Invicta Fighting Championships 51 Live Play-By-Play & ResultsInvicta Fighting Championships returned to ReelWorks Denver in Denver, Colorado tonight with its latest all-female card. Invicta FC 51 was headlined by an Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship matchup between reigning champion Taneisha “Triple Threat” Tennant and challenger Talita Bernardo.

In the co-feature, Kristina “Warhorse” Williams and Ketlen “Esquentadinha” Souza met for the vacant Invicta FC Flyweight Championship. Elsewhere on the card, Serena “The Southpaw Outlaw” DeJesus faced “Big Bad” Olga Rubin. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the Invicta FC 51 card.

 

Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship

Talita Bernardo vs Taneisha “Triple Threat” Tennant

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joel Ojeda. Bernardo struck first with a leg kick and she landed another one that almost spun Tennant around. She caught a kick from Tennant and tripped her into back control. Bernardo secured a body triangle as she worked to set up a rear-naked choke. Bernardo punched Tennant’s body and locked on a face crank across Tennant’s nose until the bell. 10-9 Bernardo.

Round 2:
Tennant jabbed in the second round and kept Bernardo at a distance. Bernardo landed kicks to the outside and inside of Tennant’s lead leg, but Tennant cracked her with two right hooks. Bernardo shot in for a takedown and took Tennant’s back in a standing clinch. Bernardo tripped Tennant and attempted a rear-naked choke. Tennant turned over and gave up mount, and Bernardo briefly struck from the top. Tennant exploded out from the bottom and stood over Bernardo, landing punches to her body. She kicked Bernardo’s legs and then dropped down into mount, but Bernardo immediately swept and the fighters returned to their feet in a clinch against the cage. Tennant kneed Bernardo’s thigh and Bernardo used a body lock to whip her down to the ground. 10-9 Tennant.

Round 3:
Bernardo landed a leg kick in round three and the fighters traded cautious strikes until Bernardo shot in for a takedown and Tennant reversed it into mount. Bernardo powered out from the bottom and Tennant landed right hands during a scramble. Bernardo used a body-lock takedown to get Tennant down into side control. She moved to a three-quarter mount and eyed a straight armbar on Tennant’s left arm. Tennant defended and Bernardo landed some ground and pound. She postured up with some harder punches late in the round. 10-9 Bernardo.

Round 4:
The fourth round began with Bernardo landing a calf kick. She landed another one and then a third. Bernardo took Tennant’s back and Tennant turned into the clinch against the cage. She held Bernardo against the fence and kneed her thigh. More knees were exchanged until Tennant tripped Bernardo and landed on top in her half-guard. Bernardo spun into a kneebar attempt and time was called to warn Tennant for grabbing the cage. The fight was improperly restarted on the feet and Bernardo dove at Tennant’s leg. She was unable to get Tennant down before the bell. 10-9 Tennant.

Round 5:
Bernardo took Tennant down early in the final round and moved from side control to North-South position. Tennant tried to trap Bernardo in a leg scissor choke and Bernardo quickly freed herself. Bernardo moved to side control and escaped from an inverted triangle choke attempt. Bernardo sat up and punched Tennant’s body. Largely uneventful round. 10-9 Bernardo.

Winner: Talita Bernardo by Unanimous Decision (48-46, 48-46, 48-46) after five rounds. She improves to 10-4-0 and becomes the new Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion.

 

Invicta FC Flyweight Championship

Ketlen “Esquentadinha” Souza vs Kristina “Warhorse” Williams

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joe Coca. Williams started aggressively with punching combinations punctuated by leg kicks. Souza landed a big overhand right and clinched. She landed an elbow on the break and Williams threw a body kick. She tried to take Souza down, but it was Souza who swept out Williams’s leg and tripped her. Williamz stood and got the body-lock takedown that she was seeking. Souza got back to full guard and then spun into a slick armbar attempt. Williams reacted quickly and freed her arm. She stood up and Souza followed. Souza landed a right hook on the break and Williams held her in another clinch, where she landed knees to Souza’s body until Souza hip tossed her to the mat. Back-and-forth round. 10-9 Souza, just barely.

Round 2:
Little transpired in the second round until Souza landed a spinning hook kick to the jaw of Williams, who barely flinched and fired back with a one-two. Souza attempted another spinning kick and fell, which allowed Williams to take top position. She postured up in Souza’s guard and Souza tied up both of Williams’s arms. Williams stood over Souza, who kicked at her legs until Williams settled into her guard. The fighters were promptly stood up and Williams tripped Souza after catching a kick. Souza immediately threw up her legs for a triangle choke and transitioned to an armbar, but time expired. Another close round. 10-9 Souza.

Round 3:
Williams pressed forward with punches and a body kick, but Souza caught it and dumped her to the mat against the base of the cage. Williams kicked her off and stood up. Souza landed an overhand right and Williams reacted with rapid-fire uppercuts. Souza landed another overhand right and Williams clinched after scoring with a knee to the body. Williams countered a hip toss attempt from Souza by attempting an armbar on the way down, but Souza avoided it and she landed a hard elbow from the top that opened a bad cut above Williams’s right eye. Blood poured from the cut and the round came to an end soon after. 10-9 Souza.

