 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 2012; 12 years ago (2012) |
| Founder | Shannon Knapp Janet Martin |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people |
|
| Parent | Anthem Sports & Entertainment |
| Website | invictafc |
Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is currently owned by the Canadian-based Anthem Sports & Entertainment.[1][2][3]
The company's name comes from the Latin word for "invincible and incomparable", which appears in the feminine form.[4]
After Zuffa, parent company of the UFC, purchased rival promotion Strikeforce in March 2011, Shannon Knapp received several calls from female fighters concerned about a possible lack of representation for women's MMA. Knapp would meet with Janet Martin and the two acquired the financial resources needed to launch a new MMA promotion.[2][5][6]
The promotion held its first event, Invicta FC 1 on April 28, 2012.[7] The event was headlined by a rematch between former Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Marloes Coenen and French fighter Romy Ruyssen.[7] The event also marked the MMA debut of 2008 Summer Olympics women's freestyle wrestling medalist Randi Miller.[8][9]
On June 9, 2012, it was announced that Invicta has formed a strategic partnership with Japanese promotion JEWELS to cross-promote fighters on their respective cards in the United States and Japan.[10] On September 24, Invicta would announce another cross-promotional partnership with the Super Fight League.[11]
Invicta FC 6: Coenen vs. Cyborg, which took place on July 13, 2013, would mark the first event to be aired on cable and satellite pay-per-view, in addition to IPPV through a deal with Integrated Sports Media for live viewing.[12] In 2014, Invicta began exclusively streaming events on UFC Fight Pass, with the company's fight library also made available on the service. Invicta FC 8 would be the first event to stream live on Fight Pass.[13]
On February 24, 2015, Brazilian channel Combate acquired broadcast rights to Invicta live events as well as events from the Invicta library in South America.[14]
On April 15, 2021, it was announced that Anthem Sports & Entertainment had acquired Invicta.[15] Starting with Invicta FC 44 on May 21, Invicta events are broadcast live on the Anthem-owned networks AXS TV and Fight Network in the United States and Canada, respectively. Invicta's events would also stream live on the promotion's YouTube channel.[3]
On September 21, 2022, Invicta announced that it had made a deal with FOX Sports Mexico for Mexican broadcast rights, starting with Invicta FC 49.[16]
On June 11, 2024, Invicta announced that it had signed a deal with CBS Sports to air all of that year's events on the CBS Sports Network in the United States, starting with Invicta FC 55 on June 28.[17]
Invicta's current rules follows the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts that were originally established by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board and modified by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.[18]
| Division | Upper weight limit | Champion | Since | Title Defenses | Top Contender |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Featherweight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st) | Vacant | July 13, 2021 | ||
| Bantamweight | 135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st) |  Talita Bernardo |
January 18, 2023 (Invicta FC 51) | 1 | |
| Flyweight | 125 lb (57 kg; 8.9 st) | Vacant | May 2, 2023 | ||
| Strawweight | 115 lb (52 kg; 8.2 st) |  Danni McCormack |
March 15, 2023 (Invicta FC 52) | 1 | |
| Atomweight | 105 lb (48 kg; 7.5 st) | Vacant | October 17, 2023 |
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cris Cyborg def. Marloes Coenen |
Invicta FC 6 Kansas City, MO, US |
Jul 13, 2013 | 1351 days |
1. def. Charmaine TweetatInvicta FC 11 on Feb 27, 2015 |
| - |  Megan Andersondef. Charmaine Tweet for interim title |
Invicta FC 21 Kansas City, MO, US |
Jan 14, 2017 | - | |
| Cyborg vacated the title on March 24, 2017 to compete full time with the UFC. | |||||
| 2 | Megan Anderson promoted to undisputed champion |
Invicta FC 22 Kansas City, MO, US |
Mar 24, 2017 | 88 days |
|
| Anderson vacated the title on June 20, 2017 to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 3 |  Felicia Spencerdef. Pam Sorenson |
Invicta FC 32 Shawnee, OK, US |
Nov 16, 2018 | 129 days |
|
| Spencer vacated the title on March 26, 2019 to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship | |||||
| 4 |  Pam Sorensondef. Kaitlin Young |
Invicta FC 36 Kansas City, KS, US |
Aug 9, 2019 | 705 days |
|
