Showtime Sports head Stephen Espinoza (pictured) has made it clear that he wants to be in the MMA business again.

By Michael Hatamoto

Premium subscription channel Showtime might not be done with MMA quite yet, but company executives will be careful on which promotion is selected in the future.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Showtime Sports executive Stephen Espinoza said broadcasting Invicta Fighting Championship could be a possibility in the future. Whatever MMA promotion is selected, expect it to be a US-based promotion, as there are difficulties with co-branding, language issues, and additional costs.

Showtime, which helped usher Strikeforce to a new level before being purchased by Zuffa, was expected to throw in the towel on MMA. I thought the focus would be shift back to boxing – and that still seems like the most obvious option – but embracing MMA, especially a promotion like Invicta FC, could provide a new influx of subscribers.

If Showtime Sports execs are able to actually support MMA and help the sport develop, any effort outside of Zuffa only helps. I am not entirely sure if Invicta FC, a solely WMMA promotion, would help Showtime attract a large number of viewers – but it’s clear there aren’t very many options for stable MMA regional promotions without a broadcast partner.

With Showtime still exploring options, and not in active negotiations with a specific MMA promotion, I doubt anything will happen before the end of the year. It makes no sense to try and promote a hybrid approach of boxing and MMA if the right partner isn’t selected.

Smith (photo via Invicta FC)

By Invicta FC (via press release)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 1, 2013) – On the heels of her second-career Invicta Fighting Championships “Fight of the Night” performance, crowd-pleasing, prolific striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) of Pleasanton, Calif. has signed a new, multi-fight agreement with the women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion and will drop from bantamweight (135 pounds) to flyweight (125 pounds) and challenge Jennifer Maia (7-2) of Curitiba, Brazil. at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Saturday, July 13.

The winner of the Invicta FC 6 matchup between Smith and Maia will be awarded a title shot against newly crowned Invicta FC World Flyweight Champion Barb Honchak (8-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa.

“We are excited to bring Leslie under the Invicta Fighting Championships umbrella for the long-term and to watch her compete in a new weight class that is becoming super competitive in our promotion,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. “Since we launched our live event series last year, Leslie has demonstrated incredible tenacity and athleticism by putting on some of the most memorable fights in our cage. She is a true warrior as is her opponent Jennifer Maia, so we are looking forward to an explosive matchup between two of the sport’s stars on what will be Invicta FC’s biggest fight card to date.”

The 30-year-old Smith engaged in an all-out war with former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman at Invicta FC 5 at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on April 5. Following the conclusion of the three-round contest that many believe Smith won, however, Kaufman was awarded a controversial, split decision, prompting widespread boos from the displeased, capacity crowd.

Smith also won “Fight of the Night” honors at the inaugural Invicta FC event on April 28, 2012, after slugging it out relentlessly with fellow striker Kaitlin Young for the duration of their three-round bantamweight bout. The fight was declared a majority draw, setting up a much-anticipated rematch at Invicta FC 3 on Oct. 6 that saw Smith take charge and finish Young with an onslaught of punches from mount position in the second round (2:19) of the matchup.

Maia (photo via Invicta FC)

Maia, a 24-year-old submission specialist, notched her first victory in the Invicta FC cage with a stunning upset, unanimous decision win over superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel on April 5. Recognized as one of Brazil’s quickest rising stars, Maia made quick work of each of her first four professional career opponents, scoring a first round TKO (punches) in her pro debut on Suelen Pinheiro Ribeiro in 2009, and submitting each of her next three opponents inside the first round.

Tickets for Invicta FC 6: Cyborg vs. Coenen 2, go on sale soon.

In the main event of the stacked 13-bout card, ferocious KO artist and pound-for-pound sensation Cris Cyborg (11-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will face off with fellow superstar and submission ace Marloes Coenen (21-5) of The Netherlands in the first-ever Invicta FC world featherweight (145 pounds) championship bout.

