That’s because PFL star Harrison, on loan to Invicta, split open a nasty gash on King’s forehead with an elbow, and proceeded to mop the floor with her — leaving what seemed like several pints of blood on the canvas.

That the fight made it into the second round was a bloody miracle. And just plain bloody. Yes, we’re hammering that point home. But then, King was the nail in the fight, Harrison the hammer, so perhaps it all fits together nicely.

For a promotion sometimes derided over a lack of finishes, Invicta FC 43 proved the naysayers wrong. Despite just five bouts making it to Fight Night, the event proved to be exciting, surprising, and full of stoppages. Four of the night’s five contests finished inside the distance, evenly split between submissions and strikes.

Full results and a gallery of highlights from Invicta FC 43 can be found below.

Invicta FC 43: Harrison vs. King Results

Kayla Harrison def. Courtney King by TKO, Round 2, 4:48
Stephanie Geltmacher def. Caitlin Sammons by knockout, Round 1, 4:28
Hope Chase def. Brittney Cloudy by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 4:37
Meaghan Penning def. Alexa Culp by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Juliana Miller def. Kendal Holowell by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 2:49

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Kayla Harrison’s addition to the Invicta FC 43 card was rather fortuitous for the promotion. With the strawweight title fight between Emily Ducote and Montserrat Ruiz being scratched for precautionary reasons (at least one of the fighters had potentially been exposed to the coronavirus, the promotion advised Cageside Press on Friday), Harrison’s bout with Courtney King found itself promoted to the main event.

Harrison’s first excursion outside of the PFL, the impromptu Invicta FC 43 main event was notable for another reason as well. After spending the entirety of her career at lightweight, Harrison was dropping down to 145lbs for the first time. Long a holdout when it came to weight cutting, circumstance, and the knowledge that the best potential opponents for her future fought at 145 necessitated the move.

Harrison, decked out in her PFL fight gear, looked cautious early. Her initial takedown attempt, set up with a strike, was fought off by King. King was no doubt looking to play spoiler. But right at the halfway mark of the round, King found herself thrown onto her back thanks to a trip. Harrison got on top, and soon opened King up with an elbow. Conveying the carnage that ensued is no easy feat. King seemingly donated a couple of pints of blood to the cage floor. Harrison continued to drop elbows and punches as King squirmed, rolled, but somehow survived. A late arm-bar attempt by Harrison was foiled, in part, due to all the blood — the fighters were just too slick.

Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words.

https://twitter.com/jedigoodman/status/1329980774238494720

The biggest surprise of the opening round of Harrison vs. King is that it was allowed to continue. A nasty gash sat right between the eyes of King, but placement and a skilled cutman ensured the fight was allowed to continue. But in the second, Harrison wasted little time in getting the fight back down. This time, she worked from the guard of King. King closed her guard and eventually forced a standup, but Harrison had decent movement while on her feet — and quickly got the fight back down anyway. Harrison would eventually find herself in the crucifix position, and finally, mercifully, put King away.

After the fight, Harrison expressed disappointment in her inability to work her standup, and her hesitation at being punched. It’s rather hard to find fault in her performance, however, and the only reason it went as long as it did was the toughness of Courtney King.

Moving forward, Harrison (8-0) plans to take one more fight with Invicta prior to returning to the PFL next season.

Official Result: Kayla Harrison def. Courtney King by TKO, Round 2, 4:48

The post Kayla Harrison Dominates, Bloodies Courtney King at Invicta FC 43 appeared first on Cageside Press.

When first announced, Invicta FC’s November offering featured a title fight double-header, including Pearl Gonzalez vying for the promotion’s flyweight crown. However, a positive COVID-19 test knocked Gonzalez out of the event.

The strawweight title was set to be contested by Emily Ducote and Montserrat Ruiz. That fight, the evening’s main event, held together. Right up until the last minute. After silence from the promotion regarding weigh-in on Thursday (no media was present), on Friday, Invicta FC officials confirmed that the title fight was off. Due to “enhanced COVID-19 safety protocols.” Both Ducote and Ruiz made weight, but they would not fight.

