Invicta FC 38 results: Kanako Murata captures vacant strawweight title

Invicta FC 38 results: Kanako Murata captures vacant strawweight title

ByBen Coate
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Invicta FC returned to Memorial Hall in Kansas City, KS for another night of all-women’s MMA.

Originally slated for two title fights, the event saw some shuffling when Karina Rodriguez failed to make weight for her flyweight title challenge bout against Vanessa Porto. As a result, Rodriguez vs. Porto was changed to a three-round non-title bout and moved to the co-main event. A strawweight title fight between Kanako Murata and Emily Ducote was then promoted to the main event.

In the main event, Murata landed takedowns and did enough damage from top position to win the vacant strawweight title over Ducote. Ducote was active on the feet, but Murata earned a takedown in nearly every round while surviving submission attempts from inside Ducote’s guard. Murata will face no shortage of challengers in Invicta’s strawweight division, for as long as she remains with the promotion.

Simply put, the co-main event was a war. Both Rodriguez and Porto landed big shots on the feet throughout the fight, but it was ultimately Porto’s timely takedowns and big power that made the difference on the judge’s scorecards. It’s unclear if Rodriguez will get another crack at Porto for a full five-round championship fight, but fans certainly wouldn’t be upset with an immediate rematch.

Lower on the card, there was no shortage of well-matched violence, despite five straight decisions. Notably, Lisa Verzosa improved to a perfect 5-0 as a pro with a gritty decision win over Kerri Kenneson. The win likely moved Verzosa to the cusp of an Invicta title shot. Also, Contender Series veteran and fan-favorite Mallory Martin picked up a dominant win over promotional newcomer Cynthia Arceo.

Invicta FC 38 official results:

  • Kanako Murata def. Emily Ducote via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)
  • Vanessa Porto def. Karina Rodriguez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Mallory Martin def. Cynthia Arceo via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
  • Shanna Young def. Maiju Suotama via unanimous decision (28-26, 29-27, 28-27)
  • Lisa Verzosa def. Kerri Kenneson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Auttumn Norton def. Shaianna Rincon via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)

Taneisha Tennant def. Serena DeJesus via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Invicta FC 38 highlights:

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