Maia anchored Friday’s main event, taking on Mayra Cantuária with the possibility of a title shot awaiting the winner. Also in action, former Invicta strawweight champion Valesca Machado, with “Tina Black” taking on Yulia Ostroverkhova in a key fight for the promotion’s 115lb division, with the possibility of a title shot down the road also on the table.

Where to Watch Invicta FC 56

Invicta FC 56 takes place on Friday, August 9, 2024 at the Stockyards Event Center in Denver, Colorado. The event streams live on Fight Network in Canada, and on CBS Sports Network in the U.S. Full results from the card can be found below.

The Invicta FC 56 preliminary card can be viewed online starting at 8PM, and is available in the video embed below. The main card gets underway at 9PM ET.

Invicta FC 56: Maia vs. Cantuaria Results

Main Card

Bantamweight: Jennifer Maia def. Mayra Cantuária by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Strawweight: Valesca Machado def. Yulia Ostroverkhova by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight: Jackie Cataline def. Kelly Ottoni by TKO, Round 3, 3:15
Bantamweight: Kate Bacik def. Paula “Bittencourt” Cristina by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Atomweight: Ana Palacios def. Flor Hernandez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary Card

Atomweight: Giulliany Perêa def. Ailed Zubieta by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight: Ali Pellegrini def. Marissa Ellis by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 1:14
Flyweight: Ashley Barrett def. Tatiana Salazar by TKO, Round 1, 1:34

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The all-female fighting promotion finds itself in Denver, Colorado for it’s second card of 2024, with Mayra Cantuária featuring in the main event opposite Maia. A title shot is likely on the line, especially should Maia, who parted ways with the UFC following a loss to Viviane Araujo last year, emerge victorious.

Former Invicta FC women’s strawweight champion Valesca “Tina Black” Machado, meanwhile, was anchoring the co-main event at Invicta FC 56. She was set to take on Yulia Ostroverkhova.

Weigh-ins for the card took place Thursday in Denver, with the entire roster of fighters, 16 in all across eight fights, making weight successfully. Full results can be found below. The event takes place Friday, August 9, 2024 at the Stockyards Event Center in Denver, CO, streaming live on CBS Sports Network in the U.S., and Fight Network in Canada.

Invicta FC 56: Maia vs. Cantuaria Weigh-In Results

Bantamweight: Jennifer Maia (132.6) vs. Mayra Cantuária (135.8)
Strawweight: Valesca Machado (115.8) vs. Yulia Ostroverkhova (115.6)
Featherweight: Kelly Ottoni (146) vs. Jackie Cataline (144.8)
Bantamweight: Kate Bacik (133.6) vs. Paula “Bittencourt” Cristina (135.4)
Atomweight: Flor Hernandez (105.8) vs. Ana Palacios (105.4)
Atomweight: Ailed Zubieta (104.6) vs. Giulliany Perêa (105.8)
Featherweight: Ali Pellegrini (144.2) vs. Marissa Ellis (145.4)
Flyweight: Ashley Barrett (124) vs. Tatiana Salazar (125.8)

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The second card since the promotion’s return from hiatus, one of six planned for 2024, will take place at the Stockyards Event Center in Denver on August 9, 2024.

Promotion officials announced the venue and location in a press release issued on Tuesday. Denver has become a hotspot for MMA, hosting the UFC this past weekend, with ONE Championship set to return to the city later this year.

The promotion last visited Denver in May of 2023, setting up shop at ReelWorks Denver for Invicta FC 53, which saw Rayanne Amanda dos Santos capture atomweight gold against Jillian DeCoursey. dos Santos would later join the UFC, posting an 0-2 record to date.

Invicta FC 56 will be headlined by former UFC women’s flyweight title challenger Jennifer Maia, taking on Mayra Cantuaria in a non-title bantamweight fight. Former Invicta strawweight champ and Dana White’s Contender Series alum Valesca Machado features in the co-headliner, taking on Yulia Ostroverkhova.

The full seven-fight Invicta FC 56 card breaks down as follows:

• Jennifer Maia vs. Mayra Cantuária
• Valesca Machado vs. Yulia Ostroverkhova
• Riley Martinez vs. Kelly Ottoni
• Kate Bacik vs. Paula “Bittencourt” Cristina
• Flor Hernandez vs. Ana Palacios
• Ailed Zubieta vs. Giulliany Perêa
• Ali Pellegrini vs. Marissa Ellis

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Invicta FC 56 is set to take place on August 9, 2024 at the location and venue yet to be announced, with the return of former Invicta flyweight champ and UFC title challenger Jennifer Maia headlining the card. Promotion officials announced the booking on social media, revealing Mayra Cantuária as Maia’s opponent.

