Kiatlin Young made it 3-0 since returning from retirement Friday night, defeating Faith McMah by TKO at Invicta FC 35.
The ongoing second chapter of women’s fighting pioneer Kaitlin Young continued Friday at Invicta FC 35 in Kansas City, Kansas. Young entered the night 9-9-1, on a two fight win streak between RIZIN FF and Invicta FC. However, records don’t always tell the whole story. While Young missed her window with the UFC, the current featherweight had faced top competition earlier in her career, and won the 2007 HOOKnSHOOT Women’s Grand Prix, scoring three knockouts in a single night, including a head kick KO of future UFC champion Miesha Tate.
Returning at Invicta FC 35, Young was taking on Faith McMah — who missed weight for the featherweight bout. McMah, from New Zealand, last fought at bantamweight, losing to former UFC fighter Irene Aldana at Invicta FC 19 in September 2016. She’d been out since, with a couple of fights falling through in the interim.
Young and McMah traded early at Invicta FC 35, with Young getting the better of the exchanges. That included a big knee landed by Young, which gave McMah pause. McMah was trying to back up and circle away, but soon ate a couple of kicks to her lead leg. A standing elbow followed for Young, but McMah got her opponent down, only for Young to immediately get back up. McMah then fired a leg kick; Young landed to the calf herself. Kicks, in fact, would open the attack several times for Young, who would land both lefts and rights with McMah backed up by the cage. Young would close the round with elbows and knees, giving McMah food for thought heading into the second.
The second once again had Young on the attack, McMah backed up against the fence. McMah utilized a whizzer to stay standing, but elbows and punches continued to land for the veteran. She then backed McMah up, wobbling her; they clinched, and McMah briefly reversed only to be turned back around. McMah was being outclassed, and while she was surviving, she was doing little else, with the lone exception of the odd leg kick. However, Young slipped with two minutes or so remaining, which allowed McMah to pounce. Young would make it back to her feet, but McMah had a high single, and stayed on it. Young would persevere, however, and heading to the third, Young was likely up by two.
McMah pushed forward off the bell to open the third, launching a pair of leg kicks. She changed levels for a takedown, but telegraphed it and changed her mind. Young would then press forward herself, launching a hard right kick to the calf, then another. Then a third. McMah fired back, and Young targeted the thigh. McMah was starting to show signs that the leg kicks were wearing at her. Each one that landed was throwing her further out of position. The pair then traded kicks to the body, but as with everything else, it was Young’s that had a greater effect. McMah was bloodied, and in need of a finish. Instead, it was Young who found the finish, landing a number of strikes, with McMah retreating, spinning away, and covering up before falling to the canvas! The ref was stepping in before McMah even went down, and Young had the win!
After the fight, Young said she wanted to fight for the Invicta FC featherweight title, currently vacant.
Kaitlin Young def. Faith McMah by TKO, Round 3, 3:52
