Invicta Fighting Championships 15 has a new main event.
Featherweight champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino will no longer face Belgium’s Cindy Dandois in a non-title, 140-pound catchweight affair. Instead, the Brazilian will put her title on the line against Russian newcomer Daria Ibragimova.
Cyborg successfully defended her 145-pound title at Invicta FC 13 in July, stopping New Zealand’s Faith Van Duin in under a minute. Ibragimova will make her promotional debut riding a seven-fight winning streak. Seven of her nine career victories have come via submission and six of her wins have come inside the first round.
As a result, the previously announced main event between strawweight champion Livia Renata Souza and fellow unbeaten DeAnna Bennett will slide to the co-main event.
The Brazilian Souza captured the 115-pound title with a fourth-round finish of Katja Kankaanpää at Invicta FC 12. Seven of the 24-year-old’s wins have come via submission, including five in the first round. Utah’s Bennett has won four straight inside the Invicta cage. Since dropping to 115 pounds, she has topped Norma Rueda Center, as well as the aforementioned Kankaanpää, in her last two outings.
The all-women’s promotion will visit The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on Saturday, Jan. 16. The event will stream live on UFC Fight Pass at 9 p.m. ET.
Livia Renata Souza vs. DeAnna Bennett – for strawweight title
Amber Brown vs. Lisa Ellis
Jodie Esquibel vs. Angela Hill