President of Invicta Fighting Championships Shannon Knapp talks to Inside MMA about how the Women’s MMA organization has skyrocketed in popularity, and what is the next move for the promotion
President of Invicta Fighting Championships Shannon Knapp talks to Inside MMA about how the Women’s MMA organization has skyrocketed in popularity, and what is the next move for the promotion
Two Bellator Season Eight Tournament Finals are official for this Thursday night’s Bellator 94 event as light heavyweights Emanuel Newton (204.4) and Mikhail Zayats (205.6), as well as lightweight finalists Saad Awad (155.7) and David Rickels (155.8), all made weight for their respective matches. Bellator 94 is scheduled to take place on March 28, 2013 […]
Two Bellator Season Eight Tournament Finals are official for this Thursday night’s Bellator 94 event as light heavyweights Emanuel Newton (204.4) and Mikhail Zayats (205.6), as well as lightweight finalists Saad Awad (155.7) and David Rickels (155.8), all made weight for their respective matches.
Bellator 94 is scheduled to take place on March 28, 2013 at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida, the same location for today’s official weigh-ins.
Three undercard fighters had trouble making weight on their initial attempts. Kenny Moss, Patrick Cenoble, and late replacement fighter Ronnie Rogers all missed weight on their first attempts.
Both Moss and Rogers made weight on their subsequent attempt but Cenoble wasn’t able to make weight despite the extra time given him. Cenoble will instead face Tony Fryklund in a 157-lbs catchweight bout.
Rogers was an unannounced replacement for fighter Shah Bobonis who had been scheduled to meet Joe Taimanglo.
Check out the full Bellator 94 weigh-in results below:
Main Card (Spike TV @ 10pm EST)
Light heavyweight tournament final: Mikhail Zayats (205.6) vs. Emanuel Newton (204.4)
Lightweight tournament final: Saad Awad (155.7) vs. David Rickels (155.8)
Welterweight bout: Luis Melo (169.8) vs. Trey Houston (170.4)
Bantamweight bout: Ronnie Mann (135.7) vs. Rodrigo Lima (135.8)
Preliminary Card (Spike.com @ 8pm EST)
Welterweight bout: Julien Williams (170) vs. Kenny Moss (171)
Heavyweight bout: Augusto Sakai (261.3) vs. Rob Horton (242.2)
Women’s strawweight bout: Jessica Aguilar (114.6) vs. Patricia Vidonic (115)
Featherweight bout: Joe Taimanglo (145.6) vs. Ronnie Rogers (146)
Lightweight bout: Bruno Carvalho (155.3) vs. James Edson Berto (155.6)
Catchweight (157-lbs) bout: Tony Fryklund (155.6) vs. Patrick Cenoble (156.2)
Women’s strawweight bout: Heather Clark (115.9) vs. Felice Herrig (115.7)
George and Kevin from the Uncut Sports Show debate on the impact of Dana White’s huge announcement at UFC 158 last weekend when he named Ronda Rousey as one of the coaches for the upcoming season of the Ultimate Fighter. Rousey, arguably UFC’s most polarizing figure at the moment, will definitely change the TUF landscape, as both Women and Men will be eligible to tryout for the 18th season of the show starting in April. The Uncut Guys debate whether the male and female fighters should be separated into two different houses, or if White and the UFC should take the risk of having them live together. Real World anyone? We’ll just have to wait and see.
In part two, Kevin and George from the Uncut Sports Show take a look at the new number one contender to GSP’s throne, Johny Hendricks. Hit PLAY to catch the second video or make the jump.
George and Kevin from the Uncut Sports Show debate on the impact of Dana White’s huge announcement at UFC 158 last weekend when he named Ronda Rousey as one of the coaches for the upcoming season of the Ultimate Fighter. Rousey, arguably UFC’s most polarizing figure at the moment, will definitely change the TUF landscape, as both Women and Men will be eligible to tryout for the 18th season of the show starting in April. The Uncut Guys debate whether the male and female fighters should be separated into two different houses, or if White and the UFC should take the risk of having them live together. Real World anyone? We’ll just have to wait and see.
In part two, Kevin and George from the Uncut Sports Show take a look at the new number one contender to GSP’s throne, Johny Hendricks. Hit PLAY to catch the second video or make the jump.
