Carla Esparza is now the first holder of the Invicta straweight title. (Photo by Esther Lin / Invicta Fighting Championships)
The ladies have finally found their place in the MMA sun, and the proof is in the Invicta FC promotion, which made it to its fourth all-female card last night in Kansas City, Kan.
The event was headlined by Carla Esparza against late replacement Bec Hyatt in a fight where takedowns set the pace in Esparza’s favor. She thus became Invicta’s first strawweight champion.
Esparza was previously slated to face Brazil’s Claudia Gadelha, who broke her nose in training and was unable to compete. But Esparza didn’t have too much difficulty in overcoming Hyatt, repeatedly taking her down and racking up points on the ground. Esparza ultimately won by unanimous decision and was awarded the divisional belt.
In an event marked by outcomes determined by scorecards, the one who stole the show was Alexis Davis and her Jiu-Jitsu. In the “Fight of the Night,” Davis tapped out Shayna Baszler with a rear-naked choke in round three.
The winners of the “Best of” bonuses were Davis and Shayna Baszler for the “Fight of the Night,” Rose Namajunas, whose rear-naked choke earned her “Submission of the Night” honors, and Venorica Rothenhausler for the “Knockout of the Night.” They were awarded an extra $1,500 apiece for the distinctions.
Check out the complete results from the event:
Invicta FC 4
Kansas City, Kan.
January 5, 2013
- Carla Esparza defeated Bec Hyatt via unanimous decision
- Alexis Davis tapped out Shayna Baszler via rear-naked choke at 2:58 min of R3
- Leslie Smith defeated Raquel Pennington via unanimous judges’ decision
- Sarah D’Alelio defeated Amanda Nunes via unanimous decision
- Ediane “Índia” Gomes defeated Hiroko Yamanaka via unanimous judges’ decision
- Joanne Calderwood defeated Livia von Plettenberg via unanimous decision
- Cassie Rodish defeated Stephanie Frausto via TKO at 1:04 min of R3
- Tamikka Brents defeated Amanda Bellna via unanimous decision
- Jodie Esquibel defeated Liz McCarthy via split decision
- Rose Namajunas tapped out Emily Kagan via rear-naked choke at 3:44 min of R3
- Tecia Torres defeated Paige VanZant via unanimous decision
- Veronica Rothenhausler knocked out Katalina Malungahu at 1:12 min of R1
- Laura Marcusse-Sanko tapped out Cassie Robb via rear-naked choke at 1:07 min of R2
For more UFC and MMA coverage,
visit GRACIEMAG.com’s Choke MMA section
