Michelle Waterson Challenges Jessica Penne for Atomweight Belt at Invicta FC 5 in California

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Invicta Fighting Championshipsatomweight titlist Jessica Penne will defend her belt against Michelle Waterson at Invicta FC 5, which is expected to take place April 13 in California.

Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp announced the news Thursday, revealing that the all-female promotion will make its first appearance on the West Coast after holding its first four shows at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. Knapp unveiled the update during a radio appearance on MMAJunkie.com, asserting that the event may take place at the UCI Bren Center in Irvine, Calif.

Penne, 29, captured her title on Oct. 6 by submitting Jewels champion Naho Sugiyama with a second-round triangle choke at Invicta FC 3 on Oct. 6. The win marked Penne’s second consecutive conquest since returning to competition last year following 17 months on the sideline. The once-beaten atomweight made her Invicta debut at the promotion’s inaugural event in April, taking out Lisa Ellis via third-round technical knockout.

Known as “The Karate Hottie,” Waterson has won four straight fights heading into her sophomore promotional effort, most recently taking home a split decision victory in her Invicta debut against Lacey Schuckman on Oct. 6. Waterson owns six of her 10 career wins by submission and has gone the distance just three times in nearly six years as a pro.