Invicta Fighting Championships headed to Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia tonight with its latest all-female fight card. Invicta FC 60 was headlined by a bantamweight clash between former title challenger “Big Bad” Olga Rubin and Mayra Cantuária, who hoped to rebound from a defeat in August.
In the co-main event, Shanna “The Shanimal” Young took on Katharina Lehner at 135 pounds. Also on the card tonight, Victoria “Fury” Leonardo faced off against veteran Rayla “Índia” Nascimento in a featured flyweight showdown. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for Invicta FC 60.
Mayra Cantuária vs “Big Bad” Olga Rubin
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nate Mann. Punches were exchanged during the opening minute until Cantuária dropped Rubin with a one-two combination. Rubin somersaulted forward and got to her feet, only to be rocked again by a flurry of Cantuária’s punches. Cantuária knocked her down and punched from the top, but Rubin weathered the storm and she attempted a buggy choke from the bottom. Cantuária escaped and struck until the fighters were stood up. Both women landed looping hooks during the final 30 seconds of the entertaining round. 10-8 Cantuária.
Round 2:
An early clinch in the second round led to an exchange of knees to the body. Cantuária ;anded a combination to Rubin’s midsection and finished with a strong elbow strike to her face. Three punches backed Rubin up and Cantuária continued to blast her with overhand lefts. Cantuária took Rubin down against the base of the cage and kept her pinned there while staying just busy enough to avoid being stood up. 10-9 Cantuária.
Round 3:
Rubin was more effective with her jab in the final round as Cantuária threw more looping punches. A body kick from Rubin led to two nice left hooks landing seconds later. Rubin scored with another body kick and an overhand left. Cantuária shot in and took her down into full guard. Rubin tried to posture for a submission from the bottom, but the cage wall prevented her from setting anything up and the fight came to a close. 10-9 Rubin.
Winner: Mayra Cantuária by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 11-6-1, 1 NC.
Katharina “The German Gypsy” Lehner vs Shanna “The Shanimal” Young
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Brent McKeehan. Both women pawed out with jabs during the opening round as they gauged distance. Lehner landed an overhand right and she bloodied Young’s nose. Young landed a front kick to the body and a quick combination, but Lehner evaded a clinch attempt and resumed jabbing. Lehner lunged in with a combination and Young backed her up with a right cross. Close round. 10-9 Young by a slim margin.
Round 2:
The second round opened with Lehner landing a nice counter combination. She jabbed and landed a kick to Young’s lead leg. The pace slowed somewhat as jabs were exchanged with no sustained offence. Lehner continued to jab and Young was unable to land anything. 10-9 Lehner.
Round 3:
Young was more active with side and front kicks to the body in the third round, while Lehner used jabs to set up leg kicks. A combination landed for Young and Lehner threw two more stiff jabs. Young clinched momentarily and landed a knee to Lehner’s body. Lehner scored with a right hook in the final seconds. 10-9 Young. Decision could go either way.
Winner: Katharina Lehner by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 9-5-0.
Rayla “Índia” Nascimento vs Victoria “Fury” Leonardo
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nate Mann. Nascimento hurt Leonardo with an early combination of punches and Leonardo backed up to the cage. Three more punches landed for Nascimento, but Leonardo regained her composure and she threw a head kick attempt in response. Leonardo landed two side kicks, but Nascimento continued to move forward and she hurt her with a right hook to the temple. Leonardo was wobbled, but Nascimento was unable to finish her with follow-up punches. Nascimento landed a body kick and a quick flurry as Leonardo kept her distance. Nascimento continued to throw heavy punches, but Leonardo was able to evade them in the final 30 seconds. 10-9 Nascimento, if not a 10-8.
Round 2:
Nascimento avoided a hook kick attempt from Leonardo, but Leonardo landed two side kicks to her body. Nascimento fired off a lead left hook and stuffed a takedown with a knee to Leonardo’s body. Two right uppercuts landed for Nascimento, followed by an overhand right in close. Leonardo attempted a spinning wheel kick and fell. She returned to her feet and attempted more kicks that missed. Leonardo tried to clinch and Nascimento punished her with two strong right hands. 10-9 Nascimento.
Round 3:
Leonardo was more aggressive to begin the final round, but she was unable to land anything significant and Nascimento countered nicely with short uppercuts. She backed Leonardo up with a one-two combo to the jaw. Leonardo connected with a solid left hook and missed with a spinning hook kick. Nascimento used a right cross to set up a combination that ended with a head kick, which Leonardo partially blocked. Leonardo cut Nascimento beside her left eye with a right hand and followed u with two more rights. Nascimento flurried to the body and fought off a Leonardo clinch attempt. Leonardo fell after another ill-advised spinning kick attempt and the fight ended with both women landing haymakers on the feet. 10-9 Nascimento.
Winner: Rayla Nascimento by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 12-10-0.
