Invicta Fighting Championships 18 Live Play-By-Play & ResultsInvicta Fighting Championships showcased its 18th all-female card tonight at the Kansas City Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. Invicta FC 18 was headlined by a strawweight bout between undefeated Mexican star Alexa Grasso and The Ultimate Fighter 23 contestant Jodie Esquibel.

In the flyweight co-main event, highly-touted Polish prospect Agnieszka Niedźwiedź put her undefeated record on the line against late replacement Christine “Knuckles” Stanley. Mizuki Inoue faced Lynn “Weapon X” Alvarez at 115. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the Invicta FC 18 card.

 

Alexa Grasso vs Jodie Esquibel

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Both women landed punching flurries early in the fight and Esquibel scored with body kicks. She held Grasso against the cage, but Grasso stuffed it and she countered with hard knees and elbows. Esquibel backed away and threw leg kicks that were met by right hands and a head kick from Grasso. She took Esquibel down and landed punches on the way up.

Grasso hurt Esquibel with a kick to the liver and followed with punches and elbows as Esquibel worked for a takedown. More elbows scored for Grasso and she backed Esquibel up with punches. Grasso landed a head kick and Esquibel briefly took her down. Both women landed knees in close and Grasso finished the round with a one-two. 10-9 Grasso.

Round 2:
Grasso picked her shots with jabs and one-twos in the second round that halted Esquibel’s forward momentum. Esquibel caught a kick and tripped Grasso, but she allowed her to get back to her feet. Grasso landed a short uppercut and Esquibel kicked at her lead leg. She darted in with right-left combos to the body and head. Grasso cracked her with an overhand right and followed with a knee. Esquibel’s nose began to bleed and Grasso targeted it with jabs and one-twos. 10-9 Grasso.

Round 3:
Grasso circled on the outside and threw jabs in round three until Esquibel stepped forward with a leg kick. Grasso landed a nice right hand and she hurt Esquibel with a one-two. Esquibel backed up against the cage and Grasso landed more punches and knees. Esquibel’s nose bled heavily and time was called to check on it. Action resumed and Esquibel pressed forward with punches and a leg kick. Grasso stunned her with a flurry of punches and an elbow. Esquibel shot in for a takedown, but Grasso stuffed it and she landed right hands to the face and body. 10-9 Grasso.

Judge Henry Gueary: 30-27 Grasso. Judge Brett Miller: 30-26 Grasso. Judge Ross Swanberg: 30-27 Grasso.

Winner: Alexa Grasso by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 8-0-0.

 

Agnieszka “Kuma” Niedźwiedź vs Christine “Knuckles” Stanley

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Greg Franklin. Niedźwiedź landed crisp punches early in round one and Stanley replied with leg kicks. She connected with a nice left hook and followed with a one-two. Stanley lunged in with a hard left hand and Niedźwiedź answered with body kicks. Stanley ran away in a circle and Niedźwiedź taunted her. She rushed forward with four punches, but only a left hook landed. Niedźwiedź picked her shots with punches and took Stanley down after catching a kick. Stanley stood and Niedźwiedź spent the remainder of the round alternating between takedowns and knees and elbows. 10-9 Niedźwiedź.

Round 2:
Niedźwiedź landed leg kicks and lead left hooks in the seconds round as Stanley appeared to slow down. Both women landed kicks and Niedźwiedź secured a quick takedown. She landed punches to the face as Stanley worked back to her feet against the cage. Stanley circled away and she ate two right hands and a jab. Niedźwiedź kept the pressure on with punching combinations and body kicks. Stanley began to bleed from the nose and Niedźwiedź punished her with knees in a clinch. Stanley broke free, but she missed with a looping right hand and Niedźwiedź took her down late in the round. 10-9 Niedźwiedź.

Round 3:
Stanley scored with an overhand right in the opening seconds of round three. She looked to turn the fight into a brawl, but Niedźwiedź tagged her with a counter right cross. She took Stanley down into side control and threw knees to the body. Niedźwiedź worked for a far-side keylock and the fighters were stood up for no reason. Niedźwiedź took Stanley back down and she threatened with another keylock and a Brabo choke in the final minute. 10-9 Niedźwiedź.

Judge Henry Gueary: 30-27 Niedźwiedź. Judge Brett Miller: 30-27 Niedźwiedź. Judge Marcus Danforth: 30-27 Niedźwiedź.

Winner: Agnieszka Niedźwiedź by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 8-0-0.

 

Mizuki Inoue vs Lynn “Weapon X” Alvarez

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Inoue pressed forward in the opening minute, but Alvarez picked her shots with jabs and right hands that kept her off-balance. The fighters traded punches and Inoue landed a right cross. She connected with a quick flurry and backed Alvarez up against the cage. Inoue scored with hooks and uppercuts in close as she looked for a takedown. Alvarez defended well, but Inoue hooked her leg and tripped her to the mat. She mounted Alvarez, who quickly scrambled back to half-guard. Inoue mounted her again and dropped rapid-fire punches. She took Alvarez’s back and transitioned to a triangle choke. Alvarez escaped and finished the round on top. 10-9 Inoue.