The showdown between rivals Cyborg and Coenen marks a highly-anticipated rematch to their explosive, barnburner first fight in Sunrise, Fla. on Jan 30, 2010 in which Cyborg emerged victorious by way of TKO (punches) in the third and final scheduled round (3:40) of action.

In the co-main event, reigning Invicta FC world strawweight (115 pounds) champion Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (9-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. will put her title on the line against undefeated JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki (9-0) of Tokyo, Japan.

Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. Photo credit: Esther Lin/Invicta FC

By Joshua Molina

Just days before staging its fifth Internet Pay Per View this Friday, Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp said her all-female mixed martial arts organization is in negotiations with a broadcast partner to bring the year-old company to television by the end of 2013.

“There are a lot of possibilities,” Knapp told fcfighter.com. “The demand for the promotion and the product is fairly high. We have a lot of issues on the Internet. It’s a priority for me to find a good home.”

January’s Invicta show was plagued by Internet connection problems. Knapp eventually gave the show away for free because of so many complaints that viewers couldn’t get a consistent video feed from her Internet broadcast partner Ustream. Friday’s $9.95 show, Knapp said, will feature a satellite feed, which will bring more clarity to the stream.

Going forward, however, Knapp said she is “in dialogue with three or four” television broadcast outlets to move from the web to television.

“I love Showtime,” she said, as an example. “I have worked with them for years. They get it. I think they do a good job of promoting the events, whether boxing or MMA.”

Knapp said the company’s focus was to build an audience during its first year and now it’s time to move to the next level.

“The plan was to give the content away and build a brand and do it quickly and effectively,” Knapp said. “As we roll into 2013, we look at a year of monetizing.”

Michelle "The Karate Hottie" Waterson (left) will challenge reigning champ Jessica Penne for the Invicta FC world atomweight (105 pounds) title on Friday

Friday’s Internet Pay Per View event from Ameristar Casino in Kansas City, Missouri is very well the biggest all-female MMA card in U.S. history.

Along with established stars such as Sarah Kaufman, Julia Budd, Zoila Frausto and Jessica Penne, the 13-fight card features the Invicta FC debut of Cris Cyborg, the former Strikeforce 145-pound featherweight Champion who is widely regarded as the best female fighter in the world not named Ronda Rousey.

Cyborg,10-1, never lost her championship, but was stripped of it after she tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Strikeforce eventually folded in 2012.

“Everyone knows who Cyborg is,” Knapp said. “When you find an athlete who has that kind of exposure it’s great for the promotion.”

Cyborg will step into the cage against Australian Fiona Muxlow. Knapp said she is looking forward to Cyborg’s redemption.

“Everyone deserves a second chance,” Knapp said. “There’s always a bunch of critics out there. I feel confident. I believe in her. I have worked with her for a long time.”

Knapp, a former executive for Strikeforce as well as the UFC, said she knows the “real” Cyborg.

“Cris is a very, very kind-hearted person outside of the cage,” Knapp said. “She’s a caring person. She’s caring about animals, children. She is just your all-around nice female.”

The Invicta show comes two months after the UFC promoted the first and biggest women’s MMA match in history between UFC Bantamweight (135 pounds) Champion Ronda Rousey and challenger Liz Carmouche. Rousey won by first-round armbar, surviving an early submission attempt.

At a time when Knapp is spending every waking hour trying to promote the concept of big-time women’s MMA in Invicta, Rousey in a different, more popular promotion, is the face of women’s MMA.

“Who cares?” Knapp said. “It doesn’t bother me at all. My thing is, UFC has been around for a long time. They are certainly the biggest and the baddest on the playground. I understand the business side. It motivates me to make sure that fans see not just one athlete out there.”

Knapp, who worked for the UFC before working for Strikeforce, said she learned a lot from both companies, but credits the UFC with being the more professional organization.

“I think the UFC is a well-oiled machine,” Knapp said. “It’s very professional in terms of the way the business runs. I always like the atmosphere of how they treat the athletes like athletes. Of course I learned a lot of things working for them and as a rival promotion. Strikeforce was run on a completely smaller staff. It didn’t feel as structured, whether it was making sure the athletes had bottled water behind the scenes as opposed to having to fill a cup.”

