| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 2012; 13 years ago (2012) |
| Founder | Shannon Knapp Janet Martin |
| Headquarters | Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people |
|
| Parent | Anthem Sports & Entertainment |
| Website | invictafc |
Invicta Fighting Championships, also known asInvicta FC, is an American professionalmixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated towomen's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is currently owned by the Canadian-basedAnthem Sports & Entertainment.[1][2][3]
The company's name comes from theLatin word for "invincible and incomparable", which appears in the feminine form.[4]
AfterZuffa, parent company of theUFC, purchased rival promotionStrikeforce in March 2011, Shannon Knapp received several calls from female fighters concerned about a possible lack of representation for women's MMA. Knapp would meet with Janet Martin and the two acquired the financial resources needed to launch a new MMA promotion.[2][5][6]
The promotion held its first event,Invicta FC 1 on April 28, 2012.[7] The event was headlined by a rematch between formerStrikeforce women's bantamweight championMarloes Coenen and French fighter Romy Ruyssen.[7] The event also marked the MMA debut of2008 Summer Olympics women's freestyle wrestling medalistRandi Miller.[8][9]
On June 9, 2012, it was announced that Invicta has formed a strategic partnership with Japanese promotionJEWELS to cross-promote fighters on their respective cards in theUnited States andJapan.[10] On September 24, Invicta would announce another cross-promotional partnership with theSuper Fight League.[11]
Invicta FC 6: Coenen vs. Cyborg, which took place on July 13, 2013, would mark the first event to be aired on cable and satellite pay-per-view, in addition to IPPV through a deal with Integrated Sports Media for live viewing.[12] In 2014, Invicta began exclusively streaming events onUFC Fight Pass, with the company's fight library also made available on the service. Invicta FC 8 would be the first event to stream live on Fight Pass.[13]
On February 24, 2015, Brazilian channelCombate acquired broadcast rights to Invicta live events as well as events from the Invicta library inSouth America.[14]
On April 15, 2021, it was announced thatAnthem Sports & Entertainment had acquired Invicta.[15] Starting withInvicta FC 44 on May 21, Invicta events are broadcast live on the Anthem-owned networksAXS TV andFight Network in the United States and Canada, respectively. Invicta's events would also stream live on the promotion'sYouTube channel.[3]
On September 21, 2022, Invicta announced that it had made a deal withFOX Sports Mexico for Mexican broadcast rights, starting withInvicta FC 49.[16]
On June 11, 2024, Invicta announced that it had signed a deal withCBS Sports to air all of that year's events on theCBS Sports Network in the United States, starting withInvicta FC 55 on June 28.[17]
Invicta's current rules follows theUnified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts that were originally established by theNew Jersey State Athletic Control Board and modified by theNevada State Athletic Commission.[18]
| Division | Upper weight limit | Champion | Since | Title Defenses | Top Contender |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Featherweight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st) | Vacant | July 13, 2021 | ||
| Bantamweight | 135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st) |  Jennifer Maia | December 13, 2024 (Invicta FC 59) | ||
| Flyweight | 125 lb (57 kg; 8.9 st) | Vacant | May 2, 2023 | ||
| Strawweight | 115 lb (52 kg; 8.2 st) | Vacant | July 16, 2024 | ||
| Atomweight | 105 lb (48 kg; 7.5 st) | Elisandra Ferreira | September 20, 2024 (Invicta FC 57) | 1 |
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cris Cyborg def.Marloes Coenen | Invicta FC 6 Kansas City, MO, US | Jul 13, 2013 | 1351 days | 1. def.Charmaine Tweet atInvicta FC 11 on Feb 27, 2015 |
| - |  Megan Andersondef.Charmaine Tweet for interim title | Invicta FC 21 Kansas City, MO, US | Jan 14, 2017 | - | |
| Cyborg vacated the title on March 24, 2017 to compete full time with theUFC. | |||||
