Three more fights are now official for the Invicta Fighting Championships 6 preliminary card on July 13th in Kansas City, Missouri. Strawweight Ashley “Smashley” Cummins looks to get back on track after suffering her first career defeat when she takes on Jackson’s MMA fighter Emily Kagan.

Featherweight knockout artist Veronica “The Heartbreaker” Rothenhausler returns to action to face off against former amateur champion “Miss” Mollie Estes in another featured preliminary bout. “Fancy” Laura Sanko battles Livia “T-Rex” von Plettenberg in an atomweight fight that opens the card.

Cummins (3-1-0) followed up on a stellar 8-0 run as an amateur by winning her first two pro bouts over formidable opposition. She debuted for Invicta FC on the promotion’s inaugural card and defeated Sofia Bagherdai, then returned to action at Invicta FC 3 in October against Scottish standout Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood. Cummins suffered a fractured orbital bone from Calderwood’s first punch of the fight and was ultimately finished by a knee to the body midway through round one.

She now steps back into the cage to face Kagan (2-1-0), who also posted wins in her first two pro bouts following a successful stint in the amateur ranks that included a key win over former Tuff-N-Uff champion Cortney “Cast Iron” Casey. Kagan’s promotional debut at Invicta FC 4 in January ultimately ended in a third-round submission defeat when she was bested by “Thug” Rose Namajunas, and she too looks to get back on track when she competes in July.

Rothenhausler (1-0-0) became an instant fan favourite after scoring back-to-back five-second knockouts to close out her amateur career. The latter win earned her the Tuff-N-Uff women’s featherweight title. In January, Rothenhausler turned pro and quickly knocked out Katalina Malungahu at Invicta FC 4. She had planned to compete earlier this month against Estes at Invicta FC 5, but was forced to withdraw due to an injury and the bout has now been rebooked for Invicta FC 6.

Her opponent, Estes (1-2-0), remains winless inside the Invicta FC cage, but she has put on game performances in both of her bouts for the promotion. At Invicta FC 1, Estes got off to a very strong start against 2008 Olympic medallist Randi Miller before succumbing to Miller’s vicious ground and pound in the final round. She then stepped in on short notice to face top-ranked Julia “The Jewel” Budd at Invicta FC 5, but Budd prevailed via third-round submission.

Sanko (1-0-0) made a successful transition to the professional ranks in January when she submitted a very game Cassie “The Hulk” Robb in the opening bout at Invicta FC 4. Sanko had previously racked up a 4-1 record as an amateur. The local Kansas City fan favourite was not in action at Invicta FC 5, but did assist with the event as an interviewer and impressed with her skills on the microphone. She now steps back into the cage in search of her second pro win.

Von Plettenberg (1-1-0), a talented striker, made her pro debut in her home country of Austria in June and picked up a first-round TKO victory. She opted to make the move to Portland, Oregon to train with Team Quest and received a short-notice fight opportunity at Invicta FC 4 when Joanne Calderwood was left without an opponent. Von Plettenberg and Calderwood battled for three full rounds, but it was the Scottish fighter who took home the victory on the scorecards.

Invicta Fighting Championships 6 takes place on July 13th at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. The event is headlined by a pair of championship fights.

Invicta Fighting Championships 6 Fight Card (to date; subject to change):

– Marloes “Rumina” Coenen vs Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino [Invicta FC Featherweight Championship]
– Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza vs Ayaka Hamasaki [Invicta FC Strawweight Championship]
– Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio vs Lauren Taylor
– Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith vs TBD
– Jessica Penne vs Nicdali “The Night Queen” Rivera-Calanoc
– Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood vs Claudia “Claudinha” Gadelha
– Ediane “India” Gomes vs Julia “The Jewel” Budd
– Bec “Rowdy” Hyatt vs Mizuki Inoue
– “The Queen of Mean” Miriam Nakamoto vs “Diamond” Duda Yankovich

– “Thug” Rose Namajunas vs Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres
– Ashley “Smashley” Cummins vs Emily Kagan
– “Miss” Mollie Estes vs Veronica “The Heartbreaker” Rothenhausler
– “Fancy” Laura Sanko vs Livia “T-Rex” von Plettenberg

(Photo Credit: Esther Lin, AllElbows.com / InvictaFC.com)