Featherweight strikers Elaina “Beef” Maxwell and Julia “The Jewel” Budd are set to face off in a pivotal matchup at Invicta Fighting Championships 3 on October 6th in Kansas City, Kansas. MMARising.com confirmed plans for the contender’s bout between the Strikeforce veterans earlier today.

Maxwell has won five of her past six fights and could immediately position herself for a future title shot if she is able to secure an impressive victory in October. Budd is coming off of a dominant first-round TKO win over another skilled striker, Sweden’s Elina Nilsson, at Invicta FC 2 this past month.

Maxwell (7-4-0) has been regarded as one of MMA’s top female strikers at 145 pounds dating back to her pro debut in 2006. The three-time Strikeforce veteran has already battled a who’s who of the sport and holds key wins over Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis and Shana “Rock Solid” Nelson. Maxwell has missed weight on more than one occasion, however, including for her fight against Ashley “Loca” Sanchez in March. She was able to defeat Sanchez via a competitive decision after three rounds, but Maxwell’s performance was not her best and the Californian will no doubt be looking to make a big statement when she faces Budd in October.

Budd (3-2-0) entered Strikeforce in October 2010 with no prior MMA experience but with a considerable amount of fanfare due to a past Muay Thai victory over Gina “Conviction” Carano. Her debut ended in a one-sided TKO win over the aforementioned Nelson, but losses to Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes and current Strikeforce champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey in two of her next three bouts left Budd out of the immediate Strikeforce title picture. The British Columbia native got back on the winning track in a big way against Nilsson and once again showcased her formidable ground and pound skills by taking out her Swedish challenger in the latter stages of the first round.

As former Strikeforce titleholder Marloes “Rumina” Coenen awaits an opponent for a future Invicta FC featherweight title bout, the winner of the fight between Maxwell and Budd could potentially move on to challenge the Dutch superstar sometime in 2013.

Invicta Fighting Championships 3 takes place on October 6th at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. The event is headlined by an Invicta FC Atomweight Championship bout between Jessica Penne and Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama.

Invicta Fighting Championships 3 Fight Card (to date; subject to change):

– Jessica Penne vs Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama [Atomweight (105-Pound) Championship]
– Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler vs Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio [135 Pounds]
– Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak vs Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly [125 Pounds]
– Tara LaRosa vs Vanessa Porto [125 Pounds]
– Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith vs Cat “Alpha” Zingano [135 Pounds]
– Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson vs Lacey “The Ladie” Schuckman [105 Pounds]
– Julia “The Jewel” Budd vs Elaina “Beef” Maxwell [145 Pounds]

– Carla Esparza vs Lynn “Lights Out” Alvarez [115 Pounds]
– Ashley “Smashley” Cummins vs Joanne Calderwood [115 Pounds]
– Amy “Lil’ Dynamite” Davis vs Stephanie “Macaquinha” Frausto [105 Pounds]
– Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke vs Marciea “Black Widow” Allen [135 Pounds]
– Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres vs Kaiyana Rain [115 Pounds]
– Katalina Malungahu vs Taylor “No Mercy” Stratford [145 Pounds]

(Photo Credit: Mark Lemmo)