Invicta Fighting Championships showcased its 19th all-female card tonight at the Kansas City Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. Invicta FC 19 was headlined by a flyweight championship bout between interim titleholder Jennifer Maia and veteran Roxanne “The Happy Warrior” Modafferi.
In the co-main event, Ayaka Hamasaki defended her Invicta FC Atomweight Championship against Jinh Yu Frey. At bantamweight, Mexican knockout artist Irene Aldana faced Faith “The Immortal” Van Duin in a bout between top contenders. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for Invicta FC 19.
Invicta FC Flyweight Championship
Jennifer Maia vs Roxanne “The Happy Warrior” Modafferi
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Modafferi put the pressure on Maia right away with punches, but Maia countered nicely with a combination and she avoided a spinning backfist. Modafferi connected with two right hands and a jab, followed by a nice kick to the liver. Maia flurried with punches and tagged Modafferi with two right hooks. In the clinch, Maia landed knees and followed with another right hand, but Modafferi answered back with a combination after circling away. Maia snapped Modafferi’s head back with straight rights and clinched before the bell. 10-9 Maia.
Round 2:
After an exchange of punches in the second round, Modafferi scored with a hard right hook and Maia mixed things up with kick-punch combos. Modafferi took her down and rolled for an armbar, but Maia escaped into Modafferi’s guard. Modafferi attempted an armbar from the bottom and she used it to secure a sweep into top position. She mounted Maia in the final 15 seconds and landed numerous right hands to Maia’s face until time expired. 10-9 Modafferi.
Round 3:
Hard punches landed for both women early in round three and Modafferi scored with a stiff jab that was answered by one from Maia. Modafferi took Maia down and Maia countered with an arm-in guillotine choke. She let it go and postured for an armbar from the bottom, but Modafferi landed elbows from the top. She fought off a triangle choke attempt and a scramble ensued. Modafferi tried for two more armbars before the end of the close round. 10-9 Modafferi.
Round 4:
The fourth round started with Modafferi darting in and out while throwing body kicks and right hands. Maia stuck to a boxing-centred attack and landed crisp one-two combos. She caught a kick from Modafferi and tripped her to the mat, then rained down right hands from the top. Modafferi escaped to her feet and connected with a three-punch combination, but Maia backed her up with two quick punches to the face. Modafferi slowed down and shot in for a takedown, but Maia stuffed it and wound up on top in side control. She trapped Modafferi in a top-side crucifix and landed a series of right hands. 10-9 Maia.
Round 5:
Maia stunned Modafferi with left and right hooks in the final round, but Modafferi regained her footing and she landed a body kick, right hook combo. She grazed with a spinning back elbow and Maia fired right back with a nice one-two. She caught a Modafferi kick but could not get her down. Modafferi threw spinning backfists and landed a liver kick. The fighters traded punches and Maia sprawled out of a takedown attempt. In the final 15 seconds, both women threw punches in close and Maia landed a front kick to the face just before the bell sounded. 10-9 Maia.
Judge Ross Swanberg: 48-47 Modafferi. Judge Marcus Danforth: 48-47 Maia. Judge Brett Miller: 49-46 Maia.
Winner: Jennifer Maia by Split Decision (49-46, 48-47, 47-48) after five rounds. She improves to 14-4-1 and becomes the Invicta FC Undisputed Flyweight Champion.
Invicta FC Atomweight Championship
Ayaka Hamasaki vs Jinh Yu Frey
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mark Wasem. After a brief exchange of punches, Hamasaki rushed forward and clinched in search of a takedown, but Frey stayed on her feet against the fence. Hamasaki swept out her leg and tripped her to the mat, but Frey scrambled up to her feet. She kicked to the body and countered Hamasaki’s punches by taking her back and dragging her down to the mat. Hamasaki stood and attacked with a standing straight armbar. Frey brought Hamasaki down to the mat and unloaded with punches from mount. Hamasaki gave up her back and Frey continued to land punches. 10-9 Frey.
Round 2:
Hamasaki caught a kick and took Frey down early in round two. Frey kicked her off and the fighters traded one-twos on the feet. Frey landed counter hooks as Hamasaki pressed forward with more one-two combinations. Left hands and a liver kick landed for Frey, but Hamasaki stunned her with a big combination. Frey wobbled and began to bleed heavily from a cut above Frey’s left eye. Time was called to check on the cut and the doctor determined that it was too severe to allow the fight to continue.
Winner: Ayaka Hamasaki by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 4:38 of round two. She improves to 14-1-0 and remains the Invicta FC Atomweight Champion.
Irene Aldana vs Faith “The Immortal” Van Duin
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Van Duin pressured Aldana with punching flurries right away and Aldana lost her balance while circling near the cage. She stood and set up right hands with jabs. Both women landed right hooks and Van Duin kicked to the body. Hard right hands landed for Aldana and Van Duin fell to her back. Aldana allowed her to stand and the fighters traded punches again. Van Duin cracked Aldana with two big right hands. Aldana became the aggressor again in the final minute and she dropped Van Duin with a series of right hands. Van Duin turtled on the ground and Aldana finished the fight with punches just before time expired.
Winner: Irene Aldana by TKO (Punches) at 4:57 of round one. She improves to 7-2-0.
