Invicta Fighting Championships returned to Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas tonight for Invicta FC 46: “Rodriguez vs Torquato 2.” The all-female fight card was headlined by an Invicta FC Flyweight Championship rematch between champion Karina Rodriguez and challenger Daiana Torquato.
In the co-feature, Milana Dudieva faced off against promotional newcomer Denise Gomes at 125 pounds. Elsewhere on tonight’s main card, recent strawweight title challenger “Dynamite” Danielle Taylor took on Liz “The Titan” Tracy. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for Invicta FC 46.
Invicta FC Flyweight Championship
Karina Rodriguez vs Daiana Torquato
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. Rodriguez had success in the opening minute with jabs and right hands. Torquato went high with a head kick that was partially blocked. Rodriguez used her jab to set up a right cross and she clinched. Torquato reversed the clinch, but Rodriguez landed four knees to her body before the fighters separated. In the final minute, Torquato swept out Rodriguez’s leg and took her down into half-guard. She landed left hands to Rodriguez’s face as Rodriguez stood up at the bell. 10-9 Rodriguez by a slim margin.
Round 2:
Rodriguez shrugged off a clinch attempt from Torquato and circled on the outside in round two. She landed a lead left hook and then charged forward with punches that came up short as Torquato backed away. Torquato landed a leg kick and a nice right cross. She secured a front headlock and used it to back Rodriguez up against the fence. Torquato tripped Rodriguez and took her back as the fight returned to the feet. She got Rodriguez down again and tried to pass to mount, but Rodriguez kept Torquato’s right leg trapped between hers. Late in the round, Torquato postured up with elbows to Rodriguez’s face. 10-9 Torquato.
Round 3:
Torquato closed the distance and clinched with Rodriguez, but Rodriguez was able to circle away once. Torquato held her in another clinch against the cage and threw short knees while looking for a takedown. Rodriguez defended and she created space. Punches were exchanged in the centre of the cage and Torquato landed three knees to the body in close. She landed another set of knees, but Rodriguez countered with a hard right hook. Rodriguez landed a body kick and both women connected with left hooks as time expired. Close round. 10-9 Torquato.
Round 4:
Both women landed knees to the body during a clinch battle against the fence and Rodriguez stunned Torquato with an elbow over the top. Torquato tried to initiate another clinch and Rodriguez countered with a right hook. Torquato landed a strong leg kick and followed with one to Rodriguez’s liver. She caught a body kick from Rodriguez and pulled her down to the mat. Rodriguez almost reversed into back control on the way down, but Torquato was able to turn into Rodriguez’s guard and she worked from top position. Rodriguez was active off of her back with elbows to Torquato’s head, but Torquato stood over her and dropped punches to the face. Rodriguez kicked her off and stood up, and she landed a nice right hook. Another close round. 10-9 Rodriguez.
Round 5:
Rodriguez fought off one clinch from Torquato in the final round, but Torquato was able to secure another one and she landed knees to Rodriguez’s body. Torquato tried to take Rodriguez down, but she could not do so and Rodriguez landed a left hook on the break. Once more, Torquato clinched, but she could not hold Rodriguez in place for long. Both women landed punches and Torquato followed with a knee to the body. In the final seconds, knees were exchanged in a clinch and Rodriguez used a body lock to prevent Torquato from taking her down. Very close fight. 10-9 Rodriguez, barely. Decision could go either way.
Winner: Karina Rodriguez by Split Decision (49-46, 48-47, 47-48) after five rounds. She improves to 10-4-0 and remains Invicta FC Flyweight Champion.
Denise Gomes vs Milana Dudieva
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. Dudieva cracked Gomes with two overhand rights in the opening seconds and she countered a right hand from Gomes with a combination. Gomes did land a hard right hook in a subsequent exchange, but Dudieva pressed forward with punches and caught a Gomes body kick. She landed two knees to Gomes’s body and then tripped her to the canvas. Gomes initially looked for a leg submission as Dudieva stood over her, but Dudieva dropped down and took Gomes’s back. She landed punches to both sides of Gomes’s head while flattening her out and then looked for a rear-naked choke. Gomes defended and Dudieva went back to punching the sides of her head. Gomes shook Dudieva off of her back and she took back control herself, but could not do anything with it. 10-9 Dudieva.
Round 2:
Punches were exchanged in round two and Gomes landed a step-in one-two. Dudieva, slowing down, threw two-punch combos in return that had little effect. Time was called when Dudieva was kicked in the groin. Action resumed and another timeout was called seconds later when she was poked in the right eye. The fight continued after a minute and Gomes countered a leg kick with a straight right. Soon after, Gomes stepped forward with a one-two and Dudieva floored her with a counter right hook. Dudieva moved in with punches on the ground as Gomes got to her knees. Gomes stood up and tried to suplex Dudieva, but Dudieva turned into the clinch and pushed her away. Dudieva dropped Gomes with another big right hook and Gomes was very unsteady on her feet as she stood up. Dudieva was not able to finish her with punches, but she took Gomes down just before the bell. 10-9 Dudieva.
Round 3:
Gomes backed Dudieva up against the cage with punches and knees to the body in the final round. She continued to batter her with more punches and knees as an exhausted Dudieva did little more than cover up. After four knees from Gomes, Dudieva fell to the mat. Gomes continued to land punches until the fight was stopped, giving Gomes a big comeback win.