| 2 | Megan Anderson promoted to undisputed champion | Invicta FC 22 Kansas City, MO, US | Mar 24, 2017 | 88 days | |
| Anderson vacated the title on June 20, 2017 to sign with theUltimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 3 |  Felicia Spencerdef.Pam Sorenson | Invicta FC 32 Shawnee, OK, US | Nov 16, 2018 | 129 days | |
| Spencer vacated the title on March 26, 2019 to sign with theUltimate Fighting Championship | |||||
| 4 |  Pam Sorensondef.Kaitlin Young | Invicta FC 36 Kansas City, KS, US | Aug 9, 2019 | 705 days | |
| Sorenson vacated the title on July 13, 2021 to sign withBellator MMA. | |||||
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauren Murphy def.Miriam Nakamoto | Invicta FC 7 Kansas City, MO, US | Dec 7, 2013 | 208 days | |
| Murphy vacated title on July 3, 2014 to sign with theUFC. | |||||
| 2 | Tonya Evinger def.Irene Aldana | Invicta FC 13 Las Vegas, NV, US | Jul 9, 2015 | 724 days | 1. def.Colleen Schneider atInvicta FC 17 on May 7, 2016 |
| Evinger had her defeat atInvicta FC 20 annulled on December 1, 2016 after proving that the referee took her out of a favorable position and remained champion. | |||||
| Evinger vacated title on July 3, 2017 to sign with theUltimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 3 |  Yana Kunitskayadef.Raquel Pa'aluhi | Invicta FC 25 Lemoore, CA, US | Aug 31, 2017 | 160 days | |
| Kunitskaya vacated title on February 7, 2018 to sign with theUltimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 4 | Sarah Kaufman def.Katharina Lehner | Invicta FC 29 Kansas City, MO, US | May 4, 2018 | 368 days | |
| Kaufman vacated title on May 9, 2019 to sign with theProfessional Fighters League. | |||||
| 5 |  Julija Stoliarenkodef.Lisa Spangler | Invicta FC Phoenix Series 3 Kansas City, KS, USA | Mar 6, 2020 | 147 days | |
| Stoliarenko vacated title on July 31, 2020 to sign with theUltimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 6 | Taneisha Tennant def.Lisa Spangler | Invicta FC 44 Kansas City, KS, US | Aug 27, 2021 | 509 days | 1. def.Olga Rubin atInvicta FC 48 on Jul 20, 2022 |
| 7 | Talita Bernardo | Invicta FC 51 Denver, CO, US | Jan 18, 2023 | 684 days | 1. def.Olga Rubin atInvicta FC 55 on Jun 28, 2024 |
| 8 | Jennifer Maia | Invicta FC 59 Atlanta, GA, US | Dec 13, 2024 | 347 days (incumbent) | |
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barb Honchak def.Vanessa Porto | Invicta FC 5 Kansas City, MO, US | Apr 5, 2013 | 1266 days | 1. def.Leslie Smith atInvicta FC 7 on Dec 7, 2013 |
| - | Jennifer Maia def.Vanessa Porto for interim title | Invicta FC 16 Las Vegas, NV, US | Mar 11, 2016 | - | |
| Honchak was stripped of the title due to inactivity on September 22, 2016 | |||||
| 2 | Jennifer Maia promoted to undisputed champion | Invicta FC 19 Kansas City, MO, US | Sep 22, 2016 | 652 days | 1. def.Roxanne Modafferi atInvicta FC 19 on Sep 23, 2016 |
| Maia vacated title on July 7, 2018 to sign with theUltimate Fighting Championship. | |||||
| 3 | Vanessa Porto def.Pearl Gonzalez | Invicta FC 34 Kansas City, MO, USA | Feb 15, 2019 | 564 days | |
| Porto vacated title on September 2, 2020 to sign withBellator MMA. | |||||
| 4 |  Karina Rodríguezdef. Daiana Torquato | Invicta FC: Rodríguez vs. Torquato Kansas City, KS, US | May 21, 2021 | 421 days | 1. def. Daiana Torquato atInvicta FC 46 on Mar 9, 2022 |
| Rodríguez vacated title on July 17, 2022 to sign withBellator MMA. | |||||
| 5 | Ketlen Souza def. Kristina Williams | Invicta FC 51 Denver, CO, USA | Jan 18, 2023 | 104 days | |
| Souza vacated title on May 2, 2023 to sign with theUFC. | |||||
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carla Esparza def.Bec Hyatt | Invicta FC 4 Kansas City, KS, U.S. | Jan 5, 2013 | 341 days | |
| Esparza vacated title on December 11, 2013 to participate inThe Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned.[23][24] | |||||
| 2 |  Katja Kankaanpäädef.Stephanie Eggink | Invicta FC 8 Kansas City, MO, U.S. | Sep 6, 2014 | 230 days | |
| 3 | Lívia Renata Souza | Invicta FC 12 Kansas City, MO, U.S. | Apr 24, 2015 | 380 days | 1. def.DeAnna Bennett atInvicta FC 15 on Jan 16, 2016 |
