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Invicta FC 28 Results: Jandiroba Tops MIZUKI, Captures Strawweight Gold

Salt Lake City — On Saturday, March 24, Invicta Fighting Championships made its first trip to the state of Utah, hosting Invicta FC 28: MIZUKI vs. Jandiroba from the Union Event Center in the capital of the Beehive State. The event streamed live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Undefeated Brazilian Virna Jandiroba is the new Invicta FC strawweight champion after largely dominating Japan’s MIZUKI from bell to bell. Jandiroba took the fight to the mat effortlessly throughout the entire five-round affair. A right hand from Jandiroba damaged the left eye of MIZUKI early in the fight and it swelled badly. Jandiroba was methodical with her top pressure, smothering MIZUKI from generating offense or returning to her feet. The best chance for MIZUKI came in round four, as she scored with a beautiful hip toss, but Jandiroba quickly reversed the position and continued her dominance. When the scorecards were revealed, it was the Brazilian who left with the win and the belt.

Former title challenger DeAnna Bennett returned to the promotion and snapped the winning streak of Mexico’s Karina Rodríguez. Bennett surprised the Mexican fighter with a steady forward advance, landing punches and initiating the clinch. Bennett scored with a big takedown, but Rodríguez quickly bounced back to her feet. The second round was more of the same as Bennett’s frequent level changes and feints prevented Rodríguez from putting together her boxing combinations. Rodríguez increased her output in the final round, but Bennett’s wrestling and clinch game was too much. The judges were split, but it was Bennett who left with the win.

Veteran Milana Dudieva gave Christina Marks a rude welcome to the Invicta cage, earning a second-round TKO victory. The flyweights spent the first round in a feeling-out process, trading single strikes and gauging range. It was more of the same in round two, but late in the frame, Dudieva delivered a massive right hand that sent Marks crashing to the ground. Dudieva followed with a series of right hands to finish the fight.

Pearl Gonzalez outworked Kali Robbins in a three-round war to introduce herself to the strawweight division. The previously undefeated Robbins waded through the strikes of Gonzalez to impose her grappling attack in the opening round. Gonzalez was able to defend from her back and reverse position multiple times. As the fight progressed, Robbins began to give Gonzalez more openings for scrambles and Gonzalez capitalized. She spent the better part of the last two rounds in the top position, cruising to the decision win.

Finnish atomweight Minna Grusander impressed in her promotional debut, stopping her fellow newcomer Fernanda Barros by TKO. Barros was very aggressive to start, coming forward with looping punches and kicks. Grusander survived the onslaught and the pair traded guillotine attempts. In the second round, the Finn found her range on the feet, dropping Barros with a flurry midway through the round. She increased her output, pounding out the Brazilian along the cage to earn the TKO win.

Strawweight Kal Schwartz put on a wrestling clinic before violently finishing Kay Hansen in the second round. Schwartz controlled the clinch throughout the first round, scoring with short punches and knees. Hansen broke free for a moment, but was quickly slammed to the canvas. That was a precursor to what would come in round two as Schwartz opened a huge cut on Hansen’s face with an elbow before suplexing her to the ground. Schwartz sensed the finish was near and flurried hard to force the referee to intervene.

In a pairing of bantamweight newcomers, New Hampshire’s Kerri Kenneson edged Chelsea Chandler after three thrilling rounds. Chandler’s grappling arsenal was the story early in the fight as she repeatedly attacked Kenneson with choke attempts, but Kenneson turned the tide with a massive left hand to close the opening round. Chandler continued to attack the limbs of Kenneson, but she left herself exposed to ground and pound. Kenneson was forced to defend a deep triangle choke in the third round, but her offensive output was more than enough to secure the decision nod.

Jillian DeCoursey remained undefeated, handing Invicta newcomer Rebekah Levine her first defeat in their atomweight match-up. LeVine sought the takedown early in the fight, but quickly fell into the dangerous guard of DeCoursey. The BJJ brown belt attacked with numerous armbars from her back, forcing LeVine to defend. As the fight progressed, DeCoursey showcased her superior grappling game, frequently moving to mount and dropping punches. LeVine proved her toughness by making it to the final bell, but DeCoursey claimed the clear-cut decision victory.

