Invicta FC 22 results and highlights: Tonya Evinger chokes out Yana Kunitskaya

Invicta FC put on another great show on Saturday night. Finishes were few and far between, but all the event’s matches delivered when it came to action. The night also saw a couple of fighters single themselves out as potential title threats in the very near future. In the main event, Invicta FC 22 settled – without controversy – which of their top two bantamweights was the best in the promotion.

After a bizarre no-contest in their first encounter, both Tonya Evinger and Yana Kunitskaya were desperate to prove who deserved to wear the Invicta FC bantamweight belt. Just as in their first fight, Kunitskaya got Evinger into a submission hold early. This time it was a deep guillotine choke. Evinger toughed it out, though. Evinger also withstood a myriad of arm and leg lock attacks from the Russian in the first round, whilst landing a few decent ground strikes. The second round was nearly as frantic, but for Evinger’s ability to dampen Kunitskaya’s threat on the ground with sustained heavy top position and crushing ground-and-pound. Kunitskaya attempted some scrambles, but in doing so she gave up her back. Once Evinger climbed aboard Kunitskaya, she was able to sink in a rear naked choke. With less than 30 seconds left on the clock the challenger tapped. The victory took Evinger’s record to 18-5 (1 NC). If you don’t count the previous no contest, the win was her tenth in a row. The outcome leaves little doubt that ‘Triple Threat’ is the baddest woman in the sport, outside of the UFC.

In the co-main event Invicta’s former strawweight champion Livia Renata Souza steamrolled the promotion’s atomweight queen Ayaka Hamasaki. The bout, which was being fought in the strawweight division, didn’t last two minutes. After some tepid exchanges, Souza stepped in and cracked Hamasaki on the jaw with a big right hand. Hamsaki toppled to the canvas and immediately covered up. Souza was relentless as she continued to strike at Hamasaki’s temple. Referee Mike England allowed Souza to do this over and over again before eventually waving off the contest. The eye-catching stoppage undoubtedly sets up Souza for a shot at the Invicta strawweight title. That belt was vacated by Angela Hill (who won it from Souza) when she joined the UFC.

Elsewhere on the card Miranda Maverick tapped Kal Holliday in the first round and Jodie Esquibel, Ashley Cummins, Sunna Davidsdottir and Felicia Spencer all earned hard-fought decision victories. See the full results below, along with the finishes from Souza and Maverick.

Full Results:

Bantamweight: Tonya Evinger def. Yana Kunitskaya via submission (rear naked choke), Round 2 (4:32).

Strawweight: Livia Renata Souza def. Ayaka Hamasaki via TKO (punches), Round 1 (1:41).

Strawweight: Jodie Esquibel def. DeAnna Bennett by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).

Strawweight: Ashley Cummins def. Amber Brown by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28. 29-28).

Strawweight: Sunna Rannveig Davidsdottir def. Mallory Martin by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

Catchweight: Miranda Maverick def. Kalyn Holliday by submission (arm bar), Round 1 (3:01).

Featherweight: Felicia Spencer def. Madison McElhaney by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).