Invicta Fighting Championships showcased its 38th all-female card tonight at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. Invicta FC 38 was headlined by a vacant strawweight championship bout between Japanese standout Kanako Murata and former Bellator title challenger Emily “Gordinha” Ducote.
In the flyweight co-feature, Vanessa Porto faced Karina Rodríguez in a non-title bout due to Rodríguez missing weight. Strawweight prospects Mallory Martin and Cynthia “Sin” Arceo squared off in a matchup at 115 pounds. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s Invicta FC 38 card.
Invicta FC Strawweight Championship
Kanako Murata vs Emily “Gordinha” Ducote
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Murata scored with a quick right hand early on and she followed with a left cross. Both women landed punches and Murata clinched with Ducote against the cage. She took Ducote down and tried to secure back control as Ducote rose to her feet. Ducote turned into the clinch and pushed Murata away. Murata tripped Ducote and struck from the top until Ducote attacked with an armbar. Murata pulled her arm free and landed punches and elbows from the top. Ducote attempted another armbar late in the round, but Murata stayed calm and landed more short elbows. 10-9 Murata.
Round 2:
Both women landed punches in the early stages of round two and Murata attempted a takedown after throwing a head kick. Ducote fought her off and landed a right hand to the body soon after. Murata countered a leg kick with a lunging one-two. She took Ducote down and struck from the top with elbows while preventing Ducote from setting up an armbar. Murata stood and dropped punches to Ducote’s face before settling back into her guard. Ducote countered with an armbar and Murata escaped. 10-9 Murata.
Round 3:
Murata landed a nice combination in round three, but Ducote took the centre of the cage and kept Murata on the outside with quick punches and leg kicks. She fought off a takedown attempt and landed two looping punches. Murata tried to drag Ducote down to the mat, but Ducote defended well and stayed on her feet. Murata finally got Ducote down in the final 50 seconds and she landed short left hands and elbows until the bell. Close round. 10-9 Murata, barely, due to the late offence.
Round 4:
Ducote stuffed a takedown attempt in the fourth round and pressed forward with a leg kick. She scored with punches and both fighters threw head kicks. Murata jumped in with a one-two that landed, but she was unable to get Ducote down and Ducote landed a hard flurry in return. Murata took Ducote down with a headlock throw and Ducote quickly scrambled to regain full guard. Both women landed elbows and Ducote attacked with an armbar. Murata rolled through and wound up in Ducote’s guard again. Ducote landed elbows from the bottom and an upkick after Murata stood up. She took Murata’s back very briefly, but Murata shook her off and finished the round on top. Another close round. 10-9 Ducote.
Round 5:
Murata threw a Superman punch and tried to take Ducote down in the final round. Ducote stuffed it, and also defended against a second takedown attempt soon after. Ducote connected with two hard right hands and she followed with more punches. A leg kick from Ducote was countered by a Murata takedown. Ducote tried to sweep and worked for an armbar from the bottom as Murata threw elbows and hammerfists from the top. Ducote spun into a tight armbar and Murata had to act quickly to defend. Two more armbars followed from Ducote, who then switched to a heel hook. The fighters stood and Ducote landed a right cross. Murata responded with a left hand and tried unsuccessfully for a late takedown. 10-9 Ducote.
Winner: Kanako Murata by Split Decision (49-46, 48-47, 47-48) after five rounds. She improves to 11-1-0 and becomes the Invicta FC Strawweight Champion.
Vanessa Porto vs Karina Rodríguez
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. Rodríguez opened the action with jabs and she ate a right hook in return from Porto. A quick flurry landed for Porto and she took Rodríguez down. Rodríguez kicked her off and stood up, but ate two punches along the way. Hard punches landed for both women and Rodríguez remained effective with her jab. Porto dumped her to the mat again and landed hard punches as Rodríguez rose to her feet against the cage. Rodríguez scored with another stiff jab, but Porto secured a body lock and took her down into side control. She tried to take Rodríguez’s back, but Rodríguez escaped to her feet. Porto threw her back down into side control and she attempted an arm-triangle choke late in the round. 10-9 Porto.
Round 2:
Porto landed right hands to the head and body in the second round. Rodríguez countered with two hard knee strikes as Porto clinched. Rodríguez landed more knees and Porto backed away. Both women landed hooks and Rodríguez scored with another knee that caused Porto’s nose to bleed. Rodríguez landed a flurry and she countered a body kick from Porto with a right cross that sent her off-balance. Porto fired back with a right hand of her own and Rodríguez threw quick punches in return. Porto dumped her to the mat late in the close round. 10-9 Rodríguez.