If Knapp lands the television deal, one of her goals is to start a reality show that puts the spotlight on the female fighters. It won’t, however, be a copy of the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter.

“For us, there is more of a story to tell and that is not the format I would be looking to sell,” Knapp said.

Knapp hopes the interest in women’s MMA continues and that it is not a fad, like has been seen with other women’s sports such as basketball via the WNBA, where there was a big buzz to start before interest faded.

“This past year, the numbers that we have pulled, and the performance of the athletes, have been a whirlwhind,” Knapp said. “Our ticket sales are good. Our prebuys are good. Hopefully we will be blessed with continuous success. There is an appetite for women’s MMA.”

Email reporter Joshua Molina at jmolina@fcfighter.com
Read Joshua Molina’s interview with Cris Cyborg’s opponent Fiona Muxlow by clicking HERE.

Fiona Muxlow

By Joshua Molina

Australia’s Fiona Muxlow will step inside the cage this Friday to battle the second most famous women’s fighter in the world – Cris Cyborg – at Invicta FC 5, live on InvictaFC.com from Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City.  Like Liz Carmouche against 135-pound UFC champ Ronda Rousey, Muxlow has the potential to rewrite the script of women’s MMA with an upset victory over the powerful Cyborg.

Invicta FC signed Cyborg to an exclusive deal, but most observers believe she is on a crash course with Rousey one day if the two can agree on a weight class.  Muxlow, who was a replacement opponent for injured Ediane Gomes, is coming off a submission loss to Marloes Coenen, and will be looking to shock the world against perhaps the most feared women’s fighter in the world.

Full Contact Fighter’s “The Daily Takedown” columnist Joshua Molina caught up with Muxlow to get her views on Cyborg, how she plans to defeat her, and the state of women’s MMA.

FCF: How do you plan to be successful against Cris Cyborg?

FM: We’ve established a game plan. There are things that I can do really well that will work against here. I’ve been training really hard for this fight, harder than any before hand. I’ve been in Thailand training full time at Tiger Muay Thai and MMA in the lead up to this. This is her first fight back after her suspension so there may be some ring rust, but I’m not training for that.

FCF: What do you think of Cyborg and her suspension for performance enhancement drugs?

FM: I don’t know the lady. We only met briefly once at the IBJJF worlds last year. I, in no way, condone the used of PEDs. It’s cheating, but she has served her suspension, so (she) is free to compete again.

FCF: What are the keys to defeating Cyborg?

FM: Not being overwhelmed by the Cyborg mystique and not getting caught up in the hype. It’s going to be a war. I need to stick to my game plan. I’ve been training hard for this.

FCF: What do you think of the state of women’s MMA in the United States? Does it have a future beyond Ronda Rousey?

FM: It seems to be growing everyday more and more. I see by social media women’s fights added to (different) cards. Ronda Rousey has definitely been an ambassador, not only for women’s MMA, but for MMA in general. She has helped to take it into many mainstream news outlets. Does women’s MMA have a future beyond Ronda Rousey? Hell yes. There are that many good female fighters out there and they are beginning to get the recognition they deserve.  I also feel the the ladies of Invicta FC, both the fighters and the organizers, have done a lot to secure women’s MMA well into the future.

FCF: Can you please talk about your background and how you got into MMA?

FM: I started training martial arts when I was in university although my original system was a little more traditional. It was still a mixed system, with standup, takedowns and ground work. As the sport of MMA evolved so did the club I was at. I then moved interstate at the end of university.  I spent a two year period only doing BJJ. But returned back to my university town and took up MMA again in addition to BJJ and Sub grappling.

In 2007 I qualified for the ADCC world submission fighting championships – and actually fought a transgender grappler there, so Fallon Fox is not the first. The next month I made my MMA debut in New Zealand.

