Invicta FC 31: Jandiroba vs. Morandin Results and Recap

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Invicta FC 31 Jandiroba vs. Morandin
Jandiroba vs. Morandin Credit: Dave Mandel/Invicta FC

Invicta FC 31 kicked off the month of September in Kansas City, MO, with a strawweight title fight featuring champ Virna Jandiroba defending against Janaisa Morandin in the main event.

On Saturday night in Kansas City at the Scottish Rite Temple, Invicta FC was back in action. Invicta FC 31 had the promotion’s strawweight title on the line, plus a co-main event featuring growing star Pearl Gonzalez, who had won both her bouts in the company since being cut by the UFC.

The main event saw Virna Jandiroba defending her 115lb title for the first time against Janaisa Morandin, a fellow Brazilian who was coming off a win over Kinberly Novaes. ‘Evil Princess’ had dropped a fight to former champ Livia Renata Souza prior to that, but had a huge opportunity against champ Jandiroba on Saturday. Jandiroba, meanwhile, had captured the title in March against Mizuki Inoue, maintaining her perfect record. Morandin had originally been scheduled to face Jandiroba that night.

Check back come fight time for results and a recap of the night’s action at Invicta FC 31 in Kansas City, MO!

Audrey Wolfe vs. Holli Salazar

The card’s opening bout, simulcast on Facebook, saw featherweights Audrey Wolfe and Holli Salazar face off. The pair clinched early, with Wolfe driving her opponent into the fence. Salazar reversed briefly, but was taken down, and Wolfe moved to half guard. Salazar tried to defend with a guillotine, but Wolfe pulled free, only to find herself in an arm-bar. Salazar refused to give up on the hold, despite taking a knee to the body and a questionable one to the head. Wolfe then hoisted Salazar up and slammed her, something she’d do twice, while Salazar refused to let go. As Wolfe finally pulled free the pair went back to engaging on the feet, which led to another clinch and reversals by the cage.

Round two saw Salazar open with a right hand. She’d attack with a leg kick only to be pushed back as Wolfe initiated a clinch. That wouldn’t last, and the pair both attacked with kicks, got their hands firing, with Wolfe finishing the sequence in control and having wobbled Salazar just a little. Salazar landed a right off the break however. Salazar connected a few more times before Wolfe took her back while standing and dragged her down. Salazar used a guillotine defense to climb back to her feet, while Wolfe quickly tried for a trip to send things back to the mat. Salazar, however, was hip to that attempt. She used a standing guillotine to help control her opponent. Salazar then began unloading with some big right hands, wobbling Audrey Wolfe! Wolfe looked ready to drop but somehow held on.

The third round saw Wolfe keeping her distance, focusing on movement and range. Soon enough she had Salazar backed up to the cage, apparently recovered from being rocked in the second. Salazar would launch some knees during the grappling exchange, but Wolfe would land a takedown. However, the action was stopped due to a headbutt that was blatantly intentional and saw the ref deduct a point from Wolfe. The action, however, would continue. In the final minute Wolfe would work on a standing guillotine attempt in the clinch.

When it went to the scorecards, the end result was the same across the board: 28-28, a draw brought forth by the deducted point from Wolfe.

Audrey Wolfe vs. Holli Salazar ended in a draw (28-28, 28-28, 28-28)

Helen Peralta vs. Kay Hansen

Young Kay Hansen immediately moved forward with a right hand, then clinched as the opening round of her strawweight scrap with Helen Peralta got underway. Peralta would reverse and drive Hansen into the fence with knees. On a reversal, Hansen grabbed a knee looking for a single leg, but Peralta was able to pull her leg free. Peralta spun out, but Hansen reversed again. The grappling standoff, with frequent reversals, would continue until around the final minute when Hansen finally secured a takedown. While she couldn’t make much happen before the bell, Hansen finished the round in control, which likely earned her the round.

