Invicta Fighting Championships 14 ‘Evinger vs. Kianzad’ Results & Play-by-Play

Rachel Wiley vs. Felicia Spencer

Round 1

The 155ers clinch up in the center and begin swinging hands and throwing knees, to little effect. Spencer backs off, then shoots for a takedown while Wiley has her back against the fence. Spencer completes the takedown and tries to posture up in half guard to land strikes, but Wiley is stifling the offense with a busy open guard. Spencer passes to side control on the other side, Wiley’s right, and now the punches and elbows begin to land with force. Wiley’s right arm is trapped now, leaving her face exposed to Spencer’s punches as the Kansan tries to escape from the bottom by kicking off the fence. Spencer is heavy on top, giving Wiley no breathing room while continuing to grind away with punches, elbows and short forearm strikes. After another dozen or so unanswered strikes, referee Mike England steps in to halt the bout.

The Official Result

Felicia Spencer def. Rachel Wiley via TKO (Elbows and Punches) R1 3:32

Aspen Ladd vs. Amanda Bobby Cooper

Round 1

Cooper charges across the cage pumping her jab, then drops levels and shoots for a double-leg against the fence. Ladd fends off the takedown and stands Cooper up to deliver a few knees in the clinch before “ABC” is able to reverse the position again. Ladd pushes Cooper’s head down and scores with another knee before reclaiming outside position. It’s hard going in the clinch here, both women looking for the Thai plum but neither has taken control two minutes into the fight. Ladd looks to be the stronger of the two early on, and she pops Cooper with a couple short uppercuts as they continue to jockey for position on the outside. Finally, three minutes in, Ladd spins her opponent to the canvas and lands in half guard on Cooper’s right side. Cooper shifts underneath, threatening to sweep, but Ladd stacks her up and drops a few good punches on her face. Cooper catches Ladd’s left arm and tries to go belly-down for an armbar, but Ladd stacks her again and pulls the limb free. Ladd is doing good work late, thumping Cooper’s face with right hands as the final minute ticks down. 10-9 Ladd.

Round 2

Ladd ducks under a left hook and floors Cooper with another double-leg takedown just seconds into the round. She works from half guard, leaning across Cooper’s body from right to left and looking to frame up a kimura on the left arm. Cooper leans left to ease the pressure, freeing her arm but nearly surrendering full mount in the process. Cooper manages to trap Ladd in deep half guard and tries to explode out from underneath. Instead, Ladd catches Cooper rolling and takes back-mount with half the round remaining. Cooper is in a bad spot now, belly down with Ladd on her back, both hooks secured. Ladd is hunting for a rear-naked choke, but Cooper is burying her chin in defense. Ladd pries Cooper’s head off the mat and slides her right arm underneath the chin, prompting Cooper to roll onto her back. Ladd unloads with elbows from full mount, slicing open Cooper’s face. Cooper gives up her back again, and with only seconds left on the clock, Ladd dives for an armbar. The submission is tight and Cooper is forced to submit.

The Official Result

Aspen Ladd def. Amanda Bobby Cooper via Submission (Armbar) R2 4:42

J.J. Aldrich vs. Rosa Acevedo

Round 1

Acevedo, it must be noted, is wearing a singlet with a giant photo of a kitten’s face printed on either side. She comes out swinging hard, short punches against Aldrich, who uses her length and reach advantage to land counters. Aldrich brings the fight to the fence, pinning Acevedo against the cage and grinding her against the chain-link for the better part of a minute. Suddenly, Aldrich drills Acevedo in the liver with a sharp knee strike. Acevedo doubles over in pain, leaving her face wide open. Aldrich sees the opening and delivers three hard knees to Acevedo’s face, sending the late replacement crumbling to the canvas and forcing referee Mike England to intervene.