Kevin and George from the Uncut Sports Show take a look at the new number one contender to GSP’s throne, Johny Hendricks. Hendricks declared himself 100% healthy after suffering a slight break to his hand during his UFC 158 bout versus Carlos Condit, and would appear to be the most deserving of a title shot. Hendricks is on a roll in the ring but can his overpowering style overwhelm the tactical and saavy approach of GSP? In addition, up and coming fighter Chris Weidman has been drawing some impressive comparisons over the last few weeks and the Uncut guys believe that he deserves a primetime fight as well. Would a battle with UFC legend Anderson Silva finally put Weidman’s name on the map?
Press Release – KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 25, 2013) – Hard-hitting kickboxing stylist Julia “The Jewel” Budd (4-2) of Port Moody, BC Canada will square off with upstart Mollie Estes (1-1) of Kansas City in a featherweight (145 pounds) contest at the highly-anticipated Invicta Fighting Championships women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world championship doubleheader event […]
Press Release – KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 25, 2013) – Hard-hitting kickboxing stylist Julia “The Jewel” Budd (4-2) of Port Moody, BC Canada will square off with upstart Mollie Estes (1-1) of Kansas City in a featherweight (145 pounds) contest at the highly-anticipated Invicta Fighting Championships women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world championship doubleheader event at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Friday, April 5.
Estes’ original opponent, Veronica Rothenhausler of Sacramento, Calif., has withdrawn from the event due to injury.
The 29-year-old Budd, a protégé of former MMA star Lance Gibson known for her phenomenal conditioning, is looking for her third straight victory in the cage after reeling off back-to-back, first-round TKO wins – both by way of punches and elbow strikes -in Invicta FC competition. On July 28, 2012, she stopped Elina Nilsson at Invicta FC 2 and, on Oct. 6, 2012, she finished Danielle West at Invicta FC 3.
Budd’s only two career losses to date came at the hands of champion Ronda Rousey and top-ranked Amanda Nunes. In March 2005, Budd became the first fighter to defeat superstar Gina Carano by way of unanimous decision after they faced off in a Muay Thai rules bout.
The 37-year-old Estes will make her second start in the Invicta FC cage after taking on 2008 Olympic wrestling bronze medalist Randi Miller at the promotion’s inaugural event on April 28, 2011. Expected to be disposed of in the early going of the matchup against the world-class wrestler, Estes held her own and pushed Miller into the third and final scheduled round of the contest before being stopped with a barrage of punches from Miller.
Before turning pro with a three-round unanimous decision victory over Lacie Jackson on Oct. 1, 2011, Estes enjoyed a splendid, two-year stint as an amateur, compiling an overall record of 7-1, with all 7 of her wins coming by way of (T)KO or submission.
Tickets for Invicta FC 5, priced from $25, are on sale online at TicketFly.com.
In the main event of the stacked 13-bout card, reigning Invicta FC Atomweight (105 pounds) Champion Jessica Penne (10-1) of Huntington Beach, Calif. will defend her crown against superstar Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (10-3) of Albuquerque, N.M. and, in the co-main event and first-ever Invicta FC flyweight (125 pounds) title fight, submission ace Vanessa Porto (15-5) of Sao Paulo, Brazil will square off with red-hot star Barb Honchak (7-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa.
Pound for pound great and devastating KO artist Cris Cyborg (10-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will make her highly-anticipated Invicta FC debut against rising star Fiona Muxlow (6-2) of Townsville, Queensland Australia in a featherweight matchup.
Flyweight superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-2) of Cincinnati, Ohio will also make her Invicta FC debut in another featured bout against submission expert Jennifer Maia (6-2) of Curitiba, Parana Brazil.
In other action on the eight-bout main card, bantamweight (135 pounds) superstar Sarah Kaufman (15-2) of Victoria, BC Canada will make her long-awaited Invicta FC debut against dangerous striker and Invicta FC 3 and Invicta FC 4 winner Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-2-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif.
Undefeated KO artist Lauren Taylor (5-0) of Anchorage, Alaska will battle hard-hitting Kaitlin Young (7-7-1) of St. Louis Park, Minn. at bantamweight.
Crowd-pleasing “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (4-2) of Brisbane, Australia will look to return to the win column against undefeated sensation and Invicta FC newcomer Jasminka Cive (5-0) of Graz, Austria in a strawweight (115 pounds) meeting.
The Invicta FC five-fight preliminary card will be highlighted by a bantamweight tilt between two undefeated prospects in powerhouse Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (2-0) of Richmond, Ky. and Muay Thai stylist Miriam Nakamoto (1-0) of Dublin, Calif.