Email Joshua Molina at jmolina@fcfighter.com

Newly signed Invicta FC fighter Zoila Frausto Gurgel with her signed contract in hand

By Joshua Molina

Whether it’s Don King, Bob Arum or Dana White, promoters have always been a central focus in combat sports.

Even though fighters and promoters need each other, promoters often convince fighters that, without a big stage to fight on, they are somehow less valuable.
This is why Zoila Frausto Gurgel’s recent defection from Bellator to Invicta FC is all the more bold.

Frausto Gurgel stunned the MMA world recently when she announced that she had signed a multi-fight deal with all-women’s online Pay Per View promotion Invicta FC.  The former Bellator flyweight champion jumped from the second-largest American mixed martial arts promotion in the world, which appears weekly on national cable television, to Invicta FC.

Frausto Gurgel left Bellator after the two sides were unable to work out an agreement on a new contract. She felt like Bellator was in no hurry to make a new deal, despite her nearly unblemished 6-1 record there, and she just wanted to fight. So amid stalled contract negotiations, Frausto Gurgel’s manager, husband and MMA fighter Jorge Gurgel, quickly negotiated a deal with Invicta.

“It’s an amazing thing,” Frausto Gurgel said. “From their first show until now, they’ve put on high-caliber fights, with quality production. It’s mind-blowing to me, like they have been around for years.”

Frausto Gurgel posted a 6-1 overrall record in the Bellator cage

Frausto Gurgel will step back into the cage in April to fight Jennifer Maia at Invicta 5.

“I am going to shoot back to the top,” she said.

Frausto Gurgel, 12-2, has never fought for Invicta FC, but she attended shows with her sister, Stephanie Frausto, a two fight veteran of the promotion. She recalled that she was treated with a level of respect unlike anything she had ever experienced in other MMA companies.

“The amount of respect and appreciation I got just for going to the shows was amazing,” Frausto Gurgel said. “The way I was treated there, it was gold. The way I saw them treat every single one of those athletes, from the preliminary to the main card, it was just awesome.”

Frausto Gurgel had fallen out of favor with Bellator after she and her husband had criticized the promotion in 2012 for booking her championship fight on the non-televised undercard of a show.  The Gurgels felt that Bellator was devaluing the championship and berating women’s MMA. Other fighters such as Miesha Tate agreed and publicly challenged Bellator’s decision.

Bellator’s burial of the title followed another high-profile dispute between Frausto Gurgel and the company. In 2011, Frausto Gurgel tore here ACL in training. Her husband went on Twitter to ask for donations to pay for the surgery because even though the Gurgels alleged that Bellator had promised to do so, the company didn’t.

Frausto Gurgel said she wants to move beyond the Bellator drama and focus on Invicta. She said her husband was trying to get a fight signed in Bellator but since Bellator wasn’t moving to make anything happen, she felt it was more or less like the company was releasing her.

“It was a clean break,” Frausto Gurgel said. “They went their way and we went our way.”

After a Dec. 7 standing triangle choke submission loss to Jessica Eye, Frausto Gurgel said she is ready to prove herself again. She said she has learned from her two losses, the other to Miesha Tate, to control her emotions inside the cage. Both times she lost, she said, she let her anger take over, and ignored her game plan.

Frausto Gurgel said she’s ready to become part of a generation of women fighters in Invicta FC and the UFC, who will show the world that women know how to fight just like their male counterparts.

“Let’s work together,” she said. “Let’s put the spotlight on women’s MMA.”
Unlike some other female fighters, Frausto Gurgel has stopped short of criticizing women’s sensation Ronda Rousey, who has steamrolled through her opponents, but has also talked a lot of trash about other fighters along the way and who was crowned the first UFC women’s champion in history before her first fight for the promotion.

“She’s an amazing fighter,” Frausto Gurgel said. “People know exactly what she is going for (armbar submission) and no one can stop it. To see her do everything she sets her mind to, it’s an amazing thing.”

Of her brash attitude, Frausto Gurgel said “it works for her. It’s how she makes her money. She is doing her job.”

