Invicta Fighting Championships held its tenth card tonight at Arena Theatre in Houston, Texas. Invicta FC 10 featured an atomweight championship bout between reigning Invicta FC champ Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson and Brazilian standout Hérica Tibúrcio, who made her Invicta FC debut.
Also on the card tonight, veteran bantamweight contender Tonya “Triple Threat” Evinger took on Cindy “Battlecat” Dandois in the 135-pound co-feature. Roxanne “The Happy Warrior” Modafferi battled Andrea “KGB” Lee in flyweight action. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the card.
Invicta FC Atomweight Championship
Hérica Tibúrcio vs Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Chris Reed. Tibúrcio landed punches and kicks early on and she countered a Waterson body kick by taking her down. Waterson locked on an armbar from the bottom and Tibúrcio scrambled free. She stood back up and landed knees to the body. Tibúrcio followed with a right hook, but Waterson threw her to the mat and landed on top in mount. Tibúrcio swept into top position and Waterson immediately tried for a triangle choke and an armbar. Tibúrcio turned into a reverse crucifix from back control just before the bell. Close first round. 10-9 Waterson.
Round 2:
Tibúrcio clinched and worked for a takedown against the cage in round two, but Waterson reversed in mid-air and she wound up in Tibúrcio’s half-guard. Tibúrcio countered with a heel hook attempt and Waterson punched from the top. The fighters stood and Waterson’s left eye continued to swell shut from Tibúrcio’s punches in the opening round. She pulled guard and Tibúrcio moved from North-South position to a top-side crucifix.
Tibúrcio struck from the top and moved to side control, where she locked on a brutal keylock on Waterson’s left arm. Waterson refused to submit and she eventually exploded out into Tibúrcio’s guard. Waterson landed short elbow strikes and transitioned to a very tight armbar. Waterson held on and the bell sounded seconds later. Excellent round. 10-9 Tibúrcio.
Round 3:
Waterson opened round three with a side kick, but Tibúrcio caught it and took her down. She moved from North-South position to side control and then pulled guard with an arm-in guillotine choke. Waterson could not escape and tapped out on the mat.
Winner: Hérica Tibúrcio by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:04 of round three. She improves to 9-2-0 and becomes the new Invicta FC Atomweight Champion.
Tonya “Triple Threat” Evinger vs Cindy “Battlecat” Dandois
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joe Soliz. Evinger looked to land big punches right away, but Dandois countered with a takedown attempt. Evinger took her back on the way down and transitioned to top position in side control. She trapped Dandois in a top-side crucifix and landed short punches and elbows. Dandois rolled to her side and Evinger looked to set up a rear-naked choke. She moved back to mount again and landed punches until Dandois threw up her legs and kicked her off. The fighters went for duelling toe holds and Evinger finished the round on top. 10-9 Evinger.
Round 2:
Evinger stuffed a takedown and took Dandois’s back early in the second round. She landed punches and transitioned to an inverted triangle choke attempt from back control. Evinger switched to an armbar and rolled through, which forced Dandois to hastily submit.
Winner: Tonya Evinger by Submission (Armbar) at 1:23 of round two. She improves to 16-5-0.
Roxanne “The Happy Warrior” Modafferi vs Andrea “KGB” Lee
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Chris Reed. Both women landed right hands and body kicks in the early goings and Lee followed with more kicks. Modafferi caught one and took her down, but Lee quickly returned to her feet. Modafferi dumped her on her head and went to work on top in Lee’s half-guard. Lee fought her way back to full guard and tried for an armbar. Modafferi escaped and she nearly got to mount. Lee held her in half-guard, but Lee grabbed her leg and swept into top position. The fighters stood and Lee landed a knee on the way up. 10-9 Modafferi.
