Invicta Fighting Championships returns TONIGHT (April 5, 2013) to the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, with some seriously high level women's fights.
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of Invicta FC 5 below, beginning with the main card at 8:30 p.m. ET. In addition, we'll deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the undercard action much earlier in the evening (beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET).
You can watch the Invicta FC 5 pay-per-view (PPV) here (which will set you back $9.95).
Headlining the main event will be the first ever Invicta FC title defense as atomweight champion Jessica Penne takes on "The Karate Hottie" Michelle Waterson. Penne defeated top ranked Naho Sugiyama to claim the crown at Invicta FC 3 while Waterson asked for the title shot after watching her dominant performance and had her wish granted.
The co-main event is a flyweight title fight between Vanessa Porto and Barb Honchak. Porto is a long-time veteran hailing from Brazil who's coming off the biggest win of her career, a dominant unanimous decision victory over female fighting legend Tara LaRosa. Honchak, on the other hand, has quietly gone 2-0 in her Invicta stint with strong showings against Bethany Marshall and Aisling Daley.
Last but not least, a trio of incredibly talented former female champions will make their Invicta debuts as former Strikeforce featherweight champ Cristiane Santos battles late replacement Fiona Muxlow, former Strikeforce bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman takes on Leslie Smith and former Bellator strawweight champ Zoila Gurgel battles Jennifer Maia.
Complete Invicta FC 5 quick results and play-by-play are posted below:
Main Card
105 lb. title: Jessica Penne vs. Michelle Waterson
125 lb. title: Barb Honchak def. Vanessa Porto via unanious decision
145 lbs.: Cristiane Santos def. Fiona Muxlow via TKO at 3:46 of round one
135 lbs.: Sarah Kaufman def. Leslie Smith via split decision
125 lbs.: Jennifer Maia def. Zoila Gurgel via unanimous decision
135 lbs.: Lauren Taylor def. Kaitlin Young via unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Julia Budd def. Mollie Estes via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:07 of round three
115 lbs.: Bec Hyatt def. Jasminka Cive via submission (armbar) at 3:30 of round one
Preliminary Card
105 lbs.: Simona Soukupova def. Cassie Rodish via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:20 of round two
135 lbs.: Miriam Nakamoto def. Jessamyn Duke via knockout at 2:20 of round one
115 lbs.: Katja Kankaanpää def. Juliana Carneiro Lima via unanimous decision
105 lbs.: Alex Chambers def. Jodie Esquibel via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:35 of round one
115 lbs.: Rose Namajunas def. Kathina Catron via submission (flying armbar) at 0:12 of round one
Hemmi here!
105 lb. title: Jessica Penne vs. Michelle Waterson
Round one: Outside leg kick from Waterson and Penne presses forward with several jabs. Side kick from Waterson misses and Penne pins her against the fence. Waterson fends off the takedown attempts from Penne for now and Penne pulls guard. Penne throws her legs up and uses an omaplata to sweep Waterson landing on top inside her guard. Penne postures up and drops a right hand, passing to half guard. Waterson grabs an arm and is hunting for an armbar but Penne avoids danger and drops into her full guard. Omaplata from Waterson but Penne is not letting her get the sweep and instead drops a right hand to the body. Another armbar attempt from Waterson but Penne stacks her up and drops some punches. 10-9 Penne
Round two: Leg kick from Waterson and Penne clinches, throwing a knee up the middle. Penne works for a takedown in the clinch but Waterson lands on top. Penne is thinking about a leg lock but gives up on it and Waterson takes top position landing in full mount! Penne tries to sweep but Waterson denies her although she's able to hip escape to half guard. Waterson passes to side control and Penne grabs an arm but Waterson prevents any funny business by switching to the opposite side. Penne retains full guard and looks like she's attacking with a gogoplata but Waterson escapes and pops her with a jab as she sits up. Leg kick from Waterson and then a right hand but Penne clinches. Penne is looking for a takedown but Waterson lands on top again. Nice hammer fist from Waterson and she stays on top until time expires. 10-9 Waterson
Round three: Outside leg kick from Waterson and Penne scores a trip takedown. Penne is on top in the crucifix and passes to full mount. Waterson turns and gives up her back. Big punches from Penne on top and Waterson shrimps out and retains half guard. Short elbows from Penne and Waterson is in a bad spot now. Waterson turtles and Penne is all over her with heavy punches stacking her up. Heavy pressure from Penne and Waterson tries to fend her off with her legs but Penne squirms free and continues attacking. Right hands to the body from Penne and Waterson is trying to fire back with reverse elbows but she's in big trouble now. Penne has both hooks in and she's working for an armbar. Penne extends and has the armbar fully locked in but Waterson refuses to tap and escapes! Waterson is now on top and she's thinking about a leg lock but Penne takes top position again. Left hands from Penne to close the round. 10-8 Penne
Round four: Inside leg kick from Waterson and Penne responds with a 1-2 combo. Heavy leg kick from Waterson but Penne clinches and attempts a trip but Waterson fends her off. Takedown attempt from Penne backfires and Waterson takes top position, throwing a knee at her as they both pop to their feet. Snapping front kick from Waterson and Penne shoots for a takedown but Waterson sprawls. Penne is relentless though and Waterson drops to her back. HOLY SHIT WATERSON CATCHES PENNE IN AN ARMBAR AND TAPS HER! OH MY GOD THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!
