Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza will defend her title for the first time at Invicta Fighting Championships 6 in the summer. Esparza is expected to face Jewels Lightweight Queen Champion Ayaka Hamasaki on the card, which is targeted for late June or mid-July.

MMARising.com confirmed plans for the title fight with sources close to the negotiations on Friday. The matchup is subject to commission approval. Esparza captured the belt by defeating late replacement Bec “Rowdy” Hyatt in January. Hamasaki made a successful Invicta FC debut this past July.

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Top Japanese prospect Mizuki Inoue will make her North American debut at Invicta Fighting Championships 6 in the summer. Inoue has agreed to face popular Australian rising star Bec “Rowdy” Hyatt in a featured strawweight bout on the event’s main card, which is targeted for late June or mid-July.

MMARising.com confirmed plans for the 115-pound fight with sources close to the negotiations on Friday. The bout is subject to commission approval. Inoue is one of the most gifted female fighters in Japan today, but she faces a tough test in Hyatt, who has impressed in both of her fights for Invicta FC.

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Cage Combat champion Paulina “Firefox” Granados looks for her second straight professional victory when she steps back into the cage at Legacy Fighting Championship 20 on May 31st in Corpus Christi, Texas. Granados faces boxer and jiu-jitsu practitioner Maria Lopez in an atomweight bout.

Legacy FC officials announced plans for the preliminary card matchup this past week. Granados has yet to taste defeat in her five-fight career and she is coming off of a Unanimous Decision victory in her professional debut this past month. Lopez will make her pro MMA debut in the 105-pound fight.

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Three-time Shoot Boxing Girls S-Cup Champion Rena Kubota makes her return to action on April 20th at Shoot Boxing 2013: Act.2 in Tokyo, Japan. Kubota is set to face Taiwanese boxing and Muay Thai champ Du Peiling in a 50-kilogram matchup. The bout was officially announced on Tuesday.

Kubota has not fought since she won the Girls S-Cup tournament for a third time this past August. In November, she had foot surgery to remove pins that had been inserted after she sustained a prior injury. Peiling, a decorated striker in her home country, makes her shoot boxing debut in the fight.

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“12 Gauge” Paige VanZant rebounded from her first pro loss with a quick submission win on Saturday night at Bush Cree Promotions: “Cage Wars 15” in Castle Rock, Colorado. The 19-year-old prospect finished newcomer Courtney Himes in the first round of a short-notice catchweight bout.

In Castle Rock, Colorado, atomweight veteran Diana “Dynamite” Rael made quick work of Ashley Aguirre at Made For War 2, and Texan Jinh Yu made a successful pro debut by submitting Meghan Wright in an atomweight title fight at Sugar Creek Showdown 16: “Resolution” in Hinton, Oklahoma.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship travelled to Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden tonight for UFC on Fuel TV 9: “Mousasi vs Latifi.” The card featured a light heavyweight bout between Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi and late replacement opponent Ilir “The Sledgehammer” Latifi.

In tonight’s co-main event, Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson welcomed Ryan Couture to the UFC in a lightweight bout. Matt “Meathead” Mitrione battled Philip De Fries in heavyweight action, and Brad “One Punch” Pickett faced Mike “The Hulk” Easton. MMARising.com has play-by-play for the card.

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Miletich Fighting Systems was once one of MMA’s elite teams, producing numerous champions in the UFC and other promotions under the watchful eye of MMA pioneer Pat Miletich. The camp’s latest champion, Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak, captured the Invicta FC flyweight title on Friday night.

In the Invicta FC 5 co-main event, Honchak outpointed Brazilian Vanessa Porto in a closely-contested five-round fight to become the inaugural Invicta FC champion at 125 pounds. She is proud to bring the belt back home to MFS and believes that her team will rise to the top of the MMA world again.

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A three-round bantamweight battle between former Strikeforce champ Sarah Kaufman and Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith was named Fight of the Night at Invicta Fighting Championships 5 on Friday in Kansas City, Missouri. Both Kaufman and Smith took home an extra $1500 for their performances.

The Submission of the Night honour went to “Thug” Rose Namajunas, who submitted strawweight foe Kathina “Kill Switch” Catron with a flying armbar in just 12 seconds. Knockout of the Night went to Muay Thai sensation “The Queen of Mean” Miriam Nakamoto, who KOed Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke.

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