Invicta FC 22 ‘Evinger vs. Kunitskaya’ Results: Play-by-Play & Updates

Felicia Spencer vs. Madison McElhaney

Round 1

Mike England is our referee for this featherweight encounter. Spencer storms right out of her corner and goes with a head kick but it’s blocked. After a brief exchange, Spencer dives in and presses McElhaney into the cage, looking to drag this brawl to the canvas. McElhaney is fending the takedown off well, but the Orlando girl is relentless. They split up and Spencer dishes out a few low kicks to keep McElhaney away. Spencer misses a trip as she was too far on the outside, but McElhaney doesn’t make her pay for the mistake. They clinch again and the West Hollywood fighter swallows an elbow before being slammed onto her back. McElhaney quickly turtles against the cage and works her way back up to her feet. Spencer lands a nice knee into her opponent’s sternum while she continues to press the blonde fighter into the cage. McElhaney explodes off the cage and judo tosses Spencer hard onto the ground, but Felicia is able to slip into full guard. Spencer rides a high guard, fishing for an armbar or triangle, but when she locks an armbar on, McElhaney sees it coming and stacks and then spins out of danger. McElhaney locks in a brabo choke just before the bell, but runs out of time. 10-9 Spencer.

Round 2

McElhaney rushes across the cage and unloads a brief flurry of punches, but none of her shots land too cleanly. They separate and Spencer is popping low kicks into McElhaney’s lead leg. Before long, Spencer dives in and presses the Californian into the cage, searching for the takedown. A hard left elbow and then a left high kick from Spencer rocks McElhaney, who gasps for breath a few times. McElhaney backs away and walks into another head kick, but there’s nothing on it. Both women are looking tired at the midway point, but Spencer continues to pressure her opponent, again forcing her into the cage. McElhaney misses an outside trip and is reversed down onto he back. Spencer lands in half guard, but she’s applying all sorts of pressure as she tries to move to mount. A series of short elbows from the top open up a slick armbar attempt, but McElhaney reacts just in time to spin out to safety. The ladies scramble to their feet and the Orlando grappler chases after he prey. McElhaney is clipped by another elbow and then a volley of punches. It’s an all-out brawl at the bell. 10-9 Spencer

Round 3

McElhaney is aggressive early on, likely sensing she’s down on the cards. Spencer wards off the attacks and then engages with her own strikes. Spencer is willing to stand and bang with the striker and she’s holding her own. McElhaney is exhausted and is tied up against the cage. Spencer continues to fish for the takedown but the West Hollywood brawler is fending it off nicely. McElhaney is able to create some separation but Spencer is stalking her down. A spinning back kick by the Orlando grappler catches air at the midway point, which leads to another clinch against the cage. Spencer misses a takedown attempt and then fends off a telegraphed brabo choke. Again they reset in the center of the cage with 90 seconds left and both of these fighters are gassed out. A beautiful side kick to the gut from Spencer pushes McElhaney into the cage. Spencer shoots in and scores an easy takedown and quickly moves to full mount. McElhaney rolls into turtle, but Spencer is on her back, looking for the rear-naked choke, and that’s where the fights end. 10-9 Spencer (30-27 Spencer).

The Official Result

Felicia Spencer def. Madison McElhaney via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) R3, 5:00

Kalyn Schwartz vs. Miranda Maverick

Round 1

Greg Franklin is the third man in the cage for this 120-pound catchweight battle. Maverick rushes out of her corner and comes right at Holliday, but backs off once she gets close. Holliday is pressing the action now, and forces “The Maverick” into the cage as he fishes for an early takedown. Maverick eats a loopy right elbow while she defends the takedown before escaping to the center of the cage. Holliday changes levels and shoots in again, but Maverick stuffs her. Moments later, Holliday scoops her up and slams her down hard and lands in side control. Maverick wastes no time in pulling to full guard. Before long, the Missouri fighter slides her legs up and locks in an armbar. Holliday is in trouble but slams Maverick back down. Maverick refuses to let go and switches her grip, goes to belly-down and forces the tap. Excellent submission for the 19-year-old.

The Official Result

Miranda Maverick def. Kal Holliday via Submission (Armbar) R1, 3:01

Sunna Rannveig Davidsdottir vs. Mallory Martin

Round 1

Mike England gets the assignment for this strawweight affair. Martin comes out quickly but she eats a few clean punches from Davidsdottir. Martin is having a little difficulty in getting inside the jabs of the Icelandic fighter and decides to shoot it. Davidsdottir stuffs the double leg and forces her way back to her feet, but Martin shoves her into the cage. Davidsdottir reverses position and slams a few knees into the American’s body. Martin takes an errant knee to the groin and England restarts them in the center of the cage. Davidsdottir ties her foe up and slams her down hard. Martin scrambles back to her feet, but she is pressed into the cage again On separation, Davidsdottir cracks her with a pair of right hands to the face. There is some blood on the bridge of Martin’s nose and then she’s rocked by a left hook to the head. Martin stumbles back and Davidsdottir squishes her into the cage for a few moments before backing away. Martin is pressing the issue late, but Davidsdottir is moving well while jabbing and tossing out kicks to the body. Martin misses a takedown just before the bell. 10-9 Davidsdottir

