Tag: Invicta Fighting Championships

Press Release – KANSAS CITY, Kan. (July 19, 2012) – Twenty-four year old Lacey “The Ladie” Schuckman (7-4) of Lakewood, Colo. will replace Jasminka Cive in a flyweight (115 pounds) matchup with undefeated Ayaka Hamasaki (7-0) of Yamaguchi, Japan at the Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann women’s professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Memorial Hall in Kansas City on Sat., July 28. Cive was unable to secure the visa necessary for her to travel from her native Austria, in time for the event.

“I’m actually glad this opportunity came up at the last minute because I’m prepared for the fight,” said Schuckman, who is trained by her husband, Randall “The Green Machine” Schuckman, a recent winner of the Colorado State Golden Gloves Boxing tournament. “I’m always in the gym training with professional MMA fighters and professional boxers, so the timing of this fight is perfect. I also think this matchup is a big step up for me, one that I need take my career to another level.”

Schuckman has earned a name for herself as a mixed martial artist by competing in three different weight classes – atomweight (105 pounds), flyweight and super flyweight (125 pounds). She is looking to become the first female fighter to hold a top 10 ranking in three different weight classes.

Before making her professional debut in 2009, Schuckman competed as a Muay Thai fighter. She has also ventured into professional boxing, notching her first-career win by way of first round TKO over Venus Gutierrez on Nov. 11, 2011.

In her last MMA start on Dec. 17, 2011, Schuckman tapped out Michelle Blalock with a guillotine choke in the second round (1:02) of their matchup in Broomfield, Colo. The win was Schuckman’s fourth by way of submission.

The 30-year-old Hamasaki, a reigning champion in Japanese women’s MMA promotion JEWELS, holds a second-degree black belt in Judo. Since her professional debut in 2009, she has been tearing through the ranks of competitors in Japan.

“I have no problem about the opponent change,” said Hamasaki. “I am just bit concern because it’s my first fight abroad. But regardless of the opponent, I want to give everything I got in this fight and that is all I care about now.”

On Dec. 17, 2010, Hamasaki emerged the winner of a four-woman, single-elimination tournament, earning unanimous decisions over Sakura Nomura and Seo Hee Ham, respectively. Hamasaki is coming off a first-round submission (kimura) win over Yuka Tsuji at a JEWELS event.

Tickets for Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann, priced from $25, are available for purchase at Memorial Hall box office (913) 549-4853), online at Ticketmaster.com and InvictaFC.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

In the bantamweight main event, 2004 Olympic Wrestling Silver Medalist and undefeated MMA star Sara McMann (5-0) of Gaffney, SC. and battle-tested submission wizard Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler (14-6) of Sioux Falls, SD.

In the co-main event, Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano (18-9) of Tokyo, Japan will square off with Japanese Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Cesar Gracie-protégé Alexis Davis (11-5) of Colborne, Ontario Canada at bantamweight.

In other main card action, U.S. Marine and rising bantamweight star Liz “Girl-rilla” Carmouche (6-2) of San Diego, Calif. will square off with St. Louis Park, Minnesota’s Kaitlin Young (7-5-1), who earned “Fight of the Night” honors at the inaugural Invicta FC event on April 28.

Submission specialist Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio (5-2) of San Jose, Calif. will lock up with streaking superstar Vanessa Porto (14-4) of Sao Paulo, Brazil at bantamweight.

In another bantamweight scrap, power striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (3-2-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif. will battle fellow hard-hitting KO artist Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes (6-2) of Salvador, Bahia Brazil

American prospects Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak (5-2) of East Moline, Ill. and undefeated Bethany Marshall (4-0) of Newport News, Va. will meet in a super flyweight matchup.

Julia “The Jewel” Budd (2-2) of Port Moody, British Columbia Canada will face Elina Nilsson (2-2) of Gothenburg, Sweden at featherweight (145 pounds).

In the opening main card bout, Jiu-Jitsu champion and former high school wrestling star Carla Esparza (6-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. will square off with Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider (6-5) of Kansas City, Mo. in a flyweight tilt.

