Hamasaki

Episode 7: Invicta FC 16 ‘Hamasaki vs. Brown’ Preview

Jack Encarnacao is back on Invicta FC Radio for the inaugural “Invicta FC Radio Preview” show.

On this broadcast Encarnacao welcomes in MMAFighting.com’s Marc Raimondi, MMARising’s Robert Sargent and Kristin Usry from WMMARoundup.com to breakdown tomorrow night’s Invicta FC 16 card which pits atomweight champion Ayaka Hamasaki against Amber Brown in the main event.

The group also discussed the co-main event between Brazilians Vanessa Porto and Jennifer Maia. The pair will battle for the interim flyweight title.

Listen below for the groups analysis and picks of the two title clashes, as well as the rest of the fight card.

https://soundcloud.com/invictafc/preview-invicta-fc-16-hamasaki-vs-brown

IFC16

Invicta FC Returns to Las Vegas on March 11

Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships is headed back to Sin City for its 16th event.

Today the promotion announced that it will visit the Trinidad Pavilion at Tropicana Las Vegas on Friday, March 11. The event will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The main event will see recently crowned atomweight champion Ayaka Hamasaki (12-1) make her first title defense against the hard-charging Amber Brown (6-1). Japan’s Hamasaki captured gold last July with a decision win over Herica Tiburcio at Invicta FC 13. Brown, meanwhile, has won three straight in the Invicta cage, including back-to-back, first-round submission finishes. She topped Shino VanHoose at Invicta FC 15 in January via guillotine choke.

In the co-main event, the promotion will crown an interim flyweight champion as Brazilians Vanessa Porto (18-6) and Jennifer Maia (12-4-1) face off. Both fighters enter the match-up riding three-fight winning streaks. Porto was most recently in action against Roxanne Modafferi at Invicta FC 12, while Maia will return to the Invicta cage after three bouts in her home country.

The rest of the card is stacked with exciting match-ups. Unbeaten Mexican phenom Alexa Grasso (7-0) meets former title challenger Stephanie Eggink (4-2) at strawweight, recent bantamweight title combatant Irene Aldana (5-2) welcomes UFC veteran Jessamyn Duke (3-3) back to the promotion, veteran Roxanne Modafferi (18-12) will face DeAnna Bennett (8-1) in her return to the flyweight division, former atomweight champion Herica Tiburcio (9-3) takes on Jinh Yu Frey (4-1), and Andrea Lee (4-1) will clash with Sarah D’Alelio (8-6) in her flyweight debut.

Rounding out the card, bantamweight Kelly McGill (2-0) returns from injury to meet newcomer Amberlynn Orr (0-0), while strawweights Ashley Greenway (0-0) and Sarah Click (0-0) make their professional debuts.

The fight card for Invicta FC 16 can be found below:

Atomweight Title: Ayaka Hamasaki (12-1) vs. Amber Brown (6-1)
Interim Flyweight Title: Vanessa Porto (18-6) vs. Jennifer Maia (12-4-1)
Strawweight: Alexa Grasso (7-0) vs. Stephanie Eggink (4-2)
Bantamweight: Irene Aldana (5-2) vs. Jessamyn Duke (3-3)
Flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi (18-12) vs. DeAnna Bennett (8-1)
Atomweight: Herica Tiburcio (9-3) vs. Jinh Yu Frey (4-1)
Flyweight: Andrea Lee (4-1) vs. Sarah D’Alelio (8-6)
Bantamweight: Kelly McGill (2-0) vs. Amberlynn Orr (0-0)
Strawweight: Ashley Greenway (0-0) vs. Sarah Click (0-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 16 go on sale Friday, Feb. 19. Tickets will be available for purchase at the Tropicana Las Vegas Show Tickets desk, by calling 800-829-9034, or online at troplv.com.


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships 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. For more information, visit InvictaFC.com, follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights) and like Invicta on Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights).

Cris Cyborg Justino vs Faith Van Duin

Invicta FC 13 Results: Cyborg, Evinger and Hamasaki Leave Vegas with Belts

Las Vegas – On Thursday, July 9, Invicta Fighting Championships made its first trip to Nevada to host Invicta FC 13: Cyborg vs. Van Duin from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino celebrated her 30th birthday with yet another dominant title defense. The Brazilian needed just 45 seconds to put away New Zealand’s Faith Van Duin by TKO. Cyborg was the aggressor throughout, chasing Van Duin around the cage. She wobbled Van Duin with a left hand and followed with a knee that sent Van Duin crashing to the mat and end the fight.