Liana “Li” Ferreira Pirosin vs Shino VanHoose
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Brent McKeehan. Pirosin jabbed and landed lead left hooks until VanHoose closed the distance and landed a flurry of punches. She clinched and Pirosin reversed position against the cage. Two knees landed for VanHoose and she turned the clinch around, but Pirosin broke free after landing a knee to the body. A straight right hand connected for Pirosin, but VanHoose answered with another combination and she clinched once more. Pirosin used a quick judo throw to get VanHoose down just before the bell and she punched from the top. 10-9 Pirosin.
Round 2:
The fighters traded jabs and leg kicks until Pirosin backed VanHoose up to the cage in a brief clinch. She landed a one-two on the break and VanHoose walked forward with a right hook. Pirosin jabbed and grazed with a head kick. She followed with a right hook and a leg kick. Pirosin threw another head kick and then two rapid-fire combinations that backed VanHoose up momentarily. VanHoose clinched and the round ended with an exchange of uppercuts. 10-9 Pirosin.
Round 3:
Pirosin landed a hard kick to VanHoose’s body early in the final round. VanHoose caught a head kick and clinched, but the fighters soon separated and Pirosin used jabs to set up another head kick. VanHoose threw a three-punch combo and Pirosin responded with front kicks to her body. She kicked at VanHoose’s lead leg and followed with two more front kicks. A hard left hook stunned VanHoose late in the fight, but she recovered and caught another Pirosin body kick. 10-9 Pirosin.
Winner: Liana Ferreira Pirosin by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 9-7-0.
Giulliany “Giu” Perêa Vieira vs Hope “Hummingbird” Holmes
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nate Mann. Perêa opened the action with two quick left hands and she kicked at Holmes’s lead leg. Holmes threw two head kicks that were blocked. Perêa tripped her and landed two punches before settling into Holmes’s guard. She scored with a sharp elbow to Holmes’s face and landed short punches until Holmes postured for an armbar. Perêa escaped and she prevented Holmes from standing up. Perêa moved to half-guard and landed short right hands followed by an illegal knee to Holmes’s face. Time was called and Holmes was given time to recover, but a point was not deducted. Perêa pressed forward aggressively with leg kicks and a hard punching flurry. 10-9 Perêa.
Round 2:
Perêa scored with a huge overhand left in the second round, but Holmes stayed on her feet and circled away. She clinched with Perêa and it was Perêa who got a slick takedown into Holmes’s guard. Perêa landed an elbow and a series of left hands as Holmes tried to tie up her arms from the bottom. Perêa continued to strike from the top with left hands and elbows until the end of the round. 10-9 Perêa.
Round 3:
Perêa was unfazed by leg kicks from Holmes in the final round and she stunned Holmes with an overhand left. Two more left hands landed for Perêa as Holmes backed away. Perêa landed two body kicks and Holmes jabbed. Perêa moved forward with punches and a head kick, but Holmes caught the kick and dumped Perêa to the mat. Perêa swept into Holmes’s guard and landed two elbows, then stood and kicked at Holmes’s legs. 10-9 Perêa.
Winner: Giulliany Perêa Vieira by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 3-0-0.
Joy “Killjoy” Pendell vs Julia “German Tank” Dorny
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Brent McKeehan. Dorny landed counter right hooks early in the fight as Pendell pressed forward and Pendell attempted a headlock throw. Dorny stayed on her feet and secured a body-lock takedown of her own. She stood over Pendell and kicked at her legs while preventing her from getting to her feet. Dorny also punched Pendell’s legs as well until Pendell quickly stood with 20 seconds remaining. She tripped Dorny and took her back, then landed short left hands until the bell. 10-9 Dorny despite the late rally.
Round 2:
Pendell held Dorny against the cage, but she could not take her down and it was Dorny who eventually scored a brief takedown from a body lock. Pendell scrambled up and both fighters appeared to be fatigued as they exchanged lunging punches. Pendell got Dorny down into half-guard against the base of the cage and then locked on a rear-naked choke. Dorny tried to fight it, but Pendell tightened the choke and Dorny tapped out.
Winner: Joy Pendell by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:46 of round two. She improves to 4-2-0.
Amber “Vicious” Medina vs Anna “Honey Badger” Somers
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nate Mann. Medina kept Somers pinned against the cage during prolonged stretches in the opening round, where she landed knees to her body and short right hands. Somers reversed the clinch and created space, but Medina tied her up again and both women landed knees in close. Somers turned Medina around and held her against the fence as time expired. 10-9 Medina.
Round 2:
After once again landing strikes in a clinch, Medina took Somers down into half-guard and used hammerfists to set up a move to mount. She continued to punch as Somers gave up her back. Somers fought off a rear-naked choke and rolled over, but Medina blasted her with elbows from the top and that forced Somers to turn to her side again. Medina landed non-stop left hands as Somers turtled against the base of the cage until the fight was stopped.
Winner: Amber Medina by TKO (Punches) at 3:34 of round two. She improves to 1-0-0.