Invicta Fighting Championships inaugural card kicks off from Kansas City, Missouri at 8 p.m. ET live and free at www.invictafc.com. Marloes Coenen returns to 145 lbs to do battle with Romy Ruyssen. The bout is now at catchweight following Ruyssen missing weight by coming in at 149 lbs.
Main Card
Marloes Coenen vs. Romy Ruyssen (149lbs Catchweight)
Round 1: Coenen stalks Ruyssen early. Ruyssen gets Coenen against the cage. Greg Franklin takes a point away from Ruyssen for holding the cage while in the clinch. Coenen catches a bodykick and Ruyssen jumps into guard. Coenen lands big elbows. Coenen attempts a choke and Greg Franklin stands them up. The round ends with both fighters in the clinch. Marloes Coenen 10-8
Round 2: Ruyssen throws a legkick and is countered with a straight right. Coenen battering Ruyssen’s legs with knees from the clinch. Ruyssen jumps guard again. Coenen again uses the position against the cage to unleash a big elbow. Coenen backed up and let Ruyssen to her feet. The two fighters clinch agaisnt the cage for the remainder of the round. Marloes Coenen 10-9
Round 3: Coenen lands a nice left at the opening of round 3. Romy initiates the clinch but Coenen reverses position. Coenen unleashes nasty knees from the Thai clinch. Ruyssen jumps guard again. Coenen again nails her with a big standing elbow. Greg Franklin separates the fighters with one minute remaining. It doesn’t take long to return to a clinch against the cage. Coenen finishes the fight with a couple more solid elbows inside the clinch and tosses Ruyssen to the ground. Marloes Coenen 10-9
Official Result: Marloes Coenen defeats Romy Ruyssen via Unanimous Decision. Official scorecards read 30-26, 30-26, 30-26 for the clean sweep.
Jessica Penne vs. Lisa Ellis-Ward (Atomweight)
Round 1: Opening minute of the fight is a feeling out process. Ellis-Ward lands a head kick but had minimal power on it. Ellis-Ward gets a takedown right into side control but Penne scrambles and gets back to her feet. Penne gets a takedown of her own. Penne working methodically from half-guard. Penne trying to get Ellis-Ward to open up but Ellis-Ward got to guard and then back to her feet. Ellis-Ward gets another takedown and Penne uses amazing flexibility to get a crucifix. 10-9 Jessica Penne
Round 2: Ellis-Ward landed a hard right hand that stunned Penne. She rushes in for a takedown but Penne winds up in top position. Ellis-Ward works back to full guard. Penne tries to stack Ellis-Ward but that gives her space to get back to her feet. The two fighters end up back on the ground quickly fighting for submissions. Ellis-Ward gets top position after a short leglock stalemate. Penne still going after a leg and Ellis-Ward making her pay with strikes. Penne tries an armbar but Ellis-Ward picks her up and slams it to make her release the submission. In the last ten seconds Penne reverses position. 10-10
Round 3: Ellis-Ward opens the third frame with a body kick. Penne lands a straight right of her own. Big bodylock takedown from Ellis-Ward. Ellis-Ward bleeding profusely from her forehead. Ellis-Ward going for a Kimura but loses it. Penne goes for an armbar but Ellis-Ward defends. Penne in mount. The ref stops the fight after some ground and pound. Ellis-Ward is a bloody mess.
Official Result: Jessica Penne defeats Lisa Ellis-Ward by TKO (Ref Stoppage) at 2:48 of the third and final round.
Liz Carmouche vs. Ashleigh Curry (Bantamweight)
Round 1: Carmouche lands a spinning backfist and immiedately gets the takedown into mount. Curry holding on to Carmouche’s head, and Carmouche moves to side control to get out. Carmouche right back into mount. Postures up and dropping big punches. High mount dropping bombs and referee Greg Franklin stops the fight. Dominant performance.
Official Result: Liz Carmouche defeats Ashleigh Curry by TKO (Ref Stoppage) at 1:58 of the first round.
