Shawnee, Okla. — On Friday, Nov. 16, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted Invicta FC 32: Spencer vs. Sorenson from the FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Okla. The event streamed live on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
There’s a new featherweight champion as Felicia Spencer outworked Pam Sorenson and earned a fourth-round submission victory. Spencer powered into the clinch and took Sorenson to the ground early in the fight. She scrambled to Sorenson’s back and began looking for a choke attempt. Sorenson defended well, as Spencer settled for short strikes and positional control. The tide turned in round two, as Sorenson used her Muay Thai and balance to stay upright and score with knees and elbows. Spencer reclaimed momentum in round three, mixing in a variety of kicks to accompany her aggressive clinch game and takedowns attempts. She stunned Sorenson with a series of punches, but could not find a finish. It was more of the same in round four, but a late takedown from Spencer led to a scramble and she again took Sorenson’s back. Once there, she slapped on a rear-naked choke and Sorenson was forced to tap. Spencer is now the third featherweight champion in promotional history and has tied the record for the most submissions inside the Invicta cage.
In the co-main event, Japan’s MIZUKI battled UFC veteran Viviane Pereira. MIZUKI threw a kick early, which allowed Pereira to dump her to the canvas. She sprung back to her feet and looked for a throw, but Pereira powered her to the ground. MIZUKI looked for an armbar, then a leg lock, which allowed her to gain top position. She passed to mount and finished the round pounding on Pereira. With the momentum clearly in her favor, MIZUKI used her head movement and footwork to set up her crisp boxing. Pereira stood directly in front of the former title challenger, absorbing right hand after hand. The Brazilian was clearly frustrated by the assault, but she could not stop it. MIZUKI fed her a steady diet of punches until the final bell, claiming every round from every judge.
Atomweight Ashley Cummins gave Brazilian newcomer Jessica Delboni a rude welcome to the promotion, giving the previously undefeated fighter her first career loss. The pace of the fight was very fast from the opening bell. Delboni scored with leg kicks, which were countered by jabs by Cummins. That set the tone of the fight, as the boxing of Cummins landed with regularity. The veteran mixed in takedown attempts to keep Delboni guessing. A guillotine attempt from Cummins led to the Brazilian gaining top position. It proved to be a disadvantage, as Cummins attacked with an armbar. The jab of Cummins was more and more effective as the fight progressed, keeping Delboni from delivering any damage. When the cards were read, it was Cummins who walked away victorious.
Former Invicta matchmaker Kaitlin Young returned to the promotion’s cage, stopping late-notice opponent Sarah Patterson in under 90 seconds. The pair exchanged leg kicks early, before Young stunned Patterson with a left hand. Young continued delivering kicks, hurting the lead leg of Patterson. The Iowa fighter crumpled to the canvas and Young finished her off with strikes.
Bantamweight Julia Avila sent a message to current champion Sarah Kaufman, demolishing Alexa Conners inside two rounds. Avila came out firing, backing up Conners with punches. Conners was stunned by the early onslaught, but did not go down. Avila mixed up her attack, severely damaging the nose of Conners. Blood poured from the nose and mouth of Conners as Avila continued her assault. In the second round, Avila picked up her output, battering Conners with kicks and knees. Along the cage, Avila unleashed a barrage of punches that hurt Conners. She tried to survive, but a kick from Avila forced her to cover up. The damaging shots were too much for the referee, who stepped in to save Conners from further harm.
Two talented 19-year-old fighters went to battle as flyweights Erin Blanchfield and Kay Hansen fought hard for three rounds. Hansen was the aggressor early, initiating the clinch. Blanchfield showed her strength, reversing the position. That would be the story of the fight, as Blanchfield’s clinch control was too much for Hansen to overcome. An accidental head butt opened a cut over the left eye of Hansen, but she was undeterred. Blanchfield earned a takedown midway through the fight, but she was unable to capitalize. The back-and-forth affair went the full 15 minutes and the judges were called upon for a verdict. One judges saw it even, but the other two dissented, handing Blanchfield the majority-decision win.
Flyweights Stephanie Geltmacher and Liz Tracy put on a show in the night’s third bout. The two talented grapplers put their chins to the test in the opening frame, standing in the pocket and trading wild, looping hooks. Both fighters fired shot after shot, but the pace never slowed. Tracy looked for a takedown in the middle round, but Geltmacher easily shrugged her off. The heavy punches continued, but Tracy began to utilize her front kicks to control the range. Blood poured from the nose of Geltmacher, matching the red of her fight attire. Tracy was able to slip numerous punches in the fight’s last five minutes and quickly bounced back from a takedown attempt from Geltmacher. It wasn’t enough, however, as the judges gave Oklahoma’s Geltmacher the decision nod.
The second bout of the evening featured a strawweight contest between newcomer Kathryn Paprocki and GLORY Kickboxing veteran Isis Verbeek. Verbeek’s striking was on display early, connecting with a heavy left hand. That prompted Paprocki to look for the clinch and eventually a takedown. Once on the mat, Paprocki took control of the fight. In round two, the Colorado fighter again brought the fight to the mat and mounted Verbeek. She rained short shots, but landed an illegal head butt. The referee took a point and the position from Paprocki. The final round saw Verbeek threaten with a guillotine choke, but Paprocki escaped, moved to mount and threatened with an armbar. Despite the point deduction, Paprocki cruised to the decision victory.
The night’s action opened with a bantamweight match-up between the returning Chelsea Chandler and newcomer Mitzi Merry. Chandler was very active with her punches in the fight’s opening stanza, wobbling Merry with a short left hand. She used that momentum to get the clinch, where she battered the midsection of Merry with knees. That would prove to be the story of the fight, as Chandler was able to neutralize Merry’s offense for the remainder of the fight. Chandler swept the scorecards with the strong performance.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Felicia Spencer def. Pam Sorenson by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 4, 4:23 – for featherweight title
MIZUKI def. Viviane Pereira by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Ashley Cummins def. Jessica Delboni by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Kaitlin Young def. Sarah Patterson by TKO (kick and punches). Round 1, 1:25
Julia Avila def. Alexa Conners by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 4:43
Erin Blanchfield def. Kay Hansen by majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Stephanie Geltmacher def. Liz Tracy by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Kathryn Paprocki def. Isis Verbeek by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-26)
Chelsea Chandler def. Mitzi Merry by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
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 (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.
