Harrison

Invicta FC 43 Results: Harrison Pounds Out King, Geltmacher Scores Devastating Knockout

by NewsOfficial Results

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.

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Invicta FC 43: King vs. Harrison Official Weigh-in Results

by News

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — On Thursday, Nov. 19, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 43: King vs. Harrison. The event takes place Friday, Nov. 20, with the entire card streaming live on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT.

The card was slated to be headlined by a strawweight title fight between Emily “Gordinha” Ducote (9-6) and Mexico’s Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz (9-1). Both fighters successfully made championship weight – Ducote at 114.5 pounds and Ruiz at 113.3 pounds – but there were positive COVID-19 tests that potentially exposed the main event athletes to the virus. Safety is the utmost priority for Invicta FC events and the enhanced pandemic protocols have forced the postponement of the bout to a future date.

As a result of the change, the featherweight debut of two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison (7-0) will now serve as the night’s headliner. Harrison takes on veteran Courtney “The Lion” King (4-1).

Harrison, a sixth-degree black belt in judo, has compiled a perfect record competing in the lightweight division under the Professional Fighters League banner. Five of her seven victories have come inside the distance. She most recently captured the promotion’s lightweight tournament with a decision win over UFC veteran Larissa Pacheco. Colorado’s King enters the bout riding a three-fight winning streak that includes two submission victories. The 27-year-old most recently submitted fellow Invicta alum Audrey Wolfe in December. She also holds wins over Holli Logan and Colbey Northcutt.

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

Featherweight: Courtney King (145.2) vs. Kayla Harrison (145.9)
Flyweight: Stephanie Geltmacher (124.9) vs. Caitlin Sammons (124.2)
Bantamweight: Brittney Cloudy (137.3)* vs. Hope Chase (135.9)
Strawweight: Alexa Culp (115.6) vs. Meaghan Penning (115.9)
Flyweight: Juliana Miller (125.2) vs. Kendal Holowell (125.8)

* – Cloudy missed the bantamweight limit of 136 pounds and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse

Additionally, former featherweight title challenger Kaitlin Young weighed in as a reserve fighter, hitting the scale at 145.9 pounds.

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.

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History Lesson: The Journey of the Invicta Strawweight Title

by Previews

On Friday, Nov. 20, Invicta Fighting Championships will host its 43rd event from Kansas City, Kan. The event will crown the eighth strawweight champion in promotional history. Let’s take a look back at the belt’s history.

SETTING THE PACE

Invicta FC 4 was the stage where the first-ever Invicta strawweight champion was crowned.

The main event was expected to feature Carla Esparza and Claudia Gadelha. Unfortunately, Gadelha was forced from the bout because of a broken nose and needed to be replaced.

Also training for a fight that night was Australian Bec Rawlings — neé Hyatt. Rawlings was set to take on Joanne Calderwood on the undercard, but got the call to face Esparza.

Rawlings was the underdog in the fight, especially considering the late notice. However, Rawlings showed up to fight the highly touted Esparza.

While Rawlings proved to be a tough opponent, Esparza proved why she was regarded as one of the best 115-pounders in the world. For five rounds, Esparza used her solid boxing and vastly superior wrestling to stifle Rawlings. When the buzzer went off at the end of round five, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Esparza was the first-ever Invicta strawweight champion.

It was a short run though…

FINNING THE VOID

Esparza’s championship win was quickly followed by the UFC opening its own women’s strawweight division. With that, the champion decided to join the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, where they had a tournament to crown the first-ever UFC strawweight titleholder (which Esparza would go on to win).

Esparza’s departure left a void. And that void was to be filled at Invicta 8.

Europe’s top 115-pounder, Katja Kankaanpää of Finland, was matched against top American prospect Stephanie Eggink. The bout was paired with an atomweight title affair for championship doubleheader.

Kankaanpää’s experience figured in heavy into this fight by many, and their assertions proved to be correct. Kankaanpää, the tough and gritty vet, was able to mostly stifle Eggink throughout the fight. The big X-factor was her grappling.

The fight went into the fifth round and Kankaanpää decided to hit the gas, preferring to score a finish over letting the judges decide. She got Eggink to the ground, slapped on a D’Arce choke and tapped out Eggink just over two minutes into the final round.