Final Result:
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125 lb. title: Barb Honchak vs. Vanessa Porto
Round one: Both ladies having some solid striking exchanges early on. Honchak is working some good right hands from the pocket while Porto is loading up with her right. Left jab from Honchak and she's really trying to find a home for that follow-up right cross. Good leg kick from Porto and Honchak responds with a hard right hand. They continue to trade but Honchak was the more active of the two as time expires. 10-9 Honchak
Round two: Right hand from Porto and then a leg kick. Honchak responds with an inside leg kick of her own and then drops down to the body. They trade outside leg kicks and Porto lands a nasty outside leg kick which staggers Honchak. Honchak throws a flurry and Porto responds with another leg kick. Spinning back fist misses for Honchak and she's moving a bit more gingerly. Another nice outside leg kick from Porto and Honchak moves forward but comes up short with her punches. Leg kick from Honchak and Porto responds with a left hand and another leg kick. Right hand from Porto and another leg kick scores before the round concludes. 10-9 Porto
Round three: Porto has control of the cage center and they continue to exchange leg kicks. Nice combination from Honchak and Porto scores with an overhand right and then a leg kick. Another leg kick from Porto and Honchak presses forward with punches but is starting to come up short. Both connect with right hands and Honchak fires a leg kick but eats one in return. Nice body shot from Porto and then a left jab. Honchak lands a right hand but eats a leg kick in return. 10-9 Porto
Round four: Inside leg kick from Honchak and Porto lands a jab. Another leg kick from Honchak and then another but she eats an overhand right from Porto and a pair of leg kicks. Honchak throws a head kick but falls down and does a backwards somersault to get back to her feet. Nice left hand from Honchak and then another. Clinch attempt from Honchak is shrugged off and she goes over the top with a right hand. Another right from Honchak and Porto has really slowed down her output. Leg kick from Honchak and then another as Porto steps in with a right hand. 10-9 Honchak
Round five: Left hand from Porto and Honchak responds with a leg kick but Porto blasts her with a right hand. Good left from Porto and a stiff jab but Honchak scores with a leg kick. Right hand from Porto and Honchak is having some trouble connecting. Inside leg kick from Porto and she moves forward after a kick from Honchak and takes her down, but backs off immediately. Leg kick from Honchak and she lands a right hook. They pick up the pace in the final minute and Porto lands a leg kick. Honchak shoots in for a takedown but Porto sprawls and denies her. 10-9 Porto but this was a close fight and I wouldn't be surprised if Honchak takes the decision.
Final Result: Barb Honchak defeats Vanessa Porto via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 48-47)
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145 lbs.: Cristiane Santos vs. Fiona Muxlow
Round one: Cyborg drops Muxlow with her first punch and throws some strikes on the ground. Muxlow works back to her feet and Cyborg lands some more heavy shots, going inside Muxlow's guard and dropping heavy punches. Muxlow turtles looking for a single leg and Cyborg blasts her with some uppercuts. Muxlow has a hold of Cyborg's leg and tries to gator roll but can't take Cyborg down. They get back to their feet and Cyborg blasts her with a trio of big shots. Muxlow is bleeding and she gets to her feet again but eats a huge knee to the body. Muxlow turtles and Cyborg throws a big knee to the body. Muxlow gets to her feet and throws a body kick and Cyborg clinches. Huge knee to the face from Cyborg and she throws a big flurry along the fence which forces the referee to intervene although Muxlow didn't go down. Muxlow is tough as all hell.
