Invicta FC returns for its first show of 2016, and it is headlined by Cris “Cyborg” Justino in another featherweight title defense.
Overall, the card features eight fights with two title tilts. Other than Cyborg’s strap up for grabs is the strawweight gold. Livia Renata Souza defends her title for the first time against DeAnna Bennett.
The remaining six bouts feature a range of prospects and veterans in entertaining fights. UFC outcast Angela Hill makes her organizational debut, Amanda Bell meets Ediane Gomes, Colleen Schneider battles Raquel Pa’aluhi and Amber Brown vs. Shino VanHoose features two fun atomweight prospects.
Sydnie Jones and myself, Nathan McCarter, take a look at three of Saturday’s most enthralling fights happening at Invicta FC 15.
Lacey Schuckman vs. Mizuki Inoue
Nathan McCarter: There are several fun bouts, but most seemingly have little significance for their divisions. Schuckman-Inoue will likely be the fight of the night and actually means something. Invicta needs a contender to emerge at 115. Schuckman looked very strong in her Invicta return, and Inoue is still a quality prospect.
After the two decision losses to Alexa Grasso and Karolina Kowalkiewicz, I’m concerned Inoue has plateaued. While only 21, she has a lot more mileage on her than most other prospects. I’m hoping, win or lose, we see some progression from Inoue. I think the winner moves on toward a title shot if Grasso slips up at Invicta FC 16. I think that will be Inoue, but she can’t sleep on Schuckman’s power.
Sydnie Jones: Schuckman did look good in her return to Invicta against Jenny Liou Shriver. However, I’m not sure if that means she is good or just that she can look good against an opponent who has nothing for her. Inoue is not that opponent. Prior to Shriver, Schuckman went 2-2 in her last four, with wins against a 50-year-old and a fighter making her pro debut after just one amateur fight. But, Schuckman is active and aggressive, so it’s at least likely to be entertaining.
Thirteen fights is a lot for a 21-year-old, but Inoue has only been fighting for five years. That’s a fair amount of wear and tear to put on a fighter in that amount of time, but it’s not so excessive that I think her decision losses necessarily indicate a plateau. Both of the victors in those are undefeated, fast and powerful. Inoue also seems adept at getting her opponents on their backs in the cage, a situation Schuckman has gotten stuck in before, particularly in her fight against Ayaka Hamasaki. And while Inoue has a habit of running directly into punches when attempting her own striking, I don’t think Schuckman will be able to get the win here.
Livia Renata Souza vs. DeAnna Bennett
Sydnie: I’m still mystified that the judges gave Bennett the decision in her fight with Katja Kankaanpaa. In any case, it meant she beat the No. 1 strawweight contender and was awarded the title shot, so here we are with Bennett as Souza’s first title defense. Bennett’s last three fights have ended with decisions, and she seems fairly proficient at eking out wins by pushing her opponent against the cage and keeping her there.
It’s possible, if she does that and if Souza tires, that the fight will slog through all five rounds and we’ll see another decision. However, Souza is a proactive, aggressive fighter who chains together submission attempts and doesn’t seem content to grind out a non-loss. Hopefully, that will translate into an exciting fight with a finish. Souza’s grappling is more developed than many in the division, and she’s threatening in any position, including from the bottom. Souza’s first title defense should be successful and easily achieved.
Nathan: I echo just about everything you said here. We here at Bleacher Report have Souza ranked ninth—tied with Valerie Letourneau—in our latest rankings. She is a world-class fighter at 115 pounds. Bennett should be outclassed in this matchup, but there is every bit the possibility she tires out the champion and grabs a narrow decision.
It’s interesting to note that Invicta gave Bennett this title shot after coming in overweight against Kankaanpaa. It wasn’t even really close, as she weighed 117.4 pounds. It’s curious given how much both Invicta president Shannon Knapp and matchmaker Julie Kedzie have railed against fighters coming in overweight.
Originally this was supposed to be Alexa Grasso’s title shot at Invicta FC 14, and that was a much more compelling fight. Unfortunately, injuries and scheduling got in the way of it happening. I have a feeling Souza is going to put on a dominant showing that will make me long for that fight to finally happen in 2016.
Cyborg
Nathan: It may be disrespectful, but I’m not even going to acknowledge Daria Ibragimova here. This is another one-sided massacre waiting to happen because featherweight is a terrible division with no suitable challenger for Cyborg.
The real question: why is the UFC still footing the bill for Cyborg?
Sydnie: I’ll acknowledge Ibragimova. She is a capable grappler and apparently a sambo champion in Ukraine, if the announcer at this fight is to be believed. She’ll make a fun addition to Invicta’s featherweight division. That said, I don’t disagree with you. I don’t think those skills will help when confronted with Cyborg’s overwhelming power.
I have no idea why. Maybe the ink on this defense was dry before the Rousey loss happened?
Nathan: Holm is now the money fight for Rousey, and Cyborg continues to do everything in her power to avoid even an attempt at 140 pounds. Invicta originally announced Cyborg for this event in a 140-pound fight, and Cyborg immediately tweeted that wasn’t going to be the case.
I don’t see the value for paying this premium anymore. It’s a dreadful division with no real hope in sight for it to become legitimate, and Cyborg has done nothing to move toward even a possible UFC catchweight fight.
Sydnie: I think the Rousey fight may not be nearly as profitable for Cyborg now, and the fact that Rousey has a loss on her record is a handy out for Cyborg. It might be good for Rousey, should she beat Cyborg, but I don’t think it’s going to happen at all.
I mean, featherweight certainly isn’t going to get any better without signing people like Ibragimova. Many WMMA divisions across multiple promotions are kind of shallow. It takes time to develop them—not only to find the talent, but to get the word out that it’s a division worth being in. WMMA at higher levels is still in an embryonic stage, so maybe Invicta’s featherweight division will mature after Cyborg’s reign. Or hey, maybe someone will actually beat her, and that in and of itself will make the division more exciting. Maybe it will even be Ibragimova, but I’m not anticipating it.
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