The title win was huge, but she was then tasked with being the first strawweight champ to defend her title.

GANGSTER’S PARADISE

Kankaanpää’s win was huge, but she had a big task ahead of herself, as the Invicta strawweight division was brimming with talent. Her first challenger would be a highly touted newcomer from Brazil named Livia Renata Souza, the self-described Brazilian gangster.

The struggle for the champion would be matching her ground game with that of Souza, as Souza is known for her top-level submission grappling. Unfortunately for the champ, that would be on display in this match-up.

After four rounds of fighting, Souza was able to slap on a triangle choke, forcing a tap from Kankaanpää, thus ending her brief championship run. Kankaanpää would retire from the sport a few fights later with that championship accolade to her name.

Now, it was the task of Souza to be the first strawweight champ to defend the belt. Her first opponent as champ was DeAnna Bennett, a respected veteran that has been in the position of big fights more than a few times. Bennett also happened to be 8-0 at the time, making this a battle of the unbeatens.

The co-main event of Invicta 15 figured to be the BJJ of Souza vs. the boxing and wrestling of Bennett. However, just 1:30 into the first round, Souza landed a brutal body kick that folded Bennett. Souza followed up with several punches and just like that, she had defended her title with a highlight-reel finish.

The UFC would eventually be in the future of Souza, but not before her next fight at Invicta 17.

QUEEN OF THE HILL

Souza would be matched up in her second title defense against Angela Hill, a young fighter in the sport that had made The Ultimate Fighter despite having just one pro fight. Hill had washed out of the UFC not long after, and was ready to regroup under the Invicta banner.

Hill had begun her comeback with Invicta, scoring TKO victories in two bouts over Alida Gray and the aforementioned Eggink. Those two wins allotted her the resume to warrant a title shot against Souza.

Invicta 17 came around with Souza and Hill populating the co-main event in support of the bantamweight title in the main slot. Fans anticipated a clash of styles.

What they saw was a highly competitive bout. Hill used her solid Muay Thai skills and excellent athleticism to contrast with the top-level ground game and strength of Souza. Both fighters had their moments, but after 25 minutes it would come down to the judges’ scorecards.

The judges were split in who they thought took the victory; with two judges scoring the fight in favor of Hill, netting her the title and dethroning Souza in an upset.

Hill’s first title defense would take place at Invicta 20 against powerhouse Kaline Medeiros. The Brazilian Medeiros was known for her fierce knockout power and was a threat to put Hill out with one shot.

In a more clear-cut title fight for Hill, she was able to outpoint Medeiros on all the scorecards, defending her title and continuing her career resurgence after her initial UFC ouster.

Hill vacated the title after the win and headed to the UFC, as she received a late-notice opportunity. She’s been there ever since.

BLACK BELT, TITLE BELT

With the departure of Hill, Invicta again needed to fill a vacancy. So, the company looked to two of it’s top international stars to fill that need: Mizuki Inoue of Japan and Virna Jandiroba of Brazil.

Invicta 28 was the site where that vacant title would be filled. Mizuki was known to Invicta fans for her exciting style and impressive resume, while Jandiroba was an undefeated 13-0 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt looking to make a name for herself.

Like many of the title fights before it, Mizuki-Jandiroba was a competitive fight that had fans in attendance on their feet. Mizuki’s striking and Jandiroba’s grappling were both on display, in a great contrast of style.

For the second time in Invicta strawweight championship history, the judges were split on their choice for the winner. However, it was Jandiroba who got the judge’s tilt, making her the second Brazilian champ in the division’s history.

With that win, Jandiroba was then matched up with a fellow Brazilian Janaisa Morandin at Invicta 31 in her first defense of the gold. However, this time, she made sure to leave no doubt in the minds of the judges and fans.

In the second round, Jandiroba really made the grappling disparity apparent, as she dominated her countrywoman. She secured a beautiful arm-triangle choke, coercing a tap from Morandin and successfully defending her title.

As with the previous champ, Hill, Jandiroba would be offered a UFC contract and would then vacate the title to pursue that endeavor.