| Sorenson vacated the title on July 13, 2021 to sign with Bellator MMA. | |||||
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauren Murphy def. Miriam Nakamoto |
Invicta FC 7 Kansas City, MO, US |
Dec 7, 2013 | 208 days | |
| Murphy vacated title on July 3, 2014 to sign with the UFC. | |||||
| 2 | Tonya Evinger def. Irene Aldana |
Invicta FC 13 Las Vegas, NV, US |
Jul 9, 2015 | 724 days |
1. def. Colleen SchneideratInvicta FC 17 on May 7, 2016 |
| Evinger had her defeat at Invicta FC 20 annulled on December 1, 2016 after proving that the referee took her out of a favorable position and remained champion. | |||||
| Evinger vacated title on July 3, 2017 to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 3 |  Yana Kunitskayadef. Raquel Pa'aluhi |
Invicta FC 25 Lemoore, CA, US |
Aug 31, 2017 | 160 days |
|
| Kunitskaya vacated title on February 7, 2018 to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 4 | Sarah Kaufman def. Katharina Lehner |
Invicta FC 29 Kansas City, MO, US |
May 4, 2018 | 368 days |
|
| Kaufman vacated title on May 9, 2019 to sign with the Professional Fighters League. | |||||
| 5 |  Julija Stoliarenko def. Lisa Spangler |
Invicta FC Phoenix Series 3 Kansas City, KS, USA |
Mar 6, 2020 | 147 days |
|
| Stoliarenko vacated title on July 31, 2020 to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 6 | Taneisha Tennant def. Lisa Spangler |
Invicta FC 44 Kansas City, KS, US |
Aug 27, 2021 | 509 days |
1. def. Olga RubinatInvicta FC 48 on Jul 20, 2022 |
| 7 | Talita Bernardo |
Invicta FC 51 Denver, CO, US |
Jan 18, 2023 | 542 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Olga RubinatInvicta FC 55 on Jun 28, 2024 |
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barb Honchak def. Vanessa Porto |
Invicta FC 5 Kansas City, MO, US |
Apr 5, 2013 | 1266 days |
1. def. Leslie SmithatInvicta FC 7 on Dec 7, 2013 |
| - | Jennifer Maia def. Vanessa Porto for interim title |
Invicta FC 16 Las Vegas, NV, US |
Mar 11, 2016 | - | |
| Honchak was stripped of the title due to inactivity on September 22, 2016 | |||||
| 2 | Jennifer Maia promoted to undisputed champion |
Invicta FC 19 Kansas City, MO, US |
Sep 22, 2016 | 652 days |
1. def. Roxanne ModafferiatInvicta FC 19 on Sep 23, 2016 |
| Maia vacated title on July 7, 2018 to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 3 | Vanessa Porto def. Pearl Gonzalez |
Invicta FC 34 Kansas City, MO, USA |
Feb 15, 2019 | 564 days |
|
| Porto vacated title on September 2, 2020 to sign with Bellator MMA. | |||||
| 4 |  Karina Rodríguezdef. Daiana Torquato |
Invicta FC: Rodríguez vs. Torquato Kansas City, KS, US |
May 21, 2021 | 421 days |
1. def. Daiana Torquato at Invicta FC 46 on Mar 9, 2022 |
| Rodríguez vacated title on July 17, 2022 to sign with Bellator MMA. | |||||
| 5 | Ketlen Souza def. Kristina Williams |
Invicta FC 51 Denver, CO, USA |
Jan 18, 2023 | 104 days |
|
| Souza vacated title on May 2, 2023 to sign with the UFC. | |||||
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carla Esparza def. Bec Hyatt |
Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt Kansas City, KS, USA |
January 5, 2013 | 341 days | |
| Esparza vacated title on December 11, 2013 to participate in The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned.[22][23] | |||||
| 2 |  Katja Kankaanpäädef. Stephanie Eggink |
Invicta FC 8: Waterson vs. Tamada Kansas City, MO, USA |
September 6, 2014 | 230 days | |
| 3 | Lívia Renata Souza |
Invicta FC 12: Kankaanpää vs. Souza Kansas City, MO, USA |
April 24, 2015 | 380 days | 1. def. DeAnna BennettatInvicta FC 15 on Jan 16, 2016 |
| 4 | Angela Hill |
Invicta FC 17: Evinger vs. Schneider Costa Mesa, CA, USA |
May 7, 2016 | 274 days |
1. def. Kaline MedeirosatInvicta FC 20 on Nov 18, 2016 |
| Hill vacated title on February 4, 2017 to return to the UFC. | |||||
| 5 | Virna Jandiroba def. Mizuki Inoue |
Invicta FC 28: Mizuki vs. Jandiroba Salt Lake City, UT, USA |
March 24, 2018 | 379 days |
1. def. Janaisa MorandinatInvicta FC 31 on Sep 1, 2018 |
| Jandiroba vacated title on April 7, 2019 to sign with the UFC. | |||||
| 6 | Brianna Van Buren def. Kailin Curran |
Phoenix Series 1 Kansas City, KS, USA |
May 3, 2019 | 39 days |
|
| Van Buren vacated title on June 11, 2019 to sign with the UFC. | |||||
| 7 |  Kanako Murata def. Emily Ducote |
Invicta FC 38: Murata vs. Ducote Kansas City, KS, USA |
November 1, 2019 | 305 days |
|
| Murata vacated title on September 2, 2020 to sign with the UFC. | |||||
| 8 | Emily Ducote def. Danielle Taylor |
Invicta FC 44: A New Era Kansas City, KS, USA |
August 27, 2021 | 279 days |
1. def. Alesha ZappitellaatInvicta FC 47 on May 11, 2022 |
| Ducote vacated title on June 2, 2022 to sign with the UFC.[24] | |||||
