A heartbreaker on the scales leads to a non-title main event, but there’s still some great fights to look forward to.
With Invicta’s first foray into 2020, the weight cut bug has struck again. Atomweight champion Jinh Yu Frey (8-4) was unable to make weight for her championship fight against scrappy threat Ashley Cummins (7-4). Due to the lack of a one-pound allowance, Frey has vacated the title prior to the fight. As it stands, the situation leads to Cummins earning the title if she defeats Frey, but a Frey win means the title remains vacant.
As unfortunate as that is, it’s still a great fight. Frey is coming off a non-title fight in Rizin where she lost to Ayaka Hamasaki by decision in a rematch of a fight that ended in tragic controversy due to a cut. She previously defeated Cummins by decision in 2017 in a rollicking ground duel with some blitzing standing exchanges. Cummins held her own and worked submissions relentlessly. After a loss to Seo Hee Ham, Frey won back to back fights against Minna Grusander and solidified her status as a top fighter at 105 as she sharpened her offense and upped her pace in fights.
But Cummins has seen exponential growth since her Invicta debut. With a steady and flowing submission approach, she’s become one of the — if not the — most threatening ground fighter in the division right now, in any division.
Former UFC fighter Pearl Gonzalez (10-4) has been one of the fighters to have flourished the most after departing the MMA giant, landing on her feet in Invicta with intensity. Currently 4-1 in Invicta with her lone loss being a technical decision due to injury against Vanessa Porto, she’s sitting pretty in a very comfortable spot to get a title shot with a win this week against Phoenix Series champion Miranda Maverick (6-2). Gonzalez has sharpened her clinch and wrestling, with much slicker and confident striking these days. Maverick has become an all-around problem for anyone, refining her back takes and rear naked chokes while being utterly unflappable in fierce striking exchanges.
Wrestling firebrand Alesha Zappitella (5-2) is back against sturdy striker Kelly D’Angelo (4-2), and Victoria Leonardo (6-1) will try to have an Instagrammable performance against BJJ phenom Erin Blanchfield (4-1).
Atomweight Linda Mihalec (2-0) is back for her second Invicta fight against New York firecracker Jillian DeCoursey (3-2).
Dana White’s Contender Series alum Shanna Young was unable to weigh in due to falling ill, and did not weigh in. Her fight against Daiana Torquato was cancelled, making this a six-fight card.
You can check out the ceremonial weigh-ins here, queued up to where they begin. Sorry kids, embeds not allowed for this one.
The weigh in results are as follows:
Jinh Yu Frey (105.8) vs. Ashley Cummins (104.5)* – Catchweight/conditional flyweight title
Pearl Gonzalez (124.7) vs. Miranda Maverick (125.1) – Flyweight
Alesha Zappitella (105.5) vs. Kelly D’Angelo (105.8) – Atomweight:
Erin Blanchfield (125.1) vs. Victoria Leonardo (124.6) – Flyweight
Jillian DeCoursey (105.7) vs. Linda Mihalec (105.2) – Atomweight
Kristina Pettigrew (135.3) vs. Monica Franco (134.8) – Bantamweight
*Frey missed weight by .8 lbs.
**Shanna Young fell ill, did not weigh in.
Invicta 39: Frey vs Cummins takes place this Friday night, starting at 8:00pm and streaming exclusively via UFC Fight Pass.