Final Result: Cristiane Santos defeats Fiona Muxlow via TKO at 3:46 of round one
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135 lbs.: Sarah Kaufman vs. Leslie Smith
Round one: Kaufman working her right hand early on while Smith is trying to counter and throw her jab. Good left from Kaufman snaps Smith's head back and Smith throws a leg kick. Big exchange and Smith lands an uppercut as both ladies throw knees in the clinch. They separate briefly and unload some heavy inside shots, trading knees in the clinch again. Huge elbow from Kaufman on the exit and they reset. Combination from Kaufman and Smith fires right back with a flurry and some kicks. Good right hand connects for Kaufman and they blast each other with knees to the body from the Thai plumb. Good elbow from Smith and then a head kick and Kaufman fires back with that big right hand. Heavy flurry from both ladies in the final 20 seconds. 10-9 Kaufman
Round two: Left hook from Smith and Kaufman sticks her with a jab and then a combination. They clinch and exchange knees and then both ladies blast each other with a huge flurry of strikes. Head kick from Smith and Kaufman gets dropped! Smith dives on top of her but Kaufman has regained her wits and is defending herself. Smith is on top inside Kaufman's guard but can't score with anything significant and she backs off, allowing Kaufman to get back to her feet. They trade blows again and Kaufman clocks Smith with a left hand. Smith pours it on with a high volume attack, unloading jabs and nailing Kaufman with a pair of kicks. They throw down all the way to the bell. 10-9 Smith
Round three: More kicks from Smith to open things and Kaufman bullrushes her, pressing Smith into the fence and landing a right hand before disengaging. Good right hand from Smith and Kaufman responds with one of her own. Big volume of strikes from Smith again and she's really throwing strikes at a high rate in combination. Kaufman is bleeding from her nose now and Smith scores during an exchange with big uppercuts on the inside. Double leg takedown from Kaufman and she takes top position and Smith kicks at her before going back to her feet. Nice right hand from Kaufman and Smith fires back with a flurry on the inside and a head kick. Another right from Kaufman and Smith is keeping up her pace with more head kicks. Left hand scores for Smith and Kaufman shoots in for a takedown but Smith fends her off this time. They clinch and Smith throws some knees to the body and forces Kaufman to back off. Leg kick from Smith and Kaufman blasts her with a right hand. They throw bombs all the way to the final bell. 10-9 Smith
Final Result: Sarah Kaufman defeats Leslie Smith via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
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125 lbs.: Zoila Gurgel vs. Jennifer Maia
Round one: Good leg kick from Gurgel and then another. Maia responds with an inside leg kick and they clinch along the fence. They stay stuck in the clinch for a couple minutes and the ref finally separates them. Gurgel gets backed into the fence again after some strikes from the Brazilian and Maia has inside position. Gurgel throws Maia down and drops a right hand and they both trade heavy strikes in the final 10 seconds with Gurgel landing a good head kick. 10-9 Gurgel
Round two: Gurgel again gets backed up into the fence and Maia has inside position. Good elbow from Gurgel but Maia is just holding onto her along the cage. They get separated after two minutes and both ladies exchange some decent strikes but Maia just backs her into the fence again, throwing knees to the legs and body. Maia backs off to the cage center and Gurgel scores with a leg kick and some push kicks. Lunging knee from Maia and they clinch for the majority of the rest of the round. 10-9 Maia
Round three: The round begins and big surprise, Gurgel gets backed into the fence. Maia has a body lock and she's being a big more aggressive with her inside position along the fence but the ref still separates them. Nice right hand from Maia and she scores with a heavy kick and a left hand as well as they clinch once more. Maia backs off and throws a good flurry of punches and a push kick to the face. More kicks from Maia and she lands some really nice shots on the inside with punches and elbows. Gurgel throws Maia but can't stay on top as Maia immediately bounces up and takes top position, dropping right hands. Gurgel gets to her feet and Maia takes inside position along the fence. Gurgel drops for an armbar at the bell but it's too little too late. 10-9 Maia
Final Result: Jennifer Maia defeats Zoila Gurgel via unanimous decision
