Issue 118
August 2014
All the head-turning information every MMA fan needs to know
UFC TO SHOW INVICTA FC ON FIGHT PASS
In an unexpected move, the UFC has announced it will stream all-female MMA promotion Invicta FC’s live events via Fight Pass, its monthly-subscription-only online video portal.
The UFC has never publicly made known an agreement of this nature with an MMA organization it does not own.
The multi-year deal includes archived video content and replaces Invicta’s previous online pay-per-view distribution method for live cards. Much of the current UFC women’s bantamweight division fought for Invicta previously, while the promotion is still home to names such as Cris ‘Cyborg’, Marloes Coenen and Michelle Waterson.
UFC chief content officer Marshall Zelaznik noted the move was “historical in the way the UFC has operated.”
He said: “Everyone has looked at UFC as a promoter, but now you can look at us as a distributor.”
The news has put rumors to bed that Invicta, which only held four events last year and has planned one event so far this year, was about to go out of business.
“Now that we have a stable foundation, we’re going to increase the number of events,” said Invicta CEO Shannon Knapp, who still owns the organization she co-founded in 2012.
FO SCORE: The UFC has had a close relationship with Invicta (it took on much of Invicta’s strawweight division for its all-female
TUF season), stemming from CEO Shannon Knapp’s time working at the UFC. The deal increases the value of Fight Pass and, most critically, gives a bigger platform to Cris ‘Cyborg’, one of Ronda Rousey’s primary rivals, ahead of the Brazilian’s planned move down from 145lb to fight for ‘Rowdy’s 135lb UFC title.
11%
Nearly 11% of the population are ‘interested’ in the UFC, according to the 2014 Scarborough annual survey which polled 200,000 US residents.
29
Players are able to perform 29 submissions in the new EA Sports UFC game.
What's Hot
TEAM ALPHA MALE
TJ Dillashaw took home the gym’s first-ever UFC title in May and Chad Mendes will look to add a second at UFC 176
WILL BROOKS
The new Bellator interim lightweight champ had a breakthrough performance against Michael Chandler during the promotion’s first pay-per-view
UFC WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION
If this isn’t the most exciting division in MMA then we don’t know what is
What's Not
MMA NOT LEGAL IN NEW YORK
This situation’s getting painful now
CHAEL SONNEN’S FAILED DRUG TEST
AWOL.Wanderlei was bad enough, but this was a new low for the division
DIAZ BROTHERS
Where you at, Nick and Nate? We miss your fighting skills and that Stockton eloquence
Invicta World Champions
The names and faces holding the gold in the all-female promotion you’ll soon be watching on UFC Fight Pass
ATOMWEIGHT (105lb)
Michelle Waterson, 11-3
Out of the Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA camp, ‘The Karate Hottie’ took time off MMA to start a family and won the Invicta 105lb belt 15 months after her return.
FLYWEIGHT (125lb)
Barb Honchak, 9-2
Having started fighting amateur in 2007, Honchak has beaten names such as Felice Herrig, Roxanne Modafferi, Aisling Daly and Leslie Smith.
BANTAMWEIGHT (135lb)
Lauren Murphy, 8-0
The 30-year-old Alaskan joined a Brazilian jiu-jitsu class as encouragement for her son, and is unbeaten in MMA since, beating standouts such as Miriam Nakamoto and Kaitlin Young.
FEATHERWEIGHT (145lb)
Cris ‘Cyborg’, 12-1 (1 NC)
The dominant former Strikeforce featherweight champion’s beef with Ronda Rousey may see the Muay Thai specialist in the UFC before long at 135lb.
