Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is currently owned by the Canadian-based Anthem Sports & Entertainment.[1][2][3]
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Shannon Knapp Janet Martin |
| Headquarters | Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people |
|
| Parent | Anthem Sports & Entertainment |
| Website | invictafc |
The company's name comes from the Latin word for "invincible and incomparable", which appears in the feminine form.[4]
History
editFormation
editAfter Zuffa, parent company of the UFC, purchased rival promotion Strikeforce in March 2011, Shannon Knapp received several calls from female fighters concerned about a possible lack of representation for women's MMA. Knapp would meet with Janet Martin and the two acquired the financial resources needed to launch a new MMA promotion.[2][5][6]
The promotion held its first event, Invicta FC 1 on April 28, 2012.[7] The event was headlined by a rematch between former Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Marloes Coenen and French fighter Romy Ruyssen.[7] The event also marked the MMA debut of 2008 Summer Olympics women's freestyle wrestling medalist Randi Miller.[8][9]
On June 9, 2012, it was announced that Invicta has formed a strategic partnership with Japanese promotion JEWELS to cross-promote fighters on their respective cards in the United States and Japan.[10] On September 24, Invicta would announce another cross-promotional partnership with the Super Fight League.[11]
Invicta FC 6: Coenen vs. Cyborg, which took place on July 13, 2013, would mark the first event to be aired on cable and satellite pay-per-view, in addition to IPPV through a deal with Integrated Sports Media for live viewing.[12] In 2014, Invicta began exclusively streaming events on UFC Fight Pass, with the company's fight library also made available on the service. Invicta FC 8 would be the first event to stream live on Fight Pass.[13]
On February 24, 2015, Brazilian channel Combate acquired broadcast rights to Invicta live events as well as events from the Invicta library in South America.[14]
Acquisition by Anthem
editOn April 15, 2021, it was announced that Anthem Sports & Entertainment had acquired Invicta.[15] Starting with Invicta FC 44 on May 21, Invicta events are broadcast live on the Anthem-owned networks AXS TV and Fight Network in the United States and Canada, respectively. Invicta's events would also stream live on the promotion's YouTube channel.[3]
On September 21, 2022, Invicta announced that it had made a deal with FOX Sports Mexico for Mexican broadcast rights, starting with Invicta FC 49.[16]
On June 11, 2024, Invicta announced that it had signed a deal with CBS Sports to air all of that year's events on the CBS Sports Network in the United States, starting with Invicta FC 55 on June 28.[17]
Roster
editRules
editInvicta's current rules follows the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts that were originally established by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board and modified by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.[18]
Events
editPast events
editCurrent champions
edit| Division | Upper weight limit | Champion | Since | Title Defenses | Top Contender |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Featherweight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st) | Vacant | July 13, 2021 | ||
| Bantamweight | 135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st) |  Talita Bernardo |
January 18, 2023 (Invicta FC 51) | 1 | |
| Flyweight | 125 lb (57 kg; 8.9 st) | Vacant | May 2, 2023 | ||
| Strawweight | 115 lb (52 kg; 8.2 st) | Vacant | July 16, 2024 | ||
| Atomweight | 105 lb (48 kg; 7.5 st) | Elisandra Ferreira |
September 20, 2024 (Invicta FC 57) |
Title history
editFeatherweight Championship
edit- 136 to 145 lbs (62 to 66 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cris Cyborg def. Marloes Coenen |
Invicta FC 6 Kansas City, MO, US |
Jul 13, 2013 | 1351 days |
1. def. Charmaine Tweet at Invicta FC 11 on Feb 27, 2015 |
| - |  Megan Andersondef. Charmaine Tweet for interim title |