Round 2:
Lee pressed the action with punches and chopping leg kicks in round two. She landed more hard shots, but Modafferi scored with a vicious head kick and she took Lee down soon after. Lee got back to her feet and attempted a takedown of her own, but Modafferi reversed on the way down. Lee scrambled and secured a much-needed sweep into top position. She moved to a top-side crucifix and landed punches, then transitioned to mount. Big elbows scored for Lee and she spun into an armbar attempt, but Modafferi escaped and wound up in side control. She landed short elbows before the bell. 10-9 Lee.
Round 3:
Lee landed more punches and body kicks in the final round and Modafferi countered an uppercut by pinning her against the fence. She took Lee down and moved from side control to mount. Modafferi scored with elbows from the top and Lee used her legs to defend. Modafferi landed more short elbows that forced Lee to give up her back. She flattened her out and worked for a rear-naked choke. Lee tried to get back to her feet, but Modafferi held her down until the end of the fight. 10-9 Modafferi.
Winner: Roxanne Modafferi by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 17-11-0.
DeAnna “The Argentine Assassin” Bennett vs Jennifer Maia
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joe Soliz. Bennett opened the action with a kick-punch combo and Maia fired back with a nice flurry. She followed with an overhand right and a straight left. Bennett clinched and landed knees to the body, but Maia countered with knees of her own and backed away. Bennett kicked at Maia’s lead leg and backed her up against the cage. Maia broke free by landing a knee, but Bennett caught a kick and took her down just before the bell. Close opening round. 10-9 Maia by a slim margin.
Round 2:
Maia landed a solid combination in round two and Bennett replied with punches of her own. Maia scored with an elbow in close and she used an impressive spinning arm-drag throw to take Bennett down. Bennett locked on a guillotine choke from the bottom and Maia escaped. She landed an illegal knee on the way up and time was called. Action resumed and Maia landed a combination. She followed with an uppercut and two right hands. She remained the aggressor in the exchanges, but Bennett landed a right hook late in the round. 10-9 Maia.
Round 3:
Maia pressed forward with punches in the final round and Bennett countered by pinning her against the cage. Maia circled away and she landed a kick to the upper body. Bennett ducked her head and Maia landed a knee and two hooks. She continued to get the better of the striking exchanges by landing quick punches before Bennett could reply. Late in the round, Bennett landed a front kick and a combination. Maia walked her down with more punches and a knee. 10-9 Maia.
Winner: DeAnna Bennett by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 6-0-0.
Peggy “The Daywalker” Morgan vs Andria Wawro
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Chris Reed. Morgan landed stiff jabs and right hands early in the fight and Wawro answered with overhand rights. She backed Morgan up with a flurry and Morgan countered with a knee. Looping punches landed for Wawro and she followed with a body kick. The fighters battled for position in a clinch and both women landed elbows. Wawro broke free with a one-two and Morgan re-established her jab. The close round ended with both women landing left hooks. 10-9 Wawro, barely.
Round 2:
The second round began with a clinch battle against the fence and both women landed knees and short punches. The referee eventually called for a break and Wawro landed two overhand rights. She snuck in more right hands and Morgan responded with a combination. Wawro picked up the pace with her punches and she landed more looping hooks before the bell. Another close round. 10-9 Wawro.
Round 3:
Wawro countered a one-two with a right hook that landed behind Morgan’s ear in round three. Morgan pinned her against the cage and she took Wawro’s back in the clinch. Morgan landed a series of right hands that cut Wawro’s cheek. Wawro broke free from the clinch and Morgan landed jabs and right hands. Wawro fired off a wild flurry of punches and the fight ended with both women throwing big shots. 10-9 Morgan.
Winner: Peggy Morgan by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 3-2-0.
Alexa Grasso vs Alida Gray
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joe Soliz. Grasso scored with a quick body kick and a combination in the opening seconds. She rocked Gray with a flurry and followed with more punches. Gray retreated to the cage and recovered, then fired back with big punches of her own. Grasso landed a four-punch combo that was punctuated by a left hook and Gray collapsed to the mat. Grasso followed with punches on the ground and the fight was stopped.
Winner: Alexa Grasso by TKO (Punches) at 1:47 of round one. She improves to 6-0-0.