To bolster the event, PFL star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison had been brought in as part of the evening’s co-main event. With the Professional Fighters League sitting out 2020 thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the promotion gave their biggest star the green light to cross over. Harrison was paired up with Courtney King at the event — and made the cut to 145lbs for the first time. With the loss of Ducote vs. Ruiz, that fight became the new main event.

The Invicta FC 43 card airs live on UFC Fight Pass, kicking off at 8PM ET. Check below for results come fight time.

Invicta FC 43: Ducote vs. Ruiz Results

Emily Ducote vs. Montserrat Ruiz – for the vacant Invicta FC strawweight title
Kayla Harrison def. Courtney King by TKO, Round 2, 4:48
Stephanie Geltmacher def. Caitlin Sammons by knockout, Round 1, 4:28
Hope Chase def. Brittney Cloudy by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 4:37
Meaghan Penning def. Alexa Culp by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Juliana Miller def. Kendal Holowell by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 2:49

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While both Emily Ducote and Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz made championship weight on Thursday, their fight for the promotion’s vacant strawweight has been postponed. Invicta FC officials announced via press release that due to “enhanced COVID-19 protocols,” the fight will be pushed back to a later date.

Ducote hit the mark at 114.5 pounds and Ruiz came in at 113.3 pounds.

As a result of Ducote vs. Ruiz falling off the card, Olympic gold medalist and PFL star Kayla Harrison now headlines. Harrison will be taking her first fight outside of the Professional Fighters League at the event, something the PFL granted permission for given the league is sitting out 2020 due to the pandemic.

Facing Courtney King, Harrison successfully made the cut to 145lbs for the first time for Invicta FC 43. In the PFL, she has competed exclusively at lightweight, winning that promotion’s 155lb tournament last year — and the million dollars that came with it.

Full results from the Invicta FC weigh-in can be found below. The action kicks off at 8PM ET on Friday, November 20, going down live on UFC Fight Pass.

Featherweight: Courtney King (145.2) vs. Kayla Harrison (145.9)
Flyweight: Stephanie Geltmacher (124.9) vs. Caitlin Sammons (124.2)
Bantamweight: Brittney Cloudy (137.3)* vs. Hope Chase (135.9)
Strawweight: Alexa Culp (115.6) vs. Meaghan Penning (115.9)
Flyweight: Juliana Miller (125.2) vs. Kendal Holowell (125.8)

* Cloudy missed the bantamweight limit of 136 pounds and was fined 25 percent of her fight purse

Update, 5:30PM ET: Invicta FC officials tell Cageside Press that the reason for the main event being pulled was that “There were positive tests that potentially exposed the main event athletes to the virus and safety is the utmost priority for Invicta FC events.”

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Only instead of making her Bellator debut, Miller will be fighting at Invicta FC 43 this Friday night. Chalk that up to another case of coronavirus confusion.

As far as 2020 goes, Miller told Cageside Press recently that the year has been “a roller coaster. I feel like everybody’s been through the roller coaster.” No surprise there. When it comes to fighting, however, it’s been about a year and a half since she last competed.

Injuries and of course the pandemic had Miller on the sidelines. Her deal with Bellator hit a snag as well, with no fights available earlier this year. “They weren’t planning on having fights til 2021. I’d been training non-stop,” she explained. Miller’s team reached out to the promotion, saying that they were still interested. But with the promotion only returning to action in late July, “We asked if it would be okay if we signed with Invicta.” Bellator gave the okay. Only for the organization to reach out just weeks ago, offering a fight.

By that time, Miller had a fight lined up with Kendal Holowell on the Invicta FC 43 card.

While Bellator is still a possibility, “my dream is actually to end up in ONE Championship. I love Asia, I love Japan, and I’m just trying to work my way back over there,” said Miller. It would certainly be another interesting step in her MMA journey — which also saw her compete as an amateur on the infamous Golden Boy MMA card featuring Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell.