Kay Hansen caught a kick early in the second round, and drove Peralta back to the fence. While she couldn’t secure a takedown she was once again in the driver’s seat. Hansen would continue to grind down Peralta until the ref broke them up and restarted the action with around ninety seconds to go; Hansen would get right back to work on a takedown, however, which Peralta defended. However again in the final minute Hansen secured the takedown, once again securing her another round with the judges, most likely.

The third started in similar fashion, but this time out, Hansen was able to score a big slam about ninety seconds in. That takedown put her in side control. After some scrambling, she was able to move to mount. Some heavy elbows followed, but Peralta managed to survive quite a bit longer than expected. However, in the final minute, Kay Hansen unleashed a barrage of ground n’ pound to secure the stoppage!

Kay Hansen def. Helen Peralta by TKO, Round 3, 4:16

Kelly D’Angelo vs. Lindsey VanZandt

D’Angelo came out aggressive early in the first round, but it was Lindsey VanZandt who was able to get an early takedown and go to work from her opponent’s guard. D’Angelo, however, went right after a triangle, squeezing down hard on her leg. They rolled with D’Angelo nearly in mount but still with the triangle in place. She’d grab for an arm, and VanZandt’s face was red as a beet. Lindsey VanZandt was in a lot of trouble as D’Angelo worked at pulling her arm free for an arm-bar. D’Angelo would grab a mounted triangle and rain down punches in the final minute of the round, but VanZandt actually escaped out and got back to her feet. With a finish slipping through Kelly D’Angelo’s fingers, they went to round two.

VanZandt found a head kick caught early in the second, which resulted in her being dumped on her back. Back on the feet, D’Angelo would walk her opponent down, landing her right hand several times and forcing VanZandt to circle out of harm’s way. VanZandt would manage to get on top in the final minute, and again D’Angelo locked in a triangle, then transitioned to an arm-bar. The end of the round was right there, however.

With Kelly D’Angelo so dangerous on the ground, the third round promised to be an interesting one in this atomweight battle. When the fight did go to the ground, VanZandt this time managed to avoid getting trapped in another triangle attempt. Yet even on the feet it was D’Angelo who was pressing the action more often than not. D’Angelo would land a slam takedown in the final minute, but allowed her opponent back up. They’d go to the bell, and when the call came it was no surprise.

Kelly D’Angelo def. Lindsey VanZandt by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Miranda Maverick vs. Victoria Leonardo

Maverick attacked with a leg kick in the opening minute, only for Victoria Leonardo to catch it. Resetting, Maverick would look for at takedown, which Leonardo was able to defend. Against the fence they battled for position. When they did go down, it was more scrambling and jostling. Maverick then latched on to an arm, belly down at first, rolled and had an arm-bar in tight, forcing the tap!

Miranda Maverick def. Victoria Leonardo by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 3:26

Mallory Martin vs. Ashley Nichols

Canada’s Nichols flashed some quick hands early on, throwing combos punctuated with kicks. Within the first minute, Nichols dropped Martin with a right! Martin scrambled back up and Nichols clinched with her; Martin tried to pull guard but let go, staying standing instead. After a grappling exchange, they broke and Nichols moved forward with her jab. Martin shot and completed a takedown, however. She moved to side control, however, dropping elbows, and stayed in control for the remainder of the frame.

Martin was looking for a takedown early in the second round, but Nichols saw it coming. Martin then launched and connected with a left; that led to a takedown attempt with Nichols employing a whizzer to stay standing. She wouldn’t stay up for long, however, as Martin would eventually get the fight down and stack Nichols up against the cage, working from guard. Interestingly the ref opted to stand them up with roughly ninety seconds left. That allowed Nichols to get her hands going again as the round wound down.

The third round, however, saw a big turnaround. Getting Nichols on her back early Mallory Martin began unleashing a series of crushing elbows, enough to get the ref to move in and wave off the fight!

Mallory Martin def. Ashley Nichols by TKO, Round 3, 1:05

Shanna Young vs. Lisa Spangler

Young went high with a number of kick attempts early, while Spangler flashing some stance changes and circled. The dupo would feel each other out on the feet through the first two minutes of the round, with Spangler bloodied but still managing to land. Young, meanwhile, continued to find a home for her kicks. Despite the mask of blood, Spangler managed to keep the pressure on, backing Young up and forcing a clinch towards the end of the first.

