Taneisha Tennant vs. Olga Rubin Title Clash Headlines Invicta FC 48 in Denver
Invicta Fighting Championships is heading to the Mile High City with Invicta FC 48.
The world’s leading combat sports promotion for women will make its debut in the Centennial State of Colorado on Wednesday, July 20, touching down at Reelworks Denver with Invicta FC 48: Tennant vs. Rubin.
In the night’s headliner, Taniesha “Triple Threat” Tennant (4-1) will make the first defense of her bantamweight crown when she takes on former Bellator MMA No. 1 contender “Big Bad” Olga Rubin (7-2). Tennant established herself amongst the division’s elite by winning three fights in one night to capture the third Phoenix Tournament, before cementing herself as champion by defeating Lisa Verzosa at Invicta FC 44. The Russia native Rubin — who now trains in England — will make her first Invicta appearance riding the momentum of a victory over Brazil’s Priscila de Souza in her 135-pound debut.
The co-main event also takes place in the bantamweight division as former title challenger Katharina Lehner (7-3) of Germany welcomes UFC veteran Talita Bernardo (7-4) to the Invicta cage. Lehner will be competing under the Invicta banner for the fourth time. Brazil’s Bernardo recently scored a win over fellow Octagon alum Lucie Pudilová.
Also featured on the card will be a strawweight affair between the returning Mallory Martin (7-5) and newcomer Kyra “Mogwai” Batara (8-5). Denver’s Martin will fight in her own backyard following a four-fight stint with the UFC. Nevada’s Batara brings a wealth of experience to the promotion, having faced Invicta veterans Kanako Murata, Paulina Granados and Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc.
Rounding out the event, Liana “Li” Pirosin (7-4) and Kristina “Warhorse” Williams (5-3) look to continue their ascension up the flyweight ladder, Amber “Touch ‘Em Up” Leibrock returns to the promotion for the first time since 2016 to meet PFL veteran “Mad Dog” Morgan Frier (4-3) at featherweight, and Auttumn “The Natural” Norton (1-1) takes on Canadian debutant “Sweet” Maria Djukic (2-0) in a bantamweight match-up. An additional bout to complete the fight card will be announced in the coming weeks.
The event will be overseen by the Colorado Combative Sports Commission and will feature open scoring. Invicta FC 48 will mark the return of live action on AXS TV — as well as digital platforms — kicking off at 9 p.m. ET/7 p.m. MT. Tickets to the event will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. MT through Eventbrite.
The current fight card can be found below:
Bantamweight Title: Taneisha Tennant vs. Olga Rubin
Bantamweight: Katharina Lehner vs. Talita Bernardo
Strawweight: Mallory Martin vs. Kyra Batara
Flyweight: Liana Pirosin vs. Kristina Williams
Featherweight: Amber Leibrock vs. Morgan Frier
Bantamweight: Auttumn Norton vs. Maria Djukic
