Invicta Announces Atomweight Tournament to Determine No. 1 Contender on June 11

Invicta Fighting Championships “Phoenix Tournament” is returning, and the end result will be a No. 1 contender in the atomweight division.

The promotion announced Wednesday that it will hold an eight-woman 105-pound tournament on June 11 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The winner will receive at shot at reigning atomweight queen Alesha Zappitella at a future event.

The competitors in the tournament are as follows: Jessica Correa Delboni, Jillian DeCoursey, Katie Perez, Katie Saull, Lindsey VanZandt, Linda Mihalec, Paulina Granados and Tabatha Ann Watkins.

As with past Phoenix Tournament events, the quarterfinals and semifinals will consist of one-round fights, while the finals will be contested over three rounds. The fastest finisher in the quarterfinal round will be able to pick her next opponent. If there are no finishes in the opening round, semifinal matchups will be determined by a random draw. Open scoring will be utilized.

Invicta FC “Phoenix Tournament: Atomweights” will take place behind closed doors and airs on AXS TV in the United States and on Invicta’s YouTube channel internationally.

“The Phoenix Tournament is a unique set of challenges to our athletes,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. “The rapid-fire pace of the one-round quarter- and semifinal matches is totally different to anything else in mixed martial arts. Having to peak not once, not twice but potentially three times against three different opponents is the kind of mental stress only a handful of fighters in MMA history have overcome.

“Whichever fighter comes out victorious on June 11 will have truly earned her shot at the Invicta FC world title.”