It’s a great time to be a flyweight if you’re on the female side of the sport. Following an announcement last month that Bellator MMA had signed six new flyweights, and the UFC deciding to launch a women’s flyweight division, comes word that Invicta FC has signed nine new fighters, including six flyweights. The all-female MMA promotion announced the news Thursday in a press release.
A strawweight signing, however, is the biggest of the bunch. Brazilian Virna Jandiroba (11-0), who holds wins over UFC vets Lisa Ellis and Ericka Almeida, comes with a lot of promise. “Carcará” — a submission specialist — has finished nine of her eleven professional bouts to date.
In the flyweight field comes a crop of up-and-comers including Mara “Kunoichici” Romero Borella (10-4, 1 NC), Chan-Mi Jeon (5-0), Bárbara Acioly (4-0), Karina Rodríguez (4-2), Cheri Muraski (3-0) and Tracy Cortez. Cortez is the only fighter in the bunch without a professional fight, but went 6-0 as an amateur. Borella, an Italian, enters the promotion as one of Europe’s top flyweights, while Jeon, just 19, is South Korea’s All FC flyweight champion.
Also announced as signed Thursday were atomweights Jillian “Lionheart” DeCoursey (8-1) and Ashley Medina (4-1).
