Talita Bernardo’s bantamweight crown will be on the line when Invicta FC 59 takes place in Atlanta, Georgia next month.
During Wednesday’s Invicta FC 58 broadcast, promotion officials confirmed the main event of their final card of the year, set for December 13, 2024. The fight will see Bernardo (11-4) take on fellow UFC veteran (and ex-flyweight title challenger) Jennifer Maia (22-10-1).
A venue for the event has yet to be officially announced.
BREAKING | 🚨 #InvictaFC59 | 12/13 | #Atlanta #Georgia
Talita Bernardo @Talita_MMA defends her bantamweight title against Jennifer Maia (@jennimaiaufc) headlining a STACKED card to end the year on CBS Sports Network! pic.twitter.com/zO4AeKeQI7
— Invicta FC (@InvictaFights) November 7, 2024
Bernardo has been on a tear since exiting the UFC in 2019 following a disappointing 1-3 run. The Brazilian has since put together five straight wins, competing for Oktagon MMA and Invicta. The 37-year old claimed gold against Taneisha Tennant in January of 2023, then returned to action this past June to make her first successful title defense, submitting Bellator alum Olga Rubin.
Jennifer Maia returned to Invicta, where she once held flyweight gold, in her last bout, after a lengthy run with the UFC. Maia came up short in a UFC title shot against Valentina Shevchenko in November of 2020, and was rather surprisingly released off a single loss last year (which snapped a two-fight win streak that saw Maia defeat Maryna Moroz and Casey O’Neill).
A decision victory over Mayra Cantuária in August marked Maia’s first bantamweight fight since 2015. She’ll now look to claim gold in a second weight class under the Invicta FC banner.
No other fights have currently been announced for Invicta FC 59.