Even though the UFC is only promoting 135 pound fights right now, she believes that eventually the company will add more women’s weight divisions.

Frausto Gurgel is excited to fight for Invicta and regain the gold one day.

“I just love the competition and the discipline that it takes to fight,” Frausto Gurgel said. “It is so incredibly difficult to keep it all together. I love it. It’s the highest level of competition to be able to do it. It is just an amazing thing.”

Bec Hyatt (left) and Carla Esparza (right) headlined Invicta FC 4 last night. Photo credit: Esther Lin/Invicta FC

By Joshua Molina

Shannon Knapp may be the owner of Invicta FC, but she proved Saturday night that she also has the heart and brains of a fighter.

That’s because even though she hit some turbulence in the early rounds of Invicta FC’s foray into Pay Per View, she showed that she knows how to adjust her game under pressure – and still win the fight.

Knapp decided to take down the pay wall and stream the fight for free after viewers reported difficulties successfully logging into the show.

Her decision means that fans still won, despite the technical problems.  Streaming the fight for free means that viewers will be more likely to pay for the show next time.

Invicta’s show lasted more than five hours, including two fights that Invicta offered for free to start the show.

In the show stealer, a bloodied Alexis Davis choked out Shayna Baszler with a devastating rear naked choke. Baszler, who won the first between the two by decision, refused to tap out and fell limp in dramatic fashion.

Baszler displayed the heart and guts of many female fighters on the show and in Invicta FC who not afraid to fight or take a punch.

While there are a million opinions about the differences between male and female fighters, one point that is practically indisputable is that women put on great fights.

In the other news of the night, Carla Esparza defeated Bec Hyatt by an overwhelming unanimous decision to win the company’s first 115 pounds Straw Weight Championship.

In another close fight, Tamikka Brents narrowly defeated Amanda Bell by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), in an outcome that could have gone either way. Jodie Esquibel defeated Liz McCarthy by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27), in a battle that seemed like it should have gone the other way.

Despite the Pay Per View problems with the first show, Invicta is committed to Pay Per View in the long run.
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Invicta is expected to return in April with Invicta FC 5, headlined by former Strikeforce Bantamweight Champion Sarah Kaufman.

Kaufman is also reportedly also under contract with the UFC, where she will likely compete later in the year, if she can bounce back from her embarrassing loss to Ronda Rousey last year.

It’s unclear whether the UFC will stick with women’s MMA once the sheen of Rousey dissipates, which makes the existence and success of Invicta FC all the more important and necessary for female fighters and fans in 2013.

Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp

By Joshua Molina

Shannon Knapp was not like other little girls.

She never wanted to be Barbie or read Cosmopolitan magazine.

Instead, she coaxed her mom into buying her Soldier of Fortune magazine. A pre-adolescent Knapp would scour the pages of the warrior publication, soaking in every word, photo and product description crammed in the back of the publication.

She wanted to be a Ninja.

“I used to lay in bed imagining ‘if I hit him like this, he’ll fall this way,’” said Knapp, now 45.

Knapp’s dream, of sorts, has came true. She’s a strategic warrior competing in the cut-throat, unorthodox world of big-time mixed martial arts.

She’s traded in the imaginary black garb for a business suit, and her fight is not covert, but rather very public as she battles to bring women’s mixed martial arts into the mainstream.

As president of Invicta FC, she has emerged as a pioneer of the sport, looking to provide a platform for females to fight and demonstrate their skills.

She’s not interested in gimmick matches or one-time pay days promoting mismatched girl-on-girl fights. She’s not there to provide soft-porn entertainment.

This isn’t the Lingerie Football League.

“Every day we are breaking down barriers,” Knapp told fcfighter.com. “But America is still a society of GI Joe and not GI Jane.

Leslie Smith (left) and Kaitlin Young (right) will face off in a rematch to their barnburner first fight this Saturday. Photo credit: Esther Lin/Invicta FC

Knapp’s next big battle is this Saturday’s when Invicta FC holds its third card, once again in Kansas City, Kansas.

