After the ups and downs of awaiting Invicta’s 7th outing, the event delivered a solid eight fights with only two stoppages. As many questions were answered, more questions popped up post fight in terms of the future of Invicta, its fighters, and what was learned.
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1) Is This the End of Offering an Internet ppv?
The one Achilles’s heel Invicta has had since its inception is the internet ppv stream. With the popularity of the event, we have yet to find a server or company that can handle it. The closest was UStream with InvictaFC 6 being the only event there wasn’t any major problems with the stream. Although not official, Shannon Knapp suspects the pay wall was overwhelmed as many decide to order the ppv online last minute. She is giving refunds not only to the streaming fans, but also to those who got the tv ppv, which had no problems.
Knapp has been hinting that their next card will be televised on a trial run, and if they draw as much as they do online, any TV network will see it fortunate to have them.
2) What’s next for bantamweight champ Lauren Murphy?
Bantamweight Champion Lauren Murphy
The once deep 135 division has been scarce in Invicta as of late as much of the top 10 are signed to the UFC. With only 1 bantamweight fight other than the title match on the card, no real contenders are there for Murphy to fight next.
With “The Ultimate Fighter” over, we are still awaiting decisions on a lot of fighters. Peggy Morgan and Roxanne Modafferi are right now in limbo, with a lot of true 125ers that didn’t get into the house available. The best prospect out of the whole show is Gina Mazany, the only one who didn’t get finished by Julianna Pena on her run. Revelina Berto may also want to sign with Invicta.
We should also mention that InvictaFC vet Tara LaRosa would be great back at bantamweight.
We need to consider that bantamweights that want to turn pro will go to Invicta first to sharpen their teeth. There is a list of them awaiting their shot to build up to a possible title match.
As for Muprhy, don’t be surprised if she gets a much deserved break.
3) Torres or Calederwood Next for Esparza?
If strawweight champion Carla Esparza had her way, Tecia Torres would be the next challenger. Others have a different thought.
Going into the night, it was obvious that Joanne Calderwood versus Katja Kankaanpaa would be getting the next shot. Both were undefeated going in and ranked higher than Torres. With a win, Calderwood earned her the top spot in line; even though Calderwood’s performance didn’t look as dominant as Torres.
Many are suggesting Calderwood and Torres should fight for the title shot.
Most feel they won’t be disappointed if either is picked and the decision is up to the eventual Invicta matchmaker.
Popular belief is Claudia Gadelha won’t be getting another shot since this was the second or third time she hasn’t been able to fight for the title.
4) Will the Atomweights See a Renascence in 2014?
This is the first Invicta card that an atomweight fight wasn’t on it. Many are wanting to know who will face champion Michelle Waterson for the title next. A rumor is that DEEP-JEWELS champion Seo Hee Ham will be the next challenger for Waterson.
A ground swell of atomweight fighters are raising their hands to get into the Invicta cage. Several fighters who have fought for the promotion before are also itching to come back as well. We can only hope that Invicta jumps on this opportunity and has three or four 105 bouts on their next card.
Budd taking down Tweet
5) Is Budd Ready for Cyborg?
Julie Budd’s dominant win over Charmaine Tweet has solidified her ranking at 145. With few females at 145 in Invicta, the obvious thing is to have Budd fight the champion, right?
Many have stated that Budd isn’t quite ready to face Cyborg due to having less experience and having been KOed before against Amanda Nunes. However, Budd’s wrestling maybe the key to stopping Cyborg.
Budd stated at the post fight presser she is more than willing to fight Cyborg now. A Budd versus Ediane Gomes number one contenders match maybe in order.
6) Weight Cutting Still an Issue?
Many are claiming that Claudia Gadelha’s extreme weight cutting lead to her intestinal infection that pulled her from the card. Dropping 25 pounds is a bit of much for either men or women, but her team is known for it.
We should also mention that Nina Ansaroff and Munah Holland both were overweight coming in. Invicta has taken steps to assure a safe cut, but the cuts start before they land in Kansas City. It is up to the team and the fighter to make sure they cut right and safely, and is the only way we can assure the problem goes away.
7) What’s Next for Gurgel?
Having lost her third straight, the former Bellator champ is in a slump. She, however, looked better than ever in the loss with her new training camp at CSA. There are two intriguing fights that we could see Zoila Gurgel fight next.
Munah Holland lost on the card, and even though both were signed to Bellator, have never fought each other. Also, recent Invicta signee Michelle Ould has unfinished business with Gurgel and would make an interesting rematch.
Flyweight champion Honchak
8) Who’s Next in Line for Honchak’s Title?
Having just defeated both Vanessa Porto and Leslie Smith, Barb Honchak has been on a solid roll and seems to be unstoppable as champion. The most logical choice is for Nina Ansaroff and Jennifer Maia to face off for a number one contenders spot in the near future.
We are awaiting the fate of Rosi Sexton, who still seems to be signed with the UFC. If she winds up getting dropped, a match between her and Honchak would be one that everyone would get behind. Undefeated Polish fighter Joanna Jedrzejczyk would also be a solid choice to consider, even if it is for a contenders bout.
Many of the fighters that didn’t make the TUF house (Bethany Marshall and Colleen Schneider come to mind) would also make great additions to the flyweight division.
Nakamoto
9) Did the cageside doctor fail at this job?
Miriam Nakamoto knew her knee was injured going into the forth round of her title match with Lauren Murphy. Like most fighters, her heart told her to continue on and it didn’t take several seconds for Nakamoto to collapse in agony forcing the referee to stop the fight.
We all know that fighters refuse to quit because their body gives out, and no coach is willing to tell their fighter to stop. The idea of having a ringside physician is for the fighter’s safety, and it was obvious to everyone that Nakamoto knee was severely injured between the rounds. Any doctor would recommend the fight be stopped to prevent further injury. This didn’t happen last night.
Of most of the questions on the list, this seems to be the most obvious to answer.
10) What Can we Expect for Invicta 8?
Knapp mentioned in the post fight presser to expect an announcement about their next card this week. By what she has been speculating, it will be in February and possibly on TV. Invicta has been good on trying to get title matches on all of their cards, so an atomweight or featherweight title defense seems logical. We could also see the strawweight belt on the line since the title has yet to be defended.
Either way, we should expect a strong 2014 for Invicta with more cards and new stars.
Filed under: MMA
