Kaufman laid claim to the vacant Invicta Fighting Championships bantamweight title in the Invicta 29 headliner, as she submitted the previously undefeated Katharina Lehner with a third-round rear-naked choke on Friday at the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Missouri. Lehner (7-1, 1-1 Invicta) bowed out 4:30 into Round 3.
The resurgent Kaufman (20-4, 3-0 Invicta) tagged the German prospect with repeated right hands, countered effectively and showed off the well-rounded skills that have made her one of the most accomplished female fighters in MMA history. She executed a takedown in the second round, framed an arm-triangle choke and nearly finished it there. Though Lehner escaped, Kaufman was undeterred. The Canadian secured another takedown in the third round, applied her ground-and-pound and moved to side control before making a smooth transition to the back. Soon after, the choke was in place, prompting…