Invicta Fighting Championships travelled to the Stockyards Event Center in Denver, Colorado tonight with an eight-fight card. Invicta FC 56 was headlined by a bantamweight matchup between former flyweight titleholder Jennifer Maia, who made her return to the promotion, and Mayra Cantuária.
In the strawweight co-main event, former Invicta FC champ Valesca “Tina Black” Machado battled Russia’s Yulia Ostroverkhova. Undefeated Kelly Ottoni took on Jackie “The Hybrid” Cataline in a featured featherweight clash. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the Invicta FC 56 card.
Jennifer Maia vs Mayra Cantuária
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Cantuária struck first with an overhand left and both women connected with right hooks at the same time. Maia threw two straight rights and Cantuária replied with a lead right hook. She briefly stunned Maia with a left hook and that led to an exchange of looping punches. Cantuária cut Maia below her right eye and then dropped her to a knee with a right hook to the temple. Maia immediately recovered and stood up, and she held Cantuária against the fence. 10-9 Cantuária due to damage.
Round 2:
Maia partially landed with a head kick to begin round two. She looked to initiate a clinch against the cage, but Cantuária cracked her with a counter right hook on the way in and then circled away to the left. Maia landed a short right hook and then a fast three-punch combo. Cantuária stepped forward and Maia landed a right hook. She avoided Cantuária’s counters and continued to score with straight right punches as the round progressed. Late in the round, Maia landed a quick flurry and a leg kick, then stuffed a Cantuária takedown attempt. 10-9 Maia.
Round 3:
A combination scored for Maia in the final round and she stayed outside of Cantuária’s range. This continued into the middle of the round, with Maia landing and then slipping under Cantuária’s punches. Maia scored with a combination that backed Cantuária up against the cage. Cantuária recovered, but she again missed with her counterpunch attempts. Maia landed a left hook and jabbed, then evaded a spinning backfist from Cantuária in the dying seconds of the fight. 10-9 Maia.
Winner: Jennifer Maia by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. She improves to 22-10-1.
Valesca “Tina Black” Machado vs Yulia Ostroverkhova
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joel Ojeda. Machado landed two early right hands and Ostroverkhova responded with a knee during a brief clinch. Machado rocked and briefly dropped her with two more right hooks, and a dazed Ostroverkhova was unsteady when she got back to her feet. She recovered and landed a nice right hand. Ostroverkhova knocked Machado off-balance with two lunging hooks, but Machado quickly regained her footing and she landed a hard jab-cross combo soon after. Left hooks were exchanged and Ostroverkhova grazed with a body kick. Machado landed an overhand right shortly before the bell. 10-9 Machado.
Round 2:
Ostroverkhova landed a one-two to the body and head early in the second round, which Machado countered by connecting with an overhand right. She took Ostroverkhova down into mount, but Ostroverkhova got one leg in and fought her way back to half-guard. Machado held Ostroverkhova down against the base of the cage and elbowed her in the face as time ticked down. She landed more elbows during the final seconds. 10-9 Machado.
Round 3:
After Ostroverkhova pressed forward and landed a leg kick, Machado secured a body lock and took her down into half-guard. She landed elbows from the top until Ostroverkhova got to full guard. The fighters were strangely stood up soon after that and Machado backed Ostroverkhova up against the cage. She whipped Ostroverkhova down to the mat and landed on top in the scarf hold position just before time expired. 10-9 Machado.
Winner: Valesca Machado by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 14-4-0, 1 NC.
Jackie “The Hybrid” Cataline vs Kelly Ottoni
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Ottoni closed the distance early on, but Cataline scored with a nice counter combination. She threw Ottoni to the mat and looked to set up submissions from the top in Ottoni’s half-guard. Cataline threatened with a Brabo choke, but Ottoni escaped and briefly kicked her off. Cataline dropped back down into side control and landed a series of short elbows to the bridge of Ottoni’s nose during the final minute of the round. 10-9 Cataline.
