Invicta Fighting Championships showcased its 37th all-female card tonight at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. Invicta FC 37 was headlined by a flyweight contender’s bout between recent title challenger Pearl “The Chi-Town Princess” Gonzalez and Brogan “Killer Bee” Walker-Sanchez.
In the flyweight co-feature, Mariya Agapova made a quick return to action when she faced Marilia “Chocolate” Santos. Elsewhere on the card tonight, Kay Hansen battled Nicolle Caliari in a featured strawweight matchup. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s Invicta FC 37 card.
Pearl “The Chi-Town Princess” Gonzalez vs Brogan “Killer Bee” Walker-Sanchez
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Gonzalez struck first with body kicks and Sanchez countered with lead right hooks. Gonzalez threw her to the mat, but Sanchez almost took her back against the cage. Gonzalez turned into Sanchez’s guard and punched to the body while keeping her pinned down. Sanchez eventually scrambled up and she landed elbows in a clinch as Gonzalez looked for another takedown. She got Sanchez down against the cage again and landed punches to Sanchez’s face from the top in half-guard. Sanchez regained full guard and both women landed elbows in the final seconds. 10-9 Gonzalez.
Round 2:
The second round began with an exchange of body kicks and Gonzalez also targeted Sanchez’s lead leg. Sanchez blocked one head kick, but Gonzalez landed with a second one and she continued to mix up her striking. Gonzalez landed single kicks and punches while staying out of range of Sanchez’s counters. Sanchez landed two front kicks and Gonzalez responded with a high kick and a takedown attempt. Sanchez reversed on the way down and wound up on top. Gonzalez scrambled and Sanchez took her back, but she lost the position and Gonzalez worked from the top in Sanchez’s guard. 10-9 Gonzalez.
Round 3:
Sanchez rushed forward right away in round three and Gonzalez tagged her with a combination before Sanchez clinched. Gonzalez pushed her off and initiated a clinch of her own soon after. The fighters separated again and Gonzalez landed two hard right hands. Gonzalez clinched again and landed knees to the body while working for a takedown. Sanchez countered with elbows, but Gonzalez slammed her down to the mat. In the final minute, Gonzalez postured up with punches and elbows. Sanchez kicked her off and stood up, and the fight ended in a clinch. 10-9 Gonzalez.
Winner: Pearl Gonzalez by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 10-4-0.
Mariya Agapova vs Marilia “Chocolate” Santos
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. Agapova struck first with kicks to Santos’s lead leg and body. She followed with a combination and Santos answered with a right hand. Big punches and a body kick landed for Agapova before the fighters clinched against the cage. Santos attempted a lateral drop and wound up on her back with Agapova on top in her guard. Agapova landed punches and avoided Santos’s armbar attempts. Late in the round, Agapova postured up with elbows that hurt Santos. She landed more elbows as Santos turtled up and the fight was stopped.
Winner: Mariya Agapova by TKO (Elbows) at 4:55 of round one. She improves to 8-1-0.
Kay Hansen vs Nicolle Caliari
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Caliari opened the action with a kick to the upper body and Hansen responded with a clinch against the cage. She took Caliari down into back control and worked for a rear-naked choke. Hansen switched to neck cranks and Caliari had to act quickly in order to break her grip. Hansen maintained back control and landed a series of punches that set up another rear-naked choke attempt. Caliari again freed herself and she eventually escaped to her feet. Caliari stood over Hansen and kicked at her legs until Hansen stood up. Caliari landed another kick and Hansen jumped into a guillotine choke. Caliari escaped and closed out the round on top. 10-9 Hansen. Close to a 10-8.
Round 2:
Hansen quickly took Caliari down in the second round and Caliari tried to defend with an omoplata. Hansen punched her way free and transitioned to back control and then to mount. She landed short punches and elbows until Caliari gave up her back again. She managed to spin into Hansen’s guard and tried to stand up, but Hansen maintained her guard. The fight eventually returned to the feet and Hansen slammed Caliari down again. Hansen passed to mount and locked on an arm-triangle choke, but Caliari managed to spin free and she stood up and landed a hard kick to Hansen’s leg before the bell. 10-9 Hansen.