Round 2:
Both women landed hard punches in round two and an exchange of knees followed in a clinch. Inoue landed one to the face and she threw Alvarez down to the mat. From the top, Inoue worked for an armbar until Alvarez gave up her back. She landed punches and latched on to Alvarez’s arm again. Inoue pulled back on Alvarez’s right arm and Alvarez tapped out.

Winner: Mizuki Inoue by Submission (Armbar) at 3:00 of round two. She improves to 12-4-0, 1 NC.

 

Cindy “Battlecat” Dandois vs Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Greg Franklin. Dandois immediately took Duke down, but Duke scrambled back up to her feet against the cage. Dandois threw her back down into side control and locked on a scarf hold armlock that forced Duke to hastily tap out.

Winner: Cindy Dandois by Submission (Scarf Hold Armlock) at 1:33 of round one. She improves to 7-2-0.

 

Megan Anderson vs Peggy “The Daywalker” Morgan

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Anderson stunned Morgan with two hard right hooks in the opening minute, but Morgan recovered and she initiated a clinch against the cage. The fighters separated and Anderson landed more right hands. She dropped Morgan with a looping left hook, but Morgan returned to her feet. Her face swelled up as Anderson picked her apart with left and right hooks. Morgan attempted a takedown, but Anderson broke free from her grasp and she dropped Anderson with two right hooks. Morgan fell to her back and Anderson finished her off with hammerfists.

Winner: Megan Anderson by KO (Punches) at 4:09 of round one. She improves to 7-2-0.

 

Tessa “The Typhoon” Simpson vs Simona “The Pitbull” Soukupova

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Greg Franklin. Soukupova flurried with punches early on, but Simpson landed some nice left hooks and a head kick in return. She targeted Soukupova’s body with quick kicks and punches while staying out of Soukupova’s range. Three- and four-punch combos landed for Simpson, who mixed in more body kicks. She backed Soukupova up with a right hook over the top. Simpson landed a hard knee and three hooks in the final minute. Soukupova replied with a right hand and Simpson cracked her with an elbow and a solid right hook. 10-9 Simpson.

Round 2:
Simpson opened round two with right hands and both women landed leg kicks. Soukupova pressed forward with a one-two, but Simpson backed her up with a right hook and a head kick. She continued to mix up her strikes with punch-kick combos, but Soukupova landed at a high volume with right hands. Simpson snapped Soukupova’s head back with a front kick and followed with an uppercut. Two more right hands landed for Simpson late in the round. 10-9 Simpson.

Round 3:
Soukupova scored with a hard right hook in the final round and she punched her way into a clinch. Simpson broke free and she flurried with quick punches. A hard right hand stopped Soukupova’s forward momentum. Soukupova regained her footing and walked Simpson down with punches and a knee to the body. Simpson’s left eye swelled up and Soukupova bloodied her nose with a standing elbow. She landed knees to the head and body as Simpson hunted for a takedown. Soukupova ate a front kick, but she floored Simpson with a counter right hook. Simpson stood and Soukupova landed a head kick. 10-8 Soukupova.

Judge Brett Miller: 29-28 Simpson. Judge Marcus Danforth: 29-28 Simpson. Judge Henry Gueary: 29-27 Simpson.

Winner: Tessa Simpson by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 5-1-0.

 

Aspen Ladd vs Jessica “Bakan” Hoy

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Ladd pressed forward right away and landed stiff jabs that backed Hoy up in the opening seconds. She kept the pressure on with jabs and Hoy answered back with counter right hooks and body kicks. Ladd landed a series of lead left hooks and she followed with knees to the body in a clinch against the cage. Hoy fought off takedown attempts and the fighters battled for position. Hoy broke away with a right hand and Ladd tagged her with a left. Ladd scored with numerous left hooks and she flurried with punches near the cage. 10-9 Ladd.

Round 2:
Hoy landed a body kick early in round two and Ladd fired back with a combination. Hoy held Ladd against the fence until Ladd countered with a slick headlock takedown into side control. She threw knees to the body and mounted Hoy seconds later. Ladd hurt Hoy with elbows and punches, but Hoy rolled to her side and weathered the storm. Ladd continued to tee off with elbows and punches until the bout was stopped.

Winner: Aspen Ladd by TKO (Elbows & Punches) at 3:14 of round two. She improves to 4-0-0.

 

Sijara “Sarj” Eubanks vs AmberLynn “ALO” Orr

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Greg Franklin. Eubanks opened the action with a nice right hook and she countered Orr’s punches with right-left combos. Both women landed body kicks and Eubanks took Orr down. She postured up with punches and elbows from the top and Orr looked to counter with a triangle choke. Eubanks passed to side control and rained down left hands from a top-side crucifix. Orr briefly attempted an inverted triangle choke from the bottom, but Eubanks escaped and punished her with hard punches and elbows. She dropped a final salvo of punches and elbows, and the fight was stopped.

Winner: Sijara Eubanks by TKO (Punches & Elbows) at 4:41 of round one. She improves to 2-1-0.

 

  1. […] Full play-by-play for all bouts on the Invicta FC 18 card can be found here. […]