MMAjunkie.com – As Invicta Fighting Championships gears up for its eighth fight card in the coming months, the all-female promotion has replenished its depleted roster with the addition of 15 new fighters in five weight classes. The new group of signees, which was announced this past month, includes some of the top female prospects from countries all over the world.
Invicta FC’s featherweight and atomweight divisions each received one new addition. At 145 pounds, undefeated Storm MMA women’s champion Faith Van Duin (4-0) joins the fray after winning three fights in one night in August. The New Zealander has finished three of her four opponents to date. In the 105-pound division, New Mexico’s Amber Brown (3-1) looks to follow up on her big victory over former Japanese contender Kikuyo Ishikawa in July when she makes her Invicta FC debut later this year. Her lone defeat came at 115 pounds against Emi Fujino.
“TUF 18” veterans Peggy Morgan (2-1) and Roxanne Modafferi (15-11) are arguably the two biggest names to join the Invicta FC roster thanks to their recent stints on the UFC’s reality show competition. Standing over six feet tall, Morgan has a significant height and reach advantage over most of her bantamweight foes and she holds a notable victory over Revelina Berto from this past year. Joining Morgan in the Invicta FC bantamweight division is one-time featherweight contender Cindy Dandois (5-1) from Belgium and devastating knockout artist Irene Aldana (3-1). Dandois has been inactive during the past three years, but she holds wins over former Strikeforce champion Marloes Coenen and UFC veteran Sheila Gaff. Mexico’s Aldana knocked out her first three opponents in a combined time of 78 seconds.
With Modafferi dropping back down to flyweight for her Invicta FC debut, the veteran will have plenty of company at 125 pounds. Undefeated Polish prospect Joanna Jedrzejczyk (4-0), Canadian striker Valerie Letourneau (4-3) and former multi-time amateur champion Rachael Ostovich (0-1) are the latest fighters to join Invicta FC’s flyweight division. Jedrzejczyk scored her biggest win in June when she outpointed Russian standout Julia Berezikova and she has since remained active in Muay Thai competition. Letourneau had a brief stint on “TUF 18” and now looks to get back on the winning track following a loss to recent UFC signee Claudia Gadelha in April 2012. Hawaii’s Ostovich captured three titles in two different weight classes during her six-fight amateur career. In her January pro debut, she suffered her first defeat when she was stopped by Jennifer Liou.
As expected, Invicta FC’s strawweight division received the greatest number of roster additions. The promotion’s 115-pound weight class all but disappeared when most of its top fighters departed in order to compete on “The Ultimate Fighter 20” later this year. In their place, Invicta FC officials have signed six new fighters at 115 pounds.
Brazilian rising star Livia Renata Souza (5-0), KSW champion Karolina Kowalkiewicz (4-0) and BJJ ace Herica Tiburcio (7-2) could all jump right into Invicta FC strawweight title contention when they make their respective debuts for the promotion. Renata Souza won all five of her pro fights in 2013 and earned four submission victories along the way. Poland’s Kowalkiewicz, who is already one of the sport’s most popular female fighters, captured KSW gold in June and she makes her first title defense against Invicta FC veteran Jasminka Cive in May. Tiburcio has submitted six of her opponents to date including highly-touted prospect Kinberly Novaes.
Elsewhere at 115 pounds, Dutch striking sensation Mellony Geugjes (0-1) and former amateur standouts Delaney Owen (1-0) and Ashley Greenway (0-0) round out the Invicta FC roster additions. Geugjes sports a combined boxing and kickboxing record of 28-5-2, but her lone MMA bout ended in a quick submission loss in December. Owen’s 7-2 amateur run included three submission victories. She made a successful pro debut in January by submitting Sarah Alpar to win the vacant Sugar Creek Showdown women’s flyweight title. Greenway amassed a 5-1 record as an amateur and her lone defeat came against “TUF 20” star Tecia Torres.
Invicta FC 8 was initially targeted for April, but an exact date and location have not yet been announced. The event may mark the promotion’s first foray outside of the Kansas City area.
Rankings info supplied by the Unified Women’s MMA Rankings.
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