The upcoming Invicta FC 5 card continues to take shape with the announcement of two high-profile bantamweight bouts.
In the first, former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman will take on Leslie Smith. The other will see Kaitlin Young face Amanda Nunes.
Kaufman had been penciled in to make her Invicta debut last October before injury kept her off the card. The 27-year-old hasn’t competed since her championship loss to Ronda Rousey last August. She holds a career record of 15-2.
Smith is a product of the Cesar Gracie fight team with a 5-2 career record. She is 2-0-1 in three Invicta fights, fighting to a draw with Kaitlin Young in her debut before conquering her in the rematch with a second-round TKO. In her most recent fight, she earned a unanimous decision over Raquel Pennington.
Young (7-7-1) is a noted striker who had a rough 2012, going 1-2-1 with losses against Smith and Liz Carmouche. Her style should match up for a fan-friendly pairing with Nunes, another powerful striker with a 7-3 mark.
Although Invicta FC 5’s date and location has not yet been made official, Knapp told MMA Fighting that the promotion is looking at April 5, which will sandwich it on a Friday between April 4’s Bellator 95 and April 6’s UFC on FUEL 9.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the targeted venue is the Ameristar Casino in Kansas City, Missouri. Knapp declined to comment on that, citing ongoing negotiations.
The event will be headlined by an atomweight title fight pitting Jessica Penne against Michelle Waterson.