The bantamweight belt is vacant no more as Tonya Evinger dominated Mexico’s Irene Aldana from the opening bell. Evinger caught a kick and brought the fight to the mat. After a scramble, she mounted Aldana and began raining punches. When Aldana tried to escape, Evinger locked up a deep armbar. Aldana showcased a ton of heart and refused to tap. The punishment from Evinger continued in the second and third rounds, as she battered the face of the Mexican fighter. The pace slowed in round four, but Evinger’s dominance continued. A series of heavy blows was enough to force the referee to intervene and hand Evinger the TKO win.

There’s a new champion in the atomweight division as Japan’s Ayaka Hamasaki used a strong grappling game to outwork Brazil’s Herica Tiburcio and earn a split decision win. Hamasaki attacked with flurries of punches before turning to her takedown game. Tiburcio rocked her with a body kick and looked for a guillotine choke, but Hamasaki survived. As the fight progressed, Hamasaki’s takedowns came with more and more ease. Tiburcio remained active from her back, but Hamasaki’s top control was simply too much. Hamasaki became the first Japanese champion in the promotion’s history.

Debuting bantamweights Pannie Kianzad and Jessica-Rose Clark went to war for three rounds, with Sweden’s Kianzad walking away with a clear-cut unanimous decision win. Kianzad was clearly the more technical striker throughout, landing her left hook at will. She mixed in takedowns and was forced to defend an armbar attempt from Clark in round two. As the fight progressed, Kianzad continue to pour it on with punches and kept her perfect record intact.

Amber Brown sent a big message to the atomweight division, becoming the first fighter to defeat Ireland’s Catherine Costigan. Brown marched forward and closed the distance immediately. She powered Costigan to the mat with a trip and landed in mount. Heavy elbows from Brown forced Costigan to give up her back and Brown sunk in a fight-finishing rear-naked choke.

Strawweights Jamie Moyle and Amy Montenegro battled back-and-forth for three rounds, with Moyle eking out a split decision win in her hometown. Moyle scored early with a takedown and took Montenegro’s back, but could not secure a submission. Montenegro answered back with counter shots and pushed the fight against the cage. Moyle’s combinations were the difference as she claimed the nod from the judges.

Making her professional debut, featherweight Amber Leibrock stopped decorated judoka Marina Shafir in just 37 seconds. Leibrock delivered a pair of right hands that dropped Shafir and she followed up with more punches on the ground to earn the TKO.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino def. Faith Van Duin by TKO (punches). Round 1, 0:45 – for featherweight title
Tonya Evinger def. Irene Aldana by TKO (strikes). Round 4, 4:38 – for bantamweight title
Ayaka Hamasaki def. Herica Tiburcio by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 49-46) – for atomweight title
Pannie Kianzad def. Jessica-Rose Clark by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Amber Brown def. Catherine Costigan by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 1, 3:34
Jamie Moyle def. Amy Montenegro by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Amber Leibrock def. Marina Shafir by TKO (punches). Round 1, 0:37


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships 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. For more information, visit InvictaFC.com, follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights) and like Invicta on Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights).

Invicta-FC-13---Cyborg-Hand-Raise

Invicta FC 13 Official for Las Vegas on July 9

Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships is headed to Las Vegas with a championship tripleheader.

The promotion will make its first trip to Nevada on Thursday, July 9, as part of International Fight Week. The event takes place from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan and will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

Headlining the event will be a featherweight title fight between champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (13-1, 1 NC) and New Zealand’s Faith Van Duin (5-1). Cyborg successfully defended her 145-pound title at Invicta FC 11, stopping Canadian Charmaine Tweet in 46 seconds. The win marked the Brazilian’s third straight finish inside the Invicta cage. Van Duin made her promotional debut at Invicta FC 12 in April and submitted Amanda Bell in the second round with a schoolyard choke.

In the night’s co-main event, a new bantamweight champion will be crowned as Tonya Evinger (15-5) locks horns with Mexico’s Irene Aldana (5-1). Evinger enters the title affair riding a six-fight winning streak, including three straight in the Invicta cage. Aldana, meanwhile, has scored back-to-back first-round stoppages over Peggy Morgan and Colleen Schneider under the Invicta banner.

Also slated for the July event is an atomweight title fight between Brazilian champion Herica Tiburcio (9-2) and Japan’s Ayaka Hamasaki (11-1). The pair were originally expected to meet at Invicta FC 9 last fall, but when that fell through, Tiburcio submitted Michelle Waterson at Invicta FC 1o to capture the 105-pound strap.