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135 lbs.: Kaitlin Young vs. Lauren Taylor
Round one: They clinch early on and Young takes inside position. Taylor reverses and they start trading punches in the cage center. Nice left hand from Taylor and Young clinches, scoring a trip takedown in the cage center directly into mount. Taylor gives up her back and Young has both hooks in flattening her out and dropping big right hands. Taylor sits up against the fence and Young is hunting for a rear naked choke but it's not under the chin instead across the mouth. Taylor turns and escapes the position, landing on top inside Young's guard but she's not out of trouble as Young is working for a triangle choke now. Taylor hangs tough and Young is thinking about an armbar now but gives up on it. Taylor actively starts throwing some strikes from above and stays there until time runs out. 10-9 Young
Round two: They exchange on the feet and Young scores with a nice body kick but Taylor cracks her with a right hand. Knee from Taylor and Young scores with a heavy leg kick. Taylor closes the distance in the clinch and scores a takedown along the fence. Taylor starts dropping some good right hands and Young escapes back to her feet but eats about 10 clean shots on the way up. Another takedown from Taylor and Young throws her legs up hunting for an armbar but she can't secure it. Young pops to her feet but Taylor grabs a reverse body lock and drags her back to the ground. Taylor takes Young's back and has a rear naked choke but Young survives until the end of the round and might have been saved by the bell. 10-9 Taylor
Round three: Body kick from Young and a good left hand connects. Heavy leg kick from Young and Taylor clinches, throwing a knee to the body and she changes levels looking for a takedown. Taylor switches to s single leg and gets it, putting Young on her back along the fence. Taylor starts dropping heavy right hands from above and she is staying heavy on top of Young. Good volume and ground and pound from Taylor and she stays on top dropping shots until the round concludes. 10-9 Taylor
Final Result: Lauren Taylor defeats Kaitlin Young via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
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145 lbs.: Julia Budd vs. Mollie Estes
Round one: Budd shoots in and takes Estes down immediately. She hangs out in half guard staying tight for over a minute and finally passes to side control. Budd now passes to full mount and Estes gives up her back but Budd doesn't have her hooks in and she's able to get back to her feet. Budd takes her down again, holding a half nelson and remaining in top position but she can't do much with the position as time expires. 10-9 Budd
Round two: They trade a few punches in the opening seconds but Budd closes the distance and slams Estes to the canvas with authority. Budd hangs out in north-south position for a bit but passes to full mount again although Estes is hanging on and keeping her tight. Budd creates some space and rains down some punches but Estes turns and flips her onto her back. Budd remains composed and takes top position again with her superior wrestling, passing back to full mount and trying to lock in an arm triangle. Estes defends and Budd gives up on the hold, instead dropping some short strikes. Estes gives up her back and Budd starts dropping some big punches from behind. She stays on top until the bell sounds. 10-9 Budd
Round three: Estes has a pretty nasty hematoma and Budd closes the distance, running the pipe and taking her down immediately again. Budd passes to full mount and Estes gives up her back as Budd drops some hammer fists from behind. Estes' neck is exposed and Budd latches on a rear naked choke without hooks in but she has it tight and Estes taps.
Final Result: Julia Budd defeats Molly Estes via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:07 of round three
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115 lbs.: Bec Hyatt vs. Jasminka Cive
Round one: Hyatt backs Cive up with an opening flurry. Hyatt really pressures her along the fence with a good volume of strikes and then she slams Cive to the canvas after closing the distance. Hyatt passes to full mount already and she's postured up dropping some elbows. Big shots from Hyatt and she's just unloading some heavy right hands from above. Cive turns away briefly and Hyatt continues the onslaught of strikes. Cive tries to bridge but Hyatt is not being denied here. Hyatt sees an arm and she dives on the armbar, going belly down and forcing Cive to tap.
Final Result: Bec Hyatt defeats Jasminka Cive via submission (armbar) at 3:30 of round one
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