Invicta starts their summer with a set of scorchers.
Invicta begins their 2020 near the mid-year mark due to circumstances outside of their control, and they’ve set up some great fights to make it worth the wait.
Sadly, this one did end up taking a hit.. DeAnna Bennett was pulled due to complications surrounding her weight cut, leaving this to be a five-fight card.
The card that remains is still very, very good. Emily Ducote (8-6) returns after a rough split decision loss against Kanako Murata last November, and brings her boxing and BJJ game against a sturdy striker in Juliana Lima (10-6). Lima was a participant in the inaugural Phoenix Rising one-night tournament, defeating Danielle Taylor, and moving on to lose to eventual champ Briana Van Buren. Lima still has a very strong Muay Thai base and a lot of athleticism in her back pocket, which could make it hard for her to be taken down in this one. Ducote’s submission game is still good and her cardio holds up well on the ground. A winner here could be fighting for a title soon.
Atomweights step in for the co-main event as standout wrestler Alesha Zappitella (6-2) meets Lindsey VanZandt (7-3). VanZandt lost a heartbreaker in her rematch against Japanese star Rena Kubota. Lindsey had pulled off a stunning upset in their first encounter. She’s patient, accurate with her strikes and a scrappy opportunist in her submission approach. Zappitella packs a fair amount of power and can chain-wrestle effectively while peppering with strikes and remaining active while staying out of trouble.
Featherweight also gets some much-needed shine, as Cesar Gracie alum Chelsea Chandler (2-1 pro) meets Tennessee’s Liv Parker (4-0). Chandler’s got hands and a good gas tank, while Parker’s got 8 out of 9 wins being stoppages across her amateur and pro career. Most are due to strikes, and she’s delivering a lot of damage from top control while being a submission threat.
Laura Gallardo (formerly Anderson) was scheduled to face Claire Guthrie, but Guthrie had to withdraw from the bout. She will be replaced by American Top Team’s Trisha Cicero, who has a few submissions to her name. She’s also going to need them, because Gallardo trains at Kings MMA and has a wrestling pedigree while being very tough. This is a possible contender for fight of the night.
Finally, Shelby Koren will be making her pro debut after going 7-0 as an amateur. She’ll be welcomed to the Invicta cage by Genia Goodin (1-0 pro, 8-0, 1 NC amateur).
Weigh-in results are as follows:
Emily Ducote (115.2) vs. Juliana Lima (115.5) – Strawweight
Lindsey VanZandt (105.2) vs. Alesha Zappitella (105.7) – Atomweight
Chelsea Chandler (145) vs. Liv Parker (145.7) – Featherweight
Trisha Cicero (126) vs. Laura Gallardo (125.1) – Flyweight
Genia Goodin (115.9) vs. Shelby Koren (115.9) – Strawweight
Invicta FC 40: Ducote vs Lima takes place this Thursday, July 2nd. The event streams live in its entirety on UFC Fight Pass.