KANSAS CITY, Kan. — On Friday, Nov. 20, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 43: King vs. Harrison. The entire fight card aired exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.
Making her featherweight debut, top lightweight fighter Kayla Harrison kept her perfect record intact with a dominant performance over Colorado’s Courtney King. The fight started with both athletes trading kicks. Harrison landed a left hand and then looked to snatch a leg. King shrugged her off and the pair clinched up against the cage. When they moved off the fence, Harrison tossed King to the ground and unleashed vicious ground and pound. An elbow opened a massive gash between the eyes of King and she poured blood. Harrison rained heavy shots before passing to mount and then taking the back of King. As the round came to a close, Harrison attacked with an armbar, but King was able to survive. Harrison took the fight right back to the mat in round two, but King did a great job to neutralize her from the bottom. The referee stood the fight up, only for Harrison to score another big takedown and start pursuing the finish. She passed to mount, then secured the crucifix position. An onslaught of short shots forced the referee to intervene and hand Harrison the TKO win.
The co-main event featured one of the best knockouts in Invicta FC history as flyweight Stephanie Geltmacher turned out the lights on Caitlin Sammons. The wrestling stalwart Geltmacher rushed forward and slammed Sammons to the canvas. Sammons quickly bounced to her feet and the pair began a grueling battle in the clinch. They swapped short knees and positions along the fence for a large portion of the round. The referee separated them late in the frame, giving the pair some space. The opened the door for Geltmacher to unleash a devastating right hand that caught Sammons flush on the jaw, putting her out and handing her the first defeat of her career.
Bantamweight Hope Chase gave returning Invicta veteran Brittney Cloudy a rude welcome back to the promotion, scoring a second-round submission win. The karate-stylist Chase bounced around early in the fight, but Cloudy used her boxing to pepper the face of Chase. A right hand from Cloudy open a large cut over the left eye of Chase. Chase worked hard for a takedown, eventually forcing Cloudy to her back. The aggressiveness of Chase continued on the mat as she tried to pass the guard with a cartwheel. Round two saw Cloudy capitalized on Chase’s forward pressure, getting a takedown and taking her back. Chase was patient and was able to escape the position. She worked from the top position and transitioned to Cloudy’s back along the cage. She secured a body triangle and applied the fighting-finishing rear-naked choke.
Strawweight debutant Meaghan Penning survived a tough opening round to get the better of 20-year-old Kansas native Alexa Culp. Culp came out firing, cracking Penning with a series of right hands. The nose of Penning bled and she began to work for a takedown. She was relentless along the fence, attempting trips, body locks and every other variation of takedown, but Culp stayed upright and landed knees. In the second round, Culp slipped in the round and it allowed Penning to get on top. She dropped short hammerfists and eventually took Culp’s back. Culp was patient, eventually spinning into Penning’s guard late in the round. The final stanza saw Culp earn an early takedown. However, once there, she struggled to mount offense. Penning was active on her back, throwing elbows and attacking with an armbar. The fight was sent to the judges and it was Penning who earned her first professional win.
The night kicked off with a battle of flyweight newcomers. California’s Juliana Miller spoiled the professional debut of Arkansas fighter Kendal Holowell with a slick armbar finish. The fight began with Miller marching forward, but Holowell ducked under the strikes and initiated the clinch. She worked hard for the takedown along the fence, putting Miller on her back. Miller was active from the bottom, looking for an armbar and then a leg lock. Holowell escaped and went back to her takedown attack. Miller responded with short elbows, but again ended up on the mat. This time, Miller baited Holowell into a bad spot, transitioning to an armbar and coercing the tap before the three-minute mark.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Kayla Harrison def. Courtney King by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 4:48
Stephanie Geltmacher def. Caitlin Sammons by knockout (punch). Round 1, 4:28
Hope Chase def. Brittney Cloudy by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 2, 4:37
Meaghan Penning def. Alexa Culp by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Juliana Miller def. Kendal Holowell by submission (armbar). Round 1, 2:49
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. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.
