Invicta Fighting Championships held its seventh all-female event tonight at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. Invicta FC 7 was headlined by a flyweight championship bout between champion Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak and challenger Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith.

In tonight’s co-feature, Lauren Murphy faced “The Queen of Mean” Miriam Nakamoto for the inaugural Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship. Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig battled Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres in a featured strawweight bout. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.

 

Invicta FC Flyweight Championship

Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak vs Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is John McCarthy. Honchak put together combinations of punches early in the fight and she clinched in search of a takedown. Smith defended and broke away. Honchak backed her up to the cage and worked for another takedown. She landed knees to the body, but Smith countered with punches over the top. The fighters separated and Honchak landed an uppercut and a lead left hook.

Honchak stayed out of range of Smith’s strikes and landed a counter one-two. She tried once more to take the fight to the mat and Smith defended once again. On her fourth try, Honchak shot in and got Smith down to the ground after ducking under a kick. She took Smith’s back and looked to set up a rear-naked choke. Smith rolled and Honchak switched her grip for an arm-triangle choke, but Smith defended until the bell. 10-9 Honchak.

Round 2:
Honchak landed quick one-twos and a left hook in round two and she knocked Smith down with a front kick. Smith stood and Honchak held her against the cage. She took Smith down and moved to mount, but Smith scrambled back to half-guard. She kicked off of the cage and used it to get back to her feet. Both women landed knees to the body and Smith punched over the top.

Smith reversed the clinch and broke away after landing another knee. Honchak kicked at her lead leg and countered a right hook with a three-punch flurry. The fighters traded punches and Honchak got the better of the exchange. Smith fired back with a hard combination and Honchak kicked to the body. The round ended with both women landing knees and punches. 10-9 Honchak.

Round 3:
Honchak flurried with punches in round three and Smith answered with a left hook. The fighters exchanged strikes in close and both women landed punching combinations. Smith threw a head kick and Honchak caught it. Smith kept the pace high and she landed more flurries of punches and another head kick. Smith backed Honchak up to the cage and landed a standing elbow before backing away.

Honchak jabbed and Smith landed a short right hand. Honchak pressed her against the cage, but Smith quickly circled out and both women landed uppercuts. Smith scored with a one-two and a knee. She grazed with a head kick and Honchak took her down. Smith countered with an omoplata and used it to sweep. She closed out the round on top in Honchak’s guard. 10-9 Smith.

Round 4:
Smith landed punches to the head and body in round four and Honchak returned fire with a three-punch combo that was punctuated by an uppercut. Honchak took Smith down and took mount in a scramble. Smith got back to half-guard, but Honchak pinned her right arm down and landed punches. Smith got her arm free and escaped to her feet, but Honchak landed punches on the way up.

Honchak tried to sweep out Smith’s leg once again, but Smith stayed up and the fighters separated. Honchak countered leg kicks from Smith with crisp right hands. She tried for another takedown and Smith stuffed it. Smith pressed forward with punches and Honchak kept her at a distance with jabs. She landed two knees to the body late in the round. 10-9 Honchak.

Round 5:
The final round began with Honchak landing combinations, but Smith pressed forward with punches of her own and the fighters clinched briefly. Honchak landed two punches and a chopping leg kick. Smith threw a knee to the body, but Honchak caught it and took her down. Smith rolled backwards and scrambled back to her feet. Honchak clinched once more and landed a knee.

More punches were exchanged and Smith stuffed a takedown. Smith missed with an uppercut and a slashing elbow. Honchak landed an uppercut and both women scored with powerful right hands. Honchak tried unsuccessfully for a takedown in the final minute. She got Smith down on her second try and struck from the top. Smith battled back to her feet just before time expired. 10-9 Honchak.

Winner: Barb Honchak by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) after five rounds. She improves to 9-2-0 and remains the Invicta FC Flyweight Champion.

 

Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship

Lauren Murphy vs “The Queen of Mean” Miriam Nakamoto

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Murphy darted in and out with one-twos in the opening round and Nakamoto kept her at bay with stiff jabs. She landed a chopping leg kick and fought off a clinch attempt with a standing elbow. Another hard leg kick scored for Nakamoto and she followed with a nice right cross. Nakamoto flurried with punches and landed a knee in the clinch, but Murphy pressed her against the cage. Nakamoto threw her to the mat and landed an elbow on the way up. Murphy landed a counter right just before the bell. 10-9 Nakamoto.

Round 2:
Nakamoto punished Murphy’s lead leg with another chopping kick in the second round and she jumped in with a flying elbow strike. Left hooks landed for both fighters and Murphy tripped Nakamoto after catching a kick. Nakamoto reversed on the way down and the fight returned to the feet. Nakamoto landed more leg kicks, followed by a knee and a standing elbow.

Time was called after Nakamoto was kneed in the groin. The fight continued and Nakamoto kicked at Murphy’s legs again. Nakamoto stuffed a takedown and threw a step-in elbow. Murphy answered with a knee to the body in close and Nakamoto punched to the ribs. Both fighters threw left hands and Nakamoto’s nose began to bleed. She attempted a jumping knee as time expired. 10-9 Nakamoto.

