On Friday, March 6, Invicta Fighting Championships hosted the third installment of its Phoenix Series tournament.
The event was headlined by a bantamweight title fight between unbeaten Lisa Verzosa and UFC veteran Julija Stoliarenko of Lithuania. Verzosa — formerly Spangler — had earned four of her five career victories inside the Invicta cage. The Washington-based fighter most recently defeated Kerri Kenneson at Invicta FC 38. Stoliarenko made her promotional debut riding the momentum of a four-fight winning streak. All eight of her career wins had come via first-round armbar submission.
The one-night tournament took place in the bantamweight division and featured a mix of Invicta veterans and promotional newcomers. The field of eight included Kerri Kenneson, Brittney Victoria, Taneisha Tennant, Claire Guthrie, Hope Chase, Taylor Guardado, Julia Ottolino and Serena DeJesus.
Additionally, the event marked the first time that a major MMA organization utilized open scoring.
The event took place from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. The event streamed live on UFC Fight Pass at 8 p.m. ET.
Taneisha Tennant def. Taylor Guardado by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – bantamweight tournament final
Kay Hansen def. Liana Pirosin by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Taneisha Tennant def. Hope Chase by unanimous decision (10-9, 10-9, 10-9) – bantamweight tournament semifinal
Taylor Guardado def. Serena DeJesus by split decision (10-9, 9-10, 10-9) – bantamweight tournament semifinal
Mitzi Merry def. Morgan Hickam by unanimous decision (10-9, 10-9, 10-9) – tournament reserve bout
Kelly Clayton def. Florina Moeller by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 1, 4:51 – tournament reserve bout
Taneisha Tennant def. Brittney Victoria by unanimous decision (10-9, 10-9, 10-9) – bantamweight tournament quarterfinal
Hope Chase def. Julia Ottolino by unanimous decision (10-9, 10-9, 10-9) – bantamweight tournament quarterfinal
Taylor Guardado def. Claire Guthrie by unanimous decision (10-9, 10-9, 10-9) – bantamweight tournament quarterfinal
Serena DeJesus def. Kerri Kenneson by unanimous decision (10-9, 10-9, 10-9) – bantamweight tournament quarterfinal