Katja Kankaanpaa (7-0-1) of Seinajoki, Finland will square off with fellow undefeated rising star Juliana Carnerio Lima (5-0) of Belo Horizonte, Brazil at strawweight in what will mark both fighters’ Invicta FC debuts.
Alex Chambers (3-1) of St. Ives New South Wales, Australia will meet unbeaten Jodie Esquibel (3-0) of Albuquerque, N.M. at atomweight.
Fresh off of her professional debut victory in the Invicta FC cage, top-flight prospect Rose Namajunas (1-0) of St. Paul, Minn. will face off with fellow undefeated upstart Kathina Catron (2-0) of Tehlequa, Okla. at strawweight.
Cassie Rodish (4-3) of Des Moines, Iowa will face Simona Soukupova (3-2) of London, England in an atomweight contest.
About Invicta Fighting Championships:
Invicta Fighting Championships (www.invictafc.com) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.
About Ameristar Kansas City
Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City is owned and operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameristar Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ-GS: ASCA), and is a premier property characterized by a state-of-the-art casino floor and outstanding dining, lodging and entertainment options. The property features the largest casino and the most games in the Kansas City area, as well as one of the largest poker rooms in the Midwest. Ameristar offers nine diverse dining venues — The Horizon Buffet, The Falcon Bakery, Pearl’s Oyster Bar, Great Plains Cattle Co., Amerisports Brew Pub, Casino Deli, Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Burger King and Sbarro The Italian Eatery, as well as the Star Club, a private players’ lounge. Entertainment amenities include the Star Pavilion, featuring national headliners; Depot #9, with popular regional and local acts; the Regal Cinema’s Kansas City 18 Theater; Hi-Vi video arcade; and Kids Quest, a supervised child-care facility. The property also includes a 184-room hotel. The property was awarded “Favorite Casino” for the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association’s 2012 Visitor Choice Awards. Best Casino in 2012 Ingram’s Magazine “Best of Business Awards;” in the 2003, 2005, 2007 – 2009, 2011 Kansas City Magazine’s “Best of Kansas City” readers’ poll and 2011 Best Casino in Home in the Northland Magazine’s readers’ poll. Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City also was awarded Best Steakhouse, Best Buffet, Best Live Poker and Best Tournaments in the 2012 Casino Player Magazine’s “Best of Gaming” awards.
Visit Ameristar Casinos’ website at www.ameristar.com
(which shall not be deemed to be incorporated in or a part of this news release).
Press Release – KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 19, 2013) –Pound for pound great and vicious KO artist Cris Cyborg (10-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will square off with rising star Fiona Muxlow (6-2) of Townsville, Queensland Australia in a featured featherweight (145 pounds) bout at the Invicta Fighting Championships women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) […]
Press Release – KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 19, 2013) –Pound for pound great and vicious KO artist Cris Cyborg (10-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will square off with rising star Fiona Muxlow (6-2) of Townsville, Queensland Australia in a featured featherweight (145 pounds) bout at the Invicta Fighting Championships women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world championship doubleheader event at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City after a rib injury sustained in training camp forced Cyborg’s original opponent Ediane “India” Gomes to withdraw from the scheduled matchup, In! victa FC officials announced today.
Muxlow’s original Invicta FC 5 featherweight opponent, hard-punching Julia “The Jewel” Budd (4-2) of Port Moody, BC Canada, will be matched with a new opponent to be announced soon.
Fighting out of Team Takedown Australia, the 35-year-old, 5-foot-5 Muxlow, a highly-skilled grappler, recently reeled off three consecutive victories before her win streak was snapped at the hands of top-ranked superstar Marloes Coenen at Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Dec. 31, 2012
Muxlow jumpstarted her professional career by defeating three consecutive opponents – all by way of submission – in one night of action in a featherweight tournament in New Zealand on June 2, 2007.
The 27-year-old Cyborg is universally recognized as the most devastating striker in the women’s field of MMA fighters, pulverizing her ! way to 8 (T)KO victories since making her pro debut in 2005.
Cyborg took her career to new heights in a main event showdown with superstar rival Gina Carano on Aug. 15, 2009, quickly overwhelming and stopping Carano with a barrage of punches in the first round (4:59) of their meeting to become the first-ever Strikeforce women’s world champion in history. The long-awaited fight set a new viewership record for MMA on premium cable channel SHOWTIME.