ONE NIGHT, THREE FIGHTS, ONE BELT

To fill the void left behind by Jandiroba, Invicta decided to hold an eight-woman, one-night tournament to crown a new champion. The tournament would consist of UFC veterans Kailin Curran, Juliana Lima and Danielle Taylor; international stars Sunna Davidsdottir and Manjit Kolekar; Invicta mainstays Sharon Jacobson, Amber Brown; and top regional fighter Brianna van Buren.

Each quarterfinal and semifinal bout was one round, with the final being a three-round affair. The winner of that three-round fight would earn the Invicta gold.

The opening round saw Curran and Lima score split decisions over Davidsdottir and Taylor, respectively. Jacobson defeated Brown by unanimous decision and van Buren scored an armbar finish over Kolekar.

The semifinals saw two more definitive wins than the first round, though there were no finishes. Van Buren bested the favored Lima by unanimous verdict, while Curran did the same over Jacobson in what was seen as an upset.

The main event came and both fighters could taste victory. It was just 15 minutes (or less) away.

In what was an outstanding performance, van Buren completed the Cinderella run in which she outlasted UFC veterans and other top prospects to dominate Curran in the finals and choke her out in the second round. With that, the championship void was filled with a young, exciting star.

However, we would never see van Buren defend that title, as the UFC offered her a fight on late notice, effectively vacating the belt.

LAND OF THE RISING STAR

With the belt without a home, Invicta again had to put together two stars to square off for the gold. Invicta 38 was the site, and competing for the title would be Japanese phenom Kanako Murata and scrappy veteran Emily Ducote.

Murata had gained fame fighting for top Japanese organization Rizin and was known for her excellent wrestling. Ducote, on the other hand, was a former Bellator MMA flyweight championship challenger who had ransacked Janaisa Morandin in her Invicta debut to earn this slot.

This was another great fight. Murata had her moments where she showed off underrated striking and good grappling. Ducote showed off her good striking as well, as well as her scrappiness. They threw down for five rounds, warranting a call to the judges.

In what we can call another piece of brilliant matchmaking by Invicta FC, we saw another split decision decide the Invicta 115-pound strap. That decision went the way of Murata, making her the first Japanese strawweight champion in Invicta. It also, in the process, proved the worth of Ducote, who is now one of the best 115-pounders.

Murata never defended the title, though. She vacated the title and signed with the UFC, leaving the belt without an owner once more.

That’s where Ducote and Montserrat Ruiz come in. The belt is on the line at Invicta 43. Who will add to the rich history of Invicta’s strawweight lineage?

This piece is a special contribution from Riley Kontek, a veteran combat sports writer whose work has appeared on Bleacher Report MMA, Combat Press and the MMA Intel Blog. You can follow Riley on Twitter.

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Invicta FC 43: Ducote vs. Conejo Fight Card Preview

by Previews

On Friday, Nov. 20, Invicta Fighting Championships returns to action with its 43rd event from Kansas City, Kan. The event will air live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 8 p.m. CT. Let’s take a deeper look at the night’s fight card.

Strawweight Title: Emily Ducote vs. Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz

The main event will have a vacant title on the line, as former Bellator MMA and Invicta title challenger Emily Ducote looks to take out Mexican star Montserrat Ruiz for the strawweight championship.

Ducote enters this title fight with experience fighting for a belt. She has challenged for the Bellator flyweight championship and Invicta strawweight championship, but fell short in both conquest. That said, the BJJ brown belt is well-rounded and tough as nails. Ducote is comfortable wherever the fight takes place. She did pick up her most recent win at Invicta FC 40, where she bested UFC veteran Juliana Lima on the scorecards. That win earned her this shot at the title.

Across from Ducote is Ruiz, a wrestler and ground fighter who has tasted defeat just once in her career. Possessing a strong submission game, Ruiz proved to the world that she was ready for this title shot in her most recent outing, a scarfhold keylock of Janaisa Morandin. This is her first shot at a major MMA championship.

Who will hold the belt come fight night? Will Ducote finally break through and win a major MMA belt, or will Ruiz add Ducote to her growing highlight reel, nabbing the title in the process?

Featherweight: Courtney King vs. Kayla Harrison

Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison is looking to make a successful debut at 145 pounds in the co-main event, as the $1 million PFL lightweight tournament winner takes on Invicta vet Courtney King.

