Invicta Fighting Championships showcased its 22nd all-female card tonight at the Kansas City Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. Invicta FC 22 was headlined by a bantamweight championship rematch between champion Tonya “Triple Threat” Evinger and Yana “Foxy” Kunitskaya.
In the strawweight co-main event, Invicta FC Atomweight Champion Ayaka Hamasaki moved up in weight to face former 115-pound champ Livia Renata “Livinha” Souza. DeAnna “The Argentine Assassin” Bennett took on Jodie Esquibel. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for Invicta FC 22.
Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship
Tonya “Triple Threat” Evinger vs Yana “Foxy” Kunitskaya
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Evinger shot in and secured a brief takedown in the opening seconds, but Kunitskaya stood and trapped her in a tight guillotine choke. Evinger pulled her head free and pushed Kunitskaya to the mat, but Kunitskaya attacked with an armbar from the bottom. Evinger fought free and the fighters went for duelling heel hooks. Kunitskaya switched to a kneebar, but she was not able to get enough torque on the hold and Evinger scrambled out into top position. She postured up with punches and elbows and avoided a Kunitskaya armbar late in the round. 10-9 Kunitskaya, barely, in spite of the late damage.
Round 2:
The fighters clinched against the cage in the second round and Kunitskaya threw knees to the head and body of Evinger while fighting off takedown attempts. Evinger eventually got her down and Kunitskaya countered with a loose guillotine choke. Evinger punched her way free and prevented Kunitskaya from scrambling back up to her feet. Kunitskaya looked to set up an armbar and Evinger passed to side control. She took Kunitskaya’s back and locked on a rear-naked choke, which forced Kunitskaya to tap out.
Winner: Tonya Evinger by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:32 of round two. She improves to 20-5-0, 1 NC.
Livia Renata “Livinha” Souza vs Ayaka Hamasaki
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Hamasaki struck first with a quick one-two and Souza fired back with a leg kick. She tagged Hamasaki with a three-punch combo and Hamasaki landed two hooks in return. A big right hand dropped Hamasaki and Souza unloaded with punches while standing over her downed foe. Referee Mike England stood by and watched as Hamasaki was struck by numerous unnecessary punches until he finally intervened to stop the fight.
Winner: Livia Renata Souza by KO (Punches) at 1:41 of round one. She improves to 10-1-0.
Jodie Esquibel vs DeAnna “The Argentine Assassin” Bennett
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Greg Franklin. The fighters exchanged punch-kick combos in a cautious opening two minutes and Esquibel landed lead left hooks. Bennett attempted a head kick and Esquibel took her down. Bennett locked on a tight armbar from the bottom and wrenched back on Esquibel’s left arm. Esquibel was in all sorts of trouble, but she somehow held on until the bell. 10-9 Bennett.
Round 2:
Esquibel landed jabs and mixed in hooks to the body in the second round. Bennett stayed on the outside and countered with single punches. Esquibel briefly tripped her to the mat, but she allowed Bennett to stand and kept her backing up with jabs and front kicks. Esquibel landed a nice spinning backfist an she followed with a lead left hook. An overhand right and a body kick scored for Esquibel late in the round. 10-9 Esquibel.
Round 3:
Bennett opened the final round with a right hand and Esquibel responded with leg kicks. A one-two landed for Bennett and Esquibel answered back with a right hook and a chopping leg kick. The fighters continued to trade single strikes until the final minute when Esquibel rushed forward with a flurry. Bennett threw a kick-punch combo and ate a pair of hard left hooks in return. Very close final round. 10-9 Esquibel by a slim margin.
Judge Brett Miller: 29-28 Esquibel. Judge Fernando Marques: 29-28 Esquibel. Judge Henry Gueary: 29-28 Bennett.
Winner: Jodie Esquibel by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 6-2-0.
Ashley “Smashley” Cummins vs Amber “The Bully” Brown
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Greg Franklin. Cummins was very aggressive with her punches in the opening seconds and she landed a nice combination. Brown took her down, but she sustained a cut on her nose after a clash of heads. A bloodied Brown struck from top position, but Cummins was active off of her back and she trapped Brown in a modified triangle choke. Brown countered with an inverted triangle choke in a scramble and she landed elbows to Cummins’s ribs. Cummins eventually escaped and Brown tried for another inverted triangle choke. Cummins countered with a leg-in triangle choke before the bell. 10-9 Brown.
Round 2:
Cummins took Brown down after catching a kick early in round two. Brown looked to set up a triangle choke and an armbar from her back, but Cummins easily avoided danger and she trapped Brown in a shoulder choke from side control. Brown escaped once, but Cummins moved from a second shoulder choke to an arm-triangle choke after passing to the opposite side. Brown was clearly in trouble, but she managed to free herself once again. Cummins dropped elbows from the top in side control late in the round. 10-9 Cummins.
Round 3:
The fighters traded punches in the final round and Cummins bloodied Brown’s mouth with a combination. Brown kicked at Cummins’s lead leg, but Cummins took her down and avoided an armbar attempt by passing to side control. Brown rolled over and Cummins alternated between mount and back control while hunting for submissions. Cummins locked on a rear-naked choke in the final 20 seconds, but Brown broke her grip shortly before time expired. 10-9 Cummins.