In the second, Young was throwing some lunging jabs early, but continued to work in kicks to the head, leg, and body. Lisa Spangler stayed on the outside, still bloodied. She would connect with single punches; Young answered one of those with an axe kick. The two would trade blows until Spangler caught a leg in the final minute, driving Young into the fence. The clinch there wouldn’t last long, however.

After having her nose attended to between rounds, Spangler pressed the action early in round three. She got her jab going, and would attempt to navigate the ever-changing kicks of Young, trying to drive her opponent into the cage to either set up a takedown or trap her. With ninety seconds left in the round, Spangler kicked Young’s legs out from under her. She pounced! Taking the back, a submission attempt was brewing, but Young managed to escape, and the pair re-engaged on the feet. They’d trade to the final bell, swinging hard, with both ladies landing.

Lisa Spangler def. Shanna Young by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)

Pearl Gonzalez vs. Daiane Firmino

Pearl opened with a number of leg kicks, while Firmino came forward aggressively. However as they went to the ground in the first minute, it was Gonzalez who got on top, moving to half guard. Firmino used the fence to try to wall walk, but Gonzalez put her weight on her, maintaining top control. Soon enough, however, the Brazilian would scramble free. Several minutes of grappling and jostling for position followed, with Gonzalez getting the better of it, and adding in some knees to the body. Firmino, however, would grab a leg, create a scramble and land a takedown towards the end of the round. Gonzalez would land some elbows from bottom before the bell.

Round two saw Gonzalez land a throw after an early exchange. She then trapped the head, and grabbed an arm between her legs, hyper-extending it. While the submission wasn’t there, it allowed her to land a number of strikes before the rolled on top, in half guard. Firmino was able to spin around, pushing off the fence, while Gonzalez moved to side control, only to have her head trapped. Firmino threatened at the end of the round, but the bell sounded soon after.

The third and final round of the night’s co-main event saw Pearl Gonzalez grinding Daiane Firmino into the cage. Going to the ground, however, Gonzalez had her arm trapped but was able to free herself. Only for Firmino to get on top in guard. Yet Pearl managed to grab an arm, looking for an arm-bar only to be slammed onto her back. Gonzalez held on, and Firmino began launching knees to the body then slammed Pearl again. Gonzalez then switched to a triangle. While she couldn’t get the tap, she smashed Firmino with elbows from the bottom, battering her.

Pearl Gonzalez def. Daiane Firmino by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-27)

Virna Jandiroba vs. Janaisa Morandin

The challenger Morandin showed plenty of different looks early in the main event, slipping through a left, and firing off some leg kicks. Jandiroba stayed light on her feet, and later shot for a takedown up against the cage. Morandin wound up dumped, and the champ moved to half guard. Impressively she stepped over to mount, and landed a number of hard elbows before Morandin regained half guard. The champion didn’t take long to move back to mount, dropping a few elbows along the way. Morandin, since being taken down, was unable to put up much in the way of offense, or find a way to escape. Jandiroba would finish the round in control.

Round two saw more of a standup battle, with the pair trading off and on through the first two minutes until Jandiroba shot in for thee takedown. She quickly moved to secure an arm-triangle choke, and with plenty of space to get in position, she soon had the tap!

Virna Jandiroba def. Janaisa Morandin by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2, 2:23

Invicta FC 31 Results:

Virna Jandiroba def. Janaisa Morandin by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2, 2:23
Pearl Gonzalez def. Daiane Firmino by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-27)
Lisa Spangler def. Shanna Young by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Mallory Martin def. Ashley Nichols by TKO, Round 3, 1:05
Miranda Maverick def. Victoria Leonardo by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 3:26
Kelly D’Angelo def. Lindsey VanZandt by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Kay Hansen def. Helen Peralta by TKO, Round 3, 4:16
Audrey Wolfe vs. Holli Salazar ended in a draw (28-28, 28-28, 28-28)

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