Invicta Fighting Championships’ inaugural event did not start as smoothly as one would have liked.
Four fighters on the card, including headliner Romy Ruyssen, came in overweight as they try to showcase women’s mixed martial arts at the highest level, which was an unfortunate occurrence in the organization’s first outing.
The 11-fight card has a bit of everything. Top ranked veterans, decorated strikers, slick submission artists and new talent.
Main Event: Marloes Coenen (19-5, 146 lbs.) vs. Romy Ruyssen (5-1, 149.8 lbs.)
The rematch is set. 22 year old Ruyssen came in at 150.4 pounds but dropped an additional .6 to make the bout official. Kansas State Athletic Commission rules state that featherweight fights cannot occur unless the opponents are within five pounds of one another. Ruyssen will lose 25% of her fight purse. The former Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion returned to the featherweight division, officially, by stepping on the scales at 146lbs.
Coenen stared a hole through her foe during the staredown. When they were instructed to face the cameras her eyes never wavered from her opponent.
Despite being an active professional fighter since 2007 Ruyssen is still one of the young prospects to watch. At only 22 years of age, and a strong submission game, she will be able to give Coenen a solid test on Saturday night. One does have to question why she came in five pounds over and if that will effect her performance.
Expect Coenen to try to keep the fight on its feet and look to utilize her experience while Ruyssen attempts to take the fight to the mat.
Jessica Penne (8-1, 105.6 lbs.) vs. Lisa Ellis-Ward (14-7, 106 lbs.)
This fight features two of the atomweight’s best fighters.
Jessica Penne returns to action for the first time since 2010 and Ellis-Ward will drop down to her more natural weight class after losing to the top two ranked strawweights in the world, Megumi Fujii and Jessica Aguilar.
Ellis-Ward is currently ranked by MMARising.com as the No.4 Strawweight.
Penne is a crafty submission fighter with excellent ground control. Ellis-Ward is the 2007 World Grappling Championships gold medalist. If, or rather when, the fight hits the floor expect a technical chess match to take place.
If there is a slight advantage in this fight it goes to Ellis-Ward who has been more active recently, against tough competition, and she has the heavier hands.
This fight could be the fight of the night at Invicta FC 1.
Liz Carmouche (5-2, 134.2 lbs.) vs. Ashleigh Curry (1-0, 136 lbs.)
The “Girl-Rilla”, Carmouche, returns after dropping her last two fights in Strikeforce to Coenen and Sarah Kaufman.
Curry comes in with a boxing background and has moved up in weight for this fight. She initially weighed in at 137.4 pounds and will forfeit 10% of her winnings. While she does have pro boxing experience this fight may be one of the more clear fights on the card. While Carmouche has only been fighting since 2010 herself, she has fought some of the world’s best fighters in her weight class and found success.
The former Marine will want to take the fight to the ground early and show off her brutal ground-and-pound against the boxer. With only one pro bout it is hard to accurately break down Curry’s wrestling and ground game. The style match-up and unknowns make this an intriguing fight.
Leslie Smith (5-2, 135 lbs.) vs. Kaitlin Young (6-5, 135.4 lbs.)
Much like Carmouche vs. Curry this is another striker vs. grappler battle. Kaitlin Young comes in with an extensive stand-up resume and Smith represents Caesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
Young burst on to the scene in 2007 by winning the HOOKnSHOOT-Bodog women’s tournament with three knockouts all under one minute. One of those KO’s was a head kick to former Strikeforce champion Miesha Tate. After the tournament she fought some of the top competition, including Gina Carano, that saw her go on a five fight losing streak. She has rebounded picking up two consecutive wins.
Smith has a solid chin and a good ground game. She will want to put Young on her back and work towards a submission to avoid her power. Whoever does a better job dictating where the fight takes place should take the fight.
Sarah D’Alelio (4-2, 135.2 lbs.) vs. Vanessa Mariscal (2-0, 136 lbs.)
Mariscal takes a step up in competition, on short notice, to take on the Strikeforce veteran in the first fight on the main card.
D’Alelio brings in quality wrestling against the BJJ brown-belt. Look for D’Alelio to take the fight to the ground where Mariscal will be sure to attack with submissions. This should be a fun ground war.
Sally Krumdiack (9-4, 113.6 lbs.) vs. Sarah Schneider (5-5, 115.6 lbs.)
Krumdiack returns to the strawweight division after a length and productive stay at flyweight where she is currently ranked #7.
Schneider, like many female fighters, fought out of her weight class to get fights against top competition. Megumi Fujii, Sarah Kaufman and Julie Kedzie are just a few of the women she has fought in the past.
Both fighters like to finish by submission so this may be a fight that has to be decided on the feet.
Preliminary Card:
Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (7-5, 105.4 lbs.) vs. Amy Davis (2-2, 105.6 lbs)
Sarah Maloy (2-2, 125.4 lbs.) vs. Michele Gutierrez (3-2, 125 lbs.)
Mollie Estes (1-0, 145 lbs.) vs. Randi Miller (0-0, 149 lbs.)*
*Miller will forfiet 25% of her fight purse.
Ashley Cummins (2-0, 115 lbs.) vs. Sofia Bagherdai (4-1, 120.6 lbs.)*
*Bagherdai will forfiet 25% of her fight purse. Cummins had to move up to 121 lbs.
Cassie Rodish (1-3, 105.2 lbs.) vs. Meghan Wright (1-3, 103.5)
You can watch Invicta FC live and free on their website www.invictafc.com Saturday night at 8:00pm EST.
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