The Official Result

J.J. Aldrich def. Rosa Acevedo via KO (Knees) R1 2:24

Jinh Yu Frey vs. Liz McCarthy

Round 1

The southpaw Frey pushes forward in the opening moments and stings McCarthy with a good left hook on the end of a combination. McCarthy stands her ground, pumps her jab to try and keep Frey out of range, then lands a few inside leg kicks. The few punches Frey has landed so far have already reddened McCarthy’s face. Frey changes it up with a trip takedown 90 seconds into the round and passes to side control as soon as she hits the mat. McCarthy kicks her away and scrambles up, but she eats another left hand from Frey along the way. Two minutes left in the opening frame and McCarthy continues to circle the outside, still having trouble navigating her way past Frey’s reach. Frey kicks her to the ground momentarily, but when McCarthy gets back up, she comes over the top with a grazing right hand. Frey switches to leg kicks now, chopping at the outside of McCarthy’s lead leg. McCarthy is getting wild now, throwing looping punches and leaving herself open to Frey’s counters. Frey rushes her opponent against the fence with a flurry of punches and knees but can’t find the homerun shot before time runs out. 10-9 Frey.

Round 2

McCarthy stakes out the center of the cage to start round two, but she’s having no greater success working her way into striking range. Frey circles clockwise around the edge, occasionally stepping in to deliver a leg kick or threaten with one up high. Frey’s punches are pulling up short now, too, as the atomweights feint and jab through the first 90 seconds. Suddenly, Frey shoots for and completes a fast takedown, but she allows McCarthy to stand just as quickly. They meet back in the center, now halfway through the round and the fight, and the shadowboxing continues. Frey is finding the mark with a counter left hook when McCarthy comes charging inside, but neither woman is landing much in the way of clean offense. McCarthy scores with a few kicks to Frey’s legs and body in the last minute of a closer, if less active, round. 10-9 Frey.

Round 3

McCarthy takes the center of the cage again, while Frey circles left around the perimeter, keeping “Lightning Liz” on the end of a long jab. McCarthy grazes with a right hand as she blitzes Frey against the fence. A level-change from McCarthy goes nowhere, as Frey stands her up and circles out of the clinch. Back to the center they go, half a round remaining, and now McCarthy is trying to make up some ground. She swings punches in pairs at Frey’s face, though Frey’s straight left still seems to be landing harder. Down to the final 70 seconds, McCarthy cracks Frey with a straight shot, sending Frey shooting for a takedown. McCarthy stuffs the shot and holds Frey against a cagepost to land a few short punches before backing off. McCarthy is still advancing when time runs out, and for the first time tonight, a fight will be decided by the judges. 10-9 McCarthy (29-28 Frey).

The Official Result

Jinh Yu Frey def. Liz McCarthy via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Jamie Moyle vs. Sharon Jacobson

Round 1

Jacobson gets off to a busy start, sending nonstop power punches in Moyle’s direction for the first 20 seconds of the fight. Her roll is slowed when Moyle tags her back with a hard, straight right hand, and now Jacobson wants to clinch up. Moyle gets pushed against the cage for a few seconds but quickly escapes and circles back to the center of the cage. Jacobson eats another punch to walk inside and shove Moyle against the cage again. Jacobson puts a hard knee in Moyle’s breadbasket before Moyle shoves her away. Moyle times a front kick and puts Jacobson on her seat in the middle of the cage. Jacobson bounces back up and swings forward to hit Moyle with a long left hand, then a short right. Another clinch from Jacobson with two minutes on the clock, and again Moyle has her back pressed against the fence. This time, Moyle makes things uncomfortable in the tie-up by kneeing Jacobson in the gut. Jacobson lands an over-the-top elbow but gets one right back from Moyle in return. They work off the fence with one minute left and it’s Moyle scoring with hard knees to the body from the Thai clinch. The strawweights separate briefly, then Jacobson digs an underhook and puts Moyle back on the fence to close the round. 10-9 Jacobson.

