Invicta FC completed its fourth card on Saturday night and crowned the first ever Strawweight Champion when Carla Esparza defeated Bec Hyatt by unanimous decision.
The main card featured several bouts with implications on the rankings and potential future title shots both inside and outside of Invicta.
In the co-main event of the evening, Alexis Davis defeated Shayna Baszler by submission in the third round. Baszler did not tap to the rear-naked choke, and Davis put her to sleep at 2:58 of the final round. Also picking up victories on the main card in the bantamweight division were Leslie Smith and Sarah D’Alelio.
In featherweight competition, Ediane Gomes picked up a unanimous decision victory over Hiroko Yamanaka, and strawweight Joanne Calderwood brutalized Livia von Plettenberg for three rounds.
After an exciting night of fights here are our picks for the fights to make:
Carla Esparza
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| Photo Credit: Esther Lin / Invicta Fighting Championships |
Esparza is now the champion of the division, and will move up the rankings, where she currently sits fourth. While contender Joanne Calderwood looked fantastic at Invicta FC 4, there is only one fight to make.
Esparza has to meet Ayaka Hamasaki.
Hamasaki was originally slated for the main event, until an injury forced her from the card. Currently, Hamasaki also sits one position ahead of Esparza as the number three ranked strawweight. Until that fight is resolved no one else should challenge Esparza for the gold.
Alexis Davis
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| Photo Credit: Esther Lin / Invicta Fighting Championships |
In her post-fight interview Davis said that she doesn’t know what is next for her, but that it is up to Invicta. That is likely where she is wrong. It is likely up to Zuffa.
Dave Meltzer reported in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Zuffa currently has 10 women under contract with the UFC, and it is almost a sure thing that Davis is one of those women.
Davis is currently ranked number three in the world and that makes her a perfect opponent for the highly decorated Sara McMann. That fight would determine the next challenger to Ronda Rousey‘s, or Liz Carmouche‘s, UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Shayna Baszler
Yes, Baszler lost the fight, but she put on another fight of the night. If there is one company that loves exciting fighters it is the UFC.
Baszler may not be under contract to the biggest promotion in the world just yet, but she is without question on their radar, and should be fighting in the Octagon in 2013. Will she? That remains to be seen, based on how the company books the newly-created division.
Inside the Octagon, or in Invicta, she needs to take a step back. Bouts against the top ranked women in the division do not make sense after dropping two straight to top five competition. If Invicta is the spot for her next outing there may not be a better choice in opponent than the tough Raquel Pennington, who also dropped her fight at Invicta 4.
Leslie Smith vs. Sarah D’Alelio
Both ladies picked up victories at Invicta 4 and this is a fight that makes sense.
With the elite women heading off to the eight-sided cage under the bright lights, they occupy the top spots in Invicta. It could be a fight where the winner earns a right to move up to the big show.
D’Alelio is in the top ten in the world, but has a recent defeat to Baszler. She is not quite ready for the next level of competition, but a win over Smith would go a long way to showing she is ready for the jump.
For where these two women are at in their careers it is a fight that makes a lot of sense. And it makes a lot of sense for Invicta too.
Ediane Gomes
The sixth-ranked Gomes took care of business against Hiroko Yamanaka. It is a win that could see her move into the top five at featherweight when the next rankings come out.
There is a possibility that it earned her a title shot against Marloes Coenen, but Invicta has yet to crown a champion in that division. If they do put Coenen in a title match in her next outing, it should be third-ranked Julia Budd opposing her, and not Gomes.
Strikeforce is no more, and the UFC is not bringing over the featherweight division. That opens up a lot of talent for Invicta to match against Gomes, but the right choice is someone already on their roster: Tamikka Brents.
Brents entered ranked at number 10, and defeated Amanda Bell by unanimous decision. The fight would tell us more about Brents than Gomes, but would also give Gomes a good hard fight before challenging a potential future champion.
Joanne Calderwood
Calderwood turned down the title fight for Invicta FC 4, and that was a smart decision. She is not quite ready to challenge for the belt, in spite of being ranked in the top ten at strawweight.
However, after her performance she will be looked at to challenge Esparza next in case Hamasaki is unable to go. If the next title fight is Hamasaki vs. Esparza, then there should be a title eliminator for Calderwood.
Sarah Schneider is a perfect opponent for that role.
Schneider will test Calderwood like no one has before in her young career. At only 5-0, this is a big step up for her, and Schneider will try to get back on the winning track after losing to Esparza at Invicta FC 2.
A win wouldn’t give Schneider a title shot, but she can play the role of spoiler and eliminate Calderwood from contention while stealing her momentum. Big stakes for both women.
