Invicta FC 5‘s main card features two title fights, the return of Cyborg, and Sarah Kaufman‘s promotional debut. And that leaves out a lot of other interesting fighters and fights that are also on the card. It is a stacked affair.
Here is the preview and predictions for Friday night’s main card:
Strawweight: Bec Hyatt (4-2) vs.
Jasminka Cive (5-0)
The opening bout of the main card
features a grudge match. Hyatt and Cive have been using social
media to hype their fight, and the two will get to settle the score
on Friday night.
Hyatt is coming off a loss to Carla Esparza in the Invicta championship bout that took place at Invicta FC 4. She was a late replacement, but still went the full 25 minutes.
Cive is 5-0 with all five fights being finished.
Hyatt will certainly be a step up
in competition for Cive. The Aussie said she is willing to stand and trade with
Cive, but that probably would not be the smartest tactic. If she does
chose that, the advantage has to go with the Austrian.
The gameplan of Hyatt may be the
deciding factor in this fight, and this should be one of the most
entertaining fights on the entire card.
My Pick: Hyatt
Adam Martin: Hyatt
Michael Ford: Hyatt
Raphael Garcia: Hyatt
Roy Billington: Hyatt
Featherweight: Julia Budd (4-2) vs.
Mollie Estes (1-1)
Julia Budd was
originally slated to fight Ediane Gomes on this card, but she was
moved into a fight Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (and eventually was
taken off the card with an injury). Mollie Estes was scheduled to do
battle against Veronica Rothenhausler, but she got injured. The
moving pieces ended with this bout.
Estes will once
again face an uphill battle. Her first fight in Invicta came against
Randi Miller. She battled the former Olympian tooth-and-nail before
being put away in the third and final round. The difference between
Miller and Budd is that Budd is not a neophyte in this sport. Budd is ranked third in the featherweight division.
Estes is a solid
fighter, but not at the top of the food chain. Budd should look good
in this fight.
My Pick: Budd
Adam Martin: Budd
Michael Ford: Budd
Raphael Garcia: Budd
Roy Billington: Budd
Bantamweight: Kaitlin Young (7-7-1)
vs. Lauren Taylor (5-0)
Lauren Taylor makes her promotional
debut, and will take a step up in competition when she meets Kaitlin
Young.
Young’s record may sit at .500, but she
is a veteran who has taken on a who’s who in the bantamweight
division. She has good striking and is not afraid to mix it up. If
she has a glaring weakness it is that her ground game needs some
polishing.
Taylor has the skills on the ground to
create problems for Young, but it won’t be anything she hasn’t seen
before.
This will be Young’s fourth fight in
Invicta, and she has yet to get a win. However, I think her experience allows
her to get her hand raised here.
My Pick: Young
Adam Martin: Taylor
Michael Ford: Young
Raphael Garcia: Young
Roy Billington: Young
Flyweight: Zoila Frausto Gurgel
(12-2) vs. Jennifer Maia (6-2)
This may be the
most underrated and overlooked fight on the main card.
Gurgel makes her
organizational debut, and will try to rebound from her last fight
against Jessica Eye at Bellator 83. She’ll meet Jennifer Maia, who is also making
her organizational debut.
Maia’s lone two
losses came against very good flyweights. Sheila Gaff — now a UFC
bantamweight — and Vanessa Porto are the only two blemishes on her
record. The problem is that she lacks a signature win. Gurgel would
be that for her resume.
Overall though, Gurgel is
simply the more complete fighter. She has more ways to win this
fight. Gurgel will get back on the winning track as she tries to make
a run in the flyweight division.
My Pick: Gurgel
Michael Ford: Gurgel
Adam Martin: Gurgel
Raphael Garcia: Gurgel
Roy Billington: Gurgel
Bantamweight: Sarah Kaufman (15-2)
vs. Leslie Smith (5-2-1)
Leslie Smith is
currently ranked 10th and Kaufman sits in the second position, but
there is a wealth of difference between them. This is Kaufman’s fight
to lose.
Smith has made a
good run to get in to the top 10 of the division, but the upper
echelon of this weight class is head and shoulders above her at this
point in her career. Kaufman will have every chance to look like the
top ranked fighter she is.
I’m not completely
counting Smith out, but I certainly would not wager any money on her.
My Pick: Kaufman
Adam Martin: Kaufman
Michael Ford: Kaufman
Raphael Garcia: Kaufman
Roy Billington: Kaufman
Featherweight: Fiona Muxlow (6-2)
vs. Cris Cyborg (10-1)
Muxlow is ranked
sixth, but much like we previously talked about Leslie Smith being outmatched, so is Muxlow. This won’t last
too long. Cyborg will maul another victim.
Cyborg will earn
her shot at the Invicta Featherweight Championship against Marloes Coenen with a win.
My Pick: Cyborg
Michael Ford: Cyborg
Adam Martin: Cyborg
Raphael Garcia: Cyborg
Roy Billington: Cyborg
Flyweight Championship: Vanessa Porto (15-5) vs. Barb Honchak (7-2)
With the main
event, Kaufman, and Cyborg, this title fight has not gotten the
recognition it deserves. The fifth and third ranked, respectively,
fighters in the division will clash for gold.
Porto earned this
title shot by defeating Tara LaRosa at Invicta FC 3. Most, myself
included, predicted that LaRosa would enter Invicta and prove that
she was still one of the top fighters in the division. But Porto
completely dominated her.
Honchak,
meanwhile, earned this shot by reeling off six straight wins. She is
2-0 under the Invicta banner.
This is an evenly-matched fight that could produce any number of outcomes. The
difference could be Honchak’s wrestling. If she feels threatened on
the feet she can take this fight to the mat, but there she’ll have to
be careful of Porto’s ground game.
I think she can do
just that, and will become the first flyweight title holder.
My Pick: Honchak
Adam Martin: Porto
Michael Ford: Porto
Raphael Garcia: Porto
Roy Billington: Porto
Atomweight Championship: Jessica Penne (10-1) vs. Michelle Waterson (10-3)
The main event
sees Penne defend the atomweight title against “The Karate Hottie.” Penne is on a
three-fight win streak, and Waterson is on a four-fight streak of her
own.
Skillwise, this
is an evenly matched fight. However, physically it is not. Penne’s
length can be a huge factor in this fight if she utilizes it
properly.
Penn’s length will
keep Waterson on the outside while they strike, and should the fight
hit the mat it will give her good opportunity to submit the
challenger as well. It is a tall task for Waterson to overcome. She
has to get inside, or be in top position to score points.
I think it is a
bit too difficult for Waterson. Penne will find a way to finish the
fight.
My Pick: Penne
Adam Martin: Penne
Michael Ford: Waterson
Raphael Garcia: Penne
Roy Billington: Penne
Click here for the Preliminary Card Preview and Predictions.
Invicta FC 5: Penne vs. Waterson is due to take place on April 5, 2013 at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.
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