August’s Invicta FC 25 card is complete, the all-female MMA promotion announced today. Seven bouts have been added to the event, which features a pair of title fights in the main and co-main event spots. The action takes place at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in California on August 31.
A bantamweight title fight between Raquel Pa’aluhi and Yana Kunitskaya serves as the night’s main event. Kunitskaya previously faced former bantamweight champ Tonya Evinger twice, with an original win at Invicta FC 20 being overturned to a No Contest due to a reffing error. A rematch with Evinger saw Kunitskaya submitted via rear-naked choke at Invicta FC 22.
In the co-main event, Livia Renata Souza faces Jodie Esquibel for strawweight gold.
Added to the card today is Alexa Conners, who will be making her Invicta return after two wins outside the promotion. She will face off against newcomer Katharina Lehner. Conners (4-1) has won three straight dating back to Invicta FC 20 last November, while German Lehner is a perfect 5-0 coming into the promotion.
Sharon “Dreamcatcher” Jacobson makes her Invicta return after two years away to face Kali “Pop Tart” Robbins at strawweight. Jacobson (4-1) will bring with her a history as a decorated wrestler with two national championships to her name. Though on a four-fight win streak, two years away from the cage is no joke. The undefeated Robbins (4-0), however, has been out over a year herself, last fighting at King of the Cage: Shattered in March of 2016. All four of her professional wins have come via finishes.
At atomweight, Shino VanHoose (5-5) meets Alyse Anderson (3-0), while at bantamweight “Killer” Kelly McGill-Velasco (2-1) and Amberlynn “ALO” Orr (0-1) have been rebooked into a bout that was originally scheduled for last year, but fell through. In another bantamweight match-up, Yaya Rincón (1-0) will meet Stephanie Egger (2-1).
In flyweight action, a couple of 125lb’ers will be making their Invicta FC debuts as Cheri Muraski (3-0) and Tracy Cortez (0-0) face off. Despite her lack of pro experience, Cortez was a Tuff-N-Uff flyweight champ who went 6-0 as an amateur.
Finally, atomweights Jillian “Lionheart” DeCoursey (0-0) and Ashley Medina (0-0), both making their professional debuts, make up the last addition to the event.
The Invicta FC 25 card now features:
Bantamweight: Raquel Pa’aluhi (6-5) vs. Yana Kunitskaya (9-3, 1 NC)
Strawweight: Livia Renata Souza (10-1) vs. Jodie Esquibel (6-2)
Bantamweight: Alexa Conners (4-1) vs. Katharina Lehner (5-0)
Strawweight: Sharon Jacobson (3-1) vs. Kali Robbins (4-0)
Atomweight: Shino VanHoose (5-5) vs. Alyse Anderson (3-0)
Bantamweight: Kelly McGill-Velasco (2-1) vs. Amberlynn Orr (0-1)
Bantamweight: Yaya Rincón (1-0) vs. Stephanie Egger (2-1)
Flyweight: Cheri Muraski (3-0) vs. Tracy Cortez (0-0)
Atomweight: Ashley Medina (0-0) vs. Jillian DeCoursey (0-0)