Tickets for Invicta FC 5, priced from $25, are on sale online at TicketFly.com.
In the main event of the stacked 14-bout card, reigning Invicta FC Atomweight (105 pounds) Champion Jessica Penne (10-1) of Huntington Beach, Calif. will defend her crown against superstar Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (10-3) of Albuquerque, N.M. and, in the co-main event and first-ever Invicta FC flyweight (125 pounds) title fight, submission ace Vanessa Porto (15-5) ! of Sao Paulo, Brazil will square off with red-hot star Barb Honchak (7-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa.
Flyweight superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-2) of Cincinnati, Ohio will also make her Invicta FC debut in another featured bout against submission expert Jennifer Maia (6-2) of Curitiba, Parana Brazil.
In other action on the eight-bout main card, bantamweight (135 pounds) superstar Sarah Kaufman (15-2) of Victoria, BC Canada will make her long-awaited Invicta FC debut against dangerous striker and Invicta FC 3 and Invicta FC 4 winner Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-2-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif.
Undefeated KO artist Lauren Taylor (5-0) of Anchorage, Alaska will battle hard-hitting Kaitlin Young (7-7-1) of St. Louis Park, Minn. at bantamweight.
Crowd-pleasing “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (4-2) of Brisbane, Australia will drop from flyweight to strawweight (115 pounds) and look to return to the win column against undefeated sensation and Invicta FC newcomer Jasminka Cive (5-0) of Graz, Austria.
The Invicta FC six-fight preliminary card will be highlighted by a bantamweight tilt between two undefeated prospects in powerhouse Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (2-0) of Richmond, Ky. and Muay Thai stylist Miriam Nakamoto (1-0) of Dublin, Calif.
Katja Kankaanpaa (7-0-1) of Seinajoki, Finland will square off with fellow undefeated rising star Juliana Carnerio Lima (5-0) of Belo Horizonte, Brazil at strawweight in what will mark both fighters’ Invicta FC debuts.
Alex Chambers (4-1) of St. Ives New South Wales, Australia will meet unbeaten Jodie Esquibel of Albuquerque, N.M. at atomweight.
Fresh off of her professional debut victory in the Invicta FC cage, top-flight prospect Rose Namajunas (1-0) of St. Paul, Minn. will face off with fellow undefeated upstart Kathina Catron (2-0) of Tehlequa, Okla. at strawweight.
Following her explosive first round KO and professional debut victory over Katalina Malungahu at Invicta FC 4, recent Team Alpha Male enlistee Veronica Rothenhausler (1-0) of Sacramento, Calif. will return to the cage against Mollie Estes (1-1) of Kansas City in a featherweight battle.
Cassie Rodish (4-3) of Des Moines, Iowa will face Simona Soukupova (3-2) of London, England in an atomweight contest.
About Invicta Fighting Championships:
Invicta Fighting Championships (www.invicta! fc.com) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.
About Ameristar Kansas City
Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City is owned and operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of Ameristar Casinos, Inc. (NASDAQ-GS: ASCA), and is a premier property characterized by a state-of-the-art casino floor and outstanding dining, lodging and entertainment options. The property features the largest casino and the most games in the Kansas City area, as well as one of the largest poker rooms in the Midwest. Ameristar offers nine diverse dining venues — The Horizon Buffet, The Falcon Bakery, Pearl&! rsquo;s Oyster Bar, Great Plains Cattle Co., Amerisports Brew Pub, Casino Deli, Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, Burger King and Sbarro The Italian Eatery, as well as the Star Club, a private players’ lounge. Entertainment amenities include the Star Pavilion, featuring national headliners; Depot #9, with popular regional and local acts; the Regal Cinema’s Kansas City 18 Theater; Hi-Vi video arcade; and Kids Quest, a supervised child-care facility. The property also includes a 184-room hotel. The property was awarded “Favorite Casino” for the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association’s 2012 Visitor Choice Awards. Best Casino in 2012 Ingram’s Magazine “Best of Business Awards;” in the 2003, 2005, 2007 – 2009, 2011 Kansas City Magazine’s “Best of Kansas City” readers’ poll and 2011 Best Casino in Home in the Northland Magazine’s readers’ poll. Ameristar Casino Hotel Kan! sas City also was awarded Best Steakhouse, Best Buffet, Best Live Poker and Best Tournaments in the 2012 Casino Player Magazine’s “Best of Gaming” awards.
