Fight

Invicta FC 41 Loses Kelly D’Angelo vs. Itzel Esquivel

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KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The fight card for Invicta FC 41 has lost a bout.

The strawweight bout between Texan Itzel Esquivel (4-2) and former atomweight contender Kelly “Wildfire” D’Angelo (4-3) has been removed from the event. A pre-fight COVID-19 test came back positive after the initial test result was determined to be a false-negative. The individual testing positive is asymptomatic, but as a precaution to all of the fighters, their corners, Invicta FC staff and commission officials, Esquivel and D’Angelo will not compete tonight. The fight card will proceed with five fights.

Invicta FC 41 takes place tonight, Thursday, July 30 in Kansas City. The event will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT and is headlined by a strawweight bout between former title challenger Janaisa “Evil Princess” Morandin (10-3) of Brazil and Mexico’s Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz (8-1).

The updated Invicta FC 41 fight card can be found below:

Strawweight: Janaisa Morandin vs. Montserrat Ruiz
Flyweight: Erin Blanchfield vs. Brogan Sanchez
Featherweight: Kaitlin Young vs. Latoya Walker
Flyweight: Caitlin Sammons vs. Claire Guthrie
Flyweight: Natalya Speece vs. Alexa Culp

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.

04_Alesha_Zappitella_vs_Kelly_DAngelo_07

Kelly D’Angelo Returns to Strawweight, Meets Itzel Esquivel at Invicta FC 41

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Kansas City, Kan. – The lineup for Invicta FC 41 has undergone a late change.

Strawweight Cynthia Arceo is out of her scheduled match-up with fellow Texan Itzel Esquivel (4-2). Replacing Arceo on less than two weeks’ notice will be atomweight contender Kelly “Wildfire” D’Angelo (4-3). The Missouri product has made four appearances in the Invicta cage, with the three most recent outings coming at 105 pounds. However, the 33-year-old’s promotional debut in 2017 came in the strawweight division against Sunna Davíðsdóttir.

Invicta FC 41 takes place Thursday, July 30 in Kansas City, Kan. The event will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT. The event is headlined by a strawweight bout between former title challenger Janaisa “Evil Princess” Morandin (10-3) of Brazil and Mexico’s Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz (8-1).

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event will take place behind closed doors — sans fans and media. As with any Invicta event, the safety of its fighters, their corners, its staff and commission officials is of the utmost priority. All participants will be tested prior to the event.

The updated Invicta FC 41 fight card can be found below:

Strawweight: Janaisa Morandin vs. Montserrat Ruiz
Flyweight: Erin Blanchfield vs. Brogan Sanchez
Featherweight: Kaitlin Young vs. Latoya Walker
Strawweight: Kelly D’Angelo vs. Itzel Esquivel
Flyweight: Caitlin Sammons vs. Claire Guthrie
Flyweight: Natalya Speece vs. Alexa Culp

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.

Kelly Faszholz (Phil Lambert/Vital Imagery)

Three Fighters Join Invicta FC Roster

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Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships today announced the signing of three athletes to its roster.

Joining the flyweight division will be Russia’s Milana Dudieva (11-5). The 27-year-old UFC veteran has stopped nine of her 11 career victories — all inside the first round — including six by way of submission. She has shared the cage with the likes of fellow Invicta fighters Pannie Kianzad and Elizabeth Phillips during her 16-fight career.

Bolstering the 135-pound division is Kelly Faszholz (3-2). Like Dudieva, Faszholz is a UFC veteran with a propensity for finishes on the mat. All three of her career wins have come via submission. The 31-year-old battled former Invicta titleholder Lauren Murphy in a “Fight of the Night” performance last year.

The strawweight division has a fresh face in Missouri’s Kelly D’Angelo (2-0). In addition to her unblemished professional record, D’Angelo also went 5-0 as an amateur. She topped fellow Invicta fighter Samantha Diaz in her most recent outing.

Bouts for the new roster additions have not been finalized at this time. Check InvictaFC.com for future updates on all four athletes.

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.