Winner: Denise Gomes by TKO (Knees & Punches) at 1:56 of round three. She improves to 5-1-0.
Liz “The Titan” Tracy vs “Dynamite” Danielle Taylor
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Cautious strikes were exchanged on the feet during a relatively uneventful opening two minutes until Tracy used a body kick to set up a leg-sweep takedown. She worked from Taylor’s half-guard with elbows and forearm strikes to her face. Tracy passed to mount and teed off with hammerfists and punches until Taylor gave up her back. Tracy punched both sides of her head and then secured a modified rear-naked choke with her forearm, but Taylor made it to the bell. 10-8 Tracy due to the dominant final minute.
Round 2:
The second round also got off to a slow start on the feet and neither fighter landed anything significant. Tracy clinched at the halfway mark and Taylor broke free. Tracy slipped as Taylor landed a right hook to the side of her face, but Tracy quickly rose to her feet and charged forward with left and right hooks. Taylor stuffed a takedown and she landed a knee to the body, but Tracy was able to drag her down into half-guard. The round ended with Tracy on top landing hammerfists. Much closer round. 10-9 Tracy.
Round 3:
Tracy ducked under a punched from Taylor and clinched in round three, but Taylor circled free. Tracy landed two leg kicks and a front kick to Taylor’s face before tying her up in another clinch. She held Taylor against the fence and landed two knees to the body until Taylor landed a right hand and escaped from the clinch. Tracy landed a right hook and three knees to the body. Taylor scored with a hard right hook to Tracy’s jaw in the final seconds, but it was too little, too late. 10-9 Tracy.
Winner: Liz Tracy by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 7-4-0.
Kristina “Warhorse” Williams vs Flore “Aito Hine” Hani
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Marcio Laselva. Williams landed some hard leg kicks in the opening minute that caused a welt to form on Hani’s left leg. Hani landed a combination, but Williams countered with a pair of three-punch flurries. Hani clinched and backed her up against the cage. Williams circled away and landed two leg kicks and a right cross. Hani shot in for a takedown, but Williams impressively balanced on one leg and she landed an elbow on the break. Hani landed a nice left hook with 30 seconds remaining and Williams attacked her lead leg with three more kicks before the bell. 10-9 Williams.
Round 2:
In round two, Williams opened with leg kicks and a right hand before Hani secured a clinch. Williams pushed her away and she spun Hani around with punches. Hani finally scored a takedown and she threw short punches and elbows to Williams’s ribs. Williams tied her up from the bottom and the fighters were stood up. Williams clinched and threw knees to the body, but Hani reversed it and she landed knees of her own before the end of the round. 10-9 Hani.
Round 3:
Hani landed a leg kick early in the final round and Williams fired right back with three punches and a kick to the body. Hani clinched, but Williams shrugged her off and she spun Hani around with a right hook. Hani clinched again and Williams backed her up against the cage. The fighters separated within seconds and Williams sprawled out of a deep shot from Hani. On the feet, Hani landed a lead left hook and Williams responded with a leg kick. Both women landed combinations and Hani followed with a lead left hook. She clinched and landed a knee to the body as Williams punched her in the side. Hani swept out William’s leg and tripped her to a knee, but Williams stood up and Hani landed a knee to the body late in the close fight. 10-9 Williams, barely.
Winner: Kristina Williams by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 5-3-0.
Monique Adriane vs Paulina “Firefox” Granados
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Adriane landed a quick combination to open the fight and stunned Granados with a right hook. Granados shot in for a takedown and Adriane nearly took her back. Granados turned into Adraiane’s guard and then passed to half-guard. Adriane worked her way toward the cage and stood up, then broke free from a clinch. She landed a leg kick and a right hook, then stuffed a Granados takedown attempt. Adriane scored with another right hook and a follow-up combination that backed Granados up. She sprawled out of a takedown from Granados and punished her with short elbows and a knee on the way up. Two more elbows scored for Adriane and she took Granados down late in the round. 10-9 Adriane.
Round 2:
Early in the second round, Adriane landed combinations of lead left uppercuts and overhand rights. Swelling formed around Granados’s left eye and Adriane attacked her lead leg with kicks as well. Granados landed a brief flurry, but Adriane countered two more leg kicks and a hard right cross. After another combination landed for Adriane, Granados tried to take her down and Adriane sprawled. The fighters were quickly stood up, quite prematurely, and Adriane flurried with punches to Granados’s body and head. She took Granados down to a knee and Granados stood before the bell. 10-9 Adriane.
Round 3:
The final round began with Adriane landing a combination that bloodied Granados’s nose. Granados tried for a takedown and Adriane took her back. Just as in round one, Granados turned into Adriane’s guard and Adriane sat up against the base of the cage. She rose to her feet and threw knees to Granados’s body as Granados countered with elbows over the top. Adriane broke away from the clinch with a three-punch flurry, then swarmed on Granados with more punches. Granados covered up once and pushed Adriane away, but Adriane attacked with more punches to the head and body. Granados attempted a takedown and Adriane stayed on her feet. Granados got her down to a knee on her second try and Adriane closed out the fight with a hard knee to the body and two uppercuts as Granados stood up. 10-9 Adriane. Close to a 10-8.
Winner: Monique Adriane by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 5-2-0.