invicta’s official YouTube Channel and Facebook Page, AXS TV in the U.S., Fight Network in Canada, Fox Sports in Mexico, Globo’s Combate in Brazil, DirecTV across Latin America, Viaplay and Match TV in Europe and Star Times across Africa.

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

Strawweight Title: Danni McCormack (114.6) vs. Karolina Wójcik (114.2)
Strawweight: Valesca Machado (115.9) vs. Kalindra Faria (116)
Flyweight: Kristina Williams (125.5) vs. Dee Begley (125.9)
Strawweight: Hilarie Rose (115.9) vs. Andrea Amaro (115)
Featherweight: Julia Dorny (145.8) vs. Riley Martinez (145.2)
Bantamweight: Maria Djukic (135) vs. Fernanda Araujo (134.9)

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 Toronto, Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, New York, Kansas City and Cleveland. 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 with broadcast distribution across 10+ countries and available globally through multiple OTT platforms; IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world’s leading wrestling organizations; Invicta Fighting Championships, the world’s premier all-women mixed martial arts promotion;  Game+, the leader in sports wagering, 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. For more information, visit www.anthemse.com.

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Invicta FC 54 Adds Strawweight Veteran Kalindra Faria to Fight Card

BOSTON — The fight card Invicta Fighting Championships 54 has added more star power for the promotion’s debut in Boston on Friday, Oct. 27.

Brazilian Kalindra Faria (19-9-1) brings a wealth of combat sports experience into the night’s co-main event, as she squares off with her countrywoman Valesca “Tina Black” Machado (12-4) in a strawweight collision. Machado’s original opponent, Isis Verbeek, has been forced off the card, setting up the all-Brazil showdown. Faria, a three-fight UFC veteran, has faced a who’s who of competition during her 14-year career including former Invicta titleholders Jennifer Maia and Vanessa Porto, as well as strawweight contenders Cláudia Gadelha, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Joanne Calderwood.

Also joining the card is a bantamweight match-up between Canadian “Sweet” Maria Djukic (2-1) and Massachusetts-based Brazilian “Ferocious” Fernanda Araujo (2-3). Djukic aims to rebound from a spirited battle at Invicta FC 48 opposite the hard-hitting Auttumn Norton. Araujo carries with her a judo black belt and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt into the bout in her own backyard.

Invicta FC 54 will take place from the Citizens House of Blues and features the first title defense for strawweight champion Danni “Mac” McCormack (7-2), who meets Polish challenger Karolina “Polish Assassin” Wójcik (11-3). Both fighters were in action at Invicta FC 52 in March, with McCormack making history as the promotion’s first Irish champion by dethroning the aforementioned Machado. After falling short in the Invicta FC 50 title tournament, Wójcik edged out Brazilian Ediana Silva in March to cement herself as the No. 1 contender for the 115-pound belt.

The night’s action kicks off at 8 p.m. ET, airing live on Invicta’s official YouTube Channel and Facebook Page, AXS TV in the U.S., Fight Network in Canada, Fox Sports in Mexico, Globo’s Combate in Brazil, DirecTV across Latin America, Viaplay and Match TV in Europe and Star Times across Africa. Tickets to the event are available now through Ticketmaster.

The full fight card can be found below:

Strawweight Title: Danni McCormack vs. Karolina Wójcik
Strawweight: Valesca Machado vs. Kalindra Faria
Flyweight: Kristina Williams vs. Dee Begley
Strawweight: Hilarie Rose vs. Andrea Amaro
Featherweight: Julia Dorny vs. Riley Martinez
Bantamweight: Maria Djukic vs. Fernanda Araujo

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, Cleveland 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.