Invicta FC 5: Early Preview and Predictions

Invicta FC comes back for its fifth show, and second of 2013.

Lined-up for the event are two title fights. The main event of the evening will see Jessica Penne defend her Atomweight Championship for the first time against Michelle Waterson, and the co-main event, Barb Honchak vs. Vanessa Porto, will crown the first ever Invicta FC Flyweight Champion.

Also on the card will be the return of Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos and UFC bantamweight Sarah Kaufman.

The PPV event will feature 14 fights in total and be streamed on www.invictafc.com.

Here is an look at the card with early predictions for every fight.

Preliminary Card

Rose Namajunas (1-0) vs. Kathina Catron (2-1)

Namajunas made a successful pro debut at Invicta FC 4, and Catron will make her organizational debut in this fight. Catron's wins have both been via armbar against Amber Powell.

Namajunas looked good in her debut, and I look for her to pick up her second pro win against Catron. It will be Catron's first trip down to 115 pounds, and she will be at a height and reach disadvantage. Namajunas finishes the fight via submission.

Prediction: Namajunas defeats Catron via submission in the second round.

Jodie Esquibel (3-0) vs. Alex Chambers (3-1)

Atomweight action gets underway on the card with this bout. Esquibel made her Invicta FC debut in January with a split decision win over Liz McCarthy.

Chambers' lone loss came via submission against Mizuki Inoue in Jewels. Esquibel will make her tap again. The Jackson's fighter will continue her run and move to 4-0.

Prediction: Esquibel defeats Chambers via submission in the first round.

Veronica Rothenhausler (1-0) vs. Mollie Estes (1-1)

Rothenhausler made a triumphant pro debut when she knocked out Katalina Malungahu in just 72 seconds at Invicta FC 4. Estes returns to the cage for the first time since the first ever Invicta show last April where she lost to Randi Miller by third round TKO.

Estes was supposed to be just an easy debut for the powerful wrestler, but she showed incredible skill and heart in the bout.

In spite of Estes' skills look for Rothenhausler to establish distance with her long frame and do well in the striking exchanges. If Estes can get the fight to the ground she can take this fight the distance and win on the cards, but I don't see that happening a lot in this fight.

Rothenhausler will continually touch Estes on the feet, and she will stuff the majority of the takedowns to win a decision.

Prediction: Rothenhausler defeats Estes by unanimous decision.

Katja Kankaanpaa (7-0-1) vs. Juliana Carneiro Lima (5-0)

These two strawweight combatants will make their promotional debut at Invicta FC 5. One will exit the cage with their first professional loss.

Lima enters with four decision wins, and a TKO stoppage over Patricia de Farias. "The Killer Bunny" Kankaanpää also has four decision wins, but has three stoppages to her credit.

Kankaanpaa is the No. 6 ranked fighter at 125 pounds, and she earned her spot by defeated Aisling Daly in December. She is the superior fighter in this fight and it will show as she makes a successful debut in Invicta.

Prediction: Kankaanpaa defeats Lima by unanimous decision.

Jessamyn Duke (2-0) vs. Miriam Nakamoto (1-0)

Nakamoto enters Invicta FC for the first time against one of the sports' most prominent bantamweight prospects, Jessamyn Duke.

Duke made an impressive debut at Invicta FC 2, and followed that up with another good showing during the company's third show. I don't expect that to change in her third pro outing.

Nakamoto will be a good challenge for Duke, and she will push this fight to the judge's scorecards. She won't do enough to put a loss on Duke's resume. Duke will pick up the win and move on to bigger bouts in the division under the Invicta FC banner.

Prediction: Duke defeats Nakamoto by unanimous decision.

Cassie Rodish vs. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc

Sixth-ranked atomweight Cassie Rodish (4-3) goes up against Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (8-6) as the Invicta FC main card gets underway.

Rivera-Calanoc is 1-1 under the Invicta banner, and Rodish is riding a four-fight win streak in to the fight. All four were stoppages.

This is a fight that Rodish should have a sizable advantage on the mat. She'll be able to take down Rivera-Calanoc at will and impose her will. She can pummel her for three rounds with ground and pound, or seek a submission. Rodish should pick up her fifth straight at Invicta FC 5.

Prediction: Rodish defeats Rivera-Calanoc by unanimous decision

Bec Hyatt vs. Jasminka Cive

"Rowby" Bec Hyatt (4-2) stepped up on short notice to take on Carla Esparza for the inaugural Invicta FC Strawweight Championship at Invicta FC 4. She dropped a decision, but gained a lot of fans with her game performance.

She'll welcome undefeated prospect Jasminka Cive (5-0) to the Invicta cage.

This is a significant step up in competition for