Invicta Fighting Championships showcased its 20th all-female card tonight at the Kansas City Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. Invicta FC 20 was headlined by a bantamweight championship bout between champion Tonya “Triple Threat” Evinger and challenger Yana “Foxy” Kunitskaya.
In the co-feature, Angela “Overkill” Hill defended her Invicta FC Strawweight Championship against Kaline “The Dark Angel” Medeiros. Atomweight prospect Simona “Lil’ Evil” Soukupova took on former Invicta FC champion Hérica Tibúrcio. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for Invicta FC 20.
Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship
Yana “Foxy” Kunitskaya vs Tonya “Triple Threat” Evinger
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Evinger wasted no time in taking the fight to the mat and she pressured Kunitskaya with short elbows from the top. Kunitskaya countered with a tight armbar from the bottom and Evinger was warned for stepping on Kunitskaya’s face in defence. Seconds later, Kunitskaya extended Evinger’s arm and Evinger tapped out.
Winner: Yana Kunitskaya by Submission (Armbar) at 1:59 of round one. She improves to 10-2-0 and becomes the new Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion.
Invicta FC Strawweight Championship
Angela “Overkill” Hill vs Kaline “The Dark Angel” Medeiros
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Greg Franklin. Quick right hands and leg kicks landed for both women in the opening minute. Medeiros took Hill down, but Hill immediately looked to set up a triangle choke from her back. Medeiros tried to pull her head free, but Hill transitioned to an armbar and then another triangle choke. Medeiros ultimately escaped, and the fight returned to the feet. 10-9 Hill.
Round 2:
Medeiros got the fight to the ground in the second round and she took Hill’s back as she worked back to her feet. Medeiros tried to drag her back down to the mat, but Hill stayed up. Punches were exchanged on the feet and Hill scored with two hard right hands. Medeiros threw a spinning back kick and both women landed kicks to the legs. Medeiros connected with a right hook and she took Hill down shortly before the bell. 10-9 Medeiros.
Round 3:
Medeiros closed the distance and tried for another takedown in round three, but she wound up on the bottom and Hill dropped short elbows from the top. Hill eventually stood up and allowed Medeiros to follow. A nice leg kick landed for Hill, but Medeiros scored with a vicious right hook. Hill circled away and reset, and Medeiros took her down. She fought off a triangle choke from Hill, but Hill used the submission attempt to initiate a scramble back up to her feet in the final seconds. 10-9 Hill.
Round 4:
Hill found success with overhand rights early in the fourth round. Medeiros landed a hard body kick that seemed to anger Hill, who retaliated with a kick of her own. She landed a jab-knee combo and evaded Medeiros’s punches. Hill ducked under a right hand from Medeiros and landed one in return. Medeiros took her down, but Hill immediately swept and wound up on top. She peppered Medeiros with punches until the bell. 10-9 Hill.
Round 5:
Hill landed a solid combination in round five and Medeiros countered by rushing forward with hard punches that found their mark. The fighters traded jabs and both narrowly missed with right hands. Hill landed a kick to the upper body and Medeiros darted in with a flurry of punches. Two more kicks landed for Hill and Medeiros threw winging right hooks, with varied levels of success. Two stiff jabs and a pair of kicks scored for Hill before the end of the competitive fight. 10-9 Hill.
Judge Ross Swanberg: 50-45 Hill. Judge Kevin Champion: 49-46 Hill. Judge Henry Gueary: 48-47 Hill.
Winner: Angela Hill by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 49-46, 48-47) after five rounds. She improves to 6-2-0 and remains the Invicta FC Strawweight Champion.
Hérica Tibúrcio vs Simona “Lil’ Evil” Soukupova
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Tibúrcio was very aggressive with her strikes early on and she landed right hands and hard kicks to the body. A right hook stunned Soukupova briefly and Tibúrcio took her down seconds later. She looked to pass to half-guard and postured up with punches and hammerfists that caused Soukupova’s eye to swell up. Soukupova battled back to her feet against the cage and ate a combination on the way up. 10-9 Tibúrcio.
