Everything is lining up for another new beginning for the all-women’s organization, and they’ll start off with a bang to set the tone.
After spending some years streaming via UFC Fight Pass, Invicta will now be available on AXS TV as part of a new distribution partnership. And now, we’ve got more news regarding the organization’s television debut.
As per MMAJunkie, a source informed them that the all-women’s organization is set to return on May 21st in an event featuring two title fights. Atomweight champ Alesha Zappitella (8-2) will be defending her title against Jessica Delboni (10-2), while the main event is scheduled to be Karina Rodriguez (8-4) vs Brazil’s Daiana Torquato (10-3) for the vacant flyweight belt.
The flyweight title had been held by Vanessa Porto prior to her departure for Bellator, so now it’s up for grabs between Rodriguez and Torquato. It’s an interesting matchup, as Rodriguez comes forward with pressure and volume while Torquato is more of a generalist that gets busier with inside strikes. Torquato’s suffered losses at the hands of Ariane Lipski and DeAnna Bennett, but just earned a win over Sarah Frota back in October. For her part, Rodriguez did suffer a loss at the hands of Vanessa Porto, and that was after back to back wins over DeAnna Bennett and Milana Dudieva.
The atomweight fight appears to have a lot of action potential. Zappitella is a very athletic wrestler that puts some pop on her punches and drives into her takedowns while remaining active on top. Delboni returns for her third Invicta appearance and aims to control with a well-rounded style, making up for size disadvantages with volume striking and speed.
Other fights scheduled for the event are former Bellator title challenger Emily Ducote vs Liz Tracy, former Phoenix Rising tournament winner Taneisha Tennant vs Hope Chase, and California grappler Julianna Miller vs Colorado’s Claire Guthrie.
Invicta on AXS will be broadcast on (where else?) AXS TV starting at 8:00pm EST.