Round 2

There is a nice shiner growing under Martin’s left eye to start the second. Davidsdottir is jabbing nicely early on as she keeps the hard-charging Denver native at bay. Martin is trying to get inside for a takedown, but the Icelander is popping her rather easily from the outside. Davidsdottir is jabbing and moving nicely as she picks the grappler apart. Still, Martin is not backing off. Martin cracks Davidsdottir with a left hook and her legs turn to jelly. They tie each other up, but Martin lands a nice left elbow to the head. They separate and Davidsdottir’s head still isn’t totally clear. Davidsdottir is staggered by another left hook to the jaw. She stumbles into the cage but Martin decides to clinch. Martin lets her go, but chases her back across the cage and presses her into the cage. Davidsdottir is still in peril with about 30 seconds to go and Martin drags her to the canvas. Davidsdottir pulls guard and survives the round. 10-9 Martin

Round 3

The fight is even on the cards going into the final round. Whoever wins this stanza, wins the fight. Davidsdottir meets her foe in the center of the cage, but she is handed a few jabs for her effort. They trade left hooks, though neither punch is severe. Martin is pressing the attack again and scores an easy double-leg takedown. Davidsdottir battles back to her feet but the American is all over her against the cage. Martin backs away and resets and then has to defend a whizzer before faceplanting. The ladies scramble back to their feet, but Davidsdottir is the one who lands a nice, sharp right elbow to the head. A left hook from Davidsdottir snaps Mallory’s head back at the midway point. Martin ties her up but misses a critical takedown and faceplants again. Davidsdottir pounces on her back after slamming a right to the head, but the Denver fighter is fending off the rear-naked choke attempt. Davidsdottir rolls off the top and tries an armbar, but misses it badly. They scramble back to their feet with 80 seconds left and the fight is still up for grabs. Davidsdottir lands a meager left hook, but is pressed back into the cage. Davidsdottir reverses the position and had double underhooks, but can’t take the grappler down. Davidsdottir stuffs another takedown and then lands two knees to the body. It’s a complete toss-up of a round, but Davidsdottir gets it. 10-9 Davidsdottir (29-28 Davidsdottir).

The Official Result

Sunna Rannveig Davidsdottir def. Mallory Martin via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3, 5:00

Amber Brown vs. Ashley Cummins

Round 1

Greg Franklin is back in the cage as the ref for this atomweight showdown. Cummins pops Brown with a superb straight right to the face, but “The Bully” walks right through it. After a brief exchange, they clinch, looking for the advantage. Brown scores a trip and lands in full mount. Brown is bleeding from somewhere, likely the result of a clash of heads during the takedown. Cummins slinks around underneath and recovers to guard, and then switches to butterfly. Brown pops back up but dives right into her foe’s full guard. “Smashley” traps Brown’s right arm and then locks in a triangle, but Brown is fending it off. Cummins will not let go of the choke, but Brown slides to the side and applies a triangle of her own. Cummins relinquishes her triangle, but Brown is underneath, keeping a hold of her inverted triangle. Finally, Cummins escapes the lock but she winds up underneath “The Bully.” The women scramble into a leg lock battle, but neither can lock anything up. Nothing comes from it before the round ends. It’s a very close round. 10-9 Brown

Round 2

The women come out swinging for the fences, but Cummins quickly shoots in and scores a slick double-leg takedown. Brown pulls guard and rides it high, but Cummins’ posture thwarts any offense from the bottom. Cummins scoots to side control and locks up an arm-triangle, but Brown is defending it well. “Smashley” relinquishes the choke but remains in side control, fishing for a cross-body keylock. Cummins is forcing her weight down nicely, keeping her opponent trapped on her back. Cummins locks in the arm-triangle again and moves to mount and then over to the other side. Brown is thrashing on her back, trying to break the choke, but Cummins will not let go. Cummins loses the choke but moves over to north-south position. Back to side control. Cummins is just mauling “The Bully” on the ground, grinding out the remainder of the round. 10-9 Cummins

Round 3

Cummins cracks Brown with a short right to the face as soon as the final round begins. Brown is sticking and moving, but she swallows a left hook. Brown is leaking blood from her mouth, the result of a few more solid punches. Cummins is in pursuit while brown is backing away, not overly enthused to engage on the feet. After taking a kick to the body, Cummins shoots in and scores an easy single-leg. Brown shoots for an armbar but misses and from there, Cummins scoots over to side control. “Smashley” smashes a few forearms into her foe’s face and continues to grind her out on the ground. Brown rolls over to shrimp, but Cummins pounces on her back. Cummins has one hook in and rolls her back, looking for the choke. Brown again squirms out but Cummins is all over her. Cummins seizes her foe’s back again and finally gets both hooks in. “The Bully” can’t shake the police officer off with 20 seconds left. Cummins goes for the rear-naked choke in the waning seconds, but she can’t get it. 10-9 Cummins