Leslie Smith vs. Kaitlin Young (Bantamweight)
Round 1: The two exchange to open the bout. Smith catches a kick and trips Young to the mat. Young gets back to her feet and lands a few strikes. A clean elbow strike out of the clinch for Young. Kaitlin Young mixing up her strikes well. Smiths throws punches in bunches but Young covers up nicely. Smith willing to exchange but Young throwing the cleaner punches. 10-9 Kaitlin Young
Round 2: A stand-up war through the midway point in the second. Smith continuously moving forward with Young countering. Smith landing some nice body shots. Five minutes of Smith moving forward, Young countering. 10-9 Leslie Smith
Round 3: Young gets back to using her low kick at the beginning of the third. A big overhand from Smith forces Young to attempt a takedown. Young nearly gets the takedown but it’s Smith who ends up on top. Young transitions to an armbar attempt and then to a triangle but Smith defends. Smith now going for an armbar. Young defends and ends up on top. Back to their feet they return to the striking battle. Big body kick from Young. Another leg kick that leaves Smith limping. The back and forth fight will go to the scorecards. Kaitlin Young 10-9
Official Result: Kaitlin Young and Leslie Smith fight to a draw. Official scores read 29-28, 28-29, 29-29
Sarah D’ Alelio vs. Vanessa Mariscal (Bantamweight)
Round 1: D’Alelio gets inside and immediately takes the fight to the canvas. D’Alelio hitting some nice elbows and looking to get to a better position. D’Alelio gets her back and sinks in the hooks. D’Alelio grounding and pounding Mariscal but Mariscal rolls to avoid the fight from being stopped. Mariscal lands a nice back elbow but still cannot shake D’Alelio from her back. 10-9 Sarah D’Alelio.
Round 2: A nice exchange opens the second frame. Mariscal pushing the pace but D’Alelio countering nicely. D’Alelio catches a kick and takes the fight back to the ground. D’Alelio moves right into mount and delivers more ground and pound. Mariscal taps from the punishment.
Official Result: Sarah D’Alelio submits Vanessa Mariscal due to strikes. Official time of the tap is 3:19 of the second round.
Sally Krumdiack vs. Sarah Schneider (Strawweight)
Round 1: Krumdiack opens with a solid punch and uses that to clinch with Schneider. Krumdiack lands a nice elbow from inside the clinch. Schneider pulls guard. Krumdiack is bleeding. Schneider has a triangle locked in then switches to the armbar for the finish.
Official Result: Sarah Schneider submits Sally Krumdiack via armbar. The tap came at 3:01 of the first round.
Preliminary Card
Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc vs. Amy Davis (Atomweight)
Round 1: The two fighters waste no time meeting in the center. Rivera-Calanoc pushes Davis up against the cage looking for the takedown and completes it. Davis throws her legs up looking for a triangle. Davis locks it up but Rivera-Calanoc is still defending. Davis tightens the triangle as Rivera-Calanoc tries to fight through it and finally gets out. Rivera-Calanoc keeps Davis pressed against the cage looking for the takedown. She’s able to complete it once again. Davis wall walks back to her feet. The two throw down as the round comes to an end. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc 10-9
Round 2: Davis using push kicks to keep Rivera-Calanoc at a distance and avoid the takedown attempts. Rivera-Calanoc continues to look for the takedown against the cage. She gets it but eats some punches as Davis rolls into side control. Davis finally notices the arm is isolated and makes Rivera-Calanoc tap to the Kimura.
Official Result: Amy Davis submits Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc via Kimura. The stoppage comes at 3:47 of the second round.