Flyweights Tracy Cortez and Kaytlin Neil kicked off the action with a back-and-forth battle that went to the scorecards. Cortez was aggressive throughout, pressing forward and keeping Neil with her back to the fence. Neil was able to score with a hip toss in the middle stanza, but she struggled to maintain top position. The final frame was full of scrambles and submission attempts, but it was the relentless pressure of Cortez that was rewarded by the judges.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Virna Jandiroba def. MIZUKI by split decision (49-46, 46-49, 49-46) – for strawweight title
DeAnna Bennett def. Karina Rodríguez by split decision (30-27, 27-30, 30-27)
Milana Dudieva def. Christina Marks by TKO (punches). Round 2, 3:57
Pearl Gonzalez def. Kali Robbins by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
Minna Grusander def. Fernanda Barros by TKO (punches). Round 2, 4:26
Kal Schwartz def. Kay Hansen by TKO (strikes). Round 2, 4:27
Kerri Kenneson def. Chelsea Chandler by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Jillian DeCoursey def. Rebekah Levine by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Tracy Cortez def. Kaytlin Neil by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship, all-pro mixed martial arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

Invicta FC 28: MIZUKI vs. Jandiroba Official Weigh-in Results

Salt Lake City — On Friday, March 23, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 28: MIZUKI vs. Jandiroba. The event takes place from the Union Event Center in Utah, on Saturday, March 24, and streams live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

In the night’s main event, Japan’s MIZUKI (12-4) returns to the Invicta cage to face undefeated Brazilian Virna Jandiroba (12-0) for the strawweight title. The 23-year-old MIZUKI enters the contest having won four straight, including a second-round armbar finish of Lynn Alvarez in her most recent Invicta appearance. Jandiroba impressed in her promotional debut, submitting veteran Amy Montenegro in the first round via armbar to earn her shot at gold.

The co-main event features a flyweight match-up between UFC veteran DeAnna Bennett (8-3-1) and Mexico’s Karina Rodríguez (6-2).

Below are the results of the event’s weigh-ins.

Strawweight Title: MIZUKI (113.9) vs. Virna Jandiroba (115)
Flyweight: DeAnna Bennett (127.9)* vs. Karina Rodríguez (125.2)
Flyweight: Milana Dudieva (125.9) vs. Christina Marks (124.8)
Strawweight: Kali Robbins (115.4) vs. Pearl Gonzalez (115.9)
Atomweight: Minna Grusander (105.8) vs. Fernanda Barros (105.9)
Strawweight: Kal Schwartz (115.6) vs. Kay Hansen (115.3)
Bantamweight: Kerri Kenneson (135.7) vs. Chelsea Chandler (135.7)
Atomweight: Jillian DeCoursey (106) vs. Rebekah Levine (104.9)
Flyweight: Tracy Cortez (124.7) vs. Kaytlin Neil (125.5)

* – Bennett was fined 25 percent of her fight purse for missing the flyweight limit of 126 pounds


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship, all-pro mixed martial arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

Christina Marks Meets Milana Dudieva at Invicta FC 28 on March 24

Kansas City, Mo. — The lineup for Invicta Fighting Championships 28 is once again complete.

Last week it was revealed that Brazilian Janaisa Morandin had been forced out of her strawweight title tilt against countrywoman Virna Jandiroba (12-0) and Japan’s MIZUKI (12-4) would step into the title affair.

MIZUKI’s original opponent, Milana Dudieva (11-7), will now face fellow UFC veteran Christina Marks (8-9) in a flyweight contest. California’s Marks is a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter 26 and enters the contest having won three of her last four. She has shared the cage with Invicta veterans Sarah D’Alelio, Sara McMann, Colleen Schneider and Michelle Ould.

As a result of the change, the flyweight match-up between UFC veteran DeAnna Bennett (8-3-1) and Mexico’s Karina Rodríguez (6-2) has been elevated to the co-main event.

