Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom Courtney "The Dragon" Cardoza tweeted her picks and predictions for Invicta FC 4 on Jan. 5 from her official Twitter page.
In the main event and first-ever Invicta FC strawweight (115 pounds) world championship bout, “Rowdy" Bec Hyatt (4-1) of Brisbane, Australia will collide with Carla Esparza (8-2). "I like Bec's hairdo and she looks cool, but I don't know a lot about Bec and I know a lot more about Carla, so I'm going to go with Carla," Cardoza said.
Cardoza confidently predicted a win by Esparza, but she had trouble deciding who will walk away with their hand raised in the co-main event.
In the bantamweight (135 pounds) co-headliner, Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler (15-7) fights Alexis Davis (12-5). The winner may fight Ronda Rousey in the UFC, or possibly get a shot at the first ever Invicta FC bantamweight title. "They are both very close friends of mine," Cardoza said. "They're both really good at the ground. I'd love to see them stay standing. I have to choose both of them."
Also on the main card, Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (4-2-1) squares off against Raquel “Rocky” Pennington (3-2-1) of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Smith hopes to prove she's a legitimate top five bantamweight contender, while Pennington wants to show the world she can hold her own against a heavy-handed veteran. Cardoza is picking the underdog to win in this tilt. "I'm going to go with Raquel," Cardoza said.
Earlier on the Invicta FC 4 main card, Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes (7-2) fights Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio (6-3) in a key bantamweight scrap. "They are both very close friends of mine, but I've known Sarah a lot longer," Cardoza said. "I'm going to go with Sarah. Sorry Amanda."
Cardoza also picked Tecia Torres to earn a win over Paige VanZant, and Emily Kagan to earn an upset victory over Rose Namajunas.
Cardoza is one of the fastest-rising young stars of female MMA, as she is a three-time kids and teens world champion, and she already racked up a hearty list of sponsors that include Tussle Fight Gear, Fighter Girls, Matrat Sports, House Cat MMA, Grit Mouthguards and others.
Cardoza trains five to six days a week as part of the A-Team Kids Competition squad, and she took first place in the 2011 No Gi Best of the West tournament.
She hasn't yet hit her teenage years, but the national MMA community has already taken notice of Cardoza's excellence in the sport. Check out Cardoza's Invicta FC 4 picks for the full card here.
Invicta FC is set for Jan. 5 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan.
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