Round 3:
Murphy fought through knees from Nakamoto in round three and tried for a takedown against the fence, but Nakamoto stayed on her feet. Murphy continued to try to throw Nakamoto to the ground, but Nakamoto maintained her balance. Both women landed knees in close and Murphy got Nakamoto down. She landed punches from the top and knees to the body as Nakamoto worked back to her feet. Murphy took Nakamoto down again and tried for a rear-naked choke before the bell. 10-9 Murphy.

Round 4:
Between rounds, Nakamoto indicated that she had injured her knee when Murphy took her down in round three. The fight continued, but Nakamoto’s knee buckled underneath her early in round four and the fight was stopped.

Winner: Lauren Murphy by TKO (Knee Injury) at 0:23 of round four. She improves to 8-0-0 and becomes the first Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion.

 

Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres vs Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Herrig clinched in search of a takedown right away and the fighters battled back and forth against the cage. Torres landed a nice one-two and backed away. Herrig attempted another takedown and Torres reversed again. She landed another hard one-two and swarmed on Herrig with punches. Herrig answered with a combination of her own, but Torres scored with a knee in the clinch.

Torres continued to score with punches in close and Herrig missed with a front kick. Torres avoided a combination from Herrig and landed an uppercut. She remained a step ahead of Herrig in the exchanges and circled well on the outside. Torres landed a two-punch combination and shrugged off a clinch attempt from Herrig. She backed Herrig up with a side kick and a hard flurry. Herrig took her down just before the bell and Torres countered with a triangle choke attempt. 10-9 Torres.

Round 2:
Torres mixed up her strikes with lead right hooks and side kicks to the body in round two. Herrig attempted a takedown and missed with a knee in close. Torres kicked at Herrig’s lead leg and followed with a four-punch combo. Herrig landed a leg kick and Torres immediately responded with one of her own. Herrig connected with a hard counter right hook and flashed out a front kick.

Torres narrowly missed with a spinning hook kick and she resumed kicking at Herrig’s left leg. Herrig continued to come up just short with her punches and kicks as she walked forward. Torres scored with a counter combination and a side kick. She backed Herrig up with another side kick to the body and followed with another barrage of punches late in the round. 10-9 Torres.

Round 3:
Torres threw an axe kick early in round three and she fought off Herrig’s attempt to take the fight to the ground. Torres broke free of the clinch with a knee and she connected with a lead right hook over the top. Another axe kick landed for Torres and she followed with a series of side kicks to Herrig’s thigh. Herrig clinched and tried for a takedown against the cage.

Torres reversed the clinch and the fighters battled for position. Torres landed short knees to the body and legs. She tripped Herrig to the ground and landed on top in half-guard. Torres landed short elbow strikes from the top, but Herrig secured a sweep and wound up in Torres’s half-guard. The fight ended with both fighters throwing punches on the ground. 10-9 Torres.

Winner: Tecia Torres by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 4-0-0.

 

Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood vs Katja “Killer Bunny” Kankaanpää

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is John McCarthy. Calderwood pawed out with jabs in the opening minute as Kankaanpää circled on the outside. Kankaanpää struggled to land anything as Calderwood sidestepped her punches. Kankaanpää finally connected with a right hand and she tried for a takedown. Calderwood countered with a knee and a flurry of punches. Kankaanpää finally got her down, but Calderwood reversed and wound up on top. She landed punches and elbows and escaped an inverted heel hook attempt from Kankaanpää. 10-9 Calderwood.

Round 2:
Kankaanpää closed the distance and took Calderwood down in the second round, but she could not hold her there for long. The fight returned to the feet and Calderwood countered a leg kick with a nice one-two. The fighters traded punches and Kankaanpää dragged Calderwood down to the mat again. Kankaanpää took Calderwood’s back and worked for a rear-naked choke, then switched to an arm-triangle choke from the top. Calderwood defended and Kankaanpää closed out the round in her guard. 10-9 Kankaanpää.

Round 3:
Kankaanpää attempted a flashy kick in the final round, but Calderwood kicked out her leg and she fell to the ground. The fight returned to the feet and Calderwood landed a head kick. Kankaanpää threw uppercuts and Calderwood clinched. The fighters separated and Calderwood landed stiff jabs. She followed with another head kick, but Kankaanpää took her back. Calderwood turned into the clinch and broke free with a knee, but Kankaanpää landed a combination. Calderwood pinned her against the fence and Kankaanpää landed knees. Calderwood took her down at the bell. Close round. 10-9 Calderwood.

Winner: Joanne Calderwood by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 8-0-0.