With PFL’s 2020 campaign canceled due to COVID-19, Harrison has been afforded an opportunity to test the waters at featherweight. The top prospect will look to repeat her success in the lighter weight class. Harrison is an absolute brute, as her physical strength is uncanny. Obviously, the gold medal judoka has excellent takedowns and grappling, as she controls her opponent from the top and tires them out. She throws big ground-and-pound and has a strong submission game as well.

King is the woman tasked with taking on Harrison and will bring it come fight night. She’s riding a three-fight surge, which includes two wins by submission. It’s unlikely that she’ll want to grapple with the decorated Harrison, but she is a capable striker. This is her first Invicta appearance since February of 2019, where she choked out Holli Salazar.

Will the Olympian secure a win going into PFL’s 2021 season and keep her undefeated record? Or will King derail the hype train and hand the highly regarded Harrison her first loss?

Flyweight: Stephanie Geltmacher vs. Caitlin Sammons

A pivotal flyweight bout could push forward a future title contender in the next bout, as top prospect Caitlin Sammons steps in on late notice to take on the scrappy Stephanie Geltmacher. Sammons steps in for Trisha Cicero, who was forced off the event.

Geltmacher is a four-time All-American collegiate wrestler, so she always enters the cage with an excellent base. That said, she’s Hawaiian also, so she has no problem getting into a barn-burning brawl. She’s very physically strong and has rag dolled opponents in the past. Geltmacher is coming into this fight off her only career loss to Victoria Leonardo, which was an fan-friendly fight to say the least.

As for Sammons, the BJJ black belt has been dominant in her three career pro fights, all of which have come under the Invicta banner. She has a knockout, submission and decision on her record against Christina Adcock, Chantel Coates and Claire Guthrie, respectively. She also had quite the successful amateur career. Sammons is very aggressive in terms of trying to force a ground battle, and once the fight gets there, she dominates.

In this battle of prospects, who will come out on top? Will Sammons keep her perfect record intact, or will Geltmacher get back into the win column and put her name amongst the top contenders of Invicta’s 125-pound division?

Bantamweight: Brittney Cloudy vs. Hope Chase

A late addition to the card has been made and it will be in the bantamweight division, as Brittney Cloudy makes her return to Invicta against Hope Chase.

Cloudy is a former collegiate track athlete who successfully transitioned to a pro MMA career. She was supposed to fight at Invicta 42, but her fight was scrapped before fight night. Cloudy is a strong striker and is a Golden Gloves champion as an amateur boxer. After a great amateur career, she has shown to be a solid prospect, possessing technical, powerful boxing and an underrated submission game. Her only two losses came via split decision in bouts that could have easily gone her way. This is her first Invicta fight since her pro debut in 2018 against top Invicta flyweight Erin Blanchfield.

Across from Cloudy is Chase, a 21-year-old prospect with a bright future in the sport. She has a karate and boxing background, so look out for Chase’s skills on the feet. She enters this fight after a semifinal finish in the Invicta Phoenix Series tournament, where she bested Julia Ottolino before falling to eventual tournament winner Taneisha Tennant. Prior to the tournament, she was on a two-fight winning streak.

In a division clamoring for talent and contenders, every win matters. Will Cloudy make a triumphant return to the organization where she made her pro debut, or will Chase notch the biggest win of her career?

Strawweight: Alexa Culp vs. Meaghan Penning

After making a successful pro debut in her last fight, Alexa Culp looks to score her second win when she welcomes Meghan Penning to Invicta in the latter’s first professional fight.

Culp is part of a strong stable of female fighters at Glory MMA & Fitness in Kansas, so it comes as no shock that the 20-year-old fighter has shown such promise. She went undefeated as an amateur before turning pro in her most recent bout. In her pro debut under the Invicta banner, Culp choked out Natalya Speece, showing off high grappling skills for a BJJ blue belt.

As for Penning, she is similarly a BJJ blue belt with a knack for finishing fights. She has never gone to a judges’ scorecards in her five-fight amateur career, scoring two knockouts and two submissions — while falling via submission in her lone loss. Penning is aggressive and exciting, and hopes to make a name for herself with Invicta fans while making her pro debut.

