Invicta FC returned to action Friday, with the finale of the promotion’s flyweight tournament topping the Invicta FC 35 card. That bout ended with Karina Rodriguez getting revenge on DeAnna Bennett, in a close decision that could have gone either way.

Among the other big winners on the Invicta FC 35 card, ex-UFC fighter Viviane Pereira got back in the win column in the co-main event. Though Pereira missed weight for the atomweight bout, she earned a unanimous decision opposite Alesha Zappitella.

Kanako Murata, meanwhile, made her Invicta FC debut, and made it in style. Murata, who has also fought for RIZIN FF of late, submitted Brazil’s Liana Pirosin within a round. And Kaitlin Young’s comeback success continued, as the featherweight finished Faith McMah in the third.

Check below for results, and a gallery of highlights courtesy of Invicta FC!

Invicta FC 35: Bennett vs. Rodriguez 2 Results:

Karina Rodriguez def. DeAnna Bennett by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Viviane Pereira def. Alesha Zappitella by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Kanako Murata def. Liana Pirosin by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:10
Lisa Spangler def. Katharina Lehner by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Kaitlin Young def. Faith McMah by TKO, Round 3, 3:52
Chelsea Chandler def. Brittney Victoria by TKO, Round 2, 3:58
Kelly D’Angelo def. Jillian DeCoursey by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Loma Lookboonmee def. Monique Adriane by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Genia Goodin def. Valerie Wong by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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The main event of Invicta FC 35 on Friday night saw Deanna Bennett and Karina Rodriguez clash for the second time. Their first meeting came just over a year ago, and it was Bennett, an Ultimate Fighter alum, who walked away with the split decision victory.

This time around, the stakes were higher. A title shot was on the line. It was the final of Invicta’s flyweight tournament.

The pair both charged out of the gate, looking for any advantage they could find. Rodriguez looked lighter on her feet. She was able to move in and out fluidly, landing her right hand in the process. She added leg kicks to that, tripping Bennett up. As the round wore on, however, Bennett displayed a power advantage, wobbling Rodriguez momentarily. Soon enough, Rodriguez was backing up, moving out of harm’s way. Ultimately, a close first round in the main event, with Rodriguez controlling the early part of the round, but Bennett coming on strong in the second half.

Round two had DeAnna Bennett continuing to walk forward, keeping Rodriguez on the outside. Two minutes in, Bennett would shoot for a takedown, clasping her hands and driving Rodriguez into the fence. The double became a single, which in turn became a grappling exchange, with Bennett unable to seal the deal. Rodriguez would eventually slip free, and the pair re-engaged, trading. Rodriguez landed a right, and fired a kick to the body, which was nearly caught. It did, however, allow Bennett to tie up her opponent by the cage. Bennett again came up short, but went back to the well later, shooting for another takedown. While Rodriguez continued to shake off these attempts, she was losing in terms of control time, constantly on the defensive.

The third round of Bennett vs. Rodriguez 2 saw an early kick to the body by Rodriguez that landed hard. Bennett then went into grappling mode, which once again favored DeAnna. She held on to a single leg attempt, trying to hoist up her opponent, and finally getting her down. Rodriguez, however, was up in a flash — only to be scooped up and dumped down again. This repeated a third time, with Bennett on her opponent like glue.

The fight would finish with Bennett in the driver’s seat, putting pressure on Karina Rodriguez. But never, ever leave it in the hands of the judges. In something of a surprising move, all three judges awarded the fight to Karina Rodriguez, two rounds to one. She now moves forward to a date with flyweight champ Vanessa Porto.

Karina Rodriguez def. DeAnna Bennett by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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The co-main event of Invicta FC 35 saw Alesha Zappitella taking on Viviane Pereira at atomweight. Pereira, however, had missed weight for the fight. The Brazilian was dropping to atomweight after three straight losses at 115lbs, two of which came under the UFC banner.

Over the course of her UFC run, Pereira went 2-2, with wins over Valerie Letourneau and Jamie Moyle. Two straight losses to Tatiana Suarez and Xiaonan Yan, however, sent her packing from the promotion.

Zappitella, meanwhile, was 5-0 as a pro and quickly approaching title contention. Friday, however, was not her night.

Friday night, Zappitella was the more mobile fighter early, while Pereira fired off a combination, and looked in particular to land her looping right hook. The issue for Alesha Zappitella from the outset was finding a way inside, as the Brazilian had a noticeable reach advantage. Pereira, meanwhile, connected solidly with her right hand. A takedown attempt by Zappitella saw Pereira sprawl, staying up. The pair finished the first round on the feet, trading right to the bell to end the round. Heading into the second, Zappitella was going to have to adjust.