Training at 10th Planet, Miller has been around fighters like Macfarlane and Liz Carmouche for years. Which has allowed her to pick up some key lessons

“I think that the most important thing is where your mind is at, and your intelligence level. That’s one thing that I learned from Ilima mostly,” Miller explained. “She is so smart, and she works so hard to make sure that her mind’s in the right place and that she builds that confidence. I learned that if you don’t believe in yourself, neither will anybody else, and when you get in the cage, that’s going to show.”

Mental work is number one. Number two, another piece of advice she got from Macfarlane, was “don’t get fat right after your camp, so you can stay ready to fight.” As hard as it is to follow that rule, “it’s kind of helped me get a few more fights,” said Miller.

Miller’s on a big platform come Friday night, with Invicta FC 43 airing on UFC Fight Pass. But the size of the show doesn’t matter to the flyweight. “I hope this isn’t offensive to anyone, but honestly I do not care. I don’t care who’s watching, I don’t care where I’m fighting, I’m here for war, and to release a killer side of me that I can’t legally do at any other stage in life.”

Of course there’s training partners, but as Miller pointed out, in training, “I’ve never thrown an elbow as hard as I can, because I don’t want to hurt my partners, and there’s just no need for it. So I just want to go out there, and I want to go to war and I want to do my thing. I could be on any stage, I could be on a dirt road in a chicken coop throwing down, and I’m still going to do what I came to do. I’m very blessed, grateful and excited to be on this major card, but that has nothing to do with where my mind is at.”

That’s similar to something she told the legendary Liddell, after a couple of meetings with the UFC legend at that Golden Boy MMA event. Liddell originally didn’t see Miller as a fighter. “What? I thought you were a ring girl!” Miller recalled the legend exclaiming when they bumped into each other a few days out from fight night.

After a few more chance encounters, Liddell asked the flyweight if she was nervous ahead of her fight. “I was like ‘I just want war, I’m here to kill.'” Admitting that she’d had a rough past, she told Liddell that “for me to be able unleash a side of me that’s not normally okay, I’m just stoked I’m not going to get arrested for beating someone up.”

Liddell’s response? “Yeah, that’s why I do this sport.”

Watch our full interview with Invicta FC 43’s Juliana Miller above.

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CFFC 88 | Wednesday | US

Strawweight, Criszaida Adames (2-0)

Going 4-0 as an amateur, Adames is only 2-0 as a pro but has looked good. Adames is a spitfire blitzing in and out with offense. She could be more technical but is active enough to create issues. Adames has taken down opponents as well as being able to mix it up on the feet. Her best aspects are her striking coming forward and her work rate. She’s still raw but has potential. She fights Claudia Baril (1-0).

Brave CF 45 | Thursday | Bahrain

Lightweight, Akhmed Magomedov (6-0)

Magomedov has a background in freestyle wrestling and was the Russian National Jiu-Jitsu champion in 2017. The Russian only has six fights, but three finishes, getting it done on the mat with submissions and ground and pound. He’s a smart fighter and could be someone to watch for in the future. He fights Abdul Azim Badakhshi (10-2).

Bellator 253 | Thursday | US

Featherweight, AJ McKee (16-0)

McKee has very good wrestling and is able to land many takedowns in a fight. McKee’s athleticism means he can get the easy double leg or just suplex his opponent to the mat. On top, McKee moves well but his control and top position are what stand out. He is strong in the clinch and likes to use knees, and from range he’s started to use more of his kickboxing skills. McKee is also getting better at keeping his opponent at his preferred range. Even with his ever-improving striking, the mat is where he really shows his high skill level. He fights former Bellator champ Darrion Caldwell (14-3).

