Jennifer Maia has made Invicta FC history.
Former UFC talent Maia dethroned Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion Talita Bernardo on Friday night, making her the first two-division champ the promotion has ever seen.
Maia captured the promotion’s 135-pound title through a hard-fought five-round result, taking a unanimous decision win with a three-round lead on scorecards.
Solid striking paired with an ability to counter Bernardo’s grappling-heavy gameplan allowed Maia to win the title on Friday night.
Bernardo opened the fight with a strong first round, taking Maia down early and scoring with ground and pound at times while in control. However, after that point, Maia started to take control of the bout.
Maia provided massive problems for Bernardo’s grappling-focused style later on. She was able to block many takedowns, and most of the attempts she gave up were eventually reversed into a favorable position for her once on the canvas.
Maia put together a fair amount of top control in the fight, often using such positions to land with ground and pound. While large amounts of the fight took place where Bernardo wanted it to be, it was often Maia who got the better of exchanges.
Along with her success on the ground, Maia had the sharper and better striking throughout the fight.
Maia now has her first title since returning to the 135-pound limit earlier this year.
The Chute Boxe talent moved up to bantamweight in August, changing weight classes following her 12-fight UFC run. She was given a title shot against Bernardo after winning in her return to Invicta FC earlier this year, beating Mayra Cantuaria on scorecards.
Maia previously held Invicta FC’s flyweight title for over a year, first capturing it against Vanessa Porto in 2016 and defending the title twice before inking a UFC deal.
The result on Friday ends Bernardo’s best run yet as a pro. She became Invicta FC champ back in early 2023, getting past Taneisha Tennant in a five-round result. Her first appearance as champ saw her make quick work of Olga Rubin in June, submitting the ex-Bellator talent in the second round with a rear naked choke.
Here are the results from Friday’s Invicta FC card, which notably lost a featherweight fight between Riley Martinez and Jackie Cataline on the day of the event:
Main Card (8:00PM EST) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 5: Jennifer Maia def. Talita Bernardo via Decision, Unanimous (Invicta FC Bantamweight Championship)
Bout 4: Paula Cristina def. Alejandra Lara via Decision, Split
Bout 3: Valesca Machado def. Yasmin Castanho via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 2: Ana Palacios def. Monique Adriane via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 1: Fernanda Orellana def. Ashley Barrett via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 3, 4:24)
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