Sarah Maloy vs. Michele Gutierrez (Flyweight)
Round 1: Gutierrez circles as Maloy throws strikes that are out of range. Gutierrez does not want to get close enough to be taken down by Maloy. Gutierrez knocks Maloy down breifly with a well-timed push kick. An uneventful round with Gutierrez circling. 10-10
Round 2: Gutierrez comes out more active and Maloy tries to close the distance. After the initial action we see more of what the first round offered. Maloy closes the distance and drops Gutierrez as Gutierrez drops Maloy. Gutierrez capitalized with some quick ground and pound before backing away and letting Maloy to her feet. A near double knockout. Maloy pulls guard. Gutierrez gets out and backs away. 10-10
Round 3: Maloy once again manages to close the distance and the two women exchange strikes. Gutierrez circles off and they are back at distance. Maloy and Gutierrez close out their fight with more of the same. Neither were able to do much in the final frame. 10-10
Official Result: Sarah Maloy defeats Michele Gutierrez by Unanimous Decision. Official scores are 29-28, 30-27, 29-28.
Mollie Estes vs. Randi Miller (149lbs Catchweight)
Round 1: Miller pressures Estes to the cage and looks for a takedown right away, but Estes defending well in the clinch. Estes reverses positions from the clinch and lands several short strikes. Miller looks lost as she eats knee after knee. Miller reverses back and continues to keep her in the clinch. Estes continues to defend well and land knees to the body. The Olympic medalists cannot get the fight to the mat. Mollie Estes 10-9
Round 2: Miller continues to press forward and Estes continues to land knees. Estes’ work at HD-MMA is paying off. Estes goes for an armbar but Miller is defending well by stacking Estes. Miller landing some heavy ground and pound from top position. Miller went for a rear-naked choke but didn’t put her hooks in and lost position. Estes continues to defend the takedown and land knees. Miller gets another takedown and drops heavy hands from mount. Randi Miller 10-9
Round 3: The beginning to the third is like the previous two. Miller moving forward and keeping the pressure on Estes. A stalemate in the clinch against the cage. Miller finally gets the fight to the ground with just over two minutes to work. Miller lands heavy ground and pound with Estes covering up. The referee shows mercy and steps in for the stoppage.
Official Result: Randi Miller defeats Mollie Estes by TKO (Ref Stoppage). The referee stepped in at 3:27 of Round 3.
Ashley Cummins vs. Sofia Bagherdai (120lbs Catchweight)
Round 1: Cummins BagherdaiCummins shoots in but Bagherdai defends well. Bagherdai falls to her back with an arm-in guillotine but Cummins gets out easily. Cummins moves Bagherdai to the fence. Bagherdai gets back to her feet and Cummins immediately shoots but its defended. Bagherdai lands a few punches and gets back to fighting at distance. Cummins continues to close the distance and clinches with Bagherdai. Bagherdai shows good takedown defense as she defends two more attempts from Cummins. Bagherdai tries for an armbar but Cummins lands some ground and pound as she defended. Fast-paced action in the first. 10-10
Round 2: A slower pace to start round 2. Over a minute spent at range but neither fighter lands much. Cummins shoots in but cannot complete the takedown. Cummins finally gets Bagherdai down with a double leg. The grind seems to be taking a toll on Bagherdai’s cardio. Cummins postures up and lands some solid ground and pound but loses her position. Bagherdai gets back to her feet but Cummins immediately shoots in and gets Bagherdai back to the canvas. Ashley Cummins 10-9
Round 3: Cummins looks to be a bit cleaner on the feet to start round 3. Two minutes into the round she tries for another takedown but cannot complete. Cummins gets her to the ground but quickly allows her back to her feet. Bagherdai continues trying right hands and spinning backfists but they do not find the mark. Ashley Cummins 10-9
Official Result: Ashley Cummins defeats Sofia Bagherdai by Unanimous Decision. The scores were 30-27, 30-27, 29-28.
Cassie Rodish vs. Meghan Wright (Atomweight)
Round 1: Rodish does not touch Wright’s glove and immediately forces her against the cage. Rodish locks in a modified guillotine and gets the tap quickly.
Official Result: Cassie Rodish submits Meghan Wright via guillotine. The stoppage came at :36 of the first round.
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