The fight will see Maia competing as a bantamweight in a non-title bout; Talita Bernardo defended her 135lb championship on June 28, submitting Olga Rubin. That leaves the Brazilian stars on a possible collision course, should Maia come away from her return fight successful.

Jennifer Maia (21-10-1) has not competed since an October loss against Viviane Araujo which ended her time with the UFC. Prior to that setback, she had won back-to-back fights opposite Maryna Moroz and Casey O’Neill.

In November of 2020, Maia faced then-UFC women’s flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko, losing a unanimous decision in the title fight but giving what many felt was Shevchenko’s toughest test to date as champ, with challengers like Taila Santos and Alexa Grasso building off that.

Prior to her UFC run, Maia competed for Invicta from 2013 to 2017, capturing 125lb gold and defending it prior to making the jump to the big show.

Mayra Cantuária (10-5-1, 1NC) will enter the fight off a win in her Invicta FC debut.

Also announced for the Invicta FC 56 card, Valesca Machado, a.k.a. “Tina Black,” will welcome Russia’s Yulia Ostroverkhova to the promotion in a strawweight scrap. Machado is a Contender Series alum and former Invicta strawweight champ, who captured the 115lb title at Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat earlier this year.

No other fights have been announced for the Invicta FC 56 card at this point in time.

Update, 5:00PM ET – No location has been officially confirmed by Invicta FC for this event, per promotion officials.

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With the city’s deep Irish roots, it was no surprise to see Dublin, Ireland’s Danni McCormack headlining the show, looking to defend her strawweight title for the first time. Opposite McCormack, Poland’s Karolina Wojcik, getting her first shot at Invicta gold.

Wojcik had fallen in the Invicta strawweight tournament to Valesca Macadho — who happened to be on Friday’s card as well, facing Kalindra Faria in the co-main event, also at 115lbs.

Among other familiar names on the bill, Kristina “War Horse” Williams, a Bellator MMA veteran who had seen a three-fight win streak snapped in her last outing.

Invicta FC 54 takes place at the Citizens House of Blues in Boston, MA on Oct. 27 with the action getting underway at 8PM ET. Full results and a live stream of all the action can be found below.

Invicta FC 54: McCormack vs. Wojcik Results

Strawweight: Danni McCormack def. Karolina Wojcik by technical submission (rear-naked choke), Round 4, 1:22 — for the Invicta FC strawweight championship
Strawweight: Valesca Machado vs. Kalindra Faria — Fight cancelled due to illness
Flyweight: Kristina Williams def. Dee Begley by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Strawweight: Andrea Amaro def. Hilarie Rose by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:19
Featherweight: Riley Martinez def. Julia Dorny by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 1:48
Bantamweight: Maria Djukic def. Fernanda Araujo by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

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It’s the first attempted title defense for McCormack, who captured gold in her last outing by defeating highly touted prospect Valesca Machado. The 33-year old from Dublin, a teammate of Conor McGregor at SBG Ireland, previously competed for Bellator MMA, and enters Invicta FC 54 on a two-fight win streak.

Looking to snatch gold away from McCormack is Karolina Wojcik, a 2022 Contender Series winner who did not get a UFC contract on that show. She’s 2-1 since, with all three bouts coming under the Invicta FC banner, and the lone loss coming to Machado.

Speaking of “Tina Black,” Machado is situated in Friday’s co-main event, taking on Kalindra Fairia.

Invicta FC 54 takes place Friday, October 27, 2024 at the Citizens House of Blues in Boston, MA. Weigh-ins for the event took Thursday; results and a gallery of highlights are below.

Invicta FC 54: McCormack vs. Wojcik Weigh-In Results

Strawweight: Danni McCormack (114.6) vs. Karolina Wojcik (114.2) — for the Invicta FC strawweight championship
Strawweight: Valesca Machado (115.9) vs. Kalindra Faria (116)
Flyweight: Kristina Williams (125.5) vs. Dee Begley (125.9)
Strawweight: Hilarie Rose (115.9) vs. Andrea Amaro (115)
Featherweight: Julia Dorny (145.8) vs. Riley Martinez (145.2)
Bantamweight: Maria Djukic (135) vs. Fernanda Araujo (134.9)

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That bout saw Valesca Machado attempting the first title defense of her strawweight reign against Ireland’s Danni McCormack. “Tina Black” had won the title last year at Invicta FC 50, winning two fights in a night to capture gold and win the promotion’s 115lb tournament.

McCormack, who had also fought that very same night, punched her ticket to a title shot by coming out victorious in her promotional debut, against Maíra Mazar. The former Bellator athlete was looking at her first shot at gold in a major promotion on Wednesday night.

