On Thursday, April 23, Invicta Fighting Championships will host the weigh-ins for Invicta FC 12: Kankaanpää vs. Souza which takes place Friday, April 24, from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
In the night’s main event Finnish strawweight champion Katja Kankaanpää will clash with unbeaten Brazilian Livia Renata Souza.
Kankaanpää captured Invicta gold at Invicta FC 8 in September with a fifth-round submission win over Stephanie Eggink. The 33-year-old has amassed 10 wins in her 12 career fights and will look to defend her 115-pound belt for the first time. The “Killer Bunny” has tasted defeat just once, against current UFC fighter Joanne Calderwood at Invicta FC 7.
The Brazilian Souza will enter the contest with an unblemished, 7-0 record. Six of the 24-year-old’s wins have come via submission, including five in the first round. The fight with Kankaanpää will be Souza’s promotional debut, as well as her first bout outside of her native Brazil.
In the night’s co-main event, flyweight Roxanne Modafferi will square off with Brazilian Vanessa Porto. The pair met previously in 2008, with Modafferi earning a third-round TKO victory. Modafferi has earned back-to-back wins inside the Invicta cage, earning decisions over Tara LaRosa and Andrea Lee. Porto, who challenged for the Invicta title at Invicta FC 5, also rides a two-fight winning streak, including a decision win over Zoila Frausto at Invicta FC 7.
The event streams live via the UFC’s digital network, UFC Fight Pass, beginning at 8 p.m ET.
The fighters hit the scales at 5 p.m. ET on Friday. For video and results of the weigh-ins, click here.
Below is a photo gallery shot by Jeff Vulgamore of Combat Press.