The Invicta FC event will kick off with a five-bout preliminary card. In a bantamweight matchup between two undefeated future stars, Sarah Moras (2-0) of Kelowna, British Columbia Canada will face Raquel Pennington (1-1) of Colorado Springs, Colo.

After compiling a 5-2 record under amateur status, 25-year-old Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (0-0) will make her much-anticipated professional debut against unbeaten 30-year-old Suzie Montero (1-0) of Pompano Beach, Fla. at bantamweight.

One-half of the 26-year-old twin MMA fighter duo, Jocelyn “Lights Out” Lybarger (0-0) of Phoenix, Ariz. will make debut under professional status opposite Cheryl Chan (0-0) of Surrey, British Columbia Canada at super flyweight.

In one of two atomweight (105 pounds) matchups, Nicdali Calanoc-Rivera (7-6) of Tulsa, Okla. will take on Angelica Chavez (4-1) of Albuquerque, N.M. In the other, Jessica Philippus (0-0) of Marshall, Mo. will battle Liz McCarthy (0-0) of Tigard, Ore.

All bouts have been approved by the Kansas State Athletic Commission.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships 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.

Press Release – KANSAS CITY, Kan. (July 9, 2012) –After slugging it out in one of the most memorable toe-to-toe wars in women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) history, power striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (3-2-1) of Pleasant Hill, Calif. will return to the Invicta Fighting Championships cage, replacing Milana Dudieva, in a featured bantamweight (135 pounds) showdown with fellow hard-hitting KO artist Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes (6-2) of Salvador, Bahia Brazil at Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. on Sat., July 28.

Dudieva has withdrawn from her commitment due to medical illness.

The 29-year-old Smith’s gutsy stand in her three-round, epic battle with Kaitlin Young at the inaugural Invicta FC event on April 28 brought the Memorial Hall crowd to their feet and earned both competitors Fight of the Night honors. The result of the fight – a draw – has surely motivated Smith to finish her second Invicta FC bout in decisive fashion.

Smith has earned two of her three professional career victories by way of KO. Prior to turning professional, she was victorious in all three of her amateur starts – one by KO, one by submission and one by decision – in 2008.

The 24-year-old Nunes, touted as one of the most dangerous young prospects in the women’s field of the sport, will look to return to the win column after being stopped by contender Alexis Davis with a barrage of punches in the second round (4:53) of their matchup in Dallas, Tex. on Sept. 10, 2011. The loss snapped Nunes’ six-fight win streak that began on May 24, 2008 with a 11-second TKO of Paty Barbosa on May 24, 2008.

Nunes burst onto the national fight scene in The U.S. in her fight before last, scoring a stunning 14-second KO (punches) of Julia Budd, live on SHOWTIME. Nunes also boasts a victory over fellow Brazil native and Invicta FC competitor Vanessa Porto, whom Nunes finished after two rounds of action Dec. 12, 2009 when Porto’s corner threw in the towel.

Tickets for Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann, priced from $25, are available for purchase at Memorial Hall box office (913) 549-4853), online at Ticketmaster.com and InvictaFC.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

In the bantamweight main event, 2004 Olympic Wrestling Silver Medalist and undefeated MMA star Sara McMann (5-0) of Gaffney, SC. and battle-tested submission wizard Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler (14-6) of Sioux Falls, SD.

In the co-main event, Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano (18-9) of Tokyo, Japan will square off with Japanese Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Cesar Gracie-protégé Alexis Davis (11-5) of Colborne, Ontario Canada at bantamweight.

In other main card action, U.S. Marine and rising bantamweight star Liz “Girl-rilla” Carmouche (6-2) of San Diego, Calif. will square off with St. Louis Park, Minnesota’s Kaitlin Young (7-5-1), who earned “Fight of the Night” honors at the inaugural Invicta event on April 28.

Submission specialist Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio (5-2) of San Jose, Calif. will lock up with streaking superstar Vanessa Porto (14-4) of Sao Paulo, Brazil at bantamweight.