Round 2

Jacobson is on the march again to start round two, but this time Moyle is waiting with busy counters and a sneaky high kick. After a minute of trying to walk down Moyle, Jacobson opts to clinch again and this time turns the tie-up into a trip takedown. Moyle shifts underneath, prompting Jacobson to stand up and kick at her prone opponent’s legs. Moyle bursts back up to her feet, only to be shoved against the fence once more. She breaks free and cracks Jacobson with a front kick to the face and a follow-up right hook. Jacobson is stunned, standing right in front of Moyle and grabbing for a clinch that isn’t there. A few more shots connect for Moyle before Jacobson is able to get hold and clinch on the fence again. After a few seconds recovering, Jacobson backs out and tags Moyle with a pair of hooks. Moyle is breaks loose again and is looking like the fresher fighter with 90 seconds left in round two. Another underhook, another clinch on the fence with Jacobson on the outside. Moyle throws a hard knee up the center and nearly escapes, but Jacobson switches to a high single-leg and slams her to the ground. Moyle jumps back up but can’t get her back off the fence before the round ends. 10-9 Moyle.

Round 3

Jacobson walks across the cage to throw a body kick and gets picked off by a counter right. Moyle circles away before she can be grabbed and flicks out jabs to try and keep Jacobson at bay. “The Dreamcatcher” keeps walking forward, but her kicks and punches are noticably slower now, and Moyle is finding more success with her hands. Jacobson closes the gap, shoots low and hits a big takedown at the base of the fence, but Moyle makes her stand almost immediately by threatening with an armbar. Back on the feet, Jacobson catches a kick and uses it to hustle Moyle against the fence. Moyle breaks loose after a few seconds, slips a left hand a puts a front kick in Jacobson’s midsection. Jacobson clinches again with half the round remaining, then changes to a double-leg and slams Moyle to the mat. Jacobson connects with a couple hard right hands as she postures up in Moyle’s open guard, then she has to back out when Moyle swings up her legs for an armbar attempt. Moyle stands and Jacobson comes back to bully her on the cage some more. With one minute to go, Moyle reverses the position and throws a pair of knees to Jacobson’s body. Jacobson reclaims outside position and holds Moyle against the fence for the final 30 seconds. 10-9 Jacobson (29-28 Jacobson).

The Official Result

Sharon Jacobson def. Jamie Moyle via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) R3 5:00

Cindy Dandois vs. Megan Anderson

Round 1

Dandois tries to walk into the pocket and gets cleared out by a stiff Anderson jab. The Australian steps forward now, moving Dandois back toward the fence with an inside leg kick. Dandois grabs hold of Anderson and trips her to the canvas, landing in side control on the Invicta newcomer’s left side. Anderson, uses her 6-foot frame to reclaim half guard, but Dandois keeps the pressure on and steps over to full mount. Dandois is unable to land much from mount as Anderson threatens to bridge and roll. Dandois tries an armbar and gets stacked up by Anderson, who can take top position her if she can free her left arm. She does, and now it’s Anderson on top with just under half the round remaining. Dandois never fully releases the arm, and she uses it to trap Anderson in a triangle choke. Anderson looks like she might escape at first, but Dandois rolls her over and begins slamming away with ground-and-pound with the mounted triangle still locked on. Anderson somehow escapes out the back door and scrambles to her feet with 50 seconds left on the clock. Dandois stands up looking tired, inching slowly around the outside while Anderson stalks from the center. Anderson connects with a good right hand and thwarts a toss before the horn, but it won’t be enough to steal the round. 10-9 Dandois.

Round 2

Dandois hits a quick takedown at the base of the fence and lands in Anderson’s full guard. This time, Anderson is quick to post and stand, and she resumes her stalking of “Battlecat” from the end of round one. Dandois drops to her knees and drives forward, but her shot is easily stopped by Anderson, who winds up on top 90 seconds into the round. Dandois throws up another triangle, but she doesn’t have the angle and Anderson is able to survive by posturing up and pushing Dandois against the fence. Once they hit the cage, Dandois adjusts the choke and finally forces Anderson to submit.

