After an injury forced her out of a planned bout at Invicta FC 2, Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith returns to the promotion to face Cat “Alpha” Zingano at Invicta Fighting Championships 3 on October 6th in Kansas City, Kansas. MMARising.com confirmed plans for the bantamweight matchup today.
Smith engaged in a Fight of the Night-winning bout with Kaitlin Young on the inaugural Invicta FC card and settled for a Split Draw when the cageside judges were unable to determine a victor. Zingano hopes that the third time will be the charm after injuries kept her off of the first two Invicta FC events.
Smith (3-2-1) put together a solid amateur record before making her pro debut in March 2009 and went on to win three of her first four pro fights. She fought and defended the Kickdown women’s 135-pound championship along the way with a pair of TKO triumphs over Louise Johnson, but sat out for a full year and a half after a win against Alaska’s Julia Griffin in March 2010. Smith’s first fight back in October did not go as planned and she dropped a Unanimous Decision to Ediane “India” Gomes, but bounced back with arguably her best performance to date against Young. Smith did not get the victory in the bout with Young, but most observers felt that she had done enough to win the action-packed fight.
Zingano (6-0-0) is a multi-time professional and amateur champion who has held titles in three different weight classes. The unbeaten Colorado native holds big victories over Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak, Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm and Takayo Hashi, and recently opted to move back up to 135 pounds to take on some of the division’s top talent. Injuries have played a part in keeping Zingano out of action in recent months, however, and she has not fought since her powerbomb knockout victory over Hashi in May 2011. All but one of Zingano’s wins have come inside the distance and she has developed into a well-rounded competitor with formidable skills in all areas. A victory over the fan favourite Smith would place Zingano among a short list of bantamweight contenders.
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]
(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)