Invicta FC 23 fight card preview and prediction

Invicta FC 23 comes to you live courtesy of UFC Fight Pass this Saturday, May 20th from the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City Missouri.

From veterans to new blood inside the Invicta cage Saturday night’s match-ups are poised to bring a high energy of fantastic fights to the ‘Show-Me State’. Cage Pages Contributors Kyle Walton and Stephen Rivers preview and breakdown the card’s eight bouts.

From newcomers to seasoned promotional veterans, Invicta FC 23 has it all. With all this phenomenal talent on show, we are hoping for a cracking night of fights.

Below is the card along with the preview and predictions.

Shaianna Rincon (0-0-0) .vs. Brooksie Bayard (1-1-0) 

Invicta FC’s evening inside the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City Missouri kicks off with a Bantamweight battle of newcomers to the Invicta cage.

Fighting out of Vacaville California Shaianna Rincon makes her Professional Mixed Martial Arts debut on the heels of an Undefeated Amateur record. Rincon’s most notable victories have come in a pair of wins over Bellator Flyweight Brooke Mayo.

The MMA Gold Fighter known often as ‘Yaya’ has finished half of her amateur opponents by way of Guillotine. With the momentum of four straight wins behind her, Rincon will look to utilise her youth and speed against Louisiana native Brooksie ‘The Bear’ Bayard’.

Also boasting a 4-0-0 Amatuer Record Brooksie Bayard has already found the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in her Professional Career.  Bayard fell short in her Pro Debut in a Unanimous Decision loss to Melanie LaCroix at BAMMA USA Badbeat 12.

‘The Bear’ shook off her first loss and made quick work of Sha Whittington by way of first round Rear-Naked Choke. With a Pro win under her belt, as well as an Amateur Victory over Colbey Northcutt (Sister of UFC’s ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt) Brooksie Bayard will look to use her veteran instincts to thwart the Pro Debut of ‘Yaya’ Rincon.

Ediane Gomes (10-4-0) .vs. Pam Sorenson (5-1-0)

Two Featherweights who have found success via the Submission game in MMA meet in the center of the cage Saturday Night. While one looks to continue their win streak the other will look to dig herself out of a two-fight hole.

Fighting professionally since 2007 Ediane Gomes has squared off against the likes of Ronda Rousey, Amanda Nunes and reigning Invicta Bantamweight Champion Tonya Evinger. Despite coming up short against three legends of Women’s MMA Gomes has learned from those experiences en route to seven different finishes by Submission.

Invicta 23 marks the 145-pound return of Gomes as her last two stints at 135 proved unsuccessful.  Prior to the move down in weight class, the Brazilian had amassed four straight victories.

Looking to spoil Gomes Featherweight return stands the surging Gopher State fighter Pam Sorenson. After winning her first Invicta fight last November in Split Decision fashion against Jessy Rose-Clark Sorenson looks to build on her three-fight win streak.

Despite a lack of highlight reel finishes Pam ‘Bam’ Sorenson has proved she can carry her stamina through gritty, exhausting battles and come out with her hand raised when the dust settles.  With two warriors at opposite stages in their careers, this war of attrition could come down to who can dig deep in the latter stages of what is sure to be a gruelling face-off.

Christine Ferea (1-0-0) .vs. Tiffany Van Soest (0-2-0)

In the night’s first Strawweight competition two of the division’s up and coming hard hitting combatants look to make a major statement in the 115-pound division.

With her first Professional MMA win behind her, Christine Ferea is ready to back up her victory come May 20th. A decisive TKO finish in the third round against Rachael Ostovich at Invicta 21 gave Ferea the drive to move up the ranks and welcome any challenger.

The Syndicate MMA sensation capped off her 3-1 Amateur Career with an impressive 22 second Knockout of Diana Rodriguez at King of the Cage 28.

However, an emphasis on ground control and submission skills could net Ferea her second pro win against a susceptible on the mat Van Soest.

The ‘Timebomb’ Tiffany Van Soest has every intention of unleashing an explosion of kicks and fists come Saturday Night. Despite falling victim to two submission losses in her first set of professional MMA outings, Van Soest has all the tools and accolades to be dangerous inside the cage. A Muay-Thai and Kickboxing specialist ‘The Timebomb’ has accrued WBC Muay-Thai, Lion Fighting and Glory Kickboxing Championships since turning Pro in 2011.

Van Soest now seeks to bridge her successes outside the cage into the Scottish Rite Temple Saturday Night.

Herica Tiburcio (10-4-0) .vs. Tessa Simpson (5-1-0)

The evening’s only Atomweight bouts squares off two Top Ten 105-pound gladiators looking to each build upon their recent wins over the same opponent in the past year.

A five-fight veteran of Invicta, Herica Tiburcio last defeated London’s Simona Soukupova at Invicta 20 via Unanimous Decision. Previously Tiburcio suffered back to back defeats following a 2014 Submission Victory over the UFC’s resident ‘Karate Hottie’ Michelle Waterson.

That victory over Waterson won Tiburcio not only the distinction of the youngest victor in Invicta history at 21-years old but also her first Invicta Atomweight Championship. Favouring a mix of armbars and guillotines the now 24-year old has compiled seven victories thanks to these techniques throughout her Pro Career.