Invicta FC 21 Kansas City, MO, US |
Jan 14, 2017 | - | |
| Cyborg vacated the title on March 24, 2017 to compete full time with the UFC. | |||||
| 2 | Megan Anderson promoted to undisputed champion |
Invicta FC 22 Kansas City, MO, US |
Mar 24, 2017 | 88 days |
|
| Anderson vacated the title on June 20, 2017 to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 3 |  Felicia Spencerdef. Pam Sorenson |
Invicta FC 32 Shawnee, OK, US |
Nov 16, 2018 | 129 days |
|
| Spencer vacated the title on March 26, 2019 to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship | |||||
| 4 |  Pam Sorensondef. Kaitlin Young |
Invicta FC 36 Kansas City, KS, US |
Aug 9, 2019 | 705 days |
|
| Sorenson vacated the title on July 13, 2021 to sign with Bellator MMA. | |||||
Bantamweight Championship
edit- 126 to 135 lbs (57 to 61 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauren Murphy def. Miriam Nakamoto |
Invicta FC 7 Kansas City, MO, US |
Dec 7, 2013 | 208 days | |
| Murphy vacated title on July 3, 2014 to sign with the UFC. | |||||
| 2 | Tonya Evinger def. Irene Aldana |
Invicta FC 13 Las Vegas, NV, US |
Jul 9, 2015 | 724 days |
1. def. Colleen Schneider at Invicta FC 17 on May 7, 2016 |
| Evinger had her defeat at Invicta FC 20 annulled on December 1, 2016 after proving that the referee took her out of a favorable position and remained champion. | |||||
| Evinger vacated title on July 3, 2017 to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 3 |  Yana Kunitskayadef. Raquel Pa'aluhi |
Invicta FC 25 Lemoore, CA, US |
Aug 31, 2017 | 160 days |
|
| Kunitskaya vacated title on February 7, 2018 to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 4 | Sarah Kaufman def. Katharina Lehner |
Invicta FC 29 Kansas City, MO, US |
May 4, 2018 | 368 days |
|
| Kaufman vacated title on May 9, 2019 to sign with the Professional Fighters League. | |||||
| 5 |  Julija Stoliarenko def. Lisa Spangler |
Invicta FC Phoenix Series 3 Kansas City, KS, USA |
Mar 6, 2020 | 147 days |
|
| Stoliarenko vacated title on July 31, 2020 to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 6 | Taneisha Tennant def. Lisa Spangler |
Invicta FC 44 Kansas City, KS, US |
Aug 27, 2021 | 509 days |
1. def. Olga Rubin at Invicta FC 48 on Jul 20, 2022 |
| 7 | Talita Bernardo |
Invicta FC 51 Denver, CO, US |
Jan 18, 2023 | 669 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Olga Rubin at Invicta FC 55 on Jun 28, 2024 |
Flyweight Championship
edit- 116 to 125 lbs (53 to 56 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barb Honchak def. Vanessa Porto |
Invicta FC 5 Kansas City, MO, US |
Apr 5, 2013 | 1266 days |
1. def. Leslie Smith at Invicta FC 7 on Dec 7, 2013 |
| - | Jennifer Maia def. Vanessa Porto for interim title |
Invicta FC 16 Las Vegas, NV, US |
Mar 11, 2016 | - | |
| Honchak was stripped of the title due to inactivity on September 22, 2016 | |||||
| 2 | Jennifer Maia promoted to undisputed champion |
Invicta FC 19 Kansas City, MO, US |
Sep 22, 2016 | 652 days |
1. def. Roxanne Modafferi at Invicta FC 19 on Sep 23, 2016 |
| Maia vacated title on July 7, 2018 to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 3 | Vanessa Porto def. Pearl Gonzalez |
Invicta FC 34 Kansas City, MO, USA |
Feb 15, 2019 | 564 days |
|
| Porto vacated title on September 2, 2020 to sign with Bellator MMA. | |||||
| 4 |  Karina Rodríguezdef. Daiana Torquato |
Invicta FC: Rodríguez vs. Torquato Kansas City, KS, US |
May 21, 2021 | 421 days |
1. def. Daiana Torquato at Invicta FC 46 on Mar 9, 2022 |
| Rodríguez vacated title on July 17, 2022 to sign with Bellator MMA. | |||||
| 5 | Ketlen Souza def. Kristina Williams |
Invicta FC 51 Denver, CO, USA |
Jan 18, 2023 | 104 days |
|
| Souza vacated title on May 2, 2023 to sign with the UFC. | |||||
Strawweight Championship
edit- 106 to 115 lbs (49 to 52 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carla Esparza def. Bec Hyatt |
Invicta FC 4 Kansas City, KS, U.S. |
Jan 5, 2013 | 341 days | |
| Esparza vacated title on December 11, 2013 to participate in The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned.[23][24] | |||||
| 2 |  Katja Kankaanpäädef. Stephanie Eggink |