The full seven-fight card for Invicta FC 13 can be found below:

Featherweight Title: Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (13-1, 1 NC) vs. Faith Van Duin (5-1)
Bantamweight Title: Tonya Evinger (15-5) vs. Irene Aldana (5-1)
Atomweight Title: Herica Tiburcio (9-2) vs. Ayaka Hamasaki (11-1)
Bantamweight: Pannie Kianzad (7-0) vs. Jessica-Rose Clark (5-1)
Atomweight: Amber Brown (4-1) vs. Catherine Costigan (5-0)
Strawweight: Amy Montenegro (6-1) vs. Jamie Moyle (2-0)
Featherweight: Marina Shafir (1-1) vs. Amber Leibrock (0-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 13 will be available through Ticketmaster.


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships 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. For more information, visit InvictaFC.com, follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights) and like Invicta on Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights).

FIGHTING WORDS: AYAKA HAMASAKI

Current JEWELS Lightweight champion, Ayaka Hamasaki, reports to the Invicta FC cage for a second time on July 13th, facing off against Brazilian grappler Claudia Gadelha at Invicta FC 6.

Originally booked to face Straweight champion Carla Esparza before an injury sidelined the champion, Hamasaki is intent on making an impression regardless of the opponent. Gadelha and Hamasaki sport perfect 9-0 records, and one will be leaving with the first loss of their careers on July 13th.

Corey Smith: With a childhood background in Judo, you initially entered into the world of MMA as a means to get into better shape. How familiar were you with MMA at that point, and how did your training begin?

Ayaka Hamasaki: I knew about men’s MMA from watching them on TV but until Rina Tomita told me, I didn’t even know women’s MMA actually existed.

AH: When I joined AACC I had no intention of doing MMA but after taking grappling classes for a year or also, I just tried a MMA class.

AH: And, I did many moves that I’ve never done before and it was really fun so I started doing MMA training.

CS: Many American fighters travel to Japan to train, have you ever trained in the United States? If not, would you consider it?

AH: I thought about training in US but realistically it’s difficult to do so because I have a job, and also, financially it’s not easy to just go to US for training.

CS: What are the main differences between Japanese and American MMA?

AH: I don’t think there is a big difference between the two but in terms of women’s MMA, in Japan, some matches still won’t allow fighters to strike to the head on the ground so compared to overseas, I think we are little bit behind.

CS: It is common knowledge that Japanese fight fans are not as loud and boisterous as their American counterparts. Is that something that you have to adjust to while fighting in America?

AH: First I was very surprised on how loud they are but I can actually pump myself up listening to those fans noise so it was really easy for me to fight in the US.

CS: Aside from specifics for your opponent, what is your focus going into this training camp?

AH: This was going to be my first five 5-minute round bout so I was emphasizing a bit more on the stamina department.

CS: You previously fought at Invicta FC 2, how has your relationship been like with Invicta FC?

AH: Invicta FC did offer me a fight few times (since the Lacey Schuckman fight) but unfortunately because of my previous engagements with the promotion in Japan I couldn’t take it.

AH: But I really enjoy, and proud to be able to fight for Invicta FC, so I would like to fight for them as much as I can.

CS: You were originally slated to face Invicta FC Straweight champion, Carla Esparza. What are your thoughts on the opponent change?”

AH: It’s a bummer that I can’t fight Carla for the title but I am going to fight hard so Invicta FC would match me against Carla in the future.

CS: You are now scheduled to face Brazilian submission authority, Claudia Gadelha. How is the preparation different for Gadelha versus Esparza? How familiar are you with Gadelha?”

AH: Both Carla and Claudia are good grapplers so my basic training schedule hasn’t changed much. But Claudia is a very good BJJ fighter too so I am working on countermeasures in that department for sure.

CS: When you are in the cage, what type of instruction do you like to hear from your corner? Who generally accompanies you into the cage?

AH: I can hear my corner men’s voices pretty well during the fight so I listen to everyone’s advice.

CS: Outside of the gym, what keeps you entertained? How do you unwind after a long day of training camp?

AH: I like to rent DVD’s and watch movies at home. If it’s a good weather, I like to go out with my bike. When I am super tired from training, I play with my two cats.

CS: Other than the weight cut before a fight, what is the hardest aspect of being a professional fighter?

AH: The most difficult thing is to maintain hard training and keep myself injury free.

CS: What is the best advice you have ever received from a fan?

AH: When I hear the fans yelling my name, it just inspires me a lot.

CS: When you look back on your career many years from now, when the lights have dimmed, and the roar of the crowd faded, what do you hope you have accomplished?

AH: Honestly I haven’t really thought about that but I would like to be part of the growth of MMA. Women’s MMA in particular.

CS: Lastly, MMA is as much a team sport as it is an individual one. Who would you like to thank?

AH: I would like to thank Invicta FC for giving me this opportunity and everyone that worked hard to make this fight happen, and everyone that is currently working hard with me everyday.