Hoping to avoid the tap out loss lies a perfect storm in ‘The Typhoon’ Tessa Simpson.  Six years the elder, Simpson’s latest Invicta victory also came by way of Unanimous Decision over Simona Soukupova.

Training out of the Austin Kickboxing Academy Simpson has shown versatility in her victories with an array of Decision, TKO and Submission wins in the record books.  After almost a year out of the cage, ‘The Typhoon’ is ready to rain down on Tiburcio’s resurgence among the Atomweight’s elite.  With a win over the former divisional Champion, Tessa Simpson may just find herself exactly in the contender mix in late 2017.

Roxanne Modafferi (20-13-0) .vs. Sarah D’Alelio (11-6-0)

What many see as a surefire Top Five Flyweight fight pits two top Jiu-jitsu specialists one on one in the Co-Main Event of the evening.

Dubbed by fans around the world ‘The Happy Warrior’ Roxanne Modafferi has truly travelled the globe in pursuit of perfecting her craft. A Japanese Language Major at the University of Massachusetts afforded Modafferi the opportunity to study a variety of Mixed Martial Arts throughout the Land of the Rising Sun. In fact “The Happy Warrior” has competed over a dozen times professionally in Japan.

Now a member of Syndicate MMA Roxanne Modafferi possesses an eclectic combat sports background including Taekwondo, Karate, Judo and Jiu-Jitsu. In Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter Modafferi won her way onto the show with a first round Rear-Naked Choke victory over Valerie Letourneau.

After her elimination from TUF due to a TKO loss to Jessica Rakoczy “The Happy Fighter” was granted one more shot at UFC during the TUF Finale. Despite a valiant effort put forth Modafferi lost a Unanimous Decision to Raquel Pennington. Following her stint in the UFC, and previously Strikeforce, Roxanne Modafferi has accumulated a 4-2 Record for Invicta and looks to travel up the Flyweight ladder with a statement victory against ‘The Monster’.

Sarah ‘The Monster’ D’Alelio began her Professional Mixed Martial Arts journey on a red hot four-fight win streak. D’Alelio ending each bout via TKO or Submission before the judges could put in their two cents.

These wins were enough to warrant a call from Strikeforce and an improvement in competition for the hungry ‘Monster’.  An improvement in competition came in the form of a young Ronda Rousey in D’Alelio’s Strikeforce debut.  While Sarah D’Alelio’s arm fell victim to the now famed ‘Rowdy’ Ronda submission it wasn’t long before D’Alelio found herself back in the mix and competing under the Invicta Banner.

Over the past five years, Sarah D’Alelio has bounced around from Invicta to Bellator with stops in BAMMA, Pancrase and Primal FC. Along the way, she has fought wars against the likes of Shayna Baszler and Tonya Evinger while securing victories over Invicta 23 Main Eventer Vanessa Porto as well as current UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes. With so many tools at her disposal will Saturday Night turn into a nightmare for Roxanne Modafferi at the hands of ‘The Monster’?

Vanessa Porto (18-7-0) .vs. Agnieszka Niedzwiedz (9-0-0)

A story played out throughout generations of combat encompasses the Invicta 23 Main Event.  The well-rounded, battle-tested veteran welcomes the new sensation into the arena to prove their worth.

The Number Two Ranked Flyweight and savvy vet Vanessa Porto carries a twelve-year fight career into the cage with her Saturday Night.  Born in São Paulo, Brazil Porto grew up with an affinity for Martial Arts and Boxing before testing the waters in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2004.  Along with her successes throughout MMA Porto also earned the distinction of Amateur Boxing Champion and Medalist. Porto’s variety of techniques has led her to eleven first round finishes.

The true feather in Porto’s cap remains her first round armbar victory at Revolution Fight Club 2 against UFC’s reigning Women’s Featherweight Champion Germaine de Randamie.  Wins over Tonya Evinger and Roxanne Modafferi, as well as trading Brazilian leather with ‘The Lioness’ Amanda Nunes, gives Porto a unique abundance of experience to draw from.

With a full bank of knowledge and the skills to back it up, Porto refuses to be a stepping stone for the undefeated Polish powerhouse Agnieszka Niedzwiedz.

The 22-year old Agnieszka Niedzwiedz seems to be, by many, as the latest and greatest MMA gift from Poland.  Growing up in Katowice the ‘Queen of Elbows’ is a skilled Brazilian Jiu-jitsu practitioner. Using a cornucopia of striking combinations especially when on the ground Niedzwiedz boasts five finishes via Knockout/TKO.

Niedzwiedzhas been training in Judo since the age of seven and uses her background to punish opponents on the canvas.  A current record of 9-0-0 has Niedzwiedz on the radar of many.  An exciting finish over a tough veteran could lead to the bright lights of the big time for Agnieszka Niedzwiedz.

The UFC recently announced the creation of a 125-pound Women’s Flyweight Division and a Championship Season of The Ultimate Fighter to accompany it.  What better way to draw viewers than another undefeated Polish striker not unlike a certain UFC 115-pound Women’s (Joanna) Champion?