JEWELS champion Akaya Hamasaki (7-0) of Yamaguchi, Japan will head to Kansas City, Kan. to square off with fellow undefeated star Jasminka “Impressive” Cive (5-0) of Graz, Styria Austria in a flyweight (115 pounds) matchup

American prospects Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak (5-2) of East Moline, Ill. and undefeated Bethany Marshall (4-0) of Newport News, Va. will meet in a super flyweight (125 pounds) matchup.

Julia “The Jewel” Budd (2-2) of Port Moody, British Columbia Canada will face Elina Nilsson (2-2) of Gothenburg, Sweden at featherweight (145 pounds).

In the opening main card bout, Jiu-Jitsu champion and former high school wrestling star Carla Esparza (6-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. will square off with Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider (6-5) of Kansas City, Mo. in a flyweight tilt.

The Invicta FC event will kick off with a five-bout preliminary card. In a bantamweight matchup between two undefeated future stars, Sarah Moras (2-0) of Kelowna, British Columbia Canada will face Raquel Pennington (1-1) of Colorado Springs, Colo.

After compiling a 5-2 record under amateur status, 25-year-old Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (0-0) will make her much-anticipated professional debut against unbeaten 30-year-old Suzie Montero (1-0) of Pompano Beach, Fla. at bantamweight.

One-half of the 26-year-old twin MMA fighter duo, Jocelyn “Lights Out” Lybarger (0-0) of Phoenix, Ariz. will make debut under professional status opposite Cheryl Chan (0-0) of Surrey, British Columbia Canada at super flyweight.

In one of two atomweight (105 pounds) matchups, Nicdali Calanoc-Rivera (7-6) of Tulsa, Okla. will take on Angelica Chavez (4-1) of Albuquerque, N.M. In the other, Jessica Philippus (0-0) of Marshall, Mo. will battle Liz McCarthy (0-0) of Tigard, Ore.

All bouts have been approved by the Kansas State Athletic Commission.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships 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.

Press Release – KANSAS CITY, Kan. (June 25, 2012) –Submission specialist Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio (5-2) of San Jose, Calif. will replace injured Kelly Kobold in a bantamweight (135 pound) matchup against streaking superstar Vanessa Porto (14-4) of Sao Paulo, Brazil on the main card at the Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann all-women’s professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. on Sat., July 28.

Kobold was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a shoulder injury sustained during a routine training session.

“Vanessa’s really tough, really strong, really aggressive and good on the ground, but I’m all of those things too,” said D’Alelio, analyzing the matchup with Porto. “This is a great fight and I think it’s going to be a serious battle. If I win, it will put me in top contender status.”

Both the 31-year-old D’Alelio and the 28-year-old Porto have shown their ability to dominate opponents on the ground. Porto holds a black belt in the submission grappling discipline of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu while D’Aelio holds a lower rank of blue belt. D’Alelio doesn’t feel Porto’s greater skill and experience level in one fighting art will be a deciding factor in the fight, though.

“Things like that don’t matter when there are punches involved,” D’Alelio said.

D’Alelio made an impressive appearance at the inaugural Invicta FC event on April 28, dominating and eventually stopping Vanessa Mariscal with a barrage of punches that prompted Mariscal to verbally submit. The win snapped D’Alelio’s two-fight losing streak

Porto will enter the Invicta FC cage looking for her fifth consecutive victory. In her last effort on March 10, she scored a 41 second KO on Luana Teixeira with a single punch in a matchup in Brazil.

Porto, who hasn’t been pushed past the second round by any of her last four opponents and finished three of them inside the first stanza, doesn’t look at D’Alelio as any different from her previous adversaries.

“It’s just one more opponent. I’m here to fight and do not choose whom I fight,” said Porto. “I will fight anybody in the world at 135 pounds.”

Porto earned her black belt under her husband and first trainer Pedro Iglesias, who will serve as one of her cornermen against D’Alelio on July 28. She began training with Iglesias in 2004.

