Two Championship Bouts Headline Invicta FC 25 in California
Two Championship Bouts Headline Invicta FC 25 in California
Bantamweight Title Bout: Raquel Pa’aluhi vs. Yana Kunitskaya
Strawweight Title Bout: Livia Renata Souza vs. Jodie Esquibel
Kansas City, Mo. – Invicta Fighting Championships heads west once again this summer, returning to California on Thursday, Aug. 31.
Invicta FC 25 will mark the promotion’s first visit to Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino, a widely-recognized home for top mixed martial arts and boxing events.
On Monday, Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp appeared on MMA Fighting’s “The MMA Hour,” announcing two championship fights slated for the card.
Hawaii’s Raquel “Lionheart” Pa’aluhi (6-5) looks to capture bantamweight gold in her first championship opportunity, facing recent title challenger Yana “Foxy” Kunitskaya (9-3, 1 NC) in the Invicta FC 25 main event.
Pa’aluhi and Kunitskaya were originally scheduled to meet at Invicta FC 24, but an injury pushed the match-up to August. Now the contenders were given an opportunity to compete for the belt vacated by former Invicta FC bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger.
Hawaiian-born and fighting out of Las Vegas, Pa’aluhi has shined lately, winning four of her last five fights, most recently submitting Pannie Kianzad in the first round at Invicta FC 21 in January. Kunitskaya is coming off back-to-back fights against Evinger, paving way for another crack at the bantamweight crown.
In the Invicta FC 25 co-main event, former strawweight champion Livia Renata Souza (10-1) attempts to reclaim her title when she battles New Mexico’s Jodie Esquibel (6-2).
The Invicta FC strawweight championship was vacated by Angela Hill, who earned it by handing Souza her first career defeat. But the Brazilian bounced back impressively against Invicta FC atomweight champion Ayaka Hamasaki, winning by first-round knockout at Invicta FC 22. Esquibel was in action at the same event, besting contender DeAnna Bennett by decision.
The current fight card for Invicta FC 25 can be found below:
Bantamweight Title Bout: Raquel Pa’aluhi (6-5) vs. Yana Kunitskaya (9-3, 1 NC)
Strawweight Title Bout: Livia Renata Souza (10-1) vs. Jodie Esquibel (6-2)
Invicta FC 25 streams live and exclusively via UFC FIGHT PASS at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on Thursday, Aug. 31.
Tickets for Invicta FC 25, priced at $120, $60, $40, or $30, are on sale now via TachiPalace.com.
For more information about Invicta Fight Championships, visit invictafc.com.
