Featherweight standout Julia “The Jewel” Budd has a new opponent for her main card bout at Invicta Fighting Championships 5 on April 5th in Kansas City, Missouri. After two opponent changes, Budd faces off against veteran “Miss” Mollie Estes, who makes her second appearance for the promotion.
Invicta FC officials announced the change today following an initial report from TheMMACorner.com. Estes’s original opponent, unbeaten knockout artist Veronica “The Heartbreaker” Rothenhausler, has withdrawn from the event due to an injury. The all-female card will proceed with 13 fights.
Budd (4-2-0) has already endured a pair of opponent changes leading up to next month’s event. She was originally booked to face Brazilian contender Ediane “India” Gomes, but that bout was changed when Gomes was matched up against newly-signed former Strikeforce champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos. Budd received a new opponent, Australian Fiona Muxlow, but she too was moved into a fight with Santos after Gomes sustained an injury. As injuries continue to change the landscape of the card, Budd’s third opponent will hopefully be her final one as she looks for win number three inside the Invicta FC cage.
Estes (1-1-0) put together an impressive 7-1 record as an amateur before making her pro debut with a Unanimous Decision win in October 2011. She made her Invicta FC debut on the promotion’s inaugural card and fared very well in the clinch against 2008 Olympic bronze medallist Randi Miller before finally succumbing to Miller’s vicious ground and pound in the third and final round. She now moves up from the preliminary card in order to take on Budd and looks to pick up her biggest win to date.
Invicta Fighting Championships 5 takes place on April 5th at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. The event is headlined by a pair of championship fights.
Invicta Fighting Championships 5 Fight Card (subject to change):
– Jessica Penne vs Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson [Invicta FC Atomweight Championship]
– Vanessa Porto vs Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak [Invicta FC Flyweight Championship]
– Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs Fiona Muxlow
– Sarah Kaufman vs Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith
– Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Gurgel vs Jennifer Maia
– Kaitlin Young vs Lauren Taylor
– Julia “The Jewel” Budd vs “Miss” Mollie Estes
– Bec “Rowdy” Hyatt vs Jasminka Cive
– “Sassy” Cassie Rodish vs Simona Soukupova
– Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke vs Miriam Nakamoto
– Katja “Killer Bunny” Kankaanpää vs Juliana “Ju Thai” Carneiro Lima
– Alex Chambers vs Jodie Esquibel
– “Thug” Rose Namajunas vs Kathina “Kill Switch” Catron
(Photo Credit: Esther Lin, AllElbows.com / InvictaFC.com)