Tickets for Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann, priced from $25, are available for purchase at Memorial Hall box office (913) 549-4853), online at Ticketmaster.com and InvictaFC.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

In the bantamweight (135 pounds) main event, 2004 Olympic Wrestling Silver Medalist and undefeated MMA star Sara McMann (5-0) of Gaffney, SC. and battle-tested submission wizard Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler (14-6) of Sioux Falls, SD.

In the co-main event, Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano (18-9) of Tokyo, Japan will square off with Japanese Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Cesar Gracie-protégé Alexis Davis (11-5) of Colborne, Ontario Canada at bantamweight.

In other main card action, U.S. Marine and rising bantamweight star Liz “Girl-rilla” Carmouche (6-2) of San Diego, Calif. will square off with St. Louis Park, Minnesota’s Kaitlin Young (7-5-1), who earned “Fight of the Night” honors at the inaugural Invicta event on April 28.

JEWELS champion Akaya Hamasaki (7-0) of Yamaguchi, Japan will head to Kansas City, Kan. to square off with fellow undefeated star Jasminka “Impressive” Cive (5-0) of Graz, Styria Austria in a flyweight (115 pounds) matchup

Hard-hitting KO artist Amanda Nunes (6-2) of Salvador, Bahia Brazil will make her Invicta debut against sensational finisher Milana Dudieva (8-1) of Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia Russia in a bantamweight battle.

American prospects Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak (5-2) of East Moline, Ill. and undefeated Bethany Marshall (4-0) of Newport News, Va. will meet in a super flyweight (125 pounds) matchup.

Julia “The Jewel” Budd (2-2) of Port Moody, British Columbia Canada will face Elina Nilsson (2-2) of Gothenburg, Sweden at featherweight (145 pounds).

In the opening main card bout, Jiu-Jitsu champion and former high school wrestling star Carla Esparza (6-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. will square off with Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider (6-5) of Kansas City, Mo. in a flyweight tilt.

The Invicta FC event will kick off with a five-bout preliminary card. In a bantamweight matchup between two undefeated future stars, Sarah Moras (2-0) of Kelowna, British Columbia Canada will face Raquel Pennington (1-0) of Colorado Springs, Colo.

After compiling a 5-2 record under amateur status, 25-year-old Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (0-0) will make her much-anticipated professional debut against unbeaten 30-year-old Suzie Montero (1-0) of Pompano Beach, Fla. at bantamweight.

One-half of the 26-year-old twin MMA fighter duo, Jocelyn “Lights Out” Lybarger (0-0) of Phoenix, Ariz. will make debut under professional status opposite Cheryl Chan (0-0) of Surrey, British Columbia Canada at super flyweight.

In one of two atomweight (105 pounds) matchups, Nicdali Calanoc-Rivera (7-6) of Tulsa, Okla. will take on Angelica Chavez (4-1) of Albuquerque, N.M. In the other, Jessica Philippus (0-0) of Marshall, Mo. will battle Liz McCarthy (0-0) of Tigard, Ore.

All bouts have been approved by the Kansas State Athletic Commission.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships 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 JEWELS:

Founded in 2008 as the successor of Smack Girl.(An event promotion company called Marvelous Japan, Inc purchased all of the rights of Smack Girl, formed partnership with DEEP, then re-started as JEWELS) The headquarters is located in Tokyo, Japan. JEWELS is the only all women’s MMA promotion in Japan now and since its foundation on 2008 JEWELS has successfully promoted 19 professional MMA shows, and also, several grappling and amateur events as well.

Press Release – KANSAS CITY, Kan. (June 21, 2012) –Battle-tested veteran Nicdali Calanoc-Rivera (7-6) of Tulsa, Okla. will replace Kikuyo Ishikawa in an atomweight (105 pounds) preliminary card matchup against Angelica Chavez (4-1) at the Invicta Fighting Championships 2: Baszler vs. McMann all-women’s professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. on Sat., July 28.

Ishikawa withdrew from the bout due to an undisclosed reason.