Welterweight, Jason Jackson (12-4)

Jackson is a good striker who is technical with an excellent jab and a crushing right hand. This product out of the former Blackzilians gym is a very good wrestler as well as being very well-rounded. He’s super athletic and seems to get better every time he fights. He fights well-known former UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson (28-9).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIalMiFWxqY&ab_channel=AXSTVFights

Welterweight, Joey Davis (7-0)

Davis is an unbeaten D2 wrestler at 133-0. Davis has looked pretty stellar for the most part in his MMA career. He’s used his excellent wrestling and ferocious ground and pound, the latter probably being his best aspect by far. The wrestler though is very athletic and explosive. Davis has finished the fight with both his hands and his kicks. He really looks to be a big deal at only 26-years old. He fights Bobby Lee (12-4) who is his toughest test to date.

Bantamweight, Keith Lee (7-3)

Don’t be deceived by Lee’s record with three losses. His losses are all to very good fighters. Keith is the younger brother of UFC star and top contender Kevin Lee. Keith is very exciting and is extremely well-rounded with excellent cardio. On the feet, Lee has a nice jab and throws a lot of kicks. He’s an even better wrestler who actually out-wrestled an excellent wrestler in Shawn Bunch. He fights Raufeon Stots (14-1).

Bantamweight, Raufeon Stots (14-1)

Raufeon Stots is a former NCAA Division II national champion in wrestling at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. The only loss on his MMA record came to current UFC fighter Merab Dvalishvili. Stots is a fantastic wrestler but his stand-up has come along nicely with some good Muay Thai and a developing jab. Still, the Roufusport product is primarily a wrestler. His timing on his shots is excellent and the execution is perfect. It’s going to take a good fighter to beat Stots and to neutralize his wrestling. He fights Keith Lee (7-3).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6VZNGnoxi0&t=1s&ab_channel=AXSTVFights

Welterweight, Jaleel Willis (13-2)

Jaleel Willis is quite athletic and a top-notch wrestler. On top, he has the control, the transitions, and the ground-and-pound to excel. Willis is everything you want in a fighter, especially in terms of wrestling. On the feet, he does hold a lot of power in his hands. Willis still has some things to learn but is a bright prospect. He fights Mark Lemminger (11-2) who is a good prospect as well.

Featherweight, Jay Jay Wilson (6-0)

Wilson has only been a pro for a little over two years and has looked good. The Kiwi has displayed beautiful jiu-jitsu and showed once he gets the back he has a fantastic rear-naked choke. Still, there is a lot he needs to show but Wilson is someone to watch out for. His striking looked good in his last fight and many thought he shoul of lost that fight. He fights Sergio DeBari (5-1).

CFFC 89 | Thurday | US

Welterweight, Christien Savoie (8-0)

Savoie has competed at both middleweight and welterweight. He’s won titles in both weight classes inside Canadian promotion Elite 1 MMA. Savoie is mainly a grinder who will push the pace in close quarters. He wants to take the fight to the mat where his ground and pound is excellent landing at a solid rate with good shots from a short amount of distance. The undefeated record says it all. He fights Bassil Hafez (5-2-1) for the title.

One Championship | Friday | Singapore

Lightweight, Chang Min Yoon (4-0)

Yoon trains out of Team Stun Gun under the main man himself, former UFC fighter Dong Hyun Kim. Yoon doesn’t throw with a lot of output but throws a good jab, a one-two, and hits hard. On the feet, his best weapon is his heavy leg kicks. Yoon is a much better fighter once he gets the fight on the mat. He possesses some tactical grappling, transitioning effortlessly. Yoon is a submission threat as well with three submissions in his pro career. He fights Ryogo Takahashi (13-4).

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2020, however, is a very different animal. Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, there is no PFL season this year. That put Harrison in a bind. With no opportunity to fight in the Professional Fighter’s League, something had to give. Still young in her career, she needed to compete.

Something finally did give. Harrison (7-0) will fight this Friday, taking on Courtney King at Invicta FC 43.

“I said early in the year that mark my words, I wasn’t going to go a whole year without fighting, and I meant it,” Harrison told Cageside Press ahead of the fight. “Obviously the PFL is not doing fights this year, so we had to figure out a way to make that happen.”