Round 3:
The final round began with an exchange of punches and Rodríguez stunned Porto briefly with a right hook. Porto clinched and tried for a takedown before breaking free with a right hand. Porto dragged Rodríguez down and wound up on top in Rodríguez’s guard. The fight returned to the feet and Rodríguez landed a combination as the fighters separated. Rodríguez scored with another flurry that forced Porto to clinch again. She got Rodríguez down against the base of the cage, but Rodríguez worked back to her feet. Rodríguez landed punches and two knees while fending off Porto’s late takedown attempts. 10-9 Rodríguez.
Winner: Vanessa Porto by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 22-8-0.
Mallory Martin vs Cynthia “Sin” Arceo
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Martin countered early jabs from Arceo with a lunging flurry of punches. Arceo darted in with a one-two and Martin took her down into half-guard. Martin landed short punches until she was able to pass to side control. Martin landed more short punches and nearly made it to mount as Arceo scrambled up to her feet against the cage. The fighters separated and traded leg kicks, with Arceo following up with a stiff jab. 10-9 Martin.
Round 2:
Arceo landed quick combinations in the second round and Martin responded by taking her down. She moved to side control and threw elbows while Arceo countered with knees to the body from the bottom. Martin looked to secure an arm-triangle choke and she took mount position in the process. Arceo avoided the choke, but Martin responded by blasting her with punches and elbows. Martin postured up with big elbows in the final 40 seconds, but Arceo made it to the bell. 10-8 Martin.
Round 3:
Arceo darted in and out with one-twos in the final round and Martin responded with single punches. The fighters continued to trade strikes until Martin took Arceo down with two minutes remaining in the round. Martin quickly moved from side control to mount and she cut Arceo with elbows. Martin maintained mount until the end of the round and she continued to batter Arceo with punches and elbows. 10-9 Martin, if not a 10-8.
Winner: Mallory Martin by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 6-2-0.
Shanna “The Shanimal” Young vs Maiju “Mountain Momma” Suotama
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. Both women landed jab-cross combos early on and Young followed with a leg kick. Suotama took her down into back control and worked to set up a rear-naked choke. Suotama flattened Young out and tried again for a rear-naked choke while landing punches as well. Suotama continued to try to finish the fight with chokes and she peppered Young with punches until the bell. 10-8 Suotama.
Round 2:
Young dropped Suotama early in the second round, but Suotama returned to her feet and dragged Young down after taking her back. Young scrambled up, but Suotama maintained a clinch until Young pushed her away. Young jabbed and Suotama shot in for a takedown. Young sprawled out and landed a knee to the bloody face of Suotama after the fighters returned to their feet. Young stuffed another takedown and she landed elbows to Suotama’s body. On the feet, Young landed leg kicks and she wound up on top after reversing a Suotama takedown. Young struck with punches and short elbows until Suotama postured for an armbar. Young closed out the round with hard ground and pound. 10-8 Young.
Round 3:
Young pressed the action with combinations in round three until Suotama tried for a takedown. Young stuffed it and avoided an armbar from Suotama before passing to half-guard. From the top, Young landed punches and hammerfists. Suotama scrambled and tried for a triangle choke, but Young escaped and she wound up in side control. Young pinned down Suotama’s right arm and landed left hands to her face. Young continued to land punches and she mounted Suotama in the final 30 seconds. Young rained down punches and Suotama covered up until the bell. 10-8 Young.
Winner: Shanna Young by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 28-27, 28-26) after three rounds. She improves to 7-2-0.
Lisa “Battle Angel” Versosa vs “Scary” Kerri Kenneson
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. The fight began with an exchange of leg kicks and Versosa landed a hard right hand. Kenneson responded with an uppercut and the fighters continued to trade punches. Kenneson dropped Versosa with a left-right combo and she followed with strikes on the ground before Versosa battled back to her feet. Kenneson landed another hard one-two and both women followed with punches in an exchange. Kenneson lunged in with a nice left hook and she followed with a body kick. Both women landed flurries late in the round and Versosa reversed a takedown before the bell. 10-9 Kenneson.
Round 2:
Hard leg and body kicks landed for both women in the second round and Versosa followed with a flurry of punches that appeared to stun Kenneson. The fighters continued to trade punches and Kenneson landed an elbow and a counter right cross. Kenneson threw a front kick and a right hand while staying out of range of Kenneson’s counterpunches. Kenneson kept her distance and both women landed body kicks. Versosa remained the aggressor, but Kenneson ducked under many of her punches while firing back with flurries and a hard leg kick. Close second round. 10-9 Kenneson.