“I think it’s a great matchup. Styles make fights and our two styles match up well for an exciting fight,” said the 27-year-old Calanoc-Rivera, who is trained by her husband, retired MMA fighter and kickboxer, Travis “The Dark Knight” Calanoc.

“He’s been with me since day one,” said Calanoc-Rivera of her husband, a former U.S. Marine, whom she said laughed after she had initially approached him about becoming an MMA fighter. After all, she had no previous experience in contact sports.

Determined to prove she could handle a drastic career change, Calanoc-Rivera put herself through her husband’s boot camp training, doing everything from six-mile runs in 100 degree weather to sparring with Calanoc and getting KO’d.

“I stood up after the KO and he asked me again if I really wanted to fight and I told him ‘Yes,” said Calanoc-Rivera, who trained for two years before making her debut in MMA competition. “I’ve always been attracted to pushing my body to its limits. I like seeing the results.”

To strengthen the quality of her training camp for fights, Calanoc-Rivera often brings in superstar Miesha Tate, a seasoned wrestler who has helped Calanoc-Rivera add ground fighting skills to her kickboxing base in order to become a more complete MMA fighter.

Calanoc-Rivera’s start will be her second for Invicta FC. She competed at the promotion’s historic, inaugural event on April 28, losing by submission (kimura) in the second round (3:47) of a matchup with Amy Davis.

The 25-year-old Chavez also comes from a household immersed in the martial arts world. Her father, Melcor, is a Grandmaster of Kajukembo Karate, a Hawaiian style of combat that combines traditional Japanese Karate, Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Chinese Kenpo and western boxing. The hybrid discipline has been dubbed “The art from the streets, for the streets.”

“Having my father as my head coach and cornerman is an awesome experience,” said Chavez, who holds a fifth degree black belt in Kajukembo. “I grew up watching him train champions, so the dojo was my playground. It was only a matter of time before I started competing.”

Chavez made a splash debut in the cage on Feb. 20, 2009, submitting Stephanie Palmer with a keylock in the second round (1:37) of their matchup in Albuquerque. Over the course of the next two years, Chavez reeled off three more consecutive victories, all by way of first round submission.

On Aug. 13, 2011, Chavez suffered the first defeat of her career, losing a split decision to Diana Rael. Her start on July 28 will be Chavez’s first since the loss and, like Calanoc-Rivera, she is hungry to get back into the win column.

“Nicdali always brings it to a fight, so it’s going to be a tough and exciting battle for me,” said Chavez. “I’ll be well-prepared and ready to fight at my best.”

Tickets for Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann, priced from $25, are available for purchase at Memorial Hall box office (913) 549-4853), online at Ticketmaster.com and InvictaFC.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

In the bantamweight (135 pounds) main event, 2004 Olympic Wrestling Silver Medalist and undefeated MMA star Sara McMann (5-0) of Gaffney, SC. and battle-tested submission wizard Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler (14-6) of Sioux Falls, SD.

In the co-main event, Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano (18-9) of Tokyo, Japan will square off with Japanese Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Cesar Gracie-protégé Alexis Davis (11-5) of Colborne, Ontario Canada at bantamweight.

In other main card action, U.S. Marine and rising bantamweight star Liz “Girl-rilla” Carmouche (6-2) of San Diego, Calif. will square off with St. Louis Park, Minnesota’s Kaitlin Young (7-5-1), who earned “Fight of the Night” honors at the inaugural Invicta event on April 28.

JEWELS champion Akaya Hamasaki (7-0) of Yamaguchi, Japan will head to Kansas City, Kan. to square off with fellow undefeated star Jasminka “Impressive” Cive (5-0) of Graz, Styria Austria in a flyweight (115 pounds) matchup

Hard-hitting KO artist Amanda Nunes (6-2) of Salvador, Bahia Brazil will make her Invicta debut against sensational finisher Milana Dudieva (8-1) of Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia Russia in a bantamweight battle.