It wasn’t easy, but a couple of weeks back, Harrison and her team got a deal in place. She’ll compete in the Invicta cage, with the blessing of the PFL. “A lot of work went in behind the scenes to get this done,” said Harrison, noting the effort put in by her manager. “Now it’s here, finally. I’m going to fight at 145, I’m going to fight one more time before I finish out my contractual duties next year.”

By that, Harrison means the plan is to fight once more before the PFL’s 2021 season. “I was supposed to fight four times this year. If they tell me they’ve got a fight for next week, then I’m going to take a fight next week. But I’m going to fight hopefully twice before the season next year.”

As to whether that proposed second fight will be under the Invicta FC banner, “I’m not entirely sure. I think so,” said Harrison, who added that she’s “super happy and thankful to Invicta for opening their arms to me, allowing me to come under their organization and fight.” Harrison is also thankful to Courtney King, “for stepping up and accepting the fight when no one else would.”

“Hopefully I fight for Invicta again. I like it so far, it’s been nothing but good stuff from them,” she added.

Aside from Harrison being granted the okay to fight outside of the PFL, the big news is that she’s making the move to 145lbs. Something many observers have long been waiting for — but that Harrison herself has been resistant against.

“It’s no secret, all of my career, I don’t believe in cutting weight. I’ve been against it, I’m still against it,” Harrison said on that front. “I don’t think it sends a good message to kids, I think it’s super unhealthy for our bodies, I think it can be dangerous at times, getting in the cage, getting punched in the head after dehydrating your body to extreme amounts.”

Harrison has a myriad of reasons for forgoing a large weight cut. “Number one, I don’t want to cut weight because I’m hypoglycemic, and I have low blood sugar. Number two, I don’t think it sends the right message. And number three, from a young age, I was taught that if you’re going to win, you’re going to win at whatever weight you fight, and it doesn’t matter who’s across from you,” she explained. “And that’s something that I really believe and was instilled in me.”

Admittedly, however, “this year has thrown a lot of curve balls at me, and I had to make some choices.” What it boiled down to was, did Harrison want to fight, or not? “It was either, sit on my high horse and say ‘no I’m not going to cut weight,’ or accept the fight at 145. No one wanted to fight at 155, so I didn’t really have much of a choice. I got my weight down, I’ve dieted, and been very disciplined and professional about it.”

In the end, she’s hoping that she won’t have to cut too much weight. When we spoke, Harrison was down to about 153lbs.

One positive side effect, however, is that making 145lbs for Invicta FC 43 will “hush [the doubters] up for now. It will give me the confidence to know that I can make the weight healthily and in a safe way. My goal is to be the best in the world. If I want to be the best in the world, I’m going to probably have to go where the best in the world are.”

At the moment, Harrison’s focus is on Friday night and Courtney King. “After that, it will be the next opponent, and then I will fulfill my duties, and then we’ll see what happens.” Her duties including fighting out her PFL contract, which is done following the 2021 season.

While she’s no doubt that promotion’s biggest star, “I’m in the business of Kayla Harrison, and that’s it,” Harrison said. “And Kayla Harrison’s job isn’t to make money, it isn’t to look pretty, it isn’t to be famous. Kayla Harrison’s job is to be the best fighter in the world.”

Watch our full interview with Kayla Harrison above. Invicta FC 43 airs live this Friday, November 20 on UFC Fight Pass.

The post Invicta FC 43: Kayla Harrison Hoping to Fight Twice Before PFL Return, Talks Cut to 145lbs appeared first on Cageside Press.

Harrison (7-0) has competed at lightweight thus far in her career. But she will be dropping to featherweight for the first time for the November 20 event in Kansas City. Both Invicta FC and the PFL confirmed her involvement in the card via press release on Monday. Harris will face Courtney King (4-1) in the evening’s co-main event.

Winning gold in Judo (78kg) at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games, Harrison has been the Professional Fighters League’s biggest star since her arrival there. After stringing together three wins in one-off fights to start her career in 2018, the promotion built a lightweight division around her last year. Harrison did not disappoint, winning all four of her fights between the regular season and playoffs to capture a million dollar prize.

