Invicta Fighting Championships showcased its 15th all-female fight card tonight at The Hangar at The OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. Invicta FC 15 was headlined by a featherweight championship bout between champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino and Daria Ibragimova.

In tonight’s co-main event, Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Livia Renata “Livinha” Souza defended against DeAnna “The Argentine Assassin” Bennett. Raquel “Lionheart” Pa’aluhi faced Colleen “The Thoroughbred” Schneider. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the Invicta FC 15 card.

 

Invicta FC Featherweight Championship

Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino vs Daria Ibragimova

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is John McCarthy. Ibragimova closed the distance right away and worked for a takedown as Justino threw punches to her face. Justino landed numerous punches and elbows while balancing on one leg. Justino eventually broke free and landed a right hand and a series of knees. She hurt Ibragimova with two right hands, but Ibragimova clinched and latched onto Justino’s left leg again. Justino countered with punches and elbows, but Ibragimova briefly took her down. Justino stood and landed a body kick. She floored Ibragimova with a right hand and finished her with punches on the mat.

Winner: Cristiane Justino by KO (Punches) at 4:58 of round one. She improves to 15-1-0, 1 ND and remains the Invicta FC Featherweight Champion.

 

Invicta FC Strawweight Championship

Livia Renata “Livinha” Souza vs DeAnna “The Argentine Assassin” Bennett

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Jason Herzog. The fighters traded kicks and punches in the opening minute and Souza landed an overhand right. Seconds later, she dropped Bennett with a vicious kick to the liver. Bennett crumpled to the mat and Souza unloaded with hammerfists until the brief fight was stopped.

Winner: Livia Renata Souza by TKO (Kick To The Body & Punches) at 1:30 of round one. She improves to 9-0-0 and remains the Invicta FC Strawweight Champion.

 

Colleen “The Thoroughbred” Schneider vs Raquel “Lionheart” Pa’aluhi

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is John McCarthy. Pa’aluhi closed the distance and slammed Schneider to the mat early on. She took Schneider’s back on the way up and landed knees to the body. Schneider countered with a hard elbow and circled away. Schneider jabbed and Pa’aluhi began to bleed from above her left eye. Schneider threw a spinning back kick to the body and Pa’aluhi clinched. She caught a kick from Schneider late in the round and jumped on her back. Pa’aluhi punched from back control and tried for a rear-naked choke before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Schneider, barely.

Round 2:
Pa’aluhi clinched and scored another takedown in the second round. She landed a big right hand and kept Schneider pinned against the fence throughout the round. Schneider eventually countered with a nice knee and she broke free from Pa’aluhi’s grasp. The fighters circled and traded jabs in the final 30 seconds, and Schneider landed lead right hooks to Pa’aluhi’s badly swollen eye. 10-9 Pa’aluhi by a very slim margin.

Round 3:
Schneider stunned Pa’aluhi with a powerful left hand in the final round, but Pa’aluhi recovered and she scored a brief takedown. Schneider stood and landed a right hand. Pa’aluhi caught a spinning back kick and took Schneider’s back. She dragged Schneider down once, but could not keep her there for long. Pa’aluhi pressed forward again and ate a one-two on the way in. She landed a knee and a right hand in close before Schneider circled out. She scored with punches and Pa’aluhi answered with leg kicks. Both women landed punches before time expired. 10-9 Schneider.

Judge Mike Bell: 29-28 Schneider. Judge Chris Crail: 29-28 Pa’aluhi. Judge Gerassimos Zacharatos: 29-28 Schneider.

Winner: Colleen Schneider by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 10-6-0.

 

Amber “The Bully” Brown vs Shino VanHoose

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Jason Herzog. Brown clinched after an exchange of punches and VanHoose attempted to jump guard. Brown pinned her against the fence and briefly looked for a standing arm-triangle choke. She switched to a guillotine choke and threw knees to the body, but VanHoose countered with a takedown. Brown maintained her grip and tightened the choke, which forced VanHoose to submit.

Winner: Amber Brown by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:36 of round one. She improves to 6-1-0.

 

Mizuki Inoue vs Lacey “The Ladie” Schuckman

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Jason Herzog. Schuckman clinched and scored a nice takedown into side control early on. She landed short elbows from the top and nearly secured a rear-naked choke after Inoue gave up her back, but Inoue scrambled up and scored a takedown of her own. She mounted Schuckman and dropped punches, then spun into a rear-naked choke attempt. Schuckman reversed into top position, but Inoue quickly locked on an armbar. Schuckman escaped and trapped Inoue in an inverted triangle choke. Inoue pulled her head free and used punches to set up another armbar late in the round. 10-9 Inoue.

Round 2:
Inoue threw Schuckman to the mat in the second round and landed knees to the body from side control. She moved to mount and rained down hard punches that forced Schuckman to roll and give up her back. Hammerfists cut Schuckman’s face and Inoue worked for a rear-naked choke. She spun into an armbar soon after, but Schuckman escaped. Inoue unloaded with punches from the top and returned to Schuckman’s half-guard after Schuckman secured a very brief sweep. 10-9 Inoue, if not a 10-8.

Round 3:
Inoue flurried with punches in the final round and Schuckman answered with a right hand. Inoue took her down and Schuckman countered with a guillotine choke. Inoue punched her way free and mounted Schuckman seconds later. She landed hammerfists from the top and tried for an armbar. She wrenched back on Schuckman’s left arm and Schuckman verbally submitted.

Winner: Mizuki Inoue by Submission (Armbar) at 3:41 of round three. She improves to 10-4-0.

 

Angela “Overkill” Hill vs Alida Gray

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is John McCarthy. Hill landed some nice right hands and a leg kick in the opening minute. She rocked Gray with a right hand and swarmed on her with knees and punches. A final knee to the body dropped Gray like a rock and the fight was stopped.

Winner: Angela Hill by KO (Knee To The Body) at 1:39 of round one. She improves to 3-2-0.

 

Megan Anderson vs Amber Leibrock

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is John McCarthy. Leibrock landed two right hands early on and the fighters traded body kicks. Leibrock rocked Anderson with a right-left combo, but Anderson recovered and she landed a big flurry while keeping Leibrock pinned against the cage. Leibrock connected with more hard punches and the fighters clinched. Anderson landed knees and held Leibrock against the fence again. Leibrock fought off a takedown attempt and looked for a standing guillotine choke before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Leibrock.

Round 2:
Anderson pinned Leibrock against the cage wall again in round two. She mixed things up with punches and body kicks that kept Leibrock on the defensive. Anderson landed knees and standing elbows as Leibrock bled heavily from the nose. She tried unsuccessfully for a takedown and Anderson countered with a high knee. She rocked Leibrock with a hard flurry late in the one-sided round. 10-9 Anderson.

Round 3:
Anderson reversed a takedown and wound up on top in Leibrock’s guard early in the final round. Leibrock countered with a triangle choke, but Anderson escaped and stood up. She backed Leibrock up with a one-two and a head kick. Leibrock wilted against the cage as Anderson attacked with punches and knees, and the fight was stopped.

Winner: Megan Anderson by TKO (Punches & Knees) at 2:33 of round three. She improves to 5-2-0.