Invicta FC 8 Kansas City, MO, U.S. |
Sep 6, 2014 | 230 days | |
| 3 | Lívia Renata Souza |
Invicta FC 12 Kansas City, MO, U.S. |
Apr 24, 2015 | 380 days |
1. def. DeAnna Bennett at Invicta FC 15 on Jan 16, 2016 |
| 4 | Angela Hill |
Invicta FC 17 Costa Mesa, CA, U.S. |
May 7, 2016 | 274 days |
1. def. Kaline Medeiros at Invicta FC 20 on Nov 18, 2016 |
| Hill vacated title on February 4, 2017 to return to the UFC. | |||||
| 5 | Virna Jandiroba def. Mizuki Inoue |
Invicta FC 28 Salt Lake City, UT, U.S. |
Mar 24, 2018 | 379 days |
1. def. Janaisa Morandin at Invicta FC 31 on Sep 1, 2018 |
| Jandiroba vacated title on April 7, 2019 to sign with the UFC. | |||||
| 6 | Brianna Van Buren def. Kailin Curran |
Invicta Phoenix Series 1 Kansas City, KS, U.S. |
May 3, 2019 | 39 days |
|
| Van Buren vacated title on June 11, 2019 to sign with the UFC. | |||||
| 7 |  Kanako Murata def. Emily Ducote |
Invicta FC 38 Kansas City, KS, U.S. |
Nov 1, 2019 | 305 days |
|
| Murata vacated title on September 2, 2020 to sign with the UFC. | |||||
| 8 | Emily Ducote def. Danielle Taylor |
Invicta FC 44 Kansas City, KS, U.S. |
Aug 27, 2021 | 279 days |
1. def. Alesha Zappitella at Invicta FC 47 on May 11, 2022 |
| Ducote vacated title on June 2, 2022 to sign with the UFC.[25] | |||||
| 9 | Valesca Machado def. Karolina Wójcik |
Invicta FC 50 Denver, CO, U.S. |
Nov 16, 2022 | 118 days |
|
| 10 |  Danni McCormack |
Invicta FC 52 Denver, CO, U.S. |
Mar 15, 2023 | 489 days |
1. def. Karolina Wójcik at Invicta FC 54 on Oct 27, 2023 |
| McCormack vacated title on July 16, 2024 to sign with the UFC. | |||||
Atomweight Championship
edit- 96 to 105 lbs (44 to 48 kg)
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica Penne def. Naho Sugiyama |
Invicta FC 3 Kansas City, KS, U.S. |
Oct 6, 2012 | 181 days | |
| 2 | Michelle Waterson
|
Invicta FC 5 Kansas City, MO, U.S. |
Apr 5, 2013 | 609 days |
1. def. Yasuko Tamada at Invicta FC 8 on Sep 6, 2014 |
| 3 | Hérica Tibúrcio
|
Invicta FC 10 Houston, TX, U.S. |
Dec 5, 2014 | 216 days | |
| 4 | Ayaka Hamasaki
|
Invicta FC 13 Las Vegas, NV, U.S. |
Jul 9, 2015 | 737 days |
1. def. Amber Brown at Invicta FC 16 on Mar 11, 2016 |
| Hamasaki vacated title on July 15, 2017 to sign with Rizin Fighting Federation. | |||||
| 5 | Jinh Yu Frey def. Minna Grusander |
Invicta FC 30 Kansas City, MO, U.S. |
Jul 21, 2018 | 564 days |
1. def. Minna Grusander at Invicta FC 33 on Dec 16, 2018 |
| Frey was stripped of the title on February 6, 2020 after failing to make weight against Ashley Cummins at Invicta FC 39. | |||||
| 6 | Alesha Zappitella def. Ashley Cummins |
Invicta FC 42 Kansas City, KS, U.S. |
Sep 17, 2020 | 482 days |
1. def. Jéssica Delboni at Invicta FC on AXS TV: Rodríguez vs. Torquato on May 21, 2021 |
| 7 | Jéssica Delboni |
Invicta FC 45 Kansas City, KS, U.S. |
Jan 12, 2022 | 258 days |
|
| 8 | Jillian DeCoursey |
Invicta FC 49 Hinton, OK, USA |
Sep 28, 2022 | 215 days |
|
| 9 | Rayanne dos Santos |
Invicta FC 53 Denver, CO, USA |
May 3, 2023 | 167 days |
|
| Dos Santos vacated title on October 17, 2023 to sign with UFC. | |||||
| 10 | Elisandra Ferreira |
Invicta FC 57 Kansas City, KS, U.S. |
Sep 20, 2024 | 58 days (incumbent) |
|
Records
editMost wins in title bouts
edit| Title wins | Champion | Division | V | D | NC | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Cristiane Justino
|
Featherweight | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Barb Honchak
|
Flyweight | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ayaka Hamasaki
|
Atomweight | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jennifer Maia
|
Flyweight | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most consecutive title defenses
edit| Defenses | Champion | Division | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Cristiane Justino
|
Featherweight | July 12, 2013 – March 24, 2017 |
Champions by nationality
editThe division champions include only linear and true champions. Interim champions who have never become linear champions will be listed as interim champions. Fighters with multiple title reigns in a specific division will also be counted once.