 

Julia “The Jewel” Budd vs Charmaine “Not So Sweet” Tweet

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. The fight began with an exchange of uppercuts and knees in close. Budd picked Tweet up and slammed her to the mat. From side control, Budd landed short elbows and looked to set up a keylock. She scored with more elbows from the top and Tweet regained full guard. Budd stood and dropped punches, then passed back to side control. She landed knees to the body and punches until the bell. 10-9 Budd. Close to a 10-8.

Round 2:
Budd took Tweet back down in round two and resumed striking with elbows from side control. Tweet eventually kicked her off and Budd stood up. She returned to Tweet’s guard, but Tweet swept into mount. Budd quickly reversed again and escaped a guillotine choke. She passed back to side control and landed elbows to the head and body. Tweet scrambled and upkicked from the bottom. Budd dropped two hard right hands and finished the round on top. 10-9 Budd.

Round 3:
Budd muscled Tweet to the ground in the final round and struck from the top. She stood over Tweet and the fighters exchanged leg kicks. Budd dropped down into Tweet’s guard and used elbows to set up a move to half-guard. She peppered Tweet with short punches and elbows until just before the final bell. Dominant performance. 10-9 Budd.

Winner: Julia Budd by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 6-2-0.

 

Vanessa Porto vs Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Frausto Gurgel

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is John McCarthy. The fighters traded leg kicks in the opening minute and Gurgel countered kicks from Porto with quick right hands. Gurgel fought off a clinch attempt with a knee and she landed another counter right hand. Both women landed right hooks and Porto fought through body kicks to land a combination in close. She took Gurgel down and landed punches on the way up. Gurgel landed a vicious head kick just as the bell sounded. Close opening round. 10-9 Gurgel.

Round 2:
Porto flurried with punches and worked for a takedown early in round two, but Gurgel took partial back control on the way down and worked for an armbar. Porto escaped and punched from the top. Gurgel scrambled back to her feet and the fighters exchanged right hands. Gurgel threw a head kick and a body kick, but Porto cracked her with a hard one-two to the jaw. Porto remained aggressive with her punches, but Gurgel scored with two hard leg kicks. Porto flurried again late in the round. 10-9 Porto.

Round 3:
Porto punched her way into a clinch in round three and she took Gurgel down against the fence. From the top in half-guard, Porto landed short elbows and passed to side control. She continued to strike from the top until Gurgel kicked her off and sprung back to her feet. Gurgel landed lunging right hands and a body kick. The fighters traded one-twos and Gurgel landed a head kick. She attempted a flying knee in the final seconds. 10-9 Porto.

Winner: Vanessa Porto by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 16-6-0.

 

Tonya “Triple Threat” Evinger vs Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Evinger jabbed and looked to set up right hooks in the opening minute and D’Alelio replied with a body kick. She countered a head kick by taking Evinger down to the mat. D’Alelio threw elbows from side control, then worked for a kimura from half-guard. Evinger escaped and kicked her off, then latched onto D’Alelio’s leg. D’Alelio fought off a takedown attempt and stood up. She landed a body kick late in the round. 10-9 D’Alelio.

Round 2:
D’Alelio landed a hard right hook early in round two, but Evinger threw her to the ground and threw elbows from half-guard. D’Alelio kicked Evinger off and looked to set up a submission from the bottom. Evinger held her against the base of the cage until D’Alelio scrambled up to her feet. Evinger landed a knee and the fighters separated. Evinger rocked D’Alelio with a right hook and tried for a takedown, but D’Alelio recovered and stayed up. Evinger got her down on her second try. D’Alelio stood and landed a body kick. Evinger stuffed a takedown at the bell. 10-9 Evinger.

Round 3:
Evinger landed another hard right hook in round three and D’Alelio fired back with two uppercuts. Evinger took her down and D’Alelio worked for a guillotine choke from her back. She switched to a triangle choke, but Evinger escaped. D’Alelio locked on an armbar and Evinger fought her way free. D’Alelio continued to hunt for submissions, but Evinger moved to side control and threw short elbows. Evinger took D’Alelio’s back and tried for a rear-naked choke late in the close round. 10-9 Evinger due to the late rally.

Winner: Tonya Evinger by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 12-6-0.

 

Nina “The Strina” Ansaroff vs Munah “The Perfect Storm” Holland

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is John McCarthy. Holland looked to close the distance to land right hands early in the fight, but Ansaroff countered with jabs and one-twos. Ansaroff scored with a head kick and a side kick, which prompted Holland to clinch against the cage. She punched to the body until Ansaroff broke free with a knee. Ansaroff landed a counter combination and tripped Holland to the mat. She threw short punches and elbows from side control in the final minute. 10-9 Ansaroff.

Round 2:
Holland opened the action in round two with leg and body kicks and she fought off a takedown attempt. Ansaroff got her down on her second try and struck from the top. She stood up to escape an armbar attempt from Holland and the fighters exchanged looping hooks. Big punches landed for both women and Ansaroff attempted a spinning back kick. She floored Holland with a four-punch combo and dove in with more punches until the fight was stopped.

Winner: Nina Ansaroff by KO (Punches) at 3:54 of round two. She improves to 6-3-0.