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| (Image Source: Tapology.com/Invicta Fighting Championships) |
Invicta Fighting Championships is heading to the Mile High City. The world’s leading combat sports promotion for women will make its debut in the Centennial State of Colorado on Wednesday, July 20, touching down at Reelworks Denver with Invicta FC 48: Tennant vs. Rubin.
In the night’s headliner, Taniesha “Triple Threat” Tennant (4-1) will make the first defense of her bantamweight crown when she takes on former Bellator MMA No. 1 contender “Big Bad” Olga Rubin (7-2). Tennant established herself amongst the division’s elite by winning three fights in one night to capture the third Phoenix Tournament, before cementing herself as champion by defeating Lisa Verzosa at Invicta FC 44. The Russian-Israeli Rubin — who now trains in England — will make her first Invicta appearance riding the momentum of a victory over Brazil’s Priscila de Souza in her 135-pound debut. The co-main event also takes place in the bantamweight division as former title challenger Katharina Lehner (7-3) of Germany welcomes UFC veteran Talita Bernardo (7-4) to the Invicta cage. Lehner will be competing under the Invicta banner for the fourth time. Brazil’s Bernardo recently scored a win over fellow Octagon alum Lucie Pudilová.
Also featured on the card will be a strawweight affair between the returning Mallory Martin (7-5) and newcomer Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (8-5). Denver’s Martin will fight in her own backyard following a four-fight stint with the UFC. Nevada’s Batara brings a wealth of experience to the promotion, having faced Invicta veterans Kanako Murata, Paulina Granados and Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc. Rounding out the event, Liana “Li” Pirosin (7-4) and Kristina “Warhorse” Williams (5-3) look to continue their ascension up the flyweight ladder, strawweight boxing veteran Melissa “Bella Bestia” Oddessa Parker (3-1) collides with Dutch kickboxing sensation Isis “Fight Queen” Verbeek (3-1), Amber “Touch ‘Em Up” Leibrock returns to the promotion for the first time since 2016 to meet PFL veteran “Mad Dog” Morgan Frier (4-3) at featherweight, and Auttumn “The Natural” Norton (1-1) takes on Canadian debutant “Sweet” Maria Djukic (2-0) in a bantamweight match-up.
The event will be overseen by the Colorado Combative Sports Commission and will feature open scoring. Invicta FC 48 will mark the return of live combat sports action on AXS TV in the United States (USA) — as well as digital platforms worldwide — kicking off at 9:00 pm ET/7:00 pm MT (Thursday, July 21, 9:00 am PHT/SGT/HKT).