Will the 20-year-old James Krause protégé keep with her winning ways? Or, will Penning score a massive win in her pro debut, establishing herself as an up-and-coming strawweight to watch?

Flyweight: Juliana Miller vs. Kendal Holowell

A pair of newcomers to Invicta are set to meet in the flyweight division, as Kendal Holowell makes her professional MMA debut against one-fight pro Juliana Miller.

Miller is undefeated as an amateur and a pro, so she’s never tasted defeat in a mixed martial arts contest. She’s a BJJ purple belt that regularly competes in high-level grappling tournaments, showing how solid her ground game is. Miller will look for takedowns early and often, so she can show off those grappling chops in an attempt to score the finish.

Holowell makes her pro debut after a 7-1 run as an amateur. She is a blue belt in BJJ, meaning she likely is giving up some skill on that mat with Miller. That said, she’s got solid striking as well, which she will look to employ in this bout. Holowell is making her debut after the biggest win of her amateur career, a unanimous decision victory over Cara Greenwell.

This is a battle of prospects looking to gain notoriety in this fight. Does Miller make it two wins in two fights as a pro, or does Holowell make a successful debut?

This piece is a special contribution from Riley Kontek, a veteran combat sports writer whose work has appeared on Bleacher Report MMA, Combat Press and the MMA Intel Blog. You can follow Riley on Twitter.

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Invicta FC 43 Gets New Headliner, Kayla Harrison Joins Co-Main Event

by News

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Invicta FC 43 has a new main event, as well as more starpower.

COVID-19 has forced the postponement of a planned flyweight title fight between UFC veteran Pearl “The Chi-Town Princess” Gonzalez (10-5) and 21-year-old Erin “Cold Blooded” Blanchfield (6-1). As a result, the strawweight title clash between Emily “Gordinha” Ducote (9-6) and Mexico’s Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz (9-1) has been elevated to top-billing on Friday, Nov. 20. Oklahoma’s Ducote will challenge for a belt for the second time, having come up short against Kanako Murata at Invicta FC 38. Ducote bounced back with a win over UFC veteran Juliana Lima at Invicta FC 40 in July and with Japan’s Murata signing with the UFC, the title is now vacant. Ruiz was also in action in July, submitting former title challenger Janaisa Morandin in the first round of the Invicta FC 41 main event.

In addition to the main event change, two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison (7-0) will serve as the opponent for veteran Courtney “The Lion” King (4-1). Harrison, a sixth-degree black belt in judo, has compiled a perfect record competing in the lightweight division under the Professional Fighters League banner. Five of her seven victories have come inside the distance. She most recently captured the promotion’s lightweight tournament with a decision win over UFC veteran Larissa Pacheco. The fight with King will mark the 30-year-old’s debut at 145 pounds. Colorado’s King enters the bout riding a three-fight winning streak that includes two submission victories. The 27-year-old most recently submitted fellow Invicta alum Audrey Wolfe in December. She also holds wins over Holli Logan and Colbey Northcutt.

The previously announced flyweight bout between Oklahoma’s Stephanie “Hold Fast” Geltmacher (4-1) and Florida’s Trisha Cicero (4-3) has changed after Cicero has been forced to withdraw from the event. Stepping in will be another Floridian, as Caitlin “Ginger” Sammons (3-0) aims to keep her perfect record intact against the decorated wrestler Geltmacher.

Also joining the card, bantamweight “Hurricane” Hope Chase (2-1) welcomes “The Quiet Storm” Brittney Cloudy (2-2) back to the promotion, while 20-year-old Alexa Culp (1-0) looks to score another “Performance of the Night” bonus against promotional newcomer Meaghan Penning (0-0) at strawweight.

Invicta FC 43 takes place in Kansas City and airs live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT. The event will be overseen by the Kansas Athletic Commission and will feature open scoring. With the ongoing pandemic, Invicta FC 43 will take place behind closed doors — sans fans and media. As with any Invicta event, the safety of its athletes, their corners, its staff and commission officials is of the utmost priority. All participants will be tested for COVID-19 prior to the event.

The updated Invicta FC 43 fight card can be found below:

Strawweight Title: Emily Ducote vs. Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz
Featherweight: Courtney King vs. Kayla Harrison
Flyweight: Stephanie Geltmacher vs. Caitlin Sammons
Bantamweight: Brittney Cloudy vs. Hope Chase
Strawweight: Alexa Culp vs. Meaghan Penning
Flyweight: Juliana Miller vs. Kendal Holowell

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.