Jinh Yu Frey vs Cassie “The Hulk” Robb
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Chris Reed. Frey closed the distance early on and landed a nice knee in the clinch. She took Robb’s back on the feet and Robb countered with back elbow strikes. Frey jumped on Robb’s back and worked for a rear-naked choke. Robb collapsed to the mat and tapped out.
Winner: Jinh Yu Frey by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:36 of round one. She improves to 3-1-0.
Rachael Ostovich vs Evva “No Fear” Johnson
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joe Soliz. Ostovich landed a nice combination early in the fight and took Johnson’s back after stuffing a takedown, but Johnson scrambled back to her feet and held Ostovich against the fence. Ostovich tried for a takedown of her own, but Johnson reversed and secured back control. She transitioned to an armbar and Ostovich escaped to her feet.
The fighters traded punches and Ostovich scored with an overhand right. Johnson countered a body kick with a right hand of her own. Another flurry landed for Ostovich, followed by a right hook. Front kicks were exchanged and Johnson attempted a takedown after catching a kick. Ostovich reversed and wound up on top in Johnson’s half-guard. 10-9 Ostovich.
Round 2:
Ostovich stuffed a takedown in round two and landed a nice knee. She threw Johnson to the mat and fought off a heel hook attempt. Big punches scored for Ostovich as Johnson rolled over onto her stomach. Ostovich landed more punches and briefly looked for an armbar. She kicked at Johnson’s legs until Johnson eventually stood up. A one-two landed for Ostovich and she threw Johnson to the ground again. The fight returned to the feet and both women landed punches. Ostovich used an impressive leg-sweep takedown to get Johnson down before the bell. 10-9 Ostovich.
Round 3:
Ostovich opened round three with a spinning backfist and she fought off a takedown attempt with a series of elbows. Johnson got her down, but Ostovich reversed position and punched from the top. Johnson battled back to her feet and Ostovich countered a body kick with a one-two. Johnson got her down and quickly moved to back control. She flattened Ostovich out and landed punches to the sides of her head. Johnson remained on Ostovich’s back until the end of the fight. 10-9 Johnson.
Winner: Rachael Ostovich by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 2-1-0.
[…] Full play-by-play for all bouts on tonight’s Invicta FC 10 card can be found here. […]
Bennett got beat…Maia got robbed straight up.
Tonya Evinger should be in UFC.
I love Roxy!#!! Congrats!
Grasso and Betrian are coming for everyone in the straweight division. Alida Gray aint no slouch either…early stoppage IMO.
Tiburcio should move to 115 and chase Dana White…she is talented. This 115 lb class in the UFC is gonna be deep. Their Kung Fu is strong!#!
Hey guys…add that brain dead retard Jessica Eye to my shitlist (along with Julianna Pena) Between the two I don’t believe their IQ hits 100. Check it out…
She refuses to give Leslie Smith even a chance of a rematch because…the fight metric stats show her leading when the fight was stopped. Well Miss Eye…I know you have a hard time remembering what you had for breakfast yesterday but why not look at the fight metric stats for Kaufman vs Eye and see if you can comprehend who came out on top. I know it is hard getting those synapses to fire sometimes but try real hard. You are basically scared…admit it… Don’t be scared, homie
Jessica Eye is so scared of losing rematches to both Smith and Kaufman…she is definitely too stupid to understand what kind of fighters Dana White loves…FYI…Jessica Eye!!!…the kind that fight anyone, anywhere, anytime!! Prediction…she will be sitting on the sidelines alot in the coming years.
PS…Dana White loves Leslie Smith!!
Now lets talk about heart…Julianna Pena claims she will run through the division when she returns because, and I quote, “you cant teach heart”
Prediction…Pena will get hurt again…cry and lie, lue and cry..and her career will be over in the UFC.
You wanna see heart, Julianna…go watch Roxanne Modaferri’s fight against a young, strong, physically perfect beast called “KGB Lee” and then go home and write 100 times “I didn’t know what heart was” til I met Roxy.