| 4 | Angela Hill | Invicta FC 17 Costa Mesa, CA, U.S. | May 7, 2016 | 274 days | 1. def.Kaline Medeiros atInvicta FC 20 on Nov 18, 2016 |
| Hill vacated title on February 4, 2017 to return to theUFC. | |||||
| 5 | Virna Jandiroba def.Mizuki Inoue | Invicta FC 28 Salt Lake City, UT, U.S. | Mar 24, 2018 | 379 days | 1. def.Janaisa Morandin atInvicta FC 31 on Sep 1, 2018 |
| Jandiroba vacated title on April 7, 2019 to sign with theUFC. | |||||
| 6 | Brianna Van Buren def.Kailin Curran | Invicta Phoenix Series 1 Kansas City, KS, U.S. | May 3, 2019 | 39 days | |
| Van Buren vacated title on June 11, 2019 to sign with theUFC. | |||||
| 7 |  Kanako Muratadef.Emily Ducote | Invicta FC 38 Kansas City, KS, U.S. | Nov 1, 2019 | 305 days | |
| Murata vacated title on September 2, 2020 to sign with theUFC. | |||||
| 8 | Emily Ducote def.Danielle Taylor | Invicta FC 44 Kansas City, KS, U.S. | Aug 27, 2021 | 279 days | 1. def.Alesha Zappitella atInvicta FC 47 on May 11, 2022 |
| Ducote vacated title on June 2, 2022 to sign with theUFC.[25] | |||||
| 9 | Valesca Machado def. Karolina Wójcik | Invicta FC 50 Denver, CO, U.S. | Nov 16, 2022 | 118 days | |
| 10 |  Danni McCormack | Invicta FC 52 Denver, CO, U.S. | Mar 15, 2023 | 489 days | 1. def. Karolina Wójcik atInvicta FC 54 on Oct 27, 2023 |
| McCormack vacated title on July 16, 2024 to compete on theRoad to UFC Season 3. | |||||
| No. | Name | Event | Date | Reign | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica Penne def.Naho Sugiyama | Invicta FC 3 Kansas City, KS, U.S. | Oct 6, 2012 | 181 days | |
| 2 | Michelle Waterson | Invicta FC 5 Kansas City, MO, U.S. | Apr 5, 2013 | 609 days | 1. def.Yasuko Tamada atInvicta FC 8 on Sep 6, 2014 |
| 3 | Hérica Tibúrcio | Invicta FC 10 Houston, TX, U.S. | Dec 5, 2014 | 216 days | |
| 4 | Ayaka Hamasaki | Invicta FC 13 Las Vegas, NV, U.S. | Jul 9, 2015 | 737 days | 1. def.Amber Brown atInvicta FC 16 on Mar 11, 2016 |
| Hamasaki vacated title on July 15, 2017 to sign withRizin Fighting Federation. | |||||
| 5 | Jinh Yu Frey def.Minna Grusander | Invicta FC 30 Kansas City, MO, U.S. | Jul 21, 2018 | 564 days | 1. def.Minna Grusander atInvicta FC 33 on Dec 16, 2018 |
| Frey was stripped of the title on February 6, 2020 after failing to make weight againstAshley Cummins atInvicta FC 39. | |||||
| 6 | Alesha Zappitella def.Ashley Cummins | Invicta FC 42 Kansas City, KS, U.S. | Sep 17, 2020 | 482 days | 1. def.Jéssica Delboni atInvicta FC on AXS TV: Rodríguez vs. Torquato on May 21, 2021 |
| 7 | Jéssica Delboni | Invicta FC 45 Kansas City, KS, U.S. | Jan 12, 2022 | 258 days | |
| 8 | Jillian DeCoursey | Invicta FC 49 Hinton, OK, USA | Sep 28, 2022 | 215 days | |
| 9 | Rayanne dos Santos | Invicta FC 53 Denver, CO, USA | May 3, 2023 | 167 days | |
| Dos Santos vacated title on October 17, 2023 to sign withUFC. | |||||
| 10 | Elisandra Ferreira | Invicta FC 57 Kansas City, KS, U.S. | Sep 20, 2024 | 431 days (incumbent) | 1. def. Ana Palacios atInvicta FC 61 on April 4, 2025 |
| Title wins | Champion | Division | V | D | NC | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Cristiane Justino | Featherweight | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Barb Honchak | Flyweight | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ayaka Hamasaki | Atomweight | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jennifer Maia | Flyweight | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Defenses | Champion | Division | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Cristiane Justino | Featherweight | July 12, 2013 – March 24, 2017 |
The division champions include only linear and true champions. Interim champions who have never become linear champions will be listed as interim champions. Fighters with multiple title reigns in a specific division will also be counted once.
| Country | Division champions | Interim champions | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States | 14 | - | 14 |
| Brazil | 11 | - | 11 |
| Japan | 2 | - | 2 |
| Canada | 2 | - | 2 |
| Russia | 1 | - | 1 |
| Mexico | 1 | - | 1 |
| Australia | 1 | - | 1 |
| Ireland | 1 | - | 1 |
| Finland | 1 | - | 1 |
| Lithuania | 1 | - | 1 |
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