Erin Blanchfield battles Pearl Gonzalez for vacant flyweight title at Invicta FC 43
Two titles will be on the line this fall when Invicta Fighting Championships hosts its 43rd event on Friday, Nov. 20 in Kansas City.
In the night’s headliner, UFC veteran Pearl “The Chi-Town Princess” Gonzalez (10-5) meets 21-year-old Erin “Cold Blooded” Blanchfield (6-1) for the flyweight title, which was recently vacated by Vanessa Porto when she signed with Bellator MMA. Gonzalez will be fighting for Invicta gold for the second time, having battled the aforementioned Porto to a technical decision at Invicta FC 34. New York’s Blanchfield steps into the title affair having won three straight and four of her five Invicta appearances. She was most recently in action at Invicta FC 41, defeating Guam’s Brogan Sanchez.
Gold is also up for grabs in the night’s co-main event, as Emily “Gordinha” Ducote (9-6) clashes with Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz (9-1). Like Gonzalez, Ducote will challenge for a belt for the second time. She was narrowly defeated by Kanako Murata at Invicta FC 38. Japan’s Murata has since signed with the UFC, leaving the title vacant once more. Ducote bounced back with a win over UFC veteran Juliana Lima at Invicta FC 40 in July. Mexico’s Ruiz was also in action in July, submitting former title challenger Janaisa Morandin in the first round of the Invicta FC 41 main event.
Invicta FC 43 will be overseen by the Kansas Athletic Commission and will feature open scoring. The event will air live and exclusively on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. CT. With the ongoing pandemic, Invicta FC 43 will take place behind closed doors — sans fans and media. As with any Invicta event, the safety of its athletes, their corners, its staff and commission officials is of the utmost priority. All participants will be tested for COVID-19 prior to the event.
Additional match-ups for the event will be announced in coming weeks.
The current Invicta FC 43 fight card can be found below:
Flyweight Title: Pearl Gonzalez vs. Erin Blanchfield
Strawweight Title: Emily Ducote vs. Montserrat “Conejo” Ruiz
