Invicta FC is once again set to host a one-night tournament, this time in the bantamweight division. Phoenix Series 3, announced in a press release on Wednesday, will take place March 6 at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas.
The previous Phoenix Series events featured strawweights and flyweights. This time, the promotion is making the next logical step, pitting a number of up-and-coming 135lb fighters against one another.
The eight-woman field consists of Kerri Kenneson (3-2), Brittney “Bombshell” Victoria (3-1), Erin Harpe (2-0), Taneisha “Triple Threat” Tennant (2-0), “Grizzly” Claire Guthrie (1-0), Hope Chase (2-1), Auttumn Norton (1-1), and “No Mercy” Taylor Guardado —née Stratford, who as an amateur competed against Ronda Rousey and Raquel Pennington (albeit roughly a decade ago).
The opening rounds of the one-night tournament will each consist of a single, 5-minute round, while the finale will be three rounds.
Also announced for the event, a bantamweight title fight for the belt currently sitting vacant. That fight will see Lisa Verzosa (5-0), the undefeated fighter known as ‘Battle Angel,’ taking on Julija Stoliarenko (8-3-1). Verzosa (formerly Lisa Spangler) has four of her five pro wins inside the Invicta FC cage. Stoliarenko, who appeared on The Ultimate Fighter Season 28, will be making her promotional debut.
The full card for the event, which will air on UFC Fight Pass, can be found below.
Invicta Phoenix Series 3
Bantamweight Title: Lisa Verzosa vs. Julija Stoliarenko
Bantamweight Tournament Final: TBD vs. TBD
Strawweight: Amber Brown vs. Sharon Jacobson
Strawweight: Kay Hansen vs. Liana Pirosin
Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal: TBD vs. TBD
Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal: TBD vs. TBD
Bantamweight Reserve Bout No. 2: Mitzi Merry vs. Morgan Hickam
Bantamweight Reserve Bout No. 1: Serena DeJesus vs. Julia Ottolino
Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal: TBD vs. TBD (Randomly Drawn)
Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal: TBD vs. TBD (Randomly Drawn)
Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal: TBD vs. TBD (Randomly Drawn)
Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal: TBD vs. TBD (Randomly Drawn)
PHOENIX SERIES 3 Quarterfinalists
Auttumn Norton
Brittney Victoria
Claire Guthrie
Erin Harpe
Hope Chase
Kerri Kenneson
Taneisha Tennant
Taylor Guardado
