Invicta Fighting Championships 42 Live Play-By-Play & ResultsInvicta Fighting Championships showcased its latest all-female card tonight at Police Athletic League in Kansas City, Kansas. Invicta FC 42 featured a vacant Invicta FC Atomweight Championship bout between top-ranked contenders Ashley “Smashley” Cummins and Alesha “Half Pint” Zappitella.

In the bantamweight co-feature, former title challenger Lisa “Battle Angel” Verzosa squared off against the returning Raquel “Lionheart” Canuto. Also on the card, Jéssica Correa Delboni met Hérica Tibúrcio at strawweight. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s Invicta FC 42 card.

 

Invicta FC Atomweight Championship

Alesha “Half Pint” Zappitella vs Ashley “Smashley” Cummins

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. After an early exchange of right hands, Cummins landed two stiff jabs. She countered a body kick from Zappitella with a hard right cross that rocked Zappitella momentarily. Cummins pressed forward with two more right hands and she stuffed a Zappitella takedown attempt. The fighters separated and Cummins landed a quick combination. Zappitella shot in for a takedown and Cummins sprawled out to defend, but she chose to attempt a guillotine choke and wound up on the bottom. Zappitella held top position in half-guard and she landed short elbows as Cummins threw hammerfists from the bottom. Very close round. 10-9 Cummins despite the takedown.

Round 2:
Cummins landed a counter right hook as Zappitella closed the distance in the second round and Zappitella held her against the cage. Cummins prevented Zappitella from throwing her to the mat and she broke free from the clinch. Both women landed jabs and Cummins connected with a powerful right hook as Zappitella punched her way into a clinch. Cummins broke away again and Zappitella landed a leg kick. She tried for a takedown and Cummins defended well once again. In the final minute, Cummins landed a three-punch combo and a hard right cross soon after. Zappitella answered with a right hook of her own, but Cummins backed her up with straight right hands late in the round. 10-9 Cummins.

Round 3:
The third round began with Cummins landing a lunging right hand and Zappitella responded by dropping levels and taking her down. Cummins postured for an armbar from the bottom and Zappitella passed to half-guard. She worked for a kimura on Cummins’s left arm and transitioned to side control soon after. Zappitella threw short elbows and forearm strikes to Cummins’s face as Cummins held on from the bottom. Zappitella continued to land elbows to Cummins’s face and body until the final 30 seconds when Cummins stood up. She broke free from the clinch with a slashing elbow. 10-9 Zappitella.

Round 4:
Zappitella shot in for a takedown early in the fourth round and Cummins countered with a guillotine choke. Zappitella passed to half-guard and used Cummins’s guillotine grip against her by pressing down with a shoulder choke from the top. Cummins held on momentarily before she was forced to submit.

Winner: Alesha Zappitella by Submission (Shoulder Choke) at 1:20 of round four. She improves to 8-2-0, 1 NC and becomes the new Invicta FC Atomweight Champion.

 

Lisa “Battle Angel” Verzosa vs Raquel “Lionheart” Canuto

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Canuto countered Verzosa’s strikes with overhand rights and body kicks in the opening minute. She followed with a head kick and kept Verzosa circling on the outside. Canuto landed jab-kick combos and remained the aggressor as Verzosa was content to land counterpunches from a distance. Canuto flurried with punches, then landed two body kicks and a hard right cross. Verzosa countered a clinch attempt with a knee to the body and Canuto jabbed until the bell. 10-9 Canuto.

Round 2:
Canuto attacked Verzosa’s lead leg and body with kicks and both women landed overhand rights. The fighters traded right hands again and Verzosa countered a takedown attempt with a knee to the body. Canuto walked forward with kicks again and Verzosa repeatedly scored with one-twos. Just before the bell, Verzosa lunged forward with a left-right combo to Canuto’s nose, which began to bleed. 10-9 Verzosa.

Round 3:
Verzosa opened the final round with kicks and Canuto countered with a knee. Verzosa punched from a distance and Canuto grazed with a head kick. A kick to the body and two punches landed for Verzosa as she darted in and out. Canuto jabbed and attacked Verzosa’s leg and body with kicks. She continued to throw kicks as the fight entered its final minute and Verzosa responded with right hooks and one-twos. Canuto landed a hard right hand and snapped Verzosa’s head back with a quick combo that led to an exchange of punches in the final seconds. 10-9 Canuto due to the late rally.

Winner: Lisa Verzosa by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 6-1-0.

 

Jéssica Correa Delboni vs Hérica Tibúrcio

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Tibúrcio kept her distance and countered with overhand rights as Delboni landed early leg kicks and quick combinations. She snapped Tibúrcio’s head back with another hard flurry and remained the aggressor with more power punches. Tibúrcio responded with jabs and a one-two before the fighters clinched momentarily. They separated and circled, and Delboni landed two more leg kicks. She kept Tibúrcio on the defensive with three- and four-punch combos, but Tibúrcio countered a leg kick with a late clinch and she landed a nice knee before the bell. 10-9 Belboni.