Round 2:
Cataline scored an early takedown in round two and worked from Ottoni’s half-guard. When Ottoni tried to stand, Cataline took her back and held her down in a kneeling position. Ottoni unsuccessfully attempted to roll for a kneebar and Cataline punched the side of her face. She stood up and motioned for Ottoni to follow. A hard left hook landed for Cataline, who backed Ottoni up against the cage and followed up with an elbow that opened a gash below Ottoni’s left eye. Cataline whipped Ottoni down to the mat and landed punches from mount, then tried for an armbar before the bell. 10-9 Cataline. Could be a 10-8.
Round 3:
The fight was allowed to continue following a lengthy check on Ottoni by the cageside doctor, and Cataline resumed her striking dominance before slamming Ottoni down to the ground. Cataline locked on an arm-triangle choke from side control and Ottoni refused to submit. Cataline let the submission go and Ottoni got to her knees. Cataline held her face down against the canvas and landed a series of right hands until the one-sided fight was finally stopped.
Winner: Jackie Cataline by TKO (Punches) at 3:15 of round three. She improves to 5-3-0.
Kate “Queen of The South” Bacik vs Paula Cristina “Bittencourt” dos Santos Silva
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joel Ojeda. Dos Santos Silva caught a kick and knocked Bacik down with a counter right hook. Bacik stood and threw a spinning backfist. A second backfist attempt missed and dos Santos Silva countered with a hard one-two before tying Bacik up in a clinch. The fighters broke apart and both landed leg kicks. Dos Santos fired off an overhand right and then one-two combo. Bacik landed a body kick and dos Santos Silva held her against the cage. Bacik pushed dos Santos Silva away and threw a leg kick, which dos Santos Silva caught and tripped her. Bacik stood and dos Santos Silva landed a hard right hand. Bacik attempted a kimura on dos Santos Silva’s right arm, but dos Santos Silva punched the side of her face with her free hand. 10-9 dos Santos Silva.
Round 2:
Dos Santos Silva immediately dumped Bacik to the mat after catching a kick, then punched from the top until Bacik threw up her legs in search of an armbar. Dos Santos Silva evaded danger and the fight returned to the feet. Bacik quickly took dos Santos Silva down and held her against the cage in a seated position. As dos Santos Silva got to her feet, Bacik kneed her in the body. Dos Santos Silva circled out and landed a pair of one-twos before tripping Bacik into full guard. Bacik elbowed from the bottom and secured a sweep into mount just as the round came to an end. 10-9 Bacik by a slim margin.
Round 3:
Bacik targeted dos Santos Silva’s lead leg with kicks in the final round until dos Santos Silva took her down into half-guard. Dos Santos Silva tried to lock on a shoulder choke from the top and Bacik defended. She got back to full guard and kicked dos Santos Silva off. Dos Santos Silva immediately took Bacik down again and passed to half-guard. She punched Bacik in the face and Bacik tried to get back to her feet. Bacik reversed a clinch against the cage and landed a few left hands before the end of the competitive fight. 10-9 dos Santos Silva.
Winner: Kate Bacik by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 5-1-0.
Ana “Guerrera” Palacios vs Flor “Compean” Hernandez
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Hernandez used her reach advantage effectively in the first round by landing jabs and avoiding Palacios’s counters. This continued throughout the opening three minutes until Palacios closed in and landed a quick combination. Hernandez resumed jabbing and Palacios landed an overhand right. She pinned Hernandez against the cage and kneed her in the body while aiming for a takedown. The fighters separated with ten seconds to go and Palacios landed a body kick. Close round due to Palacio’s strong finish. 10-9 Palacios.
Round 2:
Time was called early in the second round when Hernandez was kicked in the groin. The fight resumed after a minute and Palacios darted in with a jab and an overhand right. Hernandez responded with a body kick and Palacios tied her up in another clinch. When Hernandez pushed away, Palacios cracked her with a right hook. Palacios circled to her left and kicked at Hernandez’s lead leg. Hernandez caught a kick and countered with a right cross. Palacios faked an overhand punch and scored a slick double-leg takedown. She elbowed Hernandez in the face during the final 30 seconds. 10-9 Palacios.
