A late withdrawal by Brazil’s Ketlen Souza has altered the Invicta FC 46 main event.
With the show taking place next Wednesday, March 9, it will now be Daiana Torquato (10-4) stepping in to face flyweight champ Karina Rodriguez (9-4). Promotion officials announced the news on Saturday. The bout is a rematch of their May 2021 meeting, which Rodriguez won via unanimous decision to capture the Invicta FC flyweight championship.
Neither fighter has competed in MMA since. Rodriguez, who joined the promotion in 2017, has posted a 5-2 record through seven fights. Prior to winning the belt against Torquato, she’d come up short against current Bellator MMA fighter Vanessa Porto.
Torquato first competed for Invicta FC in 2019, taking part in the single-night Phoenix Series 2 tournament. She then returned to Brazil for a fight on the regional scene there in 2020, returning to the Invicta FC cage last year for the title opportunity against Rodriguez.
Prior to Souza dropping out, Torquato had been scheduled to face UFC veteran Milana Dudieva (12-8) on the Invicta FC 46 card. As a result of Torquato moving up to the main event, Dudieva will now face promotional newcomer Denise Gomes (4-1). Brazil’s Gomes has not suffered a loss since her debut fight, and has knockouts in three of her four victories.
The full Invicta FC 46 line-up is currently as follows:
Karina Rodríguez (c) vs. Daiana Torquato – for the Invicta FC flyweight championship
Milana Dudieva vs. Denise Gomes
Danielle Taylor vs. Liz Tracy
Kristina Williams vs. Flore Hani
Paulina Granados vs. Monique Adriane
Fatima Kline vs. Nadia Vera