PhotoCred: MMA Fighting
Video: Emily Ducote intends to enjoy time as champion while remaining open to all future possibilities
The third time was the championship charm for Emily Ducote at Invicta FC 44.
A former Bellator flyweight turned strawweight finisher, Ducote put an exclamation point on her recent performance to prove she wasn’t cursed in title fights. In the main event of Invicta 44, the 27-year old picked up victory No. 10 which was the sweetest one yet in her still young 16-fight career.
Taking on the formidable UFC veteran Danielle Taylor, Ducote did something several champions before her could not — score a finish over Taylor.
Ducote’s first-round head kick was a picture-perfect way to close out her third career title bout. Since coming to Invicta and departing Bellator’s flyweight division, “Gordinha” is 4-1 and looking better than ever.
OH MY GOODNESS! @ducote_brunette knocks out Danielle Taylor to claim the Invicta FC Strawweight Championship! #InvictaFC44 pic.twitter.com/36fOec0CBN
— Invicta FC (@InvictaFights) August 28, 2021
“I had to do a lot of soul searching after that,” Ducote told MyMMANews of her time in Bellator.
The San Jose, California native found herself inspired by her grandparents to pursue an MMA career which quickly got off to the races in 2015. Only three fights in and she was presented with an opportunity in the early Bellator 125-pound weight class.
Understanding the mental hurdles that come with such a taxing sport like MMA, Ducote was led to work with a sports psychologist and hasn’t looked back. Now with gold around her waist, the goals in mind are clear but won’t be rushed.
“I do want to enjoy my time because I did a lot of growing up with Invicta and [President] Shannon [Knapp],” Ducote said. “I’m happy to be the champ with Invicta and I wouldn’t mind another fight or two. But I do eventually want to be in a division where I’m fighting the very best 115ers in the world.”
As 2021 begins to come to a close, Emily Ducote targets one more fight before the new year.
