Ex-UFC title contender Jennifer Maia made history with Invicta FC on Friday night.
At Invicta FC 59, held at The Eastern in Atlanta, Maia (23-10-1) fought the new Invicta bantamweight champion Talita Bernardo in the main event. Bernardo (11-5) aimed for her second title defense, but Maia secured a unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) to make history as Invicta FC’s first two-division champion.
The battle was evenly matched both standing and on the ground. Both competitors posed serious submission threats during the match: Maia with an armbar and Bernardo with a kneebar.
As the match progressed, Maia took the lead on the scorecards through effective striking and grappling. Bernardo battled intensely throughout and generated several intriguing scramble instances towards the end, but Maia repeatedly ended up in favorable positions.
As a result, Maia makes history as the first two-division champion in Invicta FC. Maia captured the Invicta flyweight title in 2016 after beating Vanessa Porto at Invicta FC 16, a championship she defended twice prior to joining the UFC in 2018.
Maia made her way back to Invicta in August following a 12-fight stint with the UFC, which featured an opportunity at Valentina Shevchenko’s flyweight championship at UFC 255.
Complete Invicta FC 59 outcomes feature:
Jennifer Maia vs. Talita Bernardo by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
Paula Bittencourt definition. Alejandra Lara by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Valesca Machado definition. Yasmin Castanho by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ana Palacios definition. Monique Adriane by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Fernanda Orellana defines. Ashley Barrett by submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:24
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