Questions about a drop to featherweight for dream match-ups against the likes of Cris Cyborg and Amanda Nunes have always circled Harrison, however. Circumstance has now afforded her the opportunity. With the PFL cancelling its 2020 season outright, Harrison has been unable to stay busy.

King, meanwhile, will head into Invicta FC 43 a clear underdog — but despite that, she is on a three-fight win streak.

Invicta FC 43 takes place on November 20, and will feature a main event strawweight title fight between Emily Ducote and Montserrat Ruiz for the promotion’s vacant 115lb belt. The full card will stream live on UFC Fight Pass.

The post Kayla Harrison Drops to Featherweight at Invicta FC 43 appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Invicta FC 43 main event was originally a highly anticipated championship clash between flyweights Pearl Gonzalez and Erin Blanchfield. However, Gonzalez has officially pulled out of the bout after announcing that she has tested positive for COVID-19. Gonzalez announced the pullout on social media, saying that Shannon Knapp and Invicta decided it would be best for Gonzalez to sit this one out.

Gonzalez said of her removal and her status due to testing positive: “Make sure you’re taking your supplements, washing your hands, and wearing your masks. I’ll talk to you guys soon when I’m back feeling better and let you know an update of how I’m doing. I love you guys. Thank you for your support.”

The withdrawal by Gonzalez is a big blow to the Invicta FC 43 card, as Gonzalez is one of the biggest stars in the company, and Erin Blanchfield is one of the highest-rated flyweight prospects in women’s MMA at the moment. As of right now, the fight has yet to be booked for another Invicta card.

Stepping in for the main event will be a strawweight clash between Emily Ducote and Monserrat Ruiz for the vacant Invicta strawweight title. Both fighters are coming off wins and are looking to stake their claim as the best strawweight in Invicta following the exit of former champion Kanako Murata, who vacated the title earlier this year.

Invicta FC 43 streams live on UFC Fight Pass on Friday, Nov. 20 in Kansas City, Kansas. As in previous Invicta events, no fans or media will be allowed. The card currently features the following bouts:

Emily Ducote vs. Montserrat Ruiz – For the vacant Invicta FC strawweight championship
Courtney King vs. TBA
Trisha Cicero vs. Stephanie Geltmacher
Kendal Holowell vs. Juliana Miller

The post Pearl Gonzalez Out Of Invicta FC 43 Main Event appeared first on Cageside Press.

Invicta FC 43 had already seen it’s main and co-main event announced for November 20. Those being a flyweight title fight between Pearl Gonzalez and Erin Blanchfield, and Emily Ducote taking on Monserrat Ruiz for the vacant strawweight title. However, that fight card has been shored up with three fights being added per a press release from the promotion.

Kicking off the card will be a pair of Invicta FC strawweight newcomers, as California based fighter Juliana “Killer” Miller takes on Kendal Holowell of Arkansas. Holowell is making her professional debut at Invicta FC 43.

Next up on the card is an important flyweight fight between Stephanie Geltmacher and Trisha Cicero. Geltmacher is looking for her third win inside the Invicta cage, and was last in action in a Fight of the Year contender against Victoria Leonardo at Invicta FC 36. Cicero on the other hand is coming off of three straight wins, including a decision victory over Laura Gallardo at Invicta FC 40 in July.

Then prior to the two championship fights on the November card, we’ll be seeing Courtney King in the Invicta cage in a featherweight bout against an opponent to be named soon.

The event itself will be overseen by the Kansas Athletic Commission and will feature open scoring for all the fights on the card. As with all Invicta FC events since March, it will take place behind closed doors without fans and media. All fighters and their corners will be tested for COVID-19 prior to the event.

Invicta FC 43 goes down on November 20, in Kansas City, Kansas. The full fight card can be seen on UFC Fight Pass starting at 7 PM CT.

The post Invicta FC 43: Three Fights Join Championship Doubleheader appeared first on Cageside Press.