Invicta FC bolsters roster with 15 fighters, including UFC vets Modafferi, Morgan
As Invicta Fighting Championships nears its two-year anniversary, 15 fighters have joined the roster.
The promotion on Friday announced the new signings, which range from fighters who will be making their pro debuts to a pair of UFC and “Ultimate Fighter†veterans.
Chief among the roster additions are Roxanne Modafferi (15-11) and Peggy Morgan (2-1), both of whom recently competed on Season 18 of “TUF.†The 15 fighters are spread across all five weight classes Invicta offers and represent eight different countries.
“Invicta has always endeavored to balance delivering the athletes fans know and love, with an eye toward building the next generation of female MMA stars,†Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp stated. “Women’s MMA is truly a global sport, and at Invicta we have scoured the globe in order to bring the best talent to our fans. There is talent all around the globe, and our goal at Invicta has been to provide athletes with a worldwide platform to display their talent.â€
UFC and Strikeforce vet Julie Kedzie, who took over as Invicta’s matchmaker following her recent retirement after a 29-fight pro career, said the new fighters will help her in her new job.
“This new class provides me with added depth to put together matchups that we believe the fans want to see,†Kedzie stated.
Modafferi will be looking to get back on track in a major way. More than 10 years since her pro debut, Modafferi has dropped six straight fights and is without a win since May 2010. Despite being mired in the skid, she got a shot on “TUF 18″ and won her way into the house with a first-round rear-naked choke. But in her first tournament fight, she fell to Jessica Rakoczy. She then dropped a decision to Raquel Pennington at the TUF 18 Finale, her lone official UFC fight.
Morgan was 2-0 when she signed on for “TUF 18.†A first-round TKO got her into the house and eventually onto Ronda Rousey’s team. But in her lone fight in the house, she was submitted by Sarah Moras with a first-round armbar. At the TUF 18 Finale, she dropped a unanimous decision to Jessamyn Duke for the first official loss of her career.
Another key signing for the promotion is Mellony Geugjes, a Dutch fighter who lost her lone MMA fight, but is 18-5-2 as a kickboxer and 10-0 in boxing. She made her pro MMA debut this past December, but was submitted in 50 seconds with an armbar.
Invicta FC debuted in April 2012. The promotion expects to host its first event of 2014 this April and is planning six shows during the calendar year.
The full list of Invicta FC signings includes:
Atomweight
Amber Brown (3-1), United States
Strawweight
Mellony Geugjes (0-1), Netherlands
Ashley Greenway (0-0), United States
Karolina Kowalkiewicz (4-0), Poland
Livia Renata Souza (5-0), Brazil
Herica Tiburcio (7-2), Brazil
Flyweight
Joanna Jedrzejczyk (4-0), Poland
Valerie Letourneau (4-3), Canada
Rachel Ostovich (0-1), United States
Delaney Owen (0-0), United States
Bantamweight
Irene Aldana (3-1), Mexico
Cindy Dandois (5-1), Belgium
Roxanne Modafferi (15-11), United States
Peggy Morgan (2-1), United States
Featherweight
Faith Van Duin (4-0), New Zealand