Round 2:
Tibúrcio struck first with an overhand right and a leg kick in the second round, which led to an exchange of rapid-fire punches and Tibúrcio clinched soon after. She was unable to take Delboni down and Delboni cracked her with a big right soon after. Delboni rushed forward with more punches and Tibúrcio circled away. She just missed with a knee as Delboni closed the distance again. After a brief clinch, Delboni landed a pair of three-punch flurries. Tibúrcio clinched and she landed a nice combination of her own on the break. Delboni finished a combination with a leg kick and Tibúrcio became more aggressive with her strikes. She landed two combinations and a knee, and Delboni answered with a right hook. Closer round. 10-9 Delboni.

Round 3:
Delboni countered Tibúrcio’s forward pressure with a nice right hand to begin the final round. She followed with a lead left hook as Tibúrcio pressed the action. An exchange of punches led to a clinch against the cage and Tibúrcio remained the aggressor. After the fighters separated, Tibúrcio walked Delboni down with overhand lefts and rights. She followed with two knees and an overhand right. Delboni landed long jabs late in the fight and she reversed a Tibúrcio takedown just before the bell. Another close round. 10-9 Tibúrcio.

Winner: Jéssica Correa Delboni by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 10-2-0.

 

Victoria “Fury” Leonardo vs Liz “The Titan” Tracy

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. Both women landed knees in an early clinch and Tracy followed with kick-punch combos after circling away. She landed side kicks to the body and followed with a head kick, but Leonardo cracked her with a counter right hook. Tracy regained her composure and she continued to press forward with combinations of kicks and punches. Two lead left hooks scored for Tracy and Leonardo backpedalled. Tracy secured a takedown on her second try and she escaped from a Leonardo armbar attempt. Leonardo scrambled up and she held Tracy against the fence as time expired. 10-9 Tracy.

Round 2:
Leonard picked up the pace early in the second round with body kicks and right hands as Tracy used her jab to set up overhand rights. She landed three kicks and tripped Leonardo to the mat, but Leonardo stood up right away and she held Tracy against the cage. Leonardo scored a takedown and she worked from the top with punches. Tracy scrambled and countered with a heel hook, and that allowed her to get back to her feet. Both women landed looping hooks in a brief exchange before Leonardo held Tracy against the fence. The fighters separated and Leonardo landed jabs and one-twos while avoiding Tracy’s lunging punches. 10-9 Leonardo.

Round 3:
The final round began with Leonardo landing a quick combination and Tracy responded with a body kick. Both women landed more punches and Tracy continued to mix in kicks. She backed Leonardo up with an uppercut and followed with three long jabs. Leonardo clinched and worked for a takedown. Tracy stuffed it and the fighters separated seconds later. Tracy landed right hands and leg kicks as Leonardo circled on the outside. Another overhand right scored for Tracy and she used her jab to keep Leonardo at bay. Late in the round, Leonardo landed a one-two and a trio of body kicks as Tracy continued to fire off left and right hooks. Close round. 10-9 Tracy. Decision could go either way.

Winner: Victoria Leonardo by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 7-2-0.

 

Helen “Iansã” Peralta vs Jennifer “Dugwen” Chieng

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Peralta opened the fight with four hard kicks to Chieng’s lead leg, which led to a clinch against the cage. Peralta landed a knee to the liver and backed away, and she continued to target Chieng’s leg with kicks. Another clinch followed and Chieng landed two knees to the body as Chieng appeared to briefly look for a takedown. The fighters continued to trade clinch strikes and Chieng attempted a trip, but she wound up on the bottom and Peralta landed short elbows. Chieng tried to set up an armbar and a triangle choke from the bottom, but Peralta easily avoided both. The fighters stood and traded punches until the bell. 10-9 Peralta.

Round 2:
The second round began with Peralta landing another leg kick and she followed with a right cross that knocked Chieng off-balance momentarily. Chieng initiated a clinch and Peralta held her against the fence. She attacked Chieng’s body with knees and punches, and both women landed short elbows. Peralta continued to control the clinch and she stayed busy with knees and elbows as Chieng tried to tie her up. Peralta unloaded with punches late in the round, then trapped Chieng’s arm behind her back and blasted her with left hands to the face. She threw Chieng to the mat just as the bell sounded. 10-9 Peralta.

Round 3:
Peralta closed the distance again in the final round and she continued to punish Chieng with knees to the body and punches to Chieng’s face while pinning her against the cage wall. Chieng tried to fire back with right hands, but Peralta kept her tied up and mixed up strikes to Chieng’s body and head. In the final 15 seconds, Peralta landed a flurry of looping punches and she followed with a head kick. 10-9 Peralta.

Winner: Helen Peralta by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 3-1-0.