Round 2:
Tibúrcio kicked at Soukupova’s lead leg in round two and backed her up with an overhand right. Body kicks and rapid-fire punches landed for Tibúrcio, who clinched in search of a takedown. Soukupova stuffed it, but Tibúrcio cracked her with overhand rights and powerful hooks. She kept Soukupova guessing with kick-punch combos and Soukupova was unable to land much of anything in return. A strong right hand landed for Soukupova, but Tibúrcio was unfazed and she shot in for a takedown. Soukupova reversed and the round ended with an exchange of punches. 10-9 Tibúrcio.
Round 3:
Soukupova tried to press the action with strikes in the final round, but Tibúrcio darted in and out with counterpunches. Soukupova landed a huge right hand, but Tibúrcio shook it off and the fighters clinched against the fence. Soukupova threw knees to the leg and body, and Tibúrcio answered with foot stomps. She pushed Soukupova off, but Soukupova walked her down with one-twos. She blasted Tibúrcio with two big hooks and a trio of knees to the body in the final minute, but Tibúrcio took her down with an ankle pick. Soukupova secured a triangle choke as time expired. 10-9 Soukupova.
Judge Henry Gueary: 29-28 Tibúrcio. Judge Ross Swanberg: 29-28 Tibúrcio. Judge Fernando Marques: 29-28 Tibúrcio.
Winner: Hérica Tibúrcio by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 10-4-0.
Ashley “The Spider Monkey” Yoder vs Amber “The Bully” Brown
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Greg Franklin. Brown took Yoder down early in the first round and passed to half-guard while pressing down on Yoder’s face with her shoulder. Brown moved to full mount and looked to set up an arm-triangle choke. Yoder fought her way back to half-guard and framed up a triangle choke from the bottom. She transitioned to an omoplata and used it to sweep into top position. Yoder attacked with a kimura and a toe hold late in the round, and she posted up with hard elbows before time expired. 10-9 Yoder.
Round 2:
Brown targeted Yoder’s lead leg with kicks in round two and she followed with punches to Yoder’s eye, but Yoder countered with a takedown into half-guard. She nearly passed to mount, but Brown elevated her from the bottom and scrambled up to her feet. The fighters clinched and Yoder took Brown down. She sat on Brown’s chest and unloaded with hammerfists before going belly-down with an armbar. Brown initially indicated that she was okay, but Yoder adjusted her grip and Brown tapped out.
Winner: Ashley Yoder by Submission (Armbar) at 2:31 of round two. She improves to 5-1-0.
Pam “Bam” Sorenson vs Jessica-Rose “Jessy Jess” Clark
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Sorenson took Clark down very briefly in the opening seconds, but Clark stood and landed a hard knee to the body on the way up. She held Sorenson against the cage and landed knees until Sorenson reversed and worked relentlessly for a takedown. Clark stayed on her feet and ate an elbow on the break. She landed occasional jabs and leg kicks late in the close round. 10-9 Clark, barely.
Round 2:
Clark took Sorenson down in round two, but Sorenson spun into an armbar from the bottom and Clark tried to stack her to alleviate pressure. Sorenson nearly went belly-down with the armbar, and she transitioned to a modified triangle choke soon after that allowed her to land elbows from her back. Clark freed herself once, but Sorenson postured for another armbar and she threw more elbows. The fight returned to the feet in the final 40 seconds and both women landed one-twos. 10-9 Sorenson.
Round 3:
Sorenson snapped Clark’s head back with a left hand in round three and she took Clark’s back after dragging her down to the mat. Clark fought off an armbar and wound up on top in Sorenson’s guard, but Sorenson tied her up and landed elbows from her back. The fighters stood and both women landed knees to the ribs. Clark connected with a lead left hook and the fighters traded punches. Sorenson rushed forward with a nice combination late in the round and Clark replied with two hooks that led to a clinch at the bell. 10-9 Sorenson.