Kaline “The Dark Angel” Medeiros vs Manjit Kolekar
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mark Wasem. Kolekar landed a head kick and a Superman Punch in the opening minute and Medeiros responded with an elevated takedown. She attempted a rolling armbar, but Kolekar escaped and took top position. The fighters stood and Medeiros briefly took Kolekar down into side control. The fighters stood and exchanged punches. Medeiros slammed Kolekar down and worked from side control again. Kolekar scrambled, but Medeiros took her back and landed hard punches with both hands. 10-9 Medeiros.
Round 2:
The fighters circled and traded cautious strikes in round two until Medeiros threw a spinning back kick to the body. Kolekar landed a vicious kick to the liver that halted Medeiros’s forward momentum. Both women landed kicks to the legs and body, and Medeiros narrowly missed with a pair of head kicks. She avoided a guillotine choke and took Kolekar down into mount, but Kolekar escaped to her feet and tried for another guillotine choke late in the close round. 10-9 Medeiros by a slim margin.
Round 3:
Medeiros fought through early strikes from Kolekar and took her down in the opening seconds of round three. Kolekar battled back to her feet and both women landed leg kicks. Medeiros grazed with a spinning wheel kick and Kolekar fired back with liver kicks. Medeiros closed in and landed two right hands as Kolekar circled to the side. 10-9 Medeiros.
Judge Marcus Danforth: 30-27 Medeiros. Judge Fernando Marques: 30-27 Medeiros. Judge Brett Miller: 29-28 Medeiros.
Winner: Kaline Medeiros by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 8-4-0.
Kalyn “.50 Kal” Schwartz vs Tiffany “Timebomb” Van Soest
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mark Wasem. Schwartz rushed in right away and took Van Soest down against the cage. She took Van Soest’s back as the fight returned to the feet. Van Soest broke free and landed a nice one-two, but Schwartz scored another takedown. Van Soest stood and Schwartz suplexed her back down. She flattened Van Soest out and secured a rear-naked choke, but Van Soest held on and managed to escape. Schwartz continued to hunt for rear-naked chokes until Van Soest turned into her guard and scrambled up. She rocked Schwartz with a front kick and a right hand, but Schwartz scored another takedown late in the round. 10-9 Schwartz.
Round 2:
Van Soest opened round two with a head kick and Schwartz responded by taking her down. Van Soest rose to her feet and attempted a spinning backfist, but Schwartz ducked under and dragged Van Soest down. She dropped on Van Soest’s back and locked on a neck crank that turned into a rear-naked choke. Van Soest could not escape and tapped out.
Winner: Kalyn Schwartz by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:08 of round two. She improves to 1-0-0.
Julia “Jewels” Jones vs Stephanie “The Scrapper” Skinner
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Jones pressured with leg kicks early on and Skinner answered with kicks to the body. Skinner fell to her back and attacked with an armbar attempt from guard. Jones escaped and passed to half-guard and then to mount. She rained down elbows until Skinner gave up her back. Jones locked on a tight rear-naked choke and Skinner was forced to submit.
Winner: Julia Jones by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:38 of round one. She improves to 5-0-0.
Amber Leibrock vs Amy “Donkey Kong” Coleman
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Leibrock initiated a clinch against the fence in the opening minute and landed hard knees to the body. Coleman reversed the clinch and countered with a takedown, but Leibrock quickly returned to her feet. She countered a side kick from Coleman by rushing forward with punches. Leibrock landed a series of knees to the body and Coleman crumpled to the mat. Leibrock blasted her with unanswered right hands until the fight was stopped.
Winner: Amber Leibrock by TKO (Knees To The Body & Punches) at 3:15 of round one. She improves to 2-1-0.
Sunna “Tsunami” Rannveig Davíðsdóttir vs Ashley “Doll Face” Greenway
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mark Wasem. Davíðsdóttir secured an early clinch against the cage and the fighters battled for position. Davíðsdóttir mixed up her strikes with punches and kicks to the upper body, and Greenway replied with spinning attacks in the exchanges including a backfist to the face. Both women switched stances often and Greenway landed a spinning hook kick to the thigh. She landed more kicks and followed with stiff jabs. Davíðsdóttir pressed forward with right hands and took Greenway’s back, but she could not drag her down. Close round. 10-9 Greenway, barely.
Round 2:
Davíðsdóttir opened round two with kicks that led to another clinch against the fence. Greenway attempted a standing guillotine choke, but Davíðsdóttir took her back and pulled her down to the mat. She flattened Greenway out and landed punches to the sides of her face. Greenway eventually scrambled and used an inverted triangle choke attempt to get back to her feet. The round ended with Davíðsdóttir landing short uppercuts in a clinch. 10-9 Davíðsdóttir.
Round 3:
The final round began with an exchange of strikes on the feet and Davíðsdóttir remained the aggressor. She landed kick-punch combos and secured a takedown after avoiding a spinning backfist from Greenway. The fight returned to the feet and both women landed jabs. Greenway missed with a spinning backfist and Davíðsdóttir backed her up with a flurry. Greenway fired back with a nice left hook and a body kick, but Davíðsdóttir connected with a right cross and stuffed a takedown. She landed ground and pound from the top until the bell. 10-9 Davíðsdóttir.
Winner: Sunna Rannveig Davíðsdóttir by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 1-0-0.