Round 4:
The fourth round began with a prolonged clinch as Williams held Souza against the cage. The fighters were eventually separated and Williams landed a right hook and a body kick. Souza landed an overhand right and she attempted a flying switch kick that Williams blocked. A winging right hook landed for Souza, but Williams was unfazed. Williams clinched with Souza and held her against the cage. 10-9 Souza.

Round 5:
Both women landed leg kicks during an otherwise uneventul opening 90 seconds in the final round. Williamz closed in with punches, but Souza bobbed and weaved to avoid almost all of them and then fired off a right hook. She landed a spinning back kick to Williams’s body and then a counter right hook as Williams stepped forward. Williams attempted a side kick that Souza blocked. Both women landed body kicks and Souza scored with an overhand right after ducking under more of Williams’s punches. 10-9 Souza.

Winner: Ketlen Souza by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 49-46, 48-47) after five rounds. She improves to 13-3-0 and becomes the new Invicta FC Flyweight Champion.

 

“Big Bad” Olga Rubin vs Serena “The Southpaw Outlaw” DeJesus

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joel Ojeda. Rubin kicked at DeJesus’s left leg while circling to her left and DeJesus missed with a left hook. She pressed forward with a flurry of hooks and uppercuts that backed Rubin up to the cage. Rubin recovered and both women landed left hooks during an exchange. DeJesus landed a four-punch combo and Rubin answered with an uppercut. She clinched with DeJesus and held her against the cage. Rubin landed a right hook on the break and a front kick to the body. She scored with a stiff jab and then a knee to the body when DeJesus clinched. Rubin landed a combination late in the round and DeJesus responded with a left hook. Rubin landed two lefts of her own before the bell. 10-9 Rubin due to the strong finish.

Round 2:
DeJesus scored with a left uppercut and a right hook early in round two. Rubin clinched and landed a knee and two jabs. DeJesus pushed her away and both women landed left hands. DeJesus punched her way into another clinch, but Rubin circled out and rushed forward with a combination. She landed a nice overhand left and the fighters briefly clinched. Rubin threw a spinning backfist as DeJesus pressed forward with a one-two. More punches were exchanged and DeJesus landed an uppercut. With 25 seconds remaining in the round, Rubin rocked DeJesus with a left hook. DeJesus staggered and barely stayed on her feet against the cage as Rubin closed in with more punches before the bell. 10-9 Rubin.

Round 3:
DeJesus landed left hooks and a knee to the body in the final round. Rubin escaped from a clinch and landed an overhand left, but DeJesus tied her up against the cage again. Both women landed short punches in close and Rubin circled to her left. She hurt DeJesus with an overhand left and then landed another one. DeJesus recovered and Rubin landed two body kicks. DeJesus landed a hook-uppercut combo in the final seconds and she finished the round with two knees to the body. Close final round. 10-9 Rubin by a slim margin.

Winner: Olga Rubin by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 8-3-0.

 

“Grizzly” Claire Guthrie vs Auttumn “The Natural” Norton

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joe Coca. Guthrie took Norton down early in the fight and tried to pass Norton’s guard. Norton defended well from the bottom and she got back to her feet against the cage. Norton held Guthrie in place and kneed her in the body until Guthrie circled away to her right. Norton landed a left hook on the break and Guthrie responded by slamming her down. Norton stood and she closed out the round with a knee, a combination and a leg kick. 10-9 Guthrie despite Norton’s late rally.

Round 2:
Norton pushed Guthrie away after a clinch early in round two and she moved forward as Guthrie circled to her left. Norton cut her below the right eye with a left elbow. Guthrie took Norton down and Norton stood against the cage. The fighters separated and Guthrie countered a right hand from Norton with one of her own. She landed another straight right late in the round. 10-9 Guthrie.

Round 3:
Norton landed a right hook and a knee in the final round, and Guthrie turned away against the cage. She circled out and tried to use her jab to set up a right hand, which came up short. Two overhand rights landed for Guthrie with just over three minutes remaining. She slipped while throwing another right hand and Norton took advantage by clinching when Guthrie stood. Guthrie broke away from the clinch and landed another overhand right. She continued to circle to her right and Norton blocked a head kick. With 25 seconds to go, Norton landed a lead left hook and a body kick. 10-9 Guthrie.

Winner: Claire Guthrie by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 5-1-0.

 

Elisandra “Lili” Ferreira de Oliveira vs Marisa “Spider Monkey” Messer-Belenchia

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joel Ojeda. Ferreira stunned Messer-Belenchia with four right hands in the opening seconds and a clinch ensued in the middle of the cage. Messer-Belenchia backed Ferreira up against the cage, but Ferreira reversed it and she briefly tripped Messer-Belenchia to a knee. Messer-Belenchia stood and Ferreira tossed her down to the mat. Ferreira punched Messer-Belenchia’s ribs and Messer-Belenchia postrued for an armbar. Ferreira slammed her way out of it and she resumed throwing short strikes from the top. The round ended with Ferreira landing three elbows. 10-9 Ferreira.

