Invicta FC 35 Results: Karina Rodriguez wins flyweight tourney, set to face champ Vanessa Porto

MMAfighting.com

A new title challenger emerged from Invicta FC 35 on Friday night.

Karina Rodriguez defeated DeAnna Bennett in the main event of the card, which took place at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, winning the Invicta FC flyweight tournament and earning a shot at the champ Vanesa Porto.

The bout started very even, as both fighters had success in the first round. Rodríguez landed the more significant strike of the round, wobbling Bennett with a head kick. However, in the remaining 10 minutes it seemed the tide was in Bennett’s favor, as she pressed Rodríguez with her striking and pinned her for a significant amount of time against the cage. Yet, the judges scored the fight for the Team Lobo fighter. Many online and Invicta FC commentators thought the decision should’ve gone to Bennett.

Rodriguez is now 8-3 in her MMA career and 1-1 against Bennett. The date for her title fight against Porto has yet to be announced.

In the co-main event of the card, former UFC fighter Viviane Pereira outclassed Alesha Zappitella over the course of 15 minutes in her atomweight debut.

The Brazilian landed at will on Zappitella while also stuffing her takedowns all throughout out the fight. The 25-year-old snapped a three-fight losing streak and gave Zappitella her first professional defeat. She’s now 14-3 as a pro fighter.

Additionally, Kanako Murata made quick work of Liana Pirosin in her Invicta FC debut.

The 25-year-old prospect took down Pirosin early in the fight. Not long after the takedown, Murata lost the position, got her back taken and almost choked out. Murata fought off the rear-naked choke well and literally reversed the position, taking Pirosin’s back and sinking in a rear-naked choke of her own.

Murata is now 10-1 in her MMA career, her lone loss came to veteran Rin Nakai at Rizin in December 2016.

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Also, MMA veteran Kaitlin Young picked up a solid win over Faith McMah, improving her current win streak to three in a row. Young put on a striking clinic, stopping McMah in the third round. In her post-fight interview, Young made it clear that she wanted to fight for the vacant featherweight title that Felicia Spencer vacated after signing with the UFC.