Top six fights rumored for Invicta FC 6 July MMA card

Esparza was supposed to fight Claudia Gadelha at Invicta FC 4, but the latter went down with an injury that forced her off the card.Aussie MMA legend Bec Hyatt stepped up in Gadelha's place, and performed admirably despite a lack of wrestling expertise.With Gadelha just about healed up, it seems likely that she'll challenge Esparza for the strawweight title at Invicta FC 6. If not Gadelha, Esparza would love the opportunity to fight Japanese brawler Ayaka Hamasaki.Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp revealed via Twitter that Marloes Coenen would be fighting for the promotion's inaugural 145-pound strap at Invicta FC 6, against one of the Invicta FC 5 main card featherweight winners.The Invicta FC 5 tilt between Julia Budd and Ediane Gomes is the only fight on the card that features two legitimate top five featherweights, so it seems likely this bout is a No. 1 contender fight for the chance to fight Coenen in July.Featherweight standout Veronica Rothenhausler is also on the Invicta FC 5 card, but she may be one or two wins away from a title shot.As MMA legend Bas Rutten likes to say, "Someone's O has got to go."Tecia "Tiny Tornado" Torres (7-0) and Joanne Calderwood (5-0) are both undefeated standout strawweights.Both women are well-rounded strikers, with similar skill-sets.Calderwood is coming off a decisive victory over Livia Von Plettenberg, and Torres also turned in a dominant performance at Invicta FC 4.With both women surprising held off the Invicta FC 5 card, it seems likely that they will square off with each other when July rolls around.View the list »
Carla Esparza will likely be fighting at Invicta FC 6

Fight Sports newsletter

According to a Feb. 12 report from MMA Weekly, Invicta FC has partnered with Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City to deliver the promotion’s first world championship doubleheader event in history on Apr. 5.

Related topics

Advertisement

Many of the matchups slated for Invicta FC 5 will have a direct impact on the fights that will happen in July at the Invicta FC 6 event.

In a featherweight (145 pounds) contest slated for Invicta FC 5, streaking submission wizard and Invicta FC 3 and Invicta FC 4 victor Ediane Gomes (10-2) will battle hard-punching Julia “The Jewel” Budd (4-2).

While the promotion has not yet made it official, the winner of the Budd vs Gomes contest will likely fight Marloes Coenen for the inaugural Invicta FC featherweight strap.

In other Invicta FC 5 main card action, reigning Invicta FC Atomweight (105 pounds) Champion Jessica Penne (10-1) will defend her crown against superstar Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (10-3) and, in the co-main event and first-ever Invicta FC flyweight (125 pounds) title fight, submission ace Vanessa Porto (15-5) will square off with red-hot star Barb Honchak (7-2).

Tickets for Invicta FC 5: Penne vs. Waterson go on sale soon.

“We are excited about entering a new chapter in Invicta FC history that consists of a partnership with one of the finest and most impressive entertainment venues in the country as well as our first world championship doubleheader card that is loaded with world-class women’s fight talent,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp.

Here's a closer look at some of the fights expected for Invicta FC 6, which will likely be held in July.

View the list
  • As MMA legend Bas Rutten likes to say, "Someone's O has got to go."Tecia "Tiny Tornado" Torres (7-0) and Joanne Calderwood (5-0) are both undefeated standout strawweights.Both women are well-rounded strikers, with similar skill-sets.Calderwood is coming off a decisive victory over Livia Von Plettenberg, and Torres also turned in a dominant performance at Invicta FC 4.With both women surprising held off the Invicta FC 5 card, it seems likely that they will square off with each other when July rolls around.
  • Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp revealed via Twitter that Marloes Coenen would be fighting for the promotion's inaugural 145-pound strap at Invicta FC 6, against one of the Invicta FC 5 main card featherweight winners.The Invicta FC 5 tilt between Julia Budd and Ediane Gomes is the only fight on the card that features two legitimate top five featherweights, so it seems likely this bout is a No. 1 contender fight for the chance to fight Coenen in July.Featherweight standout Veronica Rothenhausler is also on the Invicta FC 5 card, but she may be one or two wins away from a title shot.
  • Esparza was supposed to fight Claudia Gadelha at Invicta FC 4, but the latter went down with an injury that forced her off the card.Aussie MMA legend Bec Hyatt stepped up in Gadelha's place, and performed admirably despite a lack of wrestling expertise.With Gadelha just about healed up, it seems likely that she'll challenge Esparza for the strawweight title at Invicta FC 6. If not Gadelha, Esparza would love the opportunity to fight Japanese brawler Ayaka Hamasaki.
  • Robb and Philippus are both looking to notch their first victories since turning pro.Robb, 22, fell to Laura Sanko at Invicta FC 4, while the 29-year-old Philippus was stopped by Liz McCarthy at Invicta FC 2.Robb recently took to Facebook to ask for fan input on who she should fight next, and Philippus was one of the top names mentioned. 
  • Laura Sanko, who stopped Cassie Robb at Invicta FC 4 with a gorgeous rear-naked choke, has expressed interest in fighting on the July Invicta FC 6 card.Alex Chambers would make for an interesting opponent, as she's similar in age and stature to Sanko.Chambers and Sanko both hold similar records, as the latter is 5-1 overall. If Chambers slips by undefeated striker Jodie Esquibel at Invicta FC 5, she'll be 4-1 heading into Invicta FC 6.
  • Jillian Lybarger was expecting to fight at Invicta FC 5, and her exclusion from the card almost guarantees that she'll be fighting for the promotion in July.As for an opponent, 20-year-old Jordan Nicole Gaza would make for the perfect challenge.Lybarger and Gaza already met in 2011 at a Tuff-N-Uff event, with the former earning a second-round knockout victory.Since that night, Gaza has won two fights in decisive fashion, while Lybarger has gone just 1-1.Lybarger and Gaza are both coming off victories, so a rematch makes perfect sense at this point in their careers.
View the list
Suggested by the author:

, Long Island MMA Examiner

Eric Holden, 29, has vast writing, editing and multimedia experience, most notably from a two-year stint as an MMA blogger for Y!CN, a Yahoo! Sports platform. He also had articles published in ESPN's Inside ...

Advertisement

Today's top buzz...