On October 6th, Invicta Fighting Championships will crown its first champion when Jessica Penne faces off against Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama at Invicta FC 3 in Kansas City, Kan. The bout will be contested for the inaugural Invicta FC atomweight title at 105 pounds.
The women’s bantamweight division has received a considerable amount of attention from fans and media in recent months due to the meteoric rise of Strikeforce champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey, but Invicta FC has opted to put the spotlight on the lighter weight classes for its third event in order to showcase the depth of talent that is available.
Penne (9-1) and Sugiyama (8-0) are two of the top female fighters in MMA today. After winning seven of her first eight fights, Penne made the move down to 105 pounds and she has since racked up a pair of impressive stoppage victories to earn her shot at the Invicta title. The Californian is coming off of a third-round TKO triumph over Lisa Ellis at Invicta FC 1 in April.
Sugiyama is already a champion in Japan, where she holds the Jewels featherweight queen title at 106 pounds, and she remains unbeaten in her career. She most recently defeated former Valkyrie champ Yasuko “Ikuko” Tamada for a second time in a rematch at “Jewels: 19th Ring.” Having dispatched of all credible challengers in her home country, Sugiyama now makes her U.S. debut and looks to solidify her spot as MMA’s premier atomweight fighter with a victory over Penne.
In addition to the title fight, Invicta FC 3 features 13 more bouts in five weight classes. Former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman was originally scheduled to compete on the card, but she was forced to withdraw due to an injury this past week. Kaufman’s opponent, Kaitlin Young, now faces Leslie Smith in a rematch from Invicta FC 1.
Invicta FC 3 takes place on October 6th at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The event will stream live and for free on InvictaFC.com.
check out the Invicta FC 3 fight card Here
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