Round 3:
Hansen countered a kick by taking Caliari back down in round three. She looked to set up a guillotine choke from the top in Caliari’s half-guard. Hansen tightened her grip on the choke and moved to mount, which forced Caliari to tap out.
Winner: Kay Hansen by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:14 of round three. She improves to 6-3-0.
Lindsey “Damsel” VanZandt vs Shino VanHoose
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. VanZandt pressed forward with punches early on and connected with a right hand. VanHoose circled to the side and VanZandt landed a vicious kick to VanHoose’s left knee. VanHoose immediately collapsed to the mat as her leg gave out and the fight was stopped.
Winner: Lindsey VanZandt by TKO (Leg Kick) at 0:39 of round one. She improves to 7-2-0.
Linda “F109” Mihalec vs Marisa “Spider Monkey” Messer-Belenchia
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. Messer-Belenchia initiated a clinch right away and pinned Mihalec against the cage. Mihalec eventually broke free an she landed three body kicks before Messer-Belenchia clinched again. Mihalec threw knees to the body and Messer-Belenchia punched over the top with her left hand. With just over one minute remaining in the round, Messer-Belenchia scored a trip takedown, but Mihalec swept and landed elbows to the body. Messer-Belenchia used an arm-triangle choke from the bottom to sweep just before the bell. 10-9 Mihalec.
Round 2:
The second round began with another clinch battle and Messer-Belenchia secured a trip takedown into Mihalec’s guard. Mihalec tied her up from the bottom and prevented her from landing many strikes, but Messer-Belenchia passed to side control and she prevented Mihalec from scrambling. In the final minute, Mihalec secured a sweep and she immediately unloaded with big right hands from Messer-Belenchia’s half-guard. Mihalec attacked with elbows and continued to batter her until the bell. 10-9 Mihalec due to the late rally.
Round 3:
Mihalec sustained a bad cut on her forehead early in the final round after an accidental clash of heads. The fighters battled in a clinch and a bloody Mihalec tried to fend off Messer-Belenchia with knees. Messer-Belenchia maintained the clinch and kept Mihalec pinned against the fence. Mihalec briefly broke free with 45 seconds remaining, but Messer-Belenchia quickly clinched again and both women landed knees to the body. The fight ended with an exchange of punches. Close final round. 10-9 Mihalec.
Winner: Linda Mihalec by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 2-0-0.
“Hurricane” Hope Chase vs Megan “Killa” Cawley
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. The fighters traded knees in a brief clinch early on and Chase reversed a takedown into Cawley’s guard. Chase postured up with hard punches and elbows that forced Cawley to defend with an armbar attempt. Chase escaped and she resumed striking from side control. Cawley gave up her back as Chase continued to batter her with punches. Chase locked on a rear-naked choke and Cawley tapped out almost immediately.
Winner: Hope Chase by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:28 of round one. She improves to 2-1-0.
Claire “Grizzly” Johnson vs Jordan “KamiKaaze” Kaaze
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. Kaaze initiated a clinch against the fence early on, but Johnson reversed the position and she secured a takedown into Kaaze’s guard. She postured up and passed to half-guard while landing short punches and forearm strikes to Kaaze’s face. Johnson closed out the round with some solid ground and pound in the final 15 seconds. 10-9 Johnson.
Round 2:
The fighters clinched against the cage again in round two, but neither one could secure a dominant position and they broke free one minute into the round. After a brief striking exchange, Johnson backed Kaaze up against the fence and took her down into half-guard again. From the top, Johnson used punches to set up a move to side control and she continued to punish Kaaze with ground and pound as the round progressed. Kaaze regained half-guard, but Johnson punished her with elbows in the final minute and returned to side control before the bell. 10-8 Johnson.
Round 3:
Johnson wasted no time in taking Kaaze back down in round three and she struck from the top with punches. Kaaze initiated a scramble and Johnson took her back in the process. She quickly transitioned to a reverse triangle choke and then extended Kaaze’s left arm in an armbar. Kaaze had nowhere to go and quickly tapped out.
Winner: Claire Johnson by Submission (Reverse Triangle Armbar) at 2:20 of round three. She improves to 1-0-0.