| Country | Division champions |
Interim champions |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States
|
14 | - | 14 |
| Brazil
|
11 | - | 11 |
| Canada
|
2 | - | 2 |
| Japan
|
2 | - | 2 |
| Australia
|
1 | - | 1 |
| Finland
|
1 | - | 1 |
| Ireland
|
1 | - | 1 |
| Lithuania
|
1 | - | 1 |
| Mexico
|
1 | - | 1 |
| Russia
|
1 | - | 1 |
See also
edit- List of current Invicta FC fighters
- List of current mixed martial arts champions
- List of Bellator MMA champions
- List of EliteXC champions
- List of ONE Championship champions
- List of Pride champions
- List of PFL champions
- List of Strikeforce champions
- List of UFC champions
- List of WEC champions
- Mixed martial arts weight classes
References
edit- ^ "Invicta Fighting Championships, about". 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
- ^ a b Paligaru, Matt (2012-03-24). "Shannon Knapp reveals how Invicta FC came together and what it means for women's MMA". United Kingdom: Fighters.com. Archived from the original on 2020-07-16. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
- ^ a b "Invicta FC sold to Anthem Sports & Entertainment, events to air on AXS TV". MMA Junkie. 2021-04-15. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
- ^ Adams, Jason (2012-03-21). "Janet Martin Interview". United States: Promoting Real Women blog. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
- ^ Saccaro, Matt (2012-04-26). "Invicta FC's Shannon Knapp Talks Providing 'Better Life for the Athletes'". MMA. United States: Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
- ^ Hunt, Loretta (2012-04-27). "Invicta, new women's-only MMA series, was long time coming". Inside MMA. United States: SI.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
- ^ a b "Marloes Coenen, Romy Ruyssen Headline Invicta Fighting Championships' All-Female Card". News. United States: Sherdog.com. 2012-02-20. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
- ^ "As debut nears, Invicta's Randi Miller not interested in Ronda Rousey's 'easy road'". News. United States: MMAjunkie.com. 2012-04-09. Archived from the original on 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
- ^ Ragsdale, Cheryl (2012-04-27). "Two Firsts: Ronda Rousey Joins TUF Live, Esther Lin Photographs Invicta Female Fighters". News. United States: Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 2012-04-30. Retrieved 2012-06-15.
- ^ "Invicta Fighting and JEWELS Form Strategic Partnership for Women's MMA". Articles. MMAWeekly.com. 2012-08-29. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
- ^ "Super Fight League to Develop Women's MMA Talent". mmapundit.co.uk. September 24, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- ^ "Invicta FC 6 to air on cable and satellite pay-per-view in U.S. and Canada". MMAjunkie.
- ^ Shaun Al-Shatti (10 July 2014). "Invicta FC 8: Waterson vs. Tamada set for UFC Fight Pass debut". MMA Fighting.
- ^ "Combate transmite ao vivo defesa de título de Cris Cyborg no Invicta FC 11". sportv.globo.com/site/combate.
- ^ "Invicta women's MMA promotion sold to Anthem". ESPN.com. 2021-04-15. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
- ^ Jay Anderson (September 21, 2022). "Invicta FC Announces Broadcast Deal with FOX Sports Mexico". cagesidepress.com.
- ^ Heck, Mike (June 11, 2024). "Invicta FC announces new broadcast partner, rest of 2024 schedule". MMA Fighting. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ "NSAC Regulations: CHAPTER 467 - UNARMED COMBAT". Nevada State Athletic Commission. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
- ^ "INVICTA FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
- ^ Tatum, Rob (June 28, 2024). "Invicta FC 55 Results: Bernardo Submits Rubin to Retain Bantamweight Title". Invicta Fighting Championships. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (2023-01-23). "Valesca Machado vs. Danni McCormack Strawweight Title Fight Announced for Invicta FC 52". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ "Invicta FC 51: Taneisha Tennant defends bantamweight belt against Talita Bernardo". mmacrossfire.com. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
- ^ Simon, Zane (2013-12-11). "UFC announces signing of 11 women strawweights for TUF season, winner becomes first UFC 115lb champ". United States: Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
- ^ "Invicta FC Strawweight title vacated". United States: Twitter. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
- ^ King, Nolan (2 June 2022). "Invicta FC champion Emily Ducote signs with UFC, fights Jessica Penne on Long Island". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 14 July 2022.