Kelly Kobold (18-3-1) of St. Paul, Minn. will face off with streaking submission expert Vanessa Porto (14-4) of Sao Paulo, Brazil at bantamweight.

American prospects Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak (5-2) of East Moline, Ill. and undefeated Bethany Marshall (4-0) of Newport News, Va. will meet in a super flyweight (125 pounds) matchup.

Julia “The Jewel” Budd (2-2) of Port Moody, British Columbia Canada will face Elina Nilsson (2-2) of Gothenburg, Sweden at featherweight (145 pounds).

In the opening main card bout, Jiu-Jitsu champion and former high school wrestling star Carla Esparza (6-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. will square off with Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider (6-5) of Kansas City, Mo. in a flyweight tilt.

The Invicta event will kick off with a five-bout preliminary card. In a bantamweight matchup between two undefeated future stars, Sarah Moras (2-0) of Kelowna, British Columbia Canada will face Raquel Pennington (1-0) of Colorado Springs, Colo.

After compiling a 5-2 record under amateur status, 25-year-old Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (0-0) will make her much-anticipated professional debut against unbeaten 30-year-old Suzie Montero (1-0) of Pompano Beach, Fla. at bantamweight.

One-half of the 26-year-old twin MMA fighter duo, Jocelyn “Lights Out” Lybarger (0-0) of Phoenix, Ariz. will make debut under professional status opposite Cheryl Chan (0-0) of Surrey, British Columbia Canada at super flyweight.

Jessica Philippus (0-0) of Marshall, Mo. will battle Liz McCarthy (0-0) of Tigard, Ore. at atomweight.

All bouts have been approved by the Kansas State Athletic Commission.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships 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 JEWELS:

Founded in 2008 as the successor of Smack Girl.(An event promotion company called Marvelous Japan, Inc purchased all of the rights of Smack Girl, formed partnership with DEEP, then re-started as JEWELS) The headquarters is located in Tokyo, Japan. JEWELS is the only all women’s MMA promotion in Japan now and since its foundation on 2008 JEWELS has successfully promoted 19 professional MMA shows, and also, several grappling and amateur events as well.

Press Release – KANSAS CITY, Kan. (June 7, 2012) – Invicta Fighting Championships and Japan-based JEWELS announced today that the two women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotions have formed a strategic partnership to cross-promote the world’s top female fighters on their respective fight cards in The United States and Japan.

As part of the new alliance, JEWELS champion Akaya Hamasaki (7-0) of Yamaguchi, Japan will head to Kansas City, Kan. to square off with fellow undefeated star Jasminka “Impressive” Cive (5-0) of Graz, Styria Austria in a flyweight (115 pounds) matchup at Invicta FC 2: McMann vs. Baszler at Memorial Hall on Sat., July 28.

Hamasaki is one of two fighters from the JEWELS roster who will do battle on the Invicta card. The other, Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano (18-9) of Tokyo, will square off with Japanese Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Cesar Gracie-protégé Alexis Davis (11-5) of Colborne, Ontario Canada at bantamweight (135 pounds) in the co-main event.

“We are excited to enter this partnership with JEWELS, which was essentially founded with the same goal of placing professional women’s MMA competition, at its highest level, on a major stage,” said Invicta President Shannon Knapp. “This relationship with an overseas promotion will effectively make it more turnkey for us to bring in some of the best women fighters in the world to compete in the Invicta cage and to send our top athletes to Japan to compete at JEWELS events.

“We are very honored and extremely excited about this partnership with Invicta Fighting Championships,” said JEWELS President Yuichi Ozono. “We appreciate the opportunity that Invicta Fighting Championships is extending to our fighters, including the current JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki and Pro Elite and Strikeforce veteran Hitomi Akano. We are excited to be able to collaborate and cooperate with Invicta Fighting Championships to achieve our common goal, which is to promote the appeal of women’s Mixed Martial Arts.”

The 30-year-old Hamasaki, a second-degree Judo black belt, has been tearing through the ranks of competitors in Japan since she made her professional debut on Oct. 25, 2009, submitting Kinuka Sasaki with an armber in the second round of their matchup.

