Championship gold in the strawweight and atomweight divisions will
be on the line when Invicta Fighting Championships makes its debut
on AXS TV next month.
The promotion announced Wednesday that Invicta on AXS TV will be
headlined by a clash between Karina
Rodriguez and Daiana
Torquato for the vacant 125-pound belt on May 21. In the
co-main event, Alesha
Zappitella will defend her 105-pound title against Jessica
Correa Delboni.
Five other bouts were confirmed for the card: Emily
Ducote vs. Liz Tracy at
strawweight; Taneisha
Tennant vs. Hope Chase
at bantamweight; Juliana
Miller vs. Claire
Guthrie at flyweight; Josee
Storts vs. Maria Favela at flyweight and Fatima
Kline vs. Ariana Melendez at strawweight.
Mexico’s Rodriguez has compiled a 4-2 mark with Invicta since 2017
and is coming off a decision loss to current Bellator talent
Vanessa
Porto at Invicta FC 38 in November 2019. She owns notable wins
over DeAnna
Bennett and Milana
Dudieva and is 8-4 as a professional overall.
Torquato will enter her promotional debut on a seven-bout winning
streak compiled on the regional circuit in Brazil. The 30-year-old
Thai Brazil representative is 9-3 as a professional with five of
her wins coming inside the distance.
Zappitella captured the atomweight crown in her last outing, as she
submitted Ashley
Cummins with a fourth-round shoulder choke at Invicta FC 42 in
September 2020. “Half Pint” has won her last three bouts within the
all-female organization.
Delboni competed on that same card, earning a three-round verdict
against ex-champ Herica
Tiburcio. The 27-year-old Parana Vale Tudo product has won
three of her last four bouts, a stretch that also includes a
triumph against Lindsey
VanZandt.