Invicta FC 28 takes place Saturday, March 24, from the Union Event Center in Salt Lake City. The event will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. MT.

The updated fight card for Invicta FC 28 can be found below:

Strawweight Title: MIZUKI (12-4) vs. Virna Jandiroba (12-0)
Flyweight: DeAnna Bennett (8-3-1) vs. Karina Rodríguez (6-2)
Flyweight: Milana Dudieva (11-7) vs. Christina Marks (8-9)
Strawweight: Kali Robbins (5-0) vs. Pearl Gonzalez (6-3)
Atomweight: Minna Grusander (5-1) vs. Fernanda Priscila (3-1)
Strawweight: Kal Schwartz (1-1) vs. Kay Hansen (1-0)
Bantamweight: Kerri Kenneson (2-0) vs. Chelsea Chandler (0-0)
Atomweight: Jillian DeCoursey (1-0) vs. Rebekah Levine (1-0)
Flyweight: Tracy Cortez (1-1) vs. Kaytlin Neil (1-2)

Tickets for Invicta FC 28 are available now via Ticketfly.com.


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship, all-pro mixed martial arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

MIZUKI Replaces Janaisa Morandin, Faces Virna Jandiroba for Strawweight Title at Invicta FC 28

Kansas City, Mo. — The lineup for Invicta Fighting Championships 28 has a new main event.

Brazilian Janaisa Morandin (10-1) has been forced out of her strawweight title tilt against countrywoman Virna Jandiroba (12-0). Stepping in for Morandin will be Japan’s MIZUKI (12-4). The 23-year-old enters the contest having won four straight, including a second-round armbar finish of Lynn Alvarez in her most recent Invicta appearance.

A replacement opponent is being sought to face UFC veteran Milana Dudieva (11-7).

Invicta FC 28 takes place Saturday, March 24, from the Union Event Center in Salt Lake City. The event will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. MT.

The updated fight card for Invicta FC 28 can be found below:

Strawweight Title: MIZUKI (12-4) vs. Virna Jandiroba (12-0)
Strawweight: Milana Dudieva (11-7) vs. TBD
Flyweight: DeAnna Bennett (8-3-1) vs. Karina Rodríguez (6-2)
Strawweight: Kali Robbins (5-0) vs. Pearl Gonzalez (6-3)
Atomweight: Minna Grusander (5-1) vs. Fernanda Priscila (3-1)
Strawweight: Kal Schwartz (1-1) vs. Kay Hansen (1-0)
Bantamweight: Kerri Kenneson (2-0) vs. Chelsea Chandler (0-0)
Atomweight: Jillian DeCoursey (1-0) vs. Rebekah Levine (1-0)
Flyweight: Tracy Cortez (1-1) vs. Kaytlin Neil (1-2)

Tickets for Invicta FC 28 are available now via Ticketfly.com.


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship, all-pro mixed martial arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

Nine-Fight Lineup For Invicta FC 28 Now Complete

Kansas City, Mo. — The fight card for Invicta Fighting Championships 28 is now complete.

The event, which takes place Saturday, March 24, from the Union Event Center in Salt Lake City, has added a flyweight bout, as well as an opponent for strawweight Kal Schwartz (1-1).

Taking on Schwartz will be California’s Kay Hansen (1-0). The 18-year-old Hansen impressed in her professional debut, submitting Emilee Prince in under two minutes at Invicta FC 26 in December.

In the flyweight division, Arizona’s Tracey Cortez (1-1) returns to the Invicta cage to take on promotional newcomer Kaytlin Neil (1-2) of Utah. Cortez engaged in a back-and-forth battle with Cheri Muraski at Invicta FC 25 in August. Like her opponent, Neil has also shared the cage with Muraski during her professional career.

Invicta FC 28 will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. MT. It will be headlined by a strawweight title fight between Brazilians Janaisa Morandin (10-1) and Virna Jandiroba (12-0).

