Former UFC fighter Kalindra Faria steps into Invicta FC 54 co-main event against former champion Valesca Machado
The fight card Invicta Fighting Championships 54 has added more star power for the promotion’s debut in Boston on Friday, Oct. 27.
Brazilian Kalindra Faria (19-9-1) brings a wealth of combat sports experience into the night’s co-main event, as she squares off with her countrywoman Valesca “Tina Black” Machado (12-4) in a strawweight collision. Machado’s original opponent, Isis Verbeek, has been forced off the card, setting up the all-Brazil showdown. Faria, a three-fight UFC veteran, has faced a who’s who of competition during her 14-year career including former Invicta titleholders Jennifer Maia and Vanessa Porto, as well as strawweight contenders Cláudia Gadelha, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Joanne Calderwood.
Also joining the card is a bantamweight match-up between Canadian “Sweet” Maria Djukic (2-1) and Massachusetts-based Brazilian “Ferocious” Fernanda Araujo (2-3). Djukic aims to rebound from a spirited battle at Invicta FC 48 opposite the hard-hitting Auttumn Norton. Araujo carries with her a judo black belt and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt into the bout in her own backyard.
Invicta FC 54 will take place from the Citizens House of Blues and features the first title defense for strawweight champion Danni “Mac” McCormack (7-2), who meets Polish challenger Karolina “Polish Assassin” Wójcik (11-3). Both fighters were in action at Invicta FC 52 in March, with McCormack making history as the promotion’s first Irish champion by dethroning the aforementioned Machado. After falling short in the Invicta FC 50 title tournament, Wójcik edged out Brazilian Ediana Silva in March to cement herself as the No. 1 contender for the 115-pound belt.
The night’s action kicks off at 8 p.m. ET, airing live on Invicta’s official YouTube Channel and Facebook Page, AXS TV in the U.S., Fight Network in Canada, Fox Sports in Mexico, Globo’s Combate in Brazil, DirecTV across Latin America, Viaplay and Match TV in Europe and Star Times across Africa. Tickets to the event are available now through Ticketmaster.
The full fight card can be found below:
Strawweight Title: Danni McCormack vs. Karolina Wójcik
Strawweight: Valesca Machado vs. Kalindra Faria
Flyweight: Kristina Williams vs. Dee Begley
Strawweight: Hilarie Rose vs. Andrea Amaro
Featherweight: Julia Dorny vs. Riley Martinez
Bantamweight: Maria Djukic vs. Fernanda Araujo