Judge Henry Gueary: 30-27 Sorenson. Judge Ross Swanberg: 29-28 Clark. Judge Fernando Marques: 30-27 Sorenson.
Winner: Pam Sorenson by Split Decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 5-1-0.
J.J. Aldrich vs Lynn “Weapon X” Alvarez
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Greg Franklin. Aldrich stunned Alvarez with an early combination, but Alvarez recovered quickly and circled on the outside. Both women landed lead right hands and kicks to the body. Aldrich pawed out with jabs and a combination that were met by a one-two from Alvarez. Knees and overhand punches were exchanged in a brief clinch, and Aldrich remained the aggressor as she backed Alvarez up with kicks. 10-9 Aldrich.
Round 2:
Conners looked to press the action with punches in round two, but Alvarez countered nicely with body kicks and a solid combination. Aldrich hurt Alvarez with two left hands, but Alvarez recovered and both women landed body kicks. Straight left hands continued to score for Aldrich and Alvarez’s left eye swelled up. Aldrich landed a hard liver kick and she took Alvarez down into a partial back control late in the round. She battered Alvarez with a series of left hands and a knee as the fight returned to the feet at the bell. 10-9 Aldrich.
Round 3:
Alvarez was tagged by a lead right hand in the final round, but she connected with a nice right hook and continued to mix in body kicks. After trading more right hands with Alvarez, Aldrich walked forward with jabs and straight lefts that further bloodied Alvarez’s nose and eye. A lunging knee missed for Aldrich, but she cracked Alvarez with an overhand left and the round ended with an exchange of knees in close. 10-9 Aldrich.
Judge Kevin Champion: 30-27 Aldrich. Judge Henry Gueary: 30-27 Aldrich. Judge Fernando Marques: 30-27 Aldrich.
Winner: J.J. Aldrich by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 4-1-0.
Alexa Conners vs Stephanie Egger
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Conners pressed the action with flurries of punches in the opening seconds and Egger replied with side kicks. Conners picked her apart with combinations and Egger struggled to find her range. Conners backed her up against the cage and the fighters traded leg kicks. A hard right hand scored for Conners, but she slipped after taking a body kick from Egger. Immediately, Egger locked in a rear-naked choke, but Conners scrambled free and she escaped to her feet. The round ended with both women landing big combinations. 10-9 Conners.
Round 2:
Egger kicked and punched her way into a clinch in the second round, but Conners pushed her off and flurried with punches. Egger held her ground and fired back with punches and more leg kicks. Conners mixed things up with punch-kick combos of her own, but Egger had much greater success with her punches than in the first round. A hard right hand landed for Conners and she followed with another one soon after. Conners backed Egger up against the cage and teed off with punches, and Egger landed a one-two at the bell. Close round. 10-9 Conners by a slim margin.
Round 3:
The final round began with Egger landing a leg kick and a rushing flurry of punches. Chopping leg kicks were exchanged and Egger landed overhand rights. Conner backed her up with a left hook and cracked her with a looping right. She battered Egger with lengthy barrages of punches against the cage as an exhausted Egger tried to answer with leg kicks. Conners rocked her with a right hand and unloaded with right hands, but referee Mike England called for an absurd timeout in order to replace Egger’s mouthpiece. The fight continued and Conners landed more punches in the dying seconds. 10-9 Conners, if not a 10-8.
Judge Kevin Champion: 29-28 Conners. Judge Henry Gueary: 29-28 Egger. Judge Fernando Marques: 29-28 Conners.
Winner: Alexa Conners by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 1-1-0.
Miranda Maverick vs Samantha Diaz
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Greg Franklin. Maverick closed the distance and clinched early on, and the fighters traded punches on the break. Maverick punched her way back into a clinch and threw Diaz to the mat, but Diaz quickly countered with an armbar. She used it to take top position, but Maverick swept her and took Diaz’s back after fending off a heel hook attempt. Maverick locked on a tight rear-naked choke and Diaz eventually tapped out.
Winner: Miranda Maverick by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:26 of round one. She improves to 1-0-0.