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Multiple Bouts Added to Invicta FC 43 Card

by News

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The fight card for Invicta FC 43, which features a previously announced title doubleheader on Friday, Nov. 20, has added three additional match-ups.

Oklahoma’s Stephanie “Hold Fast” Geltmacher (4-1) seeks her third win inside the Invicta cage against Florida’s Trisha Cicero (4-3) in a flyweight bout. Geltmacher was last in action in a 2019 “Fight of the Year” contender against Victoria Leonardo at Invicta FC 36. Cicero rides the momentum of three straight victories, including a decision win over Laura Gallardo at Invicta FC 40 in July.

Kicking off the night’s action will be a pair of flyweight newcomers as California’s Juliana “Killer” Miller (1-0) meets Kendal Holowell (0-0) of Arkansas.

Finally, featherweight veteran Courtney “The Lion” King (4-1) returns to the cage against a to-be-announced opponent.

Invicta FC 43 takes place in Kansas City and airs live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT. In the night’s headliner, UFC veteran Pearl “The Chi-Town Princess” Gonzalez (10-5) meets 21-year-old Erin “Cold Blooded” Blanchfield (6-1) for the flyweight title, while Emily “Gordinha” Ducote (9-6) clashes with Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz (9-1) for the strawweight belt in the co-main event.

The event will be overseen by the Kansas Athletic Commission and will feature open scoring. With the ongoing pandemic, Invicta FC 43 will take place behind closed doors — sans fans and media. As with any Invicta event, the safety of its athletes, their corners, its staff and commission officials is of the utmost priority. All participants will be tested for COVID-19 prior to the event.

The updated Invicta FC 43 fight card can be found below:

Flyweight Title: Pearl Gonzalez vs. Erin Blanchfield
Strawweight Title: Emily Ducote vs. Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz
Featherweight: Courtney King vs. TBA
Flyweight: Stephanie Geltmacher vs. Trisha Cicero
Flyweight: Juliana Miller vs. Kendal Holowell

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.

06_Pearl_Gonzalez_vs_Kali_Robbins_19

Championship Doubleheader Set for Invicta FC 43 in November

by News

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Two titles will be on the line this fall when Invicta Fighting Championships hosts its 43rd event on Friday, Nov. 20 in Kansas City.

In the night’s headliner, UFC veteran Pearl “The Chi-Town Princess” Gonzalez (10-5) meets 21-year-old Erin “Cold Blooded” Blanchfield (6-1) for the flyweight title, which was recently vacated by Vanessa Porto when she signed with Bellator MMA. Gonzalez will be fighting for Invicta gold for the second time, having battled the aforementioned Porto to a technical decision at Invicta FC 34. New York’s Blanchfield steps into the title affair having won three straight and four of her five Invicta appearances. She was most recently in action at Invicta FC 41, defeating Guam’s Brogan Sanchez.

Gold is also up for grabs in the night’s co-main event, as Emily “Gordinha” Ducote (9-6) clashes with Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz (9-1). Like Gonzalez, Ducote will challenge for a belt for the second time. She was narrowly defeated by Kanako Murata at Invicta FC 38. Japan’s Murata has since signed with the UFC, leaving the title vacant once more. Ducote bounced back with a win over UFC veteran Juliana Lima at Invicta FC 40 in July. Mexico’s Ruiz was also in action in July, submitting former title challenger Janaisa Morandin in the first round of the Invicta FC 41 main event.

Invicta FC 43 will be overseen by the Kansas Athletic Commission and will feature open scoring. The event will air live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT. With the ongoing pandemic, Invicta FC 43 will take place behind closed doors — sans fans and media. As with any Invicta event, the safety of its athletes, their corners, its staff and commission officials is of the utmost priority. All participants will be tested for COVID-19 prior to the event.

Additional match-ups for the event will be announced in coming weeks.

The current Invicta FC 43 fight card can be found below:

Flyweight Title: Pearl Gonzalez vs. Erin Blanchfield
Strawweight Title: Emily Ducote vs. Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz

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.