Round two had Zappitella swinging early, but Pereira was still using her length to her advantage. Zappitella had yet to shoot for a takedown, and was being kept on the outside, circling. Finally, she shot in, but once again, the Brazilian easily sprawled. Zappitella was going to have to find a way to set up that takedown, and so far, that hadn’t happened. Instead, the fight remained standing, Zappitella’s face slowly became more and more bloodied, and Pereira picked her apart. Zappitella hung in there, but was losing the fight.

An early takedown attempt by Zapitella in the third went nowhere once again, Pereira stuffing it. Zappitella flashed a front kick, as Pereira was leaning in, but the Brazilian was out of range. Once again, it was Zappitella on the outside, circling, struggling to find a way in, though her movement was constant, and she was continuing to throw single strikes. Another takedown attempt was stuffed, but Zappitella launched and landed a knee as she came up. With three minutes to go, however, it wasn’t looking good for her. Still, with just under two minutes remaining, an exchange came, with a flurry from Zappitella. Pereira, though, continued pressing forward. Another takedown was stuffed just after Zappitella ate a right. No question as to who won this one as it headed to the judges, despite some late offense.

The only downside to the performance was that Pereira missed weight for the fight. However, if she gets a handle on the cut to atomweight, she could be a real threat at 105lbs.

Viviane Pereira def. Alesha Zappitella by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

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Japan’s Kanako Murata was in action at Invicta FC 35 on Friday night, taking on Liana Pirosin in Kansas City, Kansas. The event, airing live on UFC Fight Pass, was Murtata’s Invicta FC debut, after a previously scheduled bout with Sharon Jacobson fell through when Murata was injured.

The Japanese strawweight had previously fought in RIZIN, King of the Cage, Pancrase, and DEEP, and boasted a 9-1 record heading into the night. Liana Pirosin, meanwhile, was also making her Invicta FC debut. The Brazilian came in with a 7-2 record, her last win coming against Kinberly Novaes, who was mired in a slump when they clashed.

Kanako Murata certainly made a strong first impression. She was dancing in and out, flashing her jab early, while the taller Pirosin flashed a front kick. Murata, however, briefly had control as the pair went to the ground, only for Pirosin to take the back and look for rear-naked choke. Murata pulled free, went back to work on top, and trapped Pirosin’s legs, preventing her from escaping. The Brazilian would eventually make it up, only to be taken back down again. This time, Murata took the back, and though she didn’t have her hooks fully in, she was able to force the tap! A big win for Kanako Murata in her Invicta FC debut.

After the fight, Murata joked that she had never trained a rear-naked choke.

Kanako Murata def. Liana Pirosin by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:10

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Former Invicta FC bantamweight title challenger Katharina Lehner returned on Friday, taking on Lisa Spangler at Invicta FC 35. Lehner had fought Sarah Kaufman for the vacant belt at Invicta FC 29 just over a year ago. Following that fight, she tried her hand at The Ultimate Fighter 28, competing at featherweight. She lost her first fight on the show as well, and then strayed to boxing for a single fight, before moving back to bantamweight in Kansas City, Kansas on Friday.

Spangler, meanwhile, was a perfect 3-0 as a pro, after an impressive amateur career.

Spangler and Lehner exchanged early in their bout, but with the pair looking to figure out distance and timing, not a ton was landing clean. From there, it was an extended feeling out process. Circling, jabbing, not much connecting. When the pair did attack, it was mostly single strikes, moving in with fakes, movement, and feints. Spangler would force a clinch toward the end of the round, looking for a takedown, but could not land it. The pair would finally get active just prior to the bell, trading.

Round two had Lehner working her jab, but again, a lot of feints, little in the way of strikes landing. Certainly few significant strikes. Spangler connected with a low kick to the ankle. Lehner took a big swing with her right, but hit air. At the mid-way point, however, the pair opened up, both women landing. That seemed to wake the duo up, as another short exchange followed. They’d wind up going to a third.

The lack of action, and significant strikes, takedowns, and so forth were going to make this one a hard one to judge. Lehner would land a heavy right around the midway point of the third, but Spangler stayed right in it. The pair circled, moved in and out, and Spangler launched a kick or two, while Germany’s Lehner popped off a two-punch combination. Spangler answered with a combo of her own, and they finally opened up again, trading. Spangler, in addition to some redness around the face that had blossomed earlier in the fight, was showing blood by the ear. Lehner caught a leg, but couldn’t dump her opponent. Spangler began landing a little more frequently, with both lefts and rights, splitting the guard of her opponent. A body kick put Lehner into retreat mode, and Spangler finished strong. That was enough to seal the deal.

