It was a return eight months within the making, in addition to a homecoming 12 years within the making. On Friday night time, after not having held a present because the night time of Recreation 1 in final 12 months’s World Sequence, girls’s MMA promotion Invicta Preventing Championships returned to reside motion for the primary of 5 exhibits in 2024.
Within the run-up to Invicta’s return, followers believed that the group had disappeared ceaselessly. This couldn’t be farther from the reality. On Might 28, when Invicta FC 55 was introduced for precisely one month later, Invicta President Shannon Knapp was a visitor on Sirius XM’s Battle Nation channel’s MMA As we speak to disclose the true cause for the hiatus.
“We have been fine-tuning the machine to be organized the way in which we needed to maneuver ahead and that distribution deal,” Knapp talked about the day of the Sirius XM look. “And now, we’re able to roll.” Subsequent to that look, Invicta revealed that they’d signed a media rights pact with CBS Sports activities Community.
Nice First Present Again, Regardless of Early Hiccup
With the primary present on CBS Sports activities Community set for June 28 at Memorial Corridor from Kansas Metropolis, KS, the massive night time got here. It wasn’t with out its (slight) issues, nevertheless.
The crew within the manufacturing truck exterior the world encountered technical difficulties stopping the YouTube and Fb stream of the undercard going reside from the beginning. As a makegood for lacking the opening combat of the occasion reside because it occurred, the footage of the flyweight contest matching Violeta Mendoza (2-0 MMA, 1-0 Invicta FC) towards Fallon Johnson (0-1 MMA, 0-1 Invicta) was run again in a while within the stream after the featured prelim.
Mendoza scored a first-round TKO as a consequence of punches in that individual bout. Past that, the cardboard went easily.
Entertaining Evening Up and Down
Earlier on this week, MMA Sucka interviewed Shannon Knapp over a Zoom name to debate the cardboard. On the time, Knapp promised an excellent night time of aggressive violence in Kansas Metropolis.
“These girls are expert athletes,” she stated on Wednesday. “They’re ready, they’re dedicated, and after they step into the cage, they arrive to win.” By and enormous, Invicta FC 55 delivered.
Statistically talking, Invicta FC 55 had three of its seven fights finish by stoppage on the night. Whereas the knockout and submission wins get folks speaking on the likes of X (previously referred to as Twitter) and Instagram, wins that go the space are simply as nice to see.
Generally, a medical efficiency in a combat is equally spectacular as a win recorded by stoppage. You by no means know simply what you’re going to see from one combat to the following. That’s what makes MMA nice to look at.
Bernardo Defends Strap in Principal Occasion
Highlighting Friday night time’s actions was a battle for the Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship within the Invicta FC 55 most important occasion. Champion Talita Bernardo (11-4 MMA, 4-0 Invicta) sought to retain her title towards Bellator alumnae Olga Rubin (9-4 MMA, 2-2 Invicta).
Throughout the second spherical of an marketed 5, Bernardo locked in a rear-naked choke to stay the titleholder at 135 lbs. After the combat, Bernardo talked with analyst Megan Anderson about foretelling the end to the title combat.
“Just a few days in the past, I had a dream the place I used to be utilizing the rear-naked choke on this combat,” the champion started, by means of her translator. “My opponent knew that my jiu-jitsu was good, and I attempted to do what I informed within the [pre-fight] interview [that] I used to be going to do.”
Talita Bernardo’s efficiency on Friday night time was a dream come true.
CBS Sports activities Community, Followers Actual Winners
Though seven fighters walked out of Memorial Corridor victorious on Friday night time, the folks watching the present at dwelling are the true victors, as is Invicta’s new US linear TV accomplice CBS Sports activities Community. For Invicta to be again on a sports-centric community after having to air its playing cards on AXS TV is a significant enhance.
When Invicta aired on AXS TV, the promotion was the one sports activities group it had rights to. On the core, AXS TV was and nonetheless is nearly solely a music channel, save for a couple of hours when it airs programming from Impression! Wrestling in primetime.
Now that Invicta has settled into the CBS Sports activities household, the promotion can thrive for years to come back. CBS must be happy with the product Invicta put out on Friday night time. It’s solely onward and upward from right here.
Should you missed Invicta FC 55 because it was occurring reside, you needn’t fret. CBS Sports activities Community is providing a replay of the present Saturday night time at midnight ET/ 9 pm PT, in addition to this coming Friday night time, July 5 at 10 pm ET/ 7 pm PT instantly following the community’s presentation of Enviornment Soccer.
Last Ideas
All in all, Invicta FC 55 was a tremendous night time of fight sports activities motion. Hats off to Shannon Knapp and her crew, in addition to the fighters who walked into the cage.