Judge Ross Swanberg: 30-27 Cummins. Judge Henry Gueary: 29-28 Cummins. Judge Brett Miller: 29-28 Cummins.
Winner: Ashley Cummins by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 5-3-0.
Sunna “Tsunami” Rannveig Davíðsdóttir vs Mallory Martin
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Davíðsdóttir stunned Martin with a flurry of punches in the opening seconds, but Martin recovered and looked for a takedown after catching a kick. Davíðsdóttir stayed on her feet and landed knees to the body. More knees were exchanged in a second clinch and Martin attempted a throw, but Davíðsdóttir reversed and the fighters stood up. Davíðsdóttir landed two right hands after backing away from the clinch and she rocked Martin with a one-two. Martin clinched and Davíðsdóttir punished her with knees. Martin’s left eye swelled up, but she landed some solid punches late in the round. 10-9 Davíðsdóttir.
Round 2:
Davíðsdóttir opened round two with punches and knees that led to a brief clinch. She kicked at Martin’s lead leg and cracked her with a three-punch combination. Martin rocked Davíðsdóttir with a left hook, but Davíðsdóttir secured a clinch and she held Martin against the cage. Martin reversed and broke free with an elbow. She hurt Davíðsdóttir with another left hand and a bloodied Davíðsdóttir stumbled backwards to the cage. More punches landed for Martin in close and she took Davíðsdóttir down after an exchange of knees. 10-9 Martin.
Round 3:
The final round began with Davíðsdóttir landing lead left hands as Martin pressed forward. Power punches were exchanged until Martin took Davíðsdóttir down against the base of the cage. Davíðsdóttir stood and both women landed punches. Davíðsdóttir scored with jabs, but she ate leg kicks and one-twos in return. Martin tried for a takedown, but Davíðsdóttir reversed into back control. Martin tried to shake her off and she ultimately escaped into Davíðsdóttir’s guard. Davíðsdóttir battled back to her feet and Martin looked for a takedown. Davíðsdóttir stuffed it and finished the round with a knee. 10-9 Davíðsdóttir, barely.
Judge Henry Gueary: 30-27 Davíðsdóttir. Judge Fernando Marques: 29-28 Davíðsdóttir. Judge Ross Swanberg: 29-28 Davíðsdóttir.
Winner: Sunna Rannveig Davíðsdóttir by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 2-0-0.
Miranda Maverick vs Kalyn “.50 Kal” Schwartz
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Greg Franklin. Scwartz pressured her opponent with kicks in the opening minute and Maverick countered with a combination. The fighters clinched against the cage and Schwartz dumped Maverick to the mat. Maverick fought her way back to half-guard and locked up an armbar from the bottom. Scwartz defended well, but Maverick went belly-down with the hold and rolled through. Schwartz tried to stand up and slam her way free, but Maverick tightened the armbar and Schwartz tapped out.
Winner: Miranda Maverick by Submission (Armbar) at 3:01 of round one. She improves to 2-0-0.
Felicia “FeeNom” Spencer vs Madison “Baby Hulk” McElhaney
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Mike England. Big punches and leg kicks were exchanged right away and Spencer fought her way out of a clinch by landing punches in close and more leg kicks. Both women landed kicks to the body and Spencer pinned McElhaney against the cage. She threw McElhaney down to the mat and landed a series of punches and knees on the way up. McElhaney countered with a double-overhook throw that allowed her to take top position in Spencer’s guard. Spencer attacked with elbows from her back and spun into an armbar attempt, but McElhaney escaped and finished the round with a modified Anaconda choke. Close round. 10-9 Spencer.
Round 2:
The second round began with another exchange of punches and Spencer backed McElhaney up against the cage after landing a kick-punch combo. McElhaney broke free, but she ate a standing elbow and a head kick. McElhaney slowed way down and Spencer picked her apart with punches and more head kicks. She clinched and landed knees and elbows to McElhaney’s face. McElhaney attempted a takedown and Spencer reversed on the way down. She looked to mount McElhaney and transitioned to a belly-down armbar. McElhaney escaped to her feet, but Spencer tagged her with a combination and a head kick. She landed elbows and knees late in the round. 10-9 Spencer.
Round 3:
McElhaney pressed forward with punches in the final round and Spencer countered with kicks. She missed with a spinning hook kick, but landed a lunging jab and a combination that allowed her to clinch with McElhaney against the cage. McElhaney briefly broke free and Spencer clinched again. McElhaney countered a takedown attempt with a front headlock and the fighters returned to their feet. Spencer landed a head kick and McElhaney answered with a flurry. Spencer took her down into mount and McElhaney gave up her back before the bell. 10-9 Spencer.
Judge Ross Swanberg: 30-27 Spencer. Judge Fernando Marques: 30-27 Spencer. Judge Brett Miller: 29-28 Spencer.
Winner: Felicia Spencer by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 2-0-0.