Round 3:
Palacios caught a body kick from Hernandez and tried to trip her, but Hernandez stayed on her feet and pressed forward with punches. Palacios dropped levels and took Hernandez down. She elbowed Hernandez in the ribs and then took her back. Hernandez scrambled and avoided an armbar during a transition, then took Palacios’s back. She tried to mount Palacios and lost the position, but took her back once more. Palacios spun over and got back to full guard, and the fight ended with Palacios attempting an armbar. Back-and-forth final round. 10-9 Palacios by a slim margin.
Winner: Ana Palacios by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 9-3-1.
Giulliany “Giu” Perêa Vieira vs Ailed Zubieta
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joel Ojeda. Perêa Vieira swept out Zubieta’s leg and worked from top position in Zubieta’s guard. She landed punches and elbows, then took Zubieta’s back. Zubieta turned over and tried to scramble up to her feet, but Perêa Vieira attacked with a kneebar. Zubieta escaped and Perêa Vieira landed hammerfists to her face until the end of the round. 10-9 Perêa Vieira.
Round 2:
Early in the second round, Perêa Vieira took Zubieta down into back control, but Zubieta spun free and she briefly threatened with a rear-naked choke. Perêa Vieira defended, but Zubieta stayed on her back as the fighters stood against the cage. Perêa Vieira eventually shooked Zubieta off and then scored a takedown into Zubieta’s full guard. Perêa Vieira landed a right hand and almost passed to mount, but Zubieta kicked off of the cage and prevented her from doing so. Closer round. Still 10-9 Perêa Vieira.
Round 3:
Perêa Vieira quickly took Zubieta down into side control in the third round and landed punches to her midsection. She eyed a kimura on Zubieta’s left arm before giving up on that and elbowing Zubieta’s thigh instead. In the final 90 seconds, Perêa Vieira went back to the kimura and wrenched on Zubieta’s arm, but Zubieta defended well. Perêa Vieira took her back and landed some elbows and hammerfists until Zubieta swept just before the final bell. 10-9 Perêa Vieira.
Winner: Giulliany Perêa Vieira by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 2-0-0.
“All In” Ali Pellegrini vs Marissa “Mo” Ellis
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Nick Berens. Pellegrini landed an early right hook, but Ellis pressed forward with a combination and that prompted Pellegrini to shoot in for a takedown. She got Ellis down and moved to her back, where she sunk in one hook and then locked on a body triangle. Pellegrini hunted for a rear-naked choke and Ellis tucked her chin in defence. Pellegrini punched both sides of Ellis’s head, but she was not able to finish with a choke. 10-9 Pellegrini.
Round 2:
The second round began with an exchange of front kicks to the body. Ellis followed with kicks to Pellegrini’s lead leg and a straight left hand, but Pellegrini scored a double-leg takedown. She mounted Ellis and landed elbows and punches until Ellis gave up her back. Pellegrini moved back to mount with 75 seconds to go and she blasted Ellis in the face with elbows. Ellis covered up as Pellegrini landed elbows and punches, and Pellegrini stayed on her back until the bell. 10-8 Pellegrini.
Round 3:
Ellis almost scored a takedown of her own at the start of round three, but Pellegrini countered with a lateral drop on the way down and transitioned to top position. She took Ellis’s back and locked on a rear-naked choke, which forced Ellis to tap out.
Winner: Ali Pellegrini by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:14 of round three. She improves to 1-0-0.
Ashley “Smashley” Barrett vs Tatiana Salazar
Round 1:
Referee for this bout is Joel Ojeda. Barrett clinched and took Salazar down in the opening minute, then passed to mount and rained down punches. Salazar covered up and Barrett continued to punch until the brief bout was stopped.
Winner: Ashley Barrett by TKO (Punches) at 1:34 of round one. She improves to 1-0-0.
