Dave Mandel, Invicta FC
Jinh Yu Frey is set to fight fellow former Invicta fighter Kay Hansen at UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker this Saturday, June 27th.
With Aspen Ladd’s recent ACL/MCL tear the UFC needed a new fight for this weekend’s ESPN card featuring a top ranked lightweight bout between Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker, and they needed it in a hurry. Enter Invicta atomweight champion and former RIZIN title contender Jinh Yu Frey.
Frey won’t be taking Ladd’s spot opposite Sara McMann at bantamweight (thankfully). Instead she’ll be taking on fellow newcomer and former Invicta FC talent Kay Hansen (6-3). Hansen is currently riding a back to back victories over Liana Piarosin and Nicolle Caliari, as well as a victory over Carolina Jimenez that technically ranked as an exhibition bout as part of Invicta’s Phoenix Series 2 one-night tournament.
Hansen will be catching Frey (9-4) fresh off a February win over Ashley Cummins at Invicta FC 39. That win righted the ship for Frey, who dropped an Atomweight title fight against former Invicta champ and current RIZIN belt holder Ayaka Hamasaki at RIZIN 16 in June of last year. Unfortunately for Frey, she missed weight heading into her bout against Cummins and was stripped of her Invicta title in the process. Her victory ensured that she’d be getting the next shot at the newly vacated belt, but the UFC has come calling instead.
UFC on ESPN 12: Poirier vs. Hooker takes place at the promotion’s Apex facility in Las Vegas, NV. Outside the main event, the card is expected to feature a welterweight bout between Mike Perry and Mickey Gall.