This weekend Invicta FC will be setting up shop in Davenport, Iowa for Invicta FC 9. This will be the first time that Invicta has put on an event outside their home base of Kansas City, Missouri, so it should come as no surprise that matchmaker Julie Kedzie has put together such a solid card. The main event will see the flyweight title on the line as champion Barb Honchak (9-2) looks to defend her belt against dangerous grappler Takayo Hashi (15-4). The flyweight championship is just the tip of the iceberg however. This card features a few bouts that will have not only Invicta officials paying close attention, but will likely have UFC matchmakers keeping an eye peeled as well. Let’s take a closer look at a few fights that you might want to pay special attention to.
The card’s co-main event has all the potential to be fight of the night. This bout pits Polish fighter Karolina Kowalkiewicz (5-0) against Japanese standout Mizuki Inoue (8-2). Both of these fighters hold titles from outside promotions and have climbed the ranks by looking for finishes. Inoue fought professionally as a kickboxer for a number of years and her striking skills are well polished. While Inoue’s striking prowess is well known, she has also developed a dominant submission game. Inoue has submission victories in six of her eight wins and seems to be more than comfortable on the ground. The improved grappling of Inoue won’t likely strike fear in the heart of Kowalkiewicz. Kowalkiewicz trains out of Gracie Barra and has top-level Jiu-Jitsu training. Kowalkiewicz has true knockout power and should the fight stay on the feet spectators could be in for a real treat.
This card also features a fight with a fast-rising fighter Amanda Bell (2-2). Training out of Hubbard, Oregon at Animals MMA, Bell is a local talent who recently made a huge statement with a win over the highly regarded prospect Marina Shafir. Shafir is a training partner and friend of Ronda Rousey and has received a good bit of hype in her young career. Bell wasn’t caught up in that hype as she knocked out Shafir in just 37 seconds of the first round. On Saturday night, Bell will be taking on Maria Hougaard Djursaa (5-5), a striker from Denmark. Hougaard Djursaa is a well-rounded fighter whose submission game has become very dangerous and she seems to be ready to pounce on submissions if an opening is given to her. I had a chance to speak with Bell about this match up and she seemed confident that her team at Animals MMA has her ready for the fight.
“I feel like I’m really beginning to hit my stride. I have great coaching from Enoch Wilson and a team that is very dedicated to each other. We all take it very seriously when one of us has an upcoming bout so everyone makes sure to be in the gym all the time and ready to get each other prepped.”
Bell wasn’t ready to talk specifics of her game plan but her confidence is clearly high coming off her knockout of Shafir last August. If Bell can keep her momentum moving forward, she will likely become a mainstay on the Invicta roster.
One last fight that I have a circle around is an atomweight fight between “Lightning” Liz McCarthy (2-1) and Amber Brown (3-1). Amber Brown is striker fighting out of Fit-NHB in New Mexico. Brown started her career primarily as a boxer but she has proven she is well rounded by finishing each of her three wins in a different fashion. Brown is known to enjoy mixing it up in the cage and has a great Muay Thai plum she uses to unleash knee strikes on her opponents. Her style should match up quite well with McCarthy. She also has a background in boxing and will certainly be ready to stand and trade with Brown. McCarthy has the advantage of training with a world-class fight team at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas, Nevada. McCarthy, once a regular at Team Quest Tualatin, has a good wrestling base to rely on should she have trouble with the strikes of Brown. Both Brown and McCarthy are talked about as future contenders at atomweight and this fight could be the steppingstone to the next level for the winner.
Invicta 9 appears to be a card that is built to impress. With a belt on the line in the main event and champions from multiple organizations ready to scrap, this card looks like a winner. On a rare Saturday when there is no UFC event, Invicta 9 is ready to be the weekend’s main event. This card will be broadcast online through UFC Fight Pass and hopefully it finds its way onto your screen.
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