In the evening’s co-main event, two fighters who lost to Macado in last year’s tournament, Karolina Wojcik and Ediana Silva, clashed, with the winner ready to jump back in the title hunt.

Full results from Wednesday’s Invicta FC 52 at ReelWorks, Denver in Denver, CO can be found below. Where available, a live stream of the full card can also be viewed in the video embed below.

Invicta FC 52: Machado vs. McCormack Results

Danni McCormack def. Valesca Machado (c) by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) — for the Invicta FC strawweight championship
Karolina Wójcik def. Ediana Silva by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Shauna Bannon def. Minna Grusander by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Mayra Cantuária def. Calie Cutler by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:16
Fatima Kline def. Natalia Kuziutina by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Sayury Cañon def. Amanda Macioce by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Kendra McIntyre def. Diana Sanchez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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The main event of Invicta FC 52 sees Brazilian Valesca “Tina Black” Machado attempting to make the first defense of her 115lb title, against Ireland’s Danni McCormack. Machado captured the title by winning two fights in a night back at Invicta FC 50 in November, earning decisions over Ediana Silva and Karolina Wójcik.

Those two strawweights are also featured on the Invicta FC 52 card on Wednesday, as Wojcik and Silva face off with the winner looking to jump right back into title contention.

McCormack, meanwhile, won her promotional debut that very same night in November to earn her shot against Machado.

Full results from Tuesday’s weigh-in can be found below. The event will kick off at 9 PM ET/7 PM MT on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, airing live on Invicta’s official YouTube Channel and Facebook Page, AXS TV in the U.S., Fight Network in Canada, and elsewhere.

Invicta FC 52: Machado vs. McCormack Weigh-In Results

Strawweight: Valesca Machado (c) (114.1) vs. Danni McCormack (114.2) — for the Invicta FC strawweight championship
Strawweight: Karolina Wójcik (115.8) vs. Ediana Silva (115.8)
Strawweight: Minna Grusander (115.7) vs. Shauna Bannon (115.8)
Bantamweight: Calie Cutler (135.5) vs. Mayra Cantuária (135.8)
Strawweight: Fatima Kline (116) vs. Natalia Kuziutina (115.4)
Strawweight: Sayury Cañon (115.2) vs. Amanda Macioce (115)
Catchweight (120 pounds): Diana Sanchez (121) vs. Kendra McIntyre (120.4)

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First, here is a look at who was included last year, with Yazmin Jauregui, Tereza Bleda, and Jaqueline Amorim all signing with the UFC

Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels
Ekaterina Shakalova
Yazmin Jauregui
Ewelina Woźniak
Tereza Bleda
Josefine Lindgren Knutsson
Jaqueline Amorim
Maria Silva
Lucia Szabová
Dakota Ditcheva
Tania Torres
Yasmin Castanho
Loveth Young
Isis Verbeek
Alesha Zappitella

Before we move on, check out the previous instalments in this series:

10 Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Light Heavyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Middleweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Welterweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Lightweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Featherweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Bantamweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023
10 Flyweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2023

Now it’s time to wrap things up with a look at the ladies who could make their way to the UFC this year.

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On Monday, promotion officials announced that strawweight champ Valesca Machado will put her title on the line against Ireland’s Danni McCormack at the event set for March 15, 2023 in Denver, Colorado.

No other fights have been officially announced for the event, which once again sees the promotion set up shop at ReelWorks Denver.

She's on a 4-fight win streak, has 10 wins her last 11 fights, Brazilian @TinablackM is a proven Strawweight champion. Enter Ireland's @dannimccormack. The unexpected and relentless contender who made her shot undeniable. The battle for it all comes at #InvictaFC52 on 3/15. pic.twitter.com/b2HpfW2rVh

— Invicta FC (@InvictaFights) January 23, 2023

Machado captured the Invicta FC strawweight title last year, winning two fights in a night to claim gold. The highly-touted Brazilian went the distance in a pair of three-round fights against Karolina Wójcik and Ediana Silva, winning both match-ups via decision.

“Tina Black” had previously appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series in October of 2021, coming up short against Piera Rodriguez. The champ has won four straight; of her three losses as a pro, two have come against opponents currently fighting in the UFC: Rodriguez, and Maria Oliveira.

Born in Roscommon, Ireland, McCormack went 4-1 under the Bellator MMA banner from 2019 to 2022, and joined the Invicta roster in November. In he promotional debut, she defeated Maira Mazar, capturing a unanimous decision. It’s straight on to a title fight for the SBG Ireland athlete, who went 1-2 in three bouts last year.

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