CRIS CYBORG SIGNS MULTI-FIGHT DEAL WITH INVICTA FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS

(PRESS RELEASE) -- KANSAS CITY, Mo. (February 15, 2013) –Pound-for-pound great and devastating featherweight (145 pounds) KO artist Cristiane Cyborg (10-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil has signed a multi-fight agreement with women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion Invicta Fighting Championships, it was announced tonight on “Inside MMA” on AXS TV.

Cyborg will make her Invicta FC debut against streaking submission ace and Unified Women’s Professional MMA Rankings world No. 2 featherweight Ediane Gomes (10-2) of Coconut Creek, Fla. via Sao Paulo, Brazil at the promotion’s highly-anticipated, world championship doubleheader event at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Friday, April 5.

The winner of the matchup between Cyborg and Gomes will square off with world No. 1 ranked featherweight superstar Marloes Coenen at Invicta FC 6, on a date to be announced.

Gomes’ original Invicta FC 5 opponent, Julia Budd (4-2) of Port Moody BC, Canada, will now face rising star Fiona Muxlow (6-2) of Townsville, Queensland Australia on the April 5 card.

“We are thrilled to welcome Cris Cyborg, arguably the top pound-for-pound female fighter in the world, to our rapidly growing roster of world-class athletes,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. “Cris’ incredible performances in front of national TV audiences over the last few years have helped put women’s MMA on the radar of the masses and paved the way for others to establish themselves in the sport.”

The 27-year-old Cyborg is universally recognized as the most devastating striker in the women’s field of MMA fighters, pulverizing her way to 8 (T)KO victories since making her pro debut in 2005.

Cyborg took her career to new heights in a main event showdown with superstar rival Gina Carano on Aug. 15, 2009, quickly overwhelming and stopping Carano with a barrage of punches in the first round (4:59) of their meeting to become the first-ever Strikeforce women’s world champion in history. The long-awaited! fight set a new viewership record for MMA on premium cable channel SHOWTIME.

“I am excited to finally get back in the cage and to have the opportunity to fight for Invicta Fighting Championships, which has shown a tremendous amount of commitment to furthering the growth of women’s MMA,” said Cyborg. “I will be ready on April 5 for Ediane and I plan to dominate my competition as I’ve done in the past.”

Amongst the other top flight opponents Cyborg has conquered during her reign of terror are submission wizards Coenen, Shayna Baszler and Hitomi Akano.

Tickets for Invicta FC 5: Jessica Penne vs. Michelle Waterson go on sale soon.

In the main event, reigning Invicta FC Atomweight (105 pounds) Champion Jessica Penne (10-1, 1 NC) of Huntington Beach, Calif. will defend her crown against superstar Michelle Waterson (10-3) of Albuquerque, N.M. and, in the co-main event and first-ever Invicta FC flyweight (125 pounds) title fight, submission ace Vanessa Porto (15-5) of Sao Paulo, Brazil will square off with red-hot star Barb Honchak (7-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa.

About Invicta Fighting Championships: Invicta Fighting Championships (www.invictafc.com) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.