Lisa Spangler def. Katharina Lehner by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

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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

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The first of two bantamweight bouts at Friday’s Invicta FC 35 saw Chelsea Chandler facing Brittney Victoria, in a fight that had Victoria’s perfect record on the line. The action went down from the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, and aired live on UFC Fight Pass.

3-0 Victoria had won her Invicta FC debut in November, a unanimous decision opposite Sarah Kleczka. Chandler, for her part, was 1-1 in the promotion (and her career), both fights going to decision.

Victoria and Chandler clashed almost immediately, both showing solid movement and looking light on their feet. Victoria fired an outside leg kick, Chandler fired one to the body, then initiated a clinch. Victoria reversed along the fence, only to be reversed herself. Both fighters wanted to impose their will and set the pace early, which in essence saw them cancel each other out briefly. Victoria then ate some heavy shots from Chandler, forcing her to get out of range; they exchanged a moment later, with Chandler initiating another clinch. Chandler then fired a punch to the liver, and the two exchanged knees before Chandler landed a takedown with ninety seconds remaining in the round. From there, Chandler fired off a barrage of punches with her opponent’s arm trapped, essentially in a crucifix position. Victoria would escape, but was still on her knees, and Chandler stayed on her, adding more punches, heel kicks to the leg, and looking for a choke.

Victoria was bloodied, and Chandler managed to transition to mount briefly, dropping elbows. The round came to a close, with the Nick Diaz Academy fighter Chandler pulling away.

Round two had Chandler conecting early, scoring a knockdown then pouncing on Victoria. Victoria was bloodied once again, and Chandler looked for the choke. Somehow, Brittney Victoria survived. For a time. Chandler dropped elbows, working from side control. She then transitioned to mount; Victoria rolled, covering up but eating huge elbows to the head. A high mount for Chandler followed as Victoria returned to her back. This became something akin to watching meat being tenderized, but instead of finishing it with strikes, Chandler switched to an arm-bar. Victoria rolled through, and briefly took control, getting the back of Chandler and then escaping to her feet.

Given how the round had started, however, being on her feet was no escape for Victoria. She was tagged and dropped again, and after some more ground n’ pound, the ref finally waved it off!

After the fight, Chandler explained what went down at the weigh-ins, saying Victoria claimed Chandler was her fan. “She can give me her autograph when she gets her face fixed, but I’m not her fan,” Chandler quipped.

Chelsea Chandler def. Brittney Victoria by TKO, Round 2, 3:58

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Invicta FC 35 had a scheduled three atomweight contests Friday night in Kansas City, Kansas — more than any other weight class on the card. Of course, two of those atomweight fighters missing weight took a bit of a shine off, at a crucial time for the division. There’s a belief that atomweight could be the next weight class to be featured in the major promotions, either the UFC or Bellator. However, misses like the one by Kelly D’Angelo for Invicta FC 35 doesn’t help that case.

In any event, D’Angelo’s fight with Jillian DeCoursey remained on the card Friday. D’Angelo entered the night 3-2, and 1-1 under the Invicta FC banner. Last time out, she’d claimed a decision win over Lindsey VanZandt, in a fight VanZandt had actually been the favorite in.

DeCoursey, meanwhile, was 2-1, having spent the entirety of her pro career in Invicta FC. She had not competed in MMA since July of 2018, when she lost to Alesha Zappitella (coincidentally fighting in the co-main event of Invicta FC 35).

Jillian DeCoursey opened the bout on the outside, but soon had her back to the fence and ate a leg kick. D’Angelo was firing off combinations, using her reach advantage well. DeCoursey would respond with an overhand leading to a takedown attempt. She stayed on it, as D’Angelo scrambled and worked her way back up — but not before eating another blow for her troubles. Back on the feet, D’Angelo was picking her opponent apart, forcing another takedown by DeCoursey, who looked rocked at one point. After a bit of time on the ground by the fence, D’Angelo would make her way up, looking for control only for DeCoursey to reverse position. D’Angelo would fire off one last volley of strikes in the final thirty seconds of round one, before ‘Lionheart’ scored a final takedown.

Kelly D’Angelo opened the second firing once again, but DeCoursey shot in for a quick takedown. She was nearly swept by D’Angelo, but regained top position. However moments later they were stood up, perhaps a little too soon. That gave the edge back to D’Angelo. DeCoursey would find a home for her right hand as the pair traded; D’Angelo would fire a leg kick, and move in and out at angles.