The complete fight card for Invicta FC 28 can be found below:

Strawweight Title: Janaisa Morandin (10-1) vs. Virna Jandiroba (12-0)
Strawweight: MIZUKI (12-4) vs. Milana Dudieva (11-7)
Flyweight: DeAnna Bennett (8-3-1) vs. Karina Rodríguez (6-2)
Strawweight: Kali Robbins (5-0) vs. Pearl Gonzalez (6-3)
Atomweight: Minna Grusander (5-1) vs. Fernanda Priscila (3-1)
Strawweight: Kal Schwartz (1-1) vs. Kay Hansen (1-0)
Bantamweight: Kerri Kenneson (2-0) vs. Chelsea Chandler (0-0)
Atomweight: Jillian DeCoursey (1-0) vs. Rebekah Levine (1-0)
Flyweight: Tracy Cortez (1-1) vs. Kaytlin Neil (1-2)

Tickets for Invicta FC 28 will go on sale Saturday, Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. MT via Ticketfly.com.


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship, all-pro mixed martial arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.

Janaisa Morandin vs. Virna Jandiroba Title Fight Headlines Invicta FC 28 on March 24

Kansas City, Mo. — Invicta Fighting Championships is heading to Utah.

The promotion’s 28th event will take place Saturday, March 24 from the Union Event Center in Salt Lake City. The card will stream live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. MT.

In the night’s main event, Brazilians Janaisa Morandin (10-1) and Virna Jandiroba (12-0) clash for the strawweight title. Morandin made her Invicta debut in a “Fight of the Night” battle against former champion Livia Renata Souza last August and followed it up with dominant win over Kinberly Novaes at Invicta FC 26 in December. Jandiroba also impressed in her first bout with the promotion, submitting veteran Amy Montenegro in the first round via armbar.

The co-main event features the return of Japan’s MIZUKI (12-4) against UFC veteran Milana Dudieva (11-7). The 23-year-old MIZUKI enters the contest having won four straight, including a second-round armbar finish of Lynn Alvarez in her most recent Invicta appearance. Dudieva will be making her third appearance inside the Invicta cage, but this will be her first bout in the strawweight division.

UFC veteran DeAnna Bennett (8-3-1) rejoins the promotion to take on Mexico’s Karina Rodríguez (6-2). Bennett, a former strawweight title challenger, fought to a draw against Melinda Fabian in December. Rodríguez has earned back-to-back wins over Bárbara Acioly and Christine Ferea since joining the promotion last summer.

Also on the card, undefeated strawweight Kali Robbins (5-0) takes on UFC veteran Pearl Gonzalez (6-3), Finland’s Minna Grusander (5-1) meets fellow atomweight newcomer Fernanda Priscila (3-1) of Brazil, Kal Schwartz faces a yet-to-be-named opponent in a strawweight affair, undefeated bantamweight Kerri Kenneson (2-0) of New Hampshire takes on the debuting Chelsea Chandler (0-0), and Jillian DeCoursey (1-0) battles Rebekah Levine (1-0) at atomweight.

The fight card for Invicta FC 28 can be found below:

Strawweight Title: Janaisa Morandin (10-1) vs. Virna Jandiroba (12-0)
Strawweight: MIZUKI (12-4) vs. Milana Dudieva (11-7)
Flyweight: DeAnna Bennett (8-3-1) vs. Karina Rodríguez (6-2)
Strawweight: Kali Robbins (5-0) vs. Pearl Gonzalez (6-3)
Atomweight: Minna Grusander (5-1) vs. Fernanda Priscila (3-1)
Strawweight: Kal Schwartz (1-1) vs. TBA
Bantamweight: Kerri Kenneson (2-0) vs. Chelsea Chandler (0-0)
Atomweight: Jillian DeCoursey (1-0) vs. Rebekah Levine (1-0)

Tickets for Invicta FC 28 will go on sale Saturday, Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. MT via Ticketfly.com.


About Invicta FC:

Invicta Fighting Championships is a world championship, all-pro mixed martial arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible match-ups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport. Follow Invicta on Twitter (@InvictaFights), Facebook (Facebook.com/InvictaFights), and Instagram (@InvictaFC) for all the latest information.