A concussion sustained in training has forced Elaina “Beef” Maxwell out of her bout with Julia “The Jewel” Budd at Invicta Fighting Championships 3 on October 6th in Kansas City, Kansas. U.K.-based veteran Danielle “The Honey Badger” West has stepped in to face Budd on the main card.

MMARising.com confirmed the change with sources close to the promotion today. West, who is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, will compete in her home country for the first time in her nine-year MMA career. Budd looks for her second straight victory after scoring a big win at Invicta FC 2 in July.

West (4-3-1) debuted as an amateur in her adopted home of England in 2003 and went on to win three of her first four fights after making the jump to the professional ranks in 2007. She quickly developed a reputation for her willingness to travel to hostile territory to face highly-touted prospects in front of their hometown crowds. West has fought just four times since the beginning of 2011, due in large part to last-minute fight cancellations. A planned bout with Mongolian star Esui at Jewels: “12th Ring” was scrapped when Japan was struck by a massive earthquake. In July of this year, a scheduled fight with Yana “Foxy” Kunitskaya in Spain was cancelled when the promoter fled with the event money.

Despite the struggles with finding and keeping fights, West has put on strong performances in many of her recent bouts. This past September, she battled undefeated Japanese star Rin Nakai to a razor-thin Split Draw that many felt should have gone West’s way. West kicked off her 2012 campaign with a third-round TKO triumph in February and most recently competed in April when she faced top Russian prospect Milana Dudieva at ProFC 40. West suffered a quick defeat in the fight, though the stoppage came under question as some observers felt that the referee had intervened prematurely. West now has a chance to put the disappointing loss to Dudieva in the past as she seeks her biggest win to date.

Budd (3-2-0) is one of the premier strikers in the women’s featherweight division, but it is her wrestling and ground and pound that have led to two of her three victories. Stepping right into the proverbial fire, Budd made her MMA debut for Strikeforce in October 2010 and won two of her first three fights for the promotion before suffering a quick submission loss to current Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey this past November. Budd returned to the cage at Invicta FC 2 and dominated Sweden’s Elina Nilsson en route to a lopsided first-round TKO victory. She had been set to face off against Maxwell in what could have potentially served as a featherweight title eliminator, but instead battles an aggressive challenger who is looking to score an upset.

Maxwell has won five of her past six fights, but her Invicta FC debut will have to wait. It is currently unknown when the talented kickboxer may be able to return to competition, but the concussion was severe enough to force her off of next Saturday’s card.

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 (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]
– Kaitlin Young vs Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith [135 Pounds]
– Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak vs Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly [125 Pounds]
– Tara LaRosa vs Vanessa Porto [125 Pounds]
– Cat “Alpha” Zingano vs Raquel “Rocky” Pennington [135 Pounds]
– Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson vs Lacey “The Ladie” Schuckman [105 Pounds]
– Julia “The Jewel” Budd vs Danielle “The Honey Badger” West [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]
– Ediane “India” Gomes vs Katalina Malungahu [145 Pounds]

(Photo Credit: Jewels blog)