Alesha Zappitella will look for success in a new division on Wednesday night. Headlining Invicta FC 47, Zappitella will make the move up from atomweight – a division she herself became a champion in – to face strawweight champion Emily Ducote.
The bout is headlining a card that is set to take place at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, USA. Here’s a full preview of the show.
Main Card (8:00PM EDT) (Youtube)
Bout 1: Jennifer Chieng (1-1) vs. Alyssa Linduska (0-0) (Strawweight)
Strawweights Jennifer Chieng and Alyssa Linduska will open the seven-fight card.
Chieng lost her Invicta FC debut in 2020, suffering a decision loss against Helen Peralta. Two years before then, she won her pro debut on a Bellator card, stopping Jessica Ruiz in the second minute of a bout with strikes.
Linduska will be making her pro debut on Saturday’s card. This debut is coming after a strong amateur run, scoring six consecutive victories from 2018 to 2021.
Bout 2: Fatima Kline (1-0) vs. Sidney Trillo (2-0) (Strawweight)
Returning for her second appearance in Invicta FC, Fatima Kline will face Sidney Trillo at strawweight.
Kline had a strong pro debut on an Invicta FC card in May 2021, scoring a first-round finish win against Ariana Melendez.
She’s now scheduled to face Trillo, who is making her first appearance in Invicta FC. Trillo started her career in LFA last year, earning two wins for the notable promotion. Her last fight was a finish victory, stopping Alandria Brown in the third round with strikes.
Bout 3: Serena DeJesus (4-2) vs. Brittney Cloudy (4-3) (Bantamweight)
Rising bantamweights Serena DeJesus and Brittney Cloudy will meet on Wednesday’s main card.
DeJesus is currently on a strong three-fight winning streak that she earned last year alone. This included an appearance at Invicta FC 44, where she beat former UFC fighter Lauren Mueller.
Cloudy is returning to Invicta FC after attaining two wins in other promotions recently. Her last win was a quick finish victory, stopping Annette Nichols at LFA 122.
Bout 4: Janaisa Morandin (10-4) vs. Liana Pirosin (7-4) (Flyweight)
Janaisa Morandin and Liana Pirosin will attempt to end losing streaks in the next fight.
Morandin has been on a three-fight losing streak since 2018, with all of the bouts ending via finish. Her last bout was in 2020 when now-UFC fighter Montserrat Conejo stopped her in the first round with strikes.
Pirosin has lost two consecutive fights in Invicta FC. Her last came in 2020 against Kay Hansen, who signed with the UFC later that year.
Bout 5: Lindsey VanZandt (7-5) vs. Jillian DeCoursey (4-3) (Atomweight)
The sole atomweight bout on the card will see promotional vets Lindsey VanZandt and Jillian DeCoursey compete.
VanZandt’s last appearance was as part of the promotion’s one-night tournament “Phoenix Series.” She scored two quick wins in that bracket to make it to the finals, where she lost to Jessica Delboni. Before then, VanZandt lost a title fight to Alesha Zappitella.
DeCoursey also competed in the Invicta FC atomweight tournament last year but was eliminated in the opening round by Linda Mihalec. She also appeared in a title fight in her prior appearance, suffering a loss to Elise Reed at CFFC 91.
Bout 6: Courtney King (4-2) vs. Chelsea Chandler (3-1) (Featherweight)
Featherweights Courtney King and Chelsea Chandler will serve as the co-main event of Wednesday’s show.
King’s last appearance saw her suffer a brutal finish loss against undefeated PFL Lightweight Champion Kayla Harrison. She had a three-fight winning streak going before then.
King was originally scheduled to make her return in January against Ramona Pascual, although that fight ended up not happening.
Chandler will be appearing for the first time in nearly two years. She has a three-fight winning streak going in the promotion currently, including two finish victories.
Bout 7: Emily Ducote (10-6) vs. Alesha Zappitella (9-3) (Invicta FC Strawweight Championship)
After reaching the top of the atomweight division, Alesha Zappitella will look for success at a higher weight class when she faces Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Emily Ducote in Wednesday’s main event.
Zappitella was Invicta FC’s atomweight champ for more than a year. She first earned the belt in 2020, scoring a fourth-round submission victory against Ashley Cummins. She defended the belt once a year later, going five rounds against Jessica Delboni for a razor-thin split decision.
Delboni avenged that loss earlier this year, defeating Zappitella in a more decisive unanimous decision result to end their rivalry. Up a weight class, Zappitella will attempt to regain gold.
Ducote, a former Bellator fighter, has fought at a high level within Invicta FC in recent years. She first challenged for a title three years back, losing a split decision to Kanako Murata. After winning another bout in 2020, she got the chance for another title bout last year.
Ducote claimed the Invicta FC Strawweight Championship in dramatic fashion last year, landing a first-round head kick knockout against Danielle Taylor. The result, which many considered a “Knockout of the Year” contender, landed her a major title win for the first time in her career.
Ducote will get the chance to defend that belt for the first time on Wednesday night.
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