| 9 | Valesca Machado def. Karolina Wójcik |
Invicta FC 50: Strawweight Title Tournament Denver, CO, USA |
November 16, 2022 | 118 days |
|
| 10 | Danni McCormack |
Invicta FC 52: Machado vs. McCormack Denver, CO, USA |
March 15, 2023 | 486 days (incumbent) |
1. def. Karolina Wójcik at Invicta FC 54 on Oct 27, 2023 |
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica Penne def. Naho Sugiyama |
Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama Kansas City, KS, USA |
October 6, 2012 | 181 days | |
| 2 | Michelle Waterson
|
Invicta FC 5: Penne vs. Waterson Kansas City, MO, USA |
April 5, 2013 | 609 days | 1. def. Yasuko TamadaatInvicta FC 8 on Sept 6, 2014 |
| 3 | Hérica Tibúrcio
|
Invicta FC 10: Waterson vs. Tiburcio Houston, Texas, USA |
December 5, 2014 | 216 days | |
| 4 | Ayaka Hamasaki
|
Invicta FC 13: Cyborg vs. Van Duin Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
July 9, 2015 | 737 days | 1. def. Amber BrownatInvicta FC 16 on Mar 11, 2016 2. def. Jinh Yu FreyatInvicta FC 19 on Sept 23, 2016 |
| Hamasaki vacated title on July 15, 2017 to sign with Rizin. | |||||
| 5 | Jinh Yu Frey def. Minna Grusander |
Invicta FC 30: Frey vs. Grusander Kansas City, MO, USA |
July 21, 2018 | 564 days |
1. def. Minna GrusanderatInvicta FC 33 on Dec 16, 2018 |
| Frey was stripped of the title on February 6, 2020 after failing to make weight against Ashley CumminsatInvicta FC 39. | |||||
| 6 | Alesha Zappitella def. Ashley Cummins |
Invicta FC 42: Cummins vs. Zappitella Kansas City, KS, USA |
September 17, 2020 | 482 days |
1. def. Jéssica DelboniatInvicta FC 44 on May 21, 2021 |
| 7 | Jéssica Delboni |
Invicta FC 45: Zappitella vs. Delboni II Kansas City, KS, USA |
January 12, 2022 | 258 days |
|
| 8 | Jillian DeCoursey |
Invicta FC 49: Delboni vs. DeCoursey Hinton, OK, USA |
September 28, 2022 | 215 days |
|
| 9 | Rayanne dos Santos |
Invicta FC 53: DeCoursey vs. Dos Santos Denver, CO, USA |
May 3, 2023 | 167 days |
|
| Dos Santos vacated title on October 17, 2023 to sign with UFC. | |||||
| Title wins | Champion | Division | V | D | NC | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Cristiane Justino
|
Featherweight | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Barb Honchak
|
Flyweight | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ayaka Hamasaki
|
Atomweight | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jennifer Maia
|
Flyweight | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Defenses | Champion | Division | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Cristiane Justino
|
Featherweight | July 12, 2013 – March 24, 2017 |
The division champions include only linear and true champions. Interim champions who have never become linear champions will be listed as interim champions. Fighters with multiple title reigns in a specific division will also be counted once.
| Country | Division champions |
Interim champions |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States
|
14 | - | 14 |
| Brazil
|
11 | - | 11 |
| Canada
|
2 | - | 2 |
| Japan
|
2 | - | 2 |
| Australia
|
1 | - | 1 |
| Finland
|
1 | - | 1 |
| Ireland
|
1 | - | 1 |
| Lithuania
|
1 | - | 1 |
| Mexico
|
1 | - | 1 |
| Russia
|
1 | - | 1 |
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Professional mixed martial arts organizations
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| Asia |
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| Australia |
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| Canada |
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| Europe |
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| Middle East |
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| Nigeria |
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| South Africa |
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| South America |
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| United Kingdom |
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| United States |
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| Featherweight |
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| Bantamweight |
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| Flyweight |
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| Strawweight |
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| Atomweight |
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| Current champions for active organizations |
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| Legacy champions for defunct organizations |
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| Miscellaneous |
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