This year’s International Fight Week is shaping into a smorgasbord for fight fans, and who better to kick off the violence than Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino?
The reigning Invicta FC featherweight champion is slated to defend her title against Faith Van Duin on July 9 in Las Vegas, Invicta FC officials announced Thursday.
Justino (13-1, 1 NC) has run roughshod over the Invicta FC featherweight division since announcing her arrival with a first-round smashing of Fiona Muxlow in 2013. The 29-year-old captured her title in swift fashion, brutally beating Marloes Coenen en route to a fourth-round TKO, then defended it this past February with a 46-second destruction of Charmaine Tweet.
The rivalry between “Cyborg” and UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey continues to smolder, and it’s believed that an attempted cut down to 135 pounds is in the cards for the Brazilian later this year.
First, though, she’ll have to get past Van Duin (5-1), a 28-year-old New Zealander who made her successful Invicta FC debut this past April with a second-round submission win over Amanda Bell.
Invicta FC 13 takes place Thursday, July 9, at The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, NV. The card streams live on UFC Fight Pass and is topped by a championship tripleheader, as Tonya Evinger (15-5) vies against Mexican prospect Irene Aldana (5-1) for the vacant bantamweight crown in the night’s co-main event, and Herica Tiburcio (9-2) looks to defend her atomweight title against Japan’s Ayaka Hamasaki.
The card also features the Invicta FC debut of ‘Four Horsewomen’ member Marina Shafir (1-1), as she takes on Amber Leibrock (0-0) in a featherweight duel.
Invicta FC 13’s complete fight card can be seen below.
- Featherweight Title: Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (13-1, 1 NC) vs. Faith Van Duin (5-1)
- Bantamweight Title: Tonya Evinger (15-5) vs. Irene Aldana (5-1)
- Atomweight Title: Herica Tiburcio (9-2) vs. Ayaka Hamasaki (11-1)
- Bantamweight: Pannie Kianzad (7-0) vs. Jessica-Rose Clark (5-1)
- Atomweight: Amber Brown (4-1) vs. Catherine Costigan (5-0)
- Strawweight: Amy Montenegro (6-1) vs. Jamie Moyle (2-0)
- Featherweight: Marina Shafir (1-1) vs. Amber Leibrock (0-0)