Round three opened with an early takedown by DeCoursey, who had D’Angelo against the fence. D’Angelo fought her way up, eating a knee or two in the process, then throwing one of her own once she was up. DeCoursey continued to grind her opponent into the fence, only to be reversed and taken down herself. A scramble later, and D’Angelo had another takedown, and was well on her way to winning the fight. DeCoursey, however, would reverse in the final minute and look for a heel hook. A fence grab or three later, and D’Angelo was still alive, with DeCoursey switching to a toe-hold, but coming up short.

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

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The second fight in on Friday’s Invicta FC 35 card featured atomweights Loma Lookboonmee and Monique Adriane. The action went down in Kansas City, Kansas’ Memorial Hall, airing live on UFC Fight Pass. Lookboonmee was returning to Invicta FC for the first time since January 2018, when she made her pro debut. 2-1 as a pro, she was paired up with Adriane (properly Monique Adriane Azevedo), a 4-1 fighter making her Invicta debut.

Adriane and Lookboonmee opened up with the Thai fighter on the outside. A brief feeling out led to the pair exchanging fire a couple of times. Eventually, Lookboonme, a veteran of 300 or so Muay Thai fights, took the bout to the ground, throwing elbows while in half guard. Adriane held on from the bottom with a body lock; eventually she would escape back to her feet, with about thirty seconds remaining in the round.

Round two saw a slower pace early, with Adriane light on her feet on the outside. Loma Lookboonme focused on the body early; Adriane would later catch a kick and dump Lookboonme on her back. Adriane then went to work inside her opponent’s guard, before backing off, which allowed Lookboonme to jump to her feet. Lookboonmee would later counter a trip, earning a takedown that resulted in a scramble. Lookboonmee would next landed a throw, scoring another takedown, and going back to work from the guard. Not a ton of strikes landed, and Lookboonme allowed the fight to move back up at the end of the frame.

The third frame of Lookboonmee vs. Adriane saw Adriane firing a low kick early, and Lookboonmee trying a teep to the midsection. The Brazilian Adriane would land a good combo punctuated by the left, and attack the legs. Lookboonmee would also work front kicks, and land her right hand. A lead elbow near the final minute was fired by Lookboonmee, and she’d land a final minute takedown. She finished off with some ground n’ pound, and Adriane was slow to get up after, in obvious pain after injuring her ankle on the final takedown.

The judges saw it the same on every scorecard, and Lookboonmee earned the decision.

Loma Lookboonmee def. Monique Adriane by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Invicta FC 35 went down from the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas on Friday night. Opening up the card, which aired exclusively on UFC Fight Pass, was a strawweight battle between debuting pros Valerie Wong and Genia Goodin. While both were making their professional MMA debuts, both had also found success on the amateur scene.

Goodin, a purple belt in jiu-jitsu who has won several belts in the amateurs, plus a national MMA championship, discussed the fight with Cageside Press ahead Friday’s event.

When the opening bell rang, Wong opened with a kick, and quickly transitioned to a takedown on the taller, lankier Genia Goodin. Goodin, however, reversed along the fence, tying up her opponent. That led to a battle for position, which saw Wong climb up her opponent, looking for a guillotine. That forced the pair to the ground, Wong holding onto the guillotine for a moment before losing it, which allowed Goodin to work from guard.

Wong mixed in heel kicks and elbows from the bottom, which kept Goodin from getting too much offense in. However, she was picking up precious seconds in top time. With just over thirty seconds remaining in the opening frame, the ref stood them back up, and the round ended with a takedown via throw for Goodin.

Round two opened with an early clinch, and Wong was able to get on top, briefly, as the pair went to the ground. Goodin looked to snatch a leg, and Wong then had to spend some time defending a possible leg lock. However, while pursuing that submission, Goodin gave up her neck, and Wong nearly capitalized. However, Goodin pulled free, and wound up back in guard, getting in a bi of ground n’ pound on her opponent. Wong would later try for a triangle, but never came close with it.

The third and final round saw a clinch against the fence early, with Goodin pressing the action, and Wong trying underhooks, then overhooks, to try and peel her off or turn her. Goodin was able to sneak in some short punches during the sequence. Most of the round would play out against the fence, until the final minute, where the ref restarted them. A tired Wong then fired a looping overhand, while Goodin fired a handful of punches before reestablishing the clinch by the fence. From there it went to the judges, who awarded Goodin the split decision.

Genia Goodin def. Valerie Wong by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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