The 14-match show, like the first two, will be streamed live on the internet at invictafc.com.

Knapp, in an attempt to build an audience, gives the product away for free on the web. The first show had more than 233,000 unique visitors.

The second show had more viewers, although she has not released the exact figures. She said she wants people to be focused on the product, not viewership numbers.

The show comes at a time when women’s MMA is experiencing massive mainstream attention.

The rise of Olympic Judo bronze medalist Ronda Rousey, the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion, has turned people’s focus onto the female side of the sport.

Dana White, the president of the UFC, once an enemy of women’s MMA, now says he is interested in promoting the genre.

But much of the interest in the sport has centered on the Barbie doll-like Rousey, whose tan body, blonde mane and sassy attitude isn’t exactly emblematic of the rest of the women in MMA. Knapp wants to spotlight fighter abilities over looks by promoting competitive matches.

Women’s MMA can be as thrilling, athletic and skill-based if the matches are competitive.

There are plenty of women who want to fight, Knapp said. It’s just a matter of finding them and providing them an opportunity to grow in the sport.

“Our fighters come from everywhere,” Knapp said.

Although Invicta FC is new, Knapp’s involvement in MMA isn’t. The polite, respectful and smart Knapp has worked as an executive in the sport for years, as matchmaker in Strikeforce, the IFL, King of the Cage and other MMA endeavors.

She has seen what has worked and what hasn’t and is hoping to develop the perfect recipe for success in Invicta FC.

Like the UFC, Invicta offers $1,500 Fight of the Night bonuses; $1,000 for submission or knockout of the night; and a $1,000 Twitter bonus to the fighter who best promotes the show on social media.

She said that her fighters also get paid competitive wages and that “no one gets paid $500” to step inside the cage.

“We pay fair market value,” Knapp said. “We never undercut.”

Saturday’s show will also feature the crowning of the first champion in the 105 pound division.

Jessica Penne (9-1) of Laguna Hills, Calif. will fight undefeated phenom Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama (8-0) of Kyoto, Japan at atomweight, in what will also be the first-ever Invicta FC women’s world title bout.

Knapp believes establishing titles will further legitimize the Invicta FC brand. People see Rousey walking around with a title belt and fans now expect to see female champions.

“She (Rousey) is doing amazing things for the sport,” Knapp said. “Every day she helps the sport grow and brings awarenes to it. She helps my cause.”

Knapp acknowledges, however, that Rousey isn’t exactly highly regarded backstage.

“She’s an attractive girl and she doesn’’t mind telling people what she thinks,” Knapp said. “There are a lot of girls in the sport who don’t like it. But I totally support her in what she is doing. We are fighting the same fight. We need to work hard together as a community to make a difference.”

To the women who don’t like Rousey’s attitude, Knapp says she tells them to “save it for the cage.”

Time will tell, Knapp said, if Rousey is as good as a lot of people believe that she is.

“Is she that much better right now? As far as right now she is proving that she is in an elite class,” Knapp said. “But there are still athletes out there that she hasn’t faced. Is she the Jon Jones, the Anderson Silva or the GSP? She could be. We just don’t know that.”

Knapp said White “absolutely will” promote women’s MMA and if Rousey continues her “reign of terror” White will create a women’s division.

In Invicta FC, they have five weight divisions – from 105 pounds to 145 pounds. The weight classes will allow women to compete closer to their natural weight. In the past, women would jump up 10 or 20 pounds, just to get a fight.

“Women have suffered for these reasons and that has hurt the sport,” Knapp said. “They have had a lack of opportunity to continue to evolve. The public has seen so many mismatches.”

The goal is to have talent in every weight class.

Knapp is not a little girl anymore, but she still dreams big. She is eager to make Invicta FC a success. Like a Ninja, she’s poised and ready to strategically strike.

This Saturday she will launch her latest attack – to show the world how beautiful — and skilled women’s MMA can be.

“In the past few years the acceptance of women’s MMA has grown, but it is still not to the masses,” Knapp said. “Breaking down barriers is going to take some time.”