Round 3:
Versosa kept Kenneson circling near the cage throughout the first 90 seconds of round three by landing leg and body kicks. She snapped Kenneson’s head back with a hard right hand that caused Kenneson’s left eye to swell up. Versosa remained effective with one-twos and combinations as the round progressed. In the final minute, Versosa flurried with punches and hurt Kenneson with a kick to the body. She followed with another kick and a knee to Kenneson’s injured midsection and Kenneson attempted a takedown. Versosa countered with a guillotine choke and a standing kimura as the fighters returned to their feet. Both women landed hard punches in the final seconds. 10-9 Versosa.
Winner: Lisa Versosa by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 5-0-0.
Auttumn “The Natural” Norton vs Shaianna “Yaya” Rincón
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Norton pressed forward early in the fight and ducked under a head kick from Rincón before landing a body kick in return. The fighters clinched and Rincónlanded knees to the body. Norton answered with elbows over the top and she followed with a body kick as the fighters separated. A hard right hand landed for Norton and that set off an exchange of power punches, with both women repeatedly scoring with left and right hooks. Rincón clinched, but Norton broke free and chased after her with punches. Rincón landed an uppercut that backed Norton up. She stunned Rincón with a hard flurry of punches before the bell. 10-9 Norton.
Round 2:
A hard body kick landed for Rincón to begin round two. Norton knocked her down with a leg kick and the fighters continued to throw kicks while Rincón remained on her back. Norton eventually dropped down into Rincón’s half-guard and she cut Rincón with elbows. A bloodied Rincón fought back to full guard and looked to set up a submission from her back. Norton stood up and then dropped heavy punches from the top after settling back into Rincón’s guard. Rincón tried to get back to her feet against the base of the cage and Norton prevented her from doing so with right hands to the face and knees to the body. 10-9 Norton.
Round 3:
Norton struck first with a side kick to the body and a right hook in the final round. Rincón kept her distance and the fighters traded body kicks. Norton tripped Rincón after catching a leg kick and she landed a right hand from the top while pinning Rincón against the bottom of the cage. Rincón rolled to her back and Norton continued to land short strikes from the top. She re-opened the cut near Rincón’s left eye and stayed on top of her until shortly before the bell. 10-9 Norton.
Winner: Auttumn Norton by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) after three rounds. She improves to 1-1-0.
Taneisha “Triple Threat” Tennant vs Serena “The Southpaw Outlaw” DeJesus
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. Punches and body kicks were exchanged right away and Tennant dropped DeJesus with a counter hook. DeJesus recovered quickly and stood up as Tennant landed more punches. DeJesus kicked to the body and Tennant responded with a jab-cross combo. More body kicks landed for DeJesus and she followed with a right hand after catching a Tennant kick. Tennant countered a clinch with two elbows over the top. In the final minute, Tennant landed a flurry and she backed DeJesus up with elbows and a knee. Tennant took DeJesus down and DeJesus returned to her feet before the bell. 10-9 Tennant.
Round 2:
Single kicks and punches landed for both women early in the second round and DeJesus began to land kick-punch combos as the round progressed. Tennant responded with a flurry and time was called after she was poked in the eye. Action resumed and DeJesus scored with a hard combination including a left cross that backed Tennant up. DeJesus was poked in the eye, but she fought on and maintained the forward pressure. Tennant responded with a one-two that snapped DeJesus’s head back, but DeJesus walked her down again with body kicks and straight left hands. Late in the round, Tennant landed a lengthy flurry and DeJesus tied her up with knees in a clinch. Close round. 10-9 DeJesus.
Round 3:
After an early body kick from DeJesus, the fighters clinched and Tennant landed knees to the ribs as DeJesus pressed her up against the cage. The fighters separated and DeJesus landed more body kicks. Tennant responded with a Thai clinch, and she landed a series of knees before backing away. Near the midway point of the round, Tennant bloodied DeJesus’s nose with a flurry of punches and she kept DeJesus on the defensive. Tennant continued to land punches until DeJesus threw a head kick that was partially blocked. The fighters continued to trade punches and Tennant landed a combination. She hurt DeJesus with a body kick late in the fight. 10-9 Tennant.
Winner: Taneisha Tennant by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 2-0-0.