On Dec. 17, 2010, Hamasaki emerged the winner of a four-woman, single-elimination tournament, earning a unanimous decisions over Sakura Nomura and Seo Hee Ham, respectively. Hamasaki is coming off a first-round submission (kimura) win over Yuka Tsuji at a JEWELS event.

Also 30 years of age, Cive has yet to be taken the distance of a professional fight, winning four of her five career starts by way of KO or TKO and one of her bouts by submission. She has made a name for herself outside of MMA, winning championships in Muay Thai and K-1 rules kickboxing competition.

In her last effort on March 17, Cive scored a third round TKO with a barrage of punches on Eva Henesova in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.

Tickets for Invicta FC 2: McMann vs. Baszler, priced from $25, are available for purchase at Memorial Hall box office (913) 549-4853), online at Ticketmaster.com and InvictaFC.com and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

In the bantamweight main event, 2004 Olympic Wrestling Silver Medalist and undefeated MMA star Sara McMann (5-0) of Gaffney, SC. and battle-tested submission wizard Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler (14-6) of Sioux Falls, SD.

In other main card action, U.S. Marine and rising bantamweight star Liz “Girl-rilla” Carmouche (6-2) of San Diego, Calif. will square off with St. Louis Park, Minnesota’s Kaitlin Young (7-5-1), who earned “Fight of the Night” honors at the inaugural Invicta event on April 28.

Hard-hitting KO artist Amanda Nunes (6-2) of Salvador, Bahia Brazil will make her Invicta debut against sensational finisher Milana Dudieva (8-1) of Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia Russia in a bantamweight battle.

Kelly Kobold (18-3-1) of St. Paul, Minn. will face off with streaking submission expert Vanessa Porto (14-4) of Sao Paulo, Brazil at bantamweight.

American prospects Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak (5-2) of East Moline, Ill. and undefeated Bethany Marshall (4-0) of Newport News, Va. will meet in a super flyweight (125 pounds) matchup.

Julia “The Jewel” Budd (2-2) of Port Moody, British Columbia Canada will face Elina Nilsson (2-2) of Gothenburg, Sweden at featherweight (145 pounds).

In the opening main card bout, Jiu-Jitsu champion and former high school wrestling star Carla Esparza (6-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. will square off with Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider (6-5) of Kansas City, Mo. in a flyweight tilt.

The Invicta event will kick off with a five-bout preliminary card. In a bantamweight matchup between two undefeated future stars, Sarah Moras (2-0) of Kelowna, British Columbia Canada will face Raquel Pennington (1-0) of Colorado Springs, Colo.

After compiling a 5-2 record under amateur status, 25-year-old Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (0-0) will make her much-anticipated professional debut against unbeaten 30-year-old Suzie Montero (1-0) of Pompano Beach, Fla. at bantamweight.

One-half of the 26-year-old twin MMA fighter duo, Jocelyn “Lights Out” Lybarger (0-0) of Phoenix, Ariz. will make debut under professional status opposite Cheryl Chan (0-0) of Surrey, British Columbia Canada at super flyweight.

Jessica Philippus (0-0) of Marshall, Mo. will battle Liz McCarthy (0-0) of Tigard, Ore. at atomweight.

In an atomweight (105 pounds) matchup, Angelica Chavez (4-1) of Albuquerque, N.M. will face an opponent to be determined after Kikuyo Ishikawa (7-3) of Gushikawa, Okinawa Japan, withdrew from the bout.

All bouts have been approved by the Kansas State Athletic Commission.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships 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 JEWELS:

Founded in 2008 as the successor of Smack Girl.(An event promotion company called Marvelous Japan, Inc purchased all of the rights of Smack Girl, formed partnership with DEEP, then re-started as JEWELS) The headquarters is located in Tokyo, Japan. JEWELS is the only all women’s MMA promotion in Japan now and since its foundation on 2008 JEWELS has successfully promoted 19 professional MMA shows, and also, several grappling and amateur events as well.