Round 2:
Ferreira landed a right hook and a body kick to begin the second round. Messer-Belenchia tied her up in a clinch and she held Ferreira against the cage. Messer-Belenchia kneed Ferreira’s legs and punched her body. Ferreira landed a slashing elbow, but Messer-Belenchia maintained control of the clinch. Messer-Belenchia continued to land short knees while pinning Ferreira against the fence. Ferreira finally pushed her away with one minute remaining and she cracked Messer-Belenchia with a three-punch flurry. Messer-Belenchia clinched once more and Ferreira took her down into back control just before time expired. 10-9 Messer-Belenchia, despite the late-round takedown.

Round 3:
In the final round, Ferreira landed a body kick and three right hooks that wobbled Messer-Belenchia momentarily. Messer-Belenchia held Ferreira against the cage and threw right uppercuts to her body. She could not get Ferreira down and Ferreira whipped Messer-Belenchia down to her knees. She locked on a guillotine choke as Messer-Belenchia got back to her feet, but let it go. Ferreira landed an elbow and two knees. Messer-Belenchia put her back against the cage again and kneed Ferreira’s leg and body. Ferreira broke away from the clinch with a one-two and followed with a combination and a head kick. She rocked Messer-Belenchia with a final flurry of punches just before the end of the fight. 10-9 Ferreira due to damage.

Winner: Elisandra Ferreira de Oliveira by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 5-2-0.

 

Rayanne Amanda dos Santos vs Katie “Queen of the North” Saull

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joe Coca. The fighters traded kicks during a cautious opening 90 seconds, with Saull targeting dos Santos’s lead leg and dos Santos favouring upper body kicks. Dos Santos jabbed and missed with a looping right hook as Saull stuck to throwing single kicks and jabs. Dos Santos landed a hard leg kick and a right hook. Another right hand landed for dos Santos and Saull responded with two front kicks to the body. The round ended in a clinch against the cage. 10-9 dos Santos.

Round 2:
Saull’s right leg was red to begin round two as a result of the kicks from dos Santos in the opening round. Dos Santos landed two more leg kicks and one to the body. Saull landed a body kick and a stiff jab that got dos Santos’s attention. Saull slipped while throwing a head kick and dos Santos took top position. She passed to half-guard and looked to secure an arm-triangle choke from the top. Saull broke her grip and kicked dos Santos off, and the fighters stood back up. Dos Santos reversed a takedown and briefly held Saull’s back. Saull stood and turned into the clinch. The fighters separated and dos Santos dropped Saull with a right hook shortly before the bell. 10-9 dos Santos.

Round 3:
Dos Santos caught a kick and took Saull down in round three, but Saull immediately attacked with an armbar from the bottom. Dos Santos spun free from the hold and took top position in side control. Saull got to her knees and tried to stand, but dos Santos muscled her back down and worked from the top in Saull’s half-guard. Saull threw up her legs for another armbar attempt and dos Santos easily avoided danger. She remained on top in Saull’s half-guard and time was called when a dos Santos hammerfist struck Saull in the back of the head. The fight was brought back to the feet and action resumed. Saull landed a body kick and dos Santos threw a right hook. Dos Santos blocked a head kick and landed a right-left combo. 10-9 dos Santos.

Winner: Rayanne Amanda dos Santos by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 13-6-0.

 

Fatima “The Archangel” Kline vs Laura “La Jefa” Gallardo

Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joel Ojeda. Punches were exchanged in the opening minute and Gallardo landed a hard jab. Kline answered with a leg kick and she switched stances frequently. During a brief clinch, Gallardo landed a right hook. She followed with a jab-cross combo and fought off a Kline takedown attempt. Both women landed right hands in close and Gallardo used her jab to set up a straight left. Kline picked Gallardo up and slammed her down to the mat. Gallardo kicked Kline off and punched from the bottom as Kline stood over her and landed punches until the bell. Close round. 10-9 Kline due to the late takedown and ground and pound.

Round 2:
Gallardo worked for a takedown early in the second round and the fighters battled for position in a clinch against the cage. Kline broke free and she landed a left-right combo. A right hook from Kline rocked Gallardo, who stumbled and fell. Kline took top position in Gallardo’s half-guard and then passed to full mount. Kline landed two hard punches and Gallardo gave up her back. She was able to get back to her feet and both women landed knees with 40 seconds to go. Kline held Gallardo in another clinch and reversed a throw attempt into back control. 10-9 Kline.

Round 3:
Kline used a kimura sweep to reverse a Gallardo takedown in round three and the fighters returned to their feet. Gallardo clinched again and Kline circled away. Kline secured a body-lock takedown at the midway point in the round and Gallardo worked back to her feet. She could not take Kline down and Kline reversed a clinch. Finally, with 30 seconds to go, Gallardo managed to drag Kline down and the round ended with Gallardo holding back control. 10-9 Kline despite the final takedown.

Winner: Fatima Kline by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 3-0-0.