Press Release – Invicta FC 12 will take place Friday, April 10 at a location yet to be announced. Headlining the event will be a strawweight title fight between Katja “Killer Bunny” Kankaanpää (10-1-1) and Livia Renata Souza (7-0).
Finland’s Kankaanpää captured Invicta gold at Invicta FC 8 in September with a fifth-round submission win over Stephanie Eggink. The 33-year-old has amassed 10 wins in her 11 career fights and will look to defend her 115-pound belt for the first time.
The Brazilian Souza will enter the contest with an unblemished, 7-0 record. Six of the 23-year-old’s wins have come via submission, including five in the first round. The fight with Kankaanpää will also be Souza’s promotional debut.
The promotion also announced that Invicta FC 13 will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, July 10, as part of International Fight Week. Headlining the event will be a featherweight title fight between champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (13-1, 1NC) and a yet to be determined challenger.
Cyborg successfully defended her 145-pound title at Invicta FC 11, stopping Canadian Charmaine Tweet in 46 seconds. The win marked the Brazilian’s third straight finish inside the Invicta cage.
Also slated for the July event is an atomweight title fight between Brazilian champion Herica Tiburcio (9-2) and Japan’s Ayaka Hamasaki (11-1). The pair were originally expected to meet at Invicta FC 9 last fall, but after that fell through, Tiburcio was rebooked for Invicta FC 10 where she submitted Michelle Waterson to capture the 105-pound strap.
Both events will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.
Women's MMA Today 