The Official Result

Cindy Dandois def. Megan Anderson via Submission (Triangle Choke) R2 2:41

Rachael Ostovich vs. Andrea Lee

Round 1

Lee spends the better half of the opening minute pressing forward on Ostovich, testing the range with punches, before finally clinching and digging into the Hawaiian’s body with a pair of shots. The shorter Ostovich sticks to the outside, backing away from Lee’s long strikes but pulling up short on her own. Lee goes back to the body with a nice left hook, then blocks a right high kick and gives Ostovich a chop to the lead leg. Ostovich circles right and walks into a left hand from Lee, who snuffs out a single-leg takedown attempt seconds later. Lee kicks Ostovich to the ground, and when she stands back up, “KGB” is waiting with a blistering right hand. Ostovich gets up again, only to be drilled with another huge right. Lee is looking for the finish now, jumping on Ostovich’s back and staying there as “Wonder Woman” tries to roll her off. Lee gives up the back and scrambles up, perhaps hoping to catch Ostovich while she’s still hurting from those big punches. Ostovich takes a punch to the liver and leans against the fence, allowing Lee to tee up a kick to the same spot. As Ostovich tries to stand, Lee leaps on her back and finishes the round trying for a rear-naked choke. 10-8 Lee.

Round 2

Lee goes back to controlling the center of the cage, keeping Ostovich on the outside with footwork and angles. Ostovich tries to kick her way into range, but the strikes are coming slow and Lee is too quick. A left hook scores for Lee, who is mostly throwing single shots so far in round two. A kick to the chest backs up Ostovich and lets Lee creep in a little closer. Lee catches Ostovich with her back to the fence and drills her with a pair of punches. Ostovich is grimacing and breathing hard as she backpedals away from Lee’s strikes. Lee gets a standing rear-waistlock and ragdolls Ostovich to the ground. Short punches connect for Lee, who keeps Ostovich wrapped up and drags the Hawaiian back to her knees when she tries to stand. Lee tries to take the back when Ostovich goes to stand again, loses the position and has to sprawl as Ostovich drives forward for a takedown. They stand up with 40 seconds left and Lee drills Ostovich’s body with a big knee, then goes upstairs with follow-up punches. Another ragdoll takedown slams Ostovich’s face into the canvas, and Lee finishes the round on her back, dropping punches. 10-9 Lee.

Round 3

Lee is off to a good start, landing quick punches and body kicks, until Ostovich catches one of the kicks and trips her to the ground. Lee shrimps and escapes to her feet within seconds, then begins banging Ostovich’s face with a series of knees from the Thai clinch. Ostovich drops to her knees, her face bloodied from the big shots, and tries to snatch an armbar as Lee follows her to the ground. Lee pulls her arm free, takes top position and slugs Ostovich’s face with a couple hard right hands. From deep half guard, Lee moves to a sort of akward north-south position, still looking Ostovich’s leg while she drops punches. Ostovich gives up her back; Lee wastes no time jumping on and sinking in both hooks. Ostovich twists underneath, trying to roll over into top position, but Lee is in good position. With 40 seconds left, Lee pulls Ostovich backward and tries to finish with a rear-naked choke. Ostovich fends off the RNC, powering back to her feet and trying to slip out the back door. Nearly falling off, Lee switches to an armbar and gets Ostovich to tap with only seconds remaining.

The Official Result

Andrea Lee def. Rachael Ostovich via Submission (Armbar) R3 4:58

Roxanne Modafferi vs. Mariana Morais

Round 1

Morais connects with an overhand right and tries to push-kick Modafferi out of the pocket, but the taller fighter gets Morais back with a straight right down the pipe. Morais tries a spinning backfist, whiffs and gets wrapped up by Modafferi as she completes her spin. Modafferi trips her to the ground, passes to full mount but gets put back in deep half as Morais rolls to her side. Modafferi is leaning left to right across Morais’ body, peppering with short strikes and perhaps working for a crucifix. Midway through the opening round, Morais looks frustrated as she tries to create space underneath and cannot. Modafferi goes knee-on-belly and grinds Morais’ face with a couple short elbows. Modafferi tries a kimura on Morais’ right arm but loses it as the round enters its final minute. Modafferi overcommits to some body strikes toward the end of the round and gets swept underneath, but it’s too late for Morais to make up any ground. 10-9 Modafferi.

