Invicta FC 5 Complete Result and Main Card Recap
We were treated to another glorious night of WMMA action, as old-school BJJ battlers, new-school MMA mavens, and everything in between hit the cage at Invicta FC 5. With an attention to detail and the commitment of its hungry fighters, Invicta is putting out a quality product and if you’re not on the bandwagon yet, I suggest you make a run for it.
It was an eventful night and we’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so check out my thoughts on the match-ups below and make sure you don’t miss the show next time around!
Bec Hyatt vs. Jasminka Cive: The back and forth between these two pre-fight was equal parts hilarious and deadly serious. Taking it upon herself to be part-time fighter and part-time PR machine, Hyatt created an internet storm surrounding this fight that made a lot of casual fans hit that shiny “BUY” button to see how this one panned out. How it panned out was exactly how Hyatt said, as she used her fast hands and length early to back Cive up and with one body lock takedown, took over the entire fight. Cive was as active as she could be off of her back, but Hyatt easily slipped into mount and used smart ground and pound; never losing position and inflicting harm. With the round winding down and that TKO being just out of reach, Hyatt gave Cive space to escape, just to lock on an armbar as she tried to move through the back door. With the hold secure, Cive had to swallow her pride and tap out to the under appreciated and highly talented Hyatt.
Bec Hyatt wins via 1st Round Submission (armbar)
Kaitlin Young vs. Lauren Taylor: Young has been in there with literally every major WMMA star of the last several years, but short-notice opponent Lauren Taylor was hardly impressed. Young used her hand-speed and slicing leg kicks to frustrate Taylor early in the fight before hitting a surprise takedown into mount, yet was unable to land enough strikes or sink a meaningful hold on Taylor. Using calm and calculated BJJ, Taylor kept herself safe as she progressed from bad positions into dominant ones, and starting the momentum going in her favor at the end of the first round. The next two would play out similarly, as Taylor moved into Young’s personal space and soundly out-grappled her against the cage. Simple technique and stronger cardio prevailed as Taylor pummeled Young for the remainder of the fight, keeping her undefeated streak alive and putting a sizeable feather in her cap.
Lauren Taylor wins via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Zoila Frausto-Gurgel vs. Jessica Maia: Looking for a new life at 125lbs after pushing her body to the maximum at 115lbs, Frauso-Gurgel met a monster of a Flyweight in Jessica Maia. Using a game plan of stick and move tactics that has worked well for her in the past, Frausto-Gurgel found early success with his flashing kicks and straight punches, but this success didn’t last long. The Chute Boxe trained Maia was unimpressed with her opponent’s striking power, and after being stuck on the outside for several minutes decided to be the bully in this fight. Pushing forward with hooking punches, cutting off the cage, and working from the clinch, Maia turned Frausto-Gurgel’s beautiful muay thai dance into a brawl that she simply couldn’t win. As the seconds ticked away, it was clear Frausto-Gurgel had no remedy for the situation, and Maia gave her little time to think of a game plan, grinding her way to a victory.
Jessica Maia wins via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Sarah Kaufman vs. Leslie Smith: I said it had potential to be a fight for the ages and to hell if I wasn’t right. The elite fighter Sarah Kaufman came to upset Leslie Smith’s rise in the Bantamweight ranks, but was met with equal force and more grit than she’d ever seen. Using perfect and snappy punches that generally batter her opponent’s beyond recognition, Kaufman found herself in firefight after firefight with the tough-as-nails Smith. While her style isn’t always pretty, Smith threw punches and high kicks from every angle imaginable and tried to coax Kaufman out of her boxing stance and into a toe-to-toe war. Credit to Kaufman as she kept her technique intact and kept the fight generally on her terms, while Smith had a great deal of her own success, including a head kick knockdown in the second. As the epic bout drew to a close, we all knew it was close and the judges rendered a decision you’d expect in that situation, finding Kaufman the victor by the thinnest margin. No losers here though, unless you missed the fight.
Sarah Kaufman wins via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino vs. Fiona Muxlow: Props go to Muxlow for taking a fight like this on short notice, yet the decision proved to be exactly as dangerous as we all expected. Unloading her furious punches, Santos immediately dropped Muxlow, and the fight was on, with Muxlow shooting for takedowns and Cyborg denying them. Being stuck in a hamster wheel of takedowns and punishment, the referee mercifully stopped the fight on the feet after a series of knees, giving Cyborg her comeback victory.
Cyborg wins via 1st Round TKO (ref stoppage)
Invicta FC 5
125 lbs. Title Fight: Barb Honchak vs. Vanessa Porto: A fight that proved to be less exciting than any of us would have liked, Honchak and Porto sparred their way to a championship. Using her superior movement and reach, Honchak consistently threw combinations and single shots Porto’s way, keeping the BJJ black belt outside of her element for the entire bout. Oddly, whether through misconception or through her cornerman’s advice, Porto changed nothing about her game plan, seldom landing anything of consequence and staying on the outside. Honchak was happy to continue with her game of low risk/ high volume shots and took an uneventful by clear decision win.
Barb Honchak wins via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 49-48, 48-47)
105 lbs. Title Fight: Jessica Penne vs. Michelle Waterson: A bout worth the price of the PPV alone, Jessica Penne faced WMMA super star Michelle Waterson in a Fight of the Year contender. Penne made great use of her size and unorthodox grappling technique, powering Waterson around the mat for much of the bout. Waterson was much more game than folks might have thought however, using her own flexibility and incredible core strength to out of dominant positions and threaten submissions from awkward angles.
With the first two rounds being fairly even, Penne came out hard in the third with a powerful takedown, and proceeded to dominate the round with near submissions and constant offense from top. A dramatic moment ensued, as Penne went for a straight armlock that clearly hyper extended Waterson’s elbow, yet the Karateka managed to slip her arm sideways the moment before suffering massive damage and survived to finish out the round. With more of the same on her mind, Penne came out in the fourth round, yet Waterson’s fast hips allowed her to partially stuff the takedown and slide onto Penne’s back. In a purely expert maneuver, Waterson waited for Penne to attempt to shrug her off her back, and used the momentum to slide an off-center armbar into place. While Penne’s long limbs are a bonus in most situations, they proved to be her undoing here as he was forced to tap to the unorthodox move. A fantastic fight, a deserving new champion, and a great way to end a solid event.
Michelle Waterson wins via 4th Round Submission (armbar)
Here are the rest of the Invicta FC 5 results:
Julia Budd defeated Mollie Estes via 3rd Round Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)
Simona Soukupova defeated Cassie Rodish via 2rd Round Submission (Standing Guillotine)
Miriam Nakamoto defeated Jessamyn Duke via 1st Round KO
Katja Kankaanpaa defeated Juliana Carneiro Lima via Unanimous Decision
Rose Namajunas defeated Kathina Catron via 1st Round Submission (Flying Armbar)
Alex Chambers defeated Jodie Esquibel via 1st Round Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)
Category: Invicta FC, MMA, News
About the Author (Author Profile)
I'm a 20+ year veteran of martial arts and a fan of MMA since UFC 1, when my world was thrown on its head by the budding sport. I'm obsessive in the pursuit of martial abilities and have competed across the country in everything from Vale Tudo to archery to Scottish broadsword. Once my body broke down, I picked up a pen and went in the direction of writing. I specialize in betting advice, predictions, and I'm a walking encyclopedia of MMA trivia. I own a cafe in Exeter, NH called Hammersmith Sandwich Company and write out of my office between customers.Subscribe
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