The Official Result

Ashley Cummins def. Amber Brown via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) R3, 5:00

DeAnna Bennett vs. Jodie Esquibel

Round 1

Greg Franklin is once again the ref for this 117-pound catchweight battle. The women paw with jabs early, not willing to commit to hard punches just yet. Bennett touches the New Mexico-based fighter with a low kick, but she’s keeping her distance. Two minutes in and the ladies haven’t yet landed anything noteworthy and Bennett, the wrestler, has attempted a takedown. Esquibel lands a decent jab, eats a left and then scores a takedown. Bennett closes her guard and then looks for an armbar, but Esquibel is fending it off. Bennett has the arm deep and Esquibel is in serious peril. The arm is hyper-extended but she refuses to tap. Bennett will not let it go and with 30 seconds left, Jodie is still not out of the woods. Esquibel survives the submission but she loses the round. 10-9 Bennett

Round 2

Bennett opens the second with a ice right hand to the head. Esquibel shakes it off and circles to her left, but staying away. Esquibel tags the taller fighter with a low kick, but she remains tentative. Esquibel finally opens up and pops Bennett with a pair of rights to the head. Bennett has one of her kicks caught and she slips to the canvas, but Esquibel allows her stand back up. Esquibel lands a decent straight right to the melon at the midway point. Esquibel lands a moderate spinning backfist as the action slows to a crawl. Bennett has a kick to the body blocked and has to absorb a stinging low kick in exchange. Esquibel lands a decent right to the head just before the bell to even up the score. 10-9 Esquibel

Round 3

Bennett lands a kick to the chest to begin the round. Bennett is a little more aggressive than in the previous round, but Esquibel is circling away. Bennett pops her with a pair of rights upstairs, but they do little damage. Esquibel comes inside and cracks the “Argentine Assassin” with a short right cross but can’t follow up. Bennett remains on the outside, not looking to get inside and try for a takedown with two minutes left. Bennett takes a hard right fist into her belly, but can’t counter before Esquibel backs away to safety. Esquibel connects with a sharp left-right with 45 seconds left. A quick left hook by Esquibel late, sealing Bennett’s fate. 10-9 Esquibel.

The Official Result

Jodie Esquibel def. DeAnna Bennett via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) R3, 5:00

Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Livia Renata Souza

Round 1

Mike England is the referee for this strawweight battle. Souza opens the battle with a pair of low kicks to the atomweight champ’s legs. Souza arts in and out and tags Hamasaki with a sharp right to the jaw. A huge right hook drops Hamasaki against the cage. The Japanese fighter is hurt badly and Souza pounces on her. A storm of rights slam into her head and she is out, forcing England to rush in and stop it.

The Official Result

Livia Renata Souza def. Ayaka Hamasaki via TKO (Punches) R1, 1:41

Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship:
Tonya Evinger vs. Yana Kunitskaya

Round 1

Greg Franklin is the third man in the cage for this, the main event. The Invicta FC bantamweight title is on the line and we are under way and they come out swinging wildly. Evinger shoots in and gets a sloppy takedown but Kunitskaya stands back up and quickly latches on a standing guillotine. Kunitskaya jumps to guard but the defending champ pries her head lose and escapes. Kunitskaya drops to her back and immediately goes to the armbar. Evinger powers her way out of that, too, and then drops down a few punches to the face. Kunitskaya grabs the champ’s foot and tries a heel hook but she misses. Evinger is caught in an inside heel hook on the other side, but the American is fending it off. Kunitskaya is expending a ton of energy with her submission attempts, which could cost her dearly if the fight goes on for several rounds. After taking a few punches to the liver, the Russian switches to a kneebar, but misses again. Evinger begins to rain down elbows from on top in half guard, but Kunitskaya sucks her in and goes for another armbar. Evinger fends that off and then slams down some violence from on top but once again, Kunitskaya locks in the armbar. She bails on it and Evinger crushes her chest with a knee. It’s a wild round but the challenger gets it. 10-9 Kunitskaya

Round 2

Evinger swats the challenger with a few overhand rights. They clinch against the cage, where Kunitskaya looks for another standing guillotine. Evinger easily thwarts it as she presses her foe into the cage. Kunitskaya tosses the American to the canvas, but Evinger pops right back up to her feet. Evinger slowly drags the Russian to the ground but lands in half guard. Kunitskaya half-threatens with a guillotine, but there’s no real danger with it. Evinger tries to stand to create some space to inflict damage, but Kunitskaya keeps her sucked to her chest. Kunitskaya slithers to her left and recovers to full guard, but Evinger stays close to prevent any attacks. Kunitskaya rides to a high guard and fishes for a triangle or armbar, but Evinger is wise and powers to side control. Kunitskaya is worn out and rolls over to turtle and Evinger seizes her back. The champ fishes for the rear-naked choke, locks in the body triangle and secures the submission. Kunitskaya tried to escape but can’t and has to tap out.

The Official Result

Tonya Evinger def. Yana Kunitskaya via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) R2, 4:32