Round 2

Modafferi opts to stand and trade in the opening minute of round two, but her stiff standup allows Morais to connect with a few punches. “The Happy Warrior” decides to clinch and gets reversed against the fence by Morais, who disengages about 90 seconds into the round. Modafferi gets through with a couple good right hands, dives on a double-leg and gets sprawled upon. She stands and pushes Morais against the fence but fails to complete a head-and-arm throw once there. The second effort gets Modafferi the toss she was looking for, and now she’s back on top of Morais with half the round remaining. Morais turns to her right side, again trapping Modafferi in deep half guard. This time, the American extracts her leg and takes full mount, then grapevines Morais’ legs to keep her down. A flurry of punches and elbows from mount score big for Modafferi; now, Morais looks like she may be starting to break, offering less and less resistance from her back. Morais rolls onto her stomach, where she’s flattened out and battered by more Modafferi elbows. Morais rolls over again, putting Modafferi back in full mount. Morais tries to buck her off, can’t, and winds up with Modafferi on her back again, dropping punches to round’s end. 10-9 Modafferi.

Round 3

Modafferi quickly moves in to clinch, grabs hold of a high single-leg and deposits Morais on the ground. On her way to the canvas, Morais grabs a guillotine, but Modafferi breaks loose by pushing down on the Brazilian’s face with both hands. Now, Modafferi works from Morais’ closed guard with four minutes left to fight. Morais likely needs a finish here, and she’s locking down Modafferi’s arms in hopes of finding either an armbar or a stand-up order from referee John McCarthy. Meanwhile, Modafferi has slowed her pace on top, posturing up to drop the occasional punch or elbow but mostly making sure Morais stays put. Morais opens her guard and tries to gets some leverage by kicking off the cage, but the larger Modafferi won’t allow it and passes to side control in the process. Modafferi gets the mounted crucifix but loses it just as quickly, so she knees Morais’ ribs from side control on the right. Over to full mount steps Modafferi, unloading with punches and elbows while Morais wilts and covers up underneath. Referee McCarthy is taking a close look, but Morais is shelling up just enough to stay in the fight. After Modafferi lands 20 or more unanswered strikes, McCarthy has finally seen enough and steps in to save Morais from further punishment.

The Official Result

Roxanne Modafferi def. Mariana Morais via TKO (Elbows and Punches) R3 4:40

Katja Kankaanpaa vs. DeAnna Bennett

Round 1

Bennett lands the first hard blow of the fight with a leg kick and a right hand behind it; Kankaanpaa pays her right back with a jab. The shorter Kankaanpaa finds Bennett’s chin with a pair of reaching punches, answered by Bennett with a couple leg kicks. Bennett sticks a jab, pushes Kankaanpaa away with a front kick to the body, then pushes the Finn against the fence. Kankaanpaa reverses the position straight away but doesn’t muster much in the clinch before Bennett is able to escape. Two minutes left and the opening round is still up for grabs. Kankaanpaa comes over the top with a right hand, cuts off Bennett’s angle on the outside and feeds it to her again. Bennett is dropping her guard when she throws knees and low kicks in close quarters, allowing Kankaanpaa to counter upstairs. Kankaanpaa shoots for a single leg and Bennett jumps guard with a guillotine. Kankaanpaa frees herself from the choke and tries to take Bennett’s back in a scramble, but she’s too high and Bennett is able to scrape her off against the fence. Kankaanpaa finishes the round holding Bennett against the cage. 10-9 Bennett.

Round 2

Bennett drops to her knees for a takedown and winds up holding Kankaanpaa against the cage with an underhook. Kankaanpaa escapes out the side, chases Bennett around the edge, and now it’s her turn to clinch on the fence. Bennett throws a high knee that gets Kankaanpaa’s attention, prompting “Killer Bunny” to spin around and take Bennett’s back with a standing waistlock. Moving around to the front, Kankaanpaa drags the American to the ground at the base of the fence, escapes a loose headlock and keeps hold as Bennett goes to stand. Bennett reverses positions and gets a takedown near the fence with about 1:40 left in the middle round. Kankaanpaa escapes a kimura attempt, then a brief triangle threat from Bennett, who scrambles up with the Finn and then completes another takedown. Kankaanpaa powers back to her feet within seconds and muscles Bennett against the cage while being held in a headlock. Bennett jumps guard with an arm-in guillotine, but Kankaanpaa rides out the final 10 seconds locked in the choke. 10-9 Kankaanpaa.

Round 3

Bennett circles to her left around the outside, flicking out long punches and kicks to keep the shorter woman out of takedown range. Kankaanpaa works her way inside, catching a kick and converting it to a takedown. When Bennett tries to stand, Kankaanpaa keeps hold of a rear waistlock and drags her straight back to the ground. Kankaanpaa moves to side control on Bennett’s right and frames up an arm-triangle choke. Bennett rolls to the other side and hooks her leg to stay safe, so Kankaanpaa moves to take her back and switches to a rear-naked choke. Bennett defends the RNC, too, and now it’s back to top position and Bennett’s open guard for Kankaanpaa with 2:30 on the clock. Bennett is busy off her back, hunting for an escape or a submission, but Kankaanpaa is just a little busier on top, maintaining heavy pressure. Kankaanpaa leans right to left across Bennett’s body, elbowing the American’s ribs as the last two minutes tick away. Bennett shrimps underneath in a last-ditch effort to escape, but as she rolls to her knees, Kankaanpaa takes her back. Bennett rolls over, leaving Kankaanpaa in perfect position for another arm-triangle choke. Again, Kankaanpaa fails to coax a tap with the choke, so this fight will go to the judges. 10-9 Kankaanpaa (29-28 Kankaanpaa).

The Official Result

DeAnna Bennett def. Katja Kankaanpaa via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) R3 5:00

Tonya Evinger vs. Pannie Kianzad

Round 1

John McCarthy is the referee for tonight’s non-title main event, scheduled for five rounds, with judges Marcus Danforth, Henry Gueary and Brett Miller scoring at cageside. Kianzad opens with a swiping left hand across the face of Evinger, who responds by clinching and pressing the Iran native against the fence. Evinger leans on Kianzad and throws a few low knees before tripping her to the ground. Kianzad stands up but keeps a hand on the mat to avoid knees as Evinger continues to muscle her on the fence. Evinger tosses Kianzad to the ground and lands in position for a scarf hold, which she holds for a few seconds while socking Kianzad in the face. When the scramble settles down, it’s Evinger in side control, then north-south position as Kianzad tries to kick off the fence. Evinger is all over Kianzad, rolling with her every move, alternating between ground-and-pound and a rear-naked choke attempt. Kianzad is bleeding from the nose with two minutes left in the first frame. Evinger sinks both hooks in as she secures the back of the kneeling Kianzad; when she can’t find the RNC, “Triple Threat” instead bashes Kianzad with more punches. Kianzad is in a bad spot with 70 seconds left in the opening round. Evinger continues to pour on the punishment with right hands from back-mount, then switches to an armbar and dives over the top. Kianzad is on her knees, clasping her hands, while Evinger tries to separate her left arm. Evinger can’t get the armbar, so she spends the final 15 seconds of the round mashing Kianzad’s face with punches. 10-8 Evinger.

Round 2

Evinger catches a kick and puts Kianzad on the canvas just seconds into the round. The champion stands over Kianzad, dodges a few upkicks and then dives down to meet “Sexy Scramble” on the ground. Kianzad tries to create some space with a long guard, but Evinger just wraps up her legs and pushes forward to grind some more. Kianzad continues to leak blood from her nose as Evinger continues her wipeout with elbows on the ground. The bantamweights move toward the fence, where Kianzad has to defend a brief kimura attempt. She shrimps underneath Evinger, putting the veteran back in half guard, but it lasts only a few seconds. Evinger flips Kianzad, flattens her out and jumps on her back. Kianzad tries to turn over, leaving Evinger in full mount, unloading with a barrage of heavy punches. Referee McCarthy is having a close look as Kianzad covers up. She’s giving nothing in return as Evinger knocks her head back and forth. This one is all over; Tonya Evinger wins via second-round stoppage, her eighth straight victory.

The Official Result

Tonya Evinger def. Pannie Kianzad via TKO (Punches) R2 3:34