Fast-rising star Carla Esparza looks for her second straight win inside the Invicta FC cage when she faces fellow Bellator veteran Lynn “Lights Out” Alvarez at Invicta Fighting Championships 3 on October 6th in Kansas City, Kansas. MMARising.com confirmed plans for the 115-pound bout today.
Esparza has posted wins in four of her past five fights and she made a successful Invicta FC debut by stopping Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider this past month. Alvarez returns to MMA for the first time since August 2010 when her four-fight winning streak was snapped by Jessica “Jag” Aguilar.
Esparza (7-2-0) jumped right into the proverbial fire in 2010, fighting five times before the end of the year. The standout wrestler’s lone defeat during that time came on just three days’ notice against long-time pound-for-pound star Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii. Esparza used the loss as motivation to continue to improve upon her overall skills and she is now one of the most well-rounded female fighters at 115 pounds. After dropping a contentious Split Decision to Aguilar in June 2011, Esparza dominated Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig for three rounds in December and she was equally impressive against Schneider at Invicta FC 1. Surviving her opponent’s early submission attempts, Esparza overwhelmed Schneider with punches for the TKO victory late in the second stanza.
Alvarez (5-2-0) is also proficient in many disciplines and has yet to go the distance in her mixed martial arts career. The kajukenbo specialist began her career with a 79-second submission of Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson and went on to total notable wins over Michelle Ould and former XFL champion Chelsea “The Italian Princess” Colarelli. Alvarez’s string of victories earned her a spot in the inaugural Bellator 115-pound women’s tournament in 2010, but she succumbed to a first-round arm-triangle choke from Aguilar in the quarterfinal round. Now returning from a two-year hiatus, Alvarez will be looking to immediately overtake Esparza as a top title contender in the strawweight division as Invicta FC creates additional championship belts next year.
Invicta Fighting Championships 3 takes place on October 6th at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas. The event is headlined by an Invicta FC Atomweight Championship bout between Jessica Penne and Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama.
Invicta Fighting Championships 3 Fight Card (to date; subject to change):
– Jessica Penne vs Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama [Atomweight (105-Pound) Championship]
– Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler vs Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio [135 Pounds]
– Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak vs Aisling “Ais The Bash” Daly [125 Pounds]
– Tara LaRosa vs Vanessa Porto [125 Pounds]
– Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith vs Cat “Alpha” Zingano [135 Pounds]
– Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson vs Lacey “The Ladie” Schuckman [105 Pounds]
– Julia “The Jewel” Budd vs Elaina “Beef” Maxwell [145 Pounds]
– Carla Esparza vs Lynn “Lights Out” Alvarez [115 Pounds]
– Ashley “Smashley” Cummins vs Joanne Calderwood [115 Pounds]
– Amy “Lil’ Dynamite” Davis vs Stephanie “Macaquinha” Frausto [105 Pounds]
– Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke vs Marciea “Black Widow” Allen [135 Pounds]
– Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres vs Kaiyana Rain [115 Pounds]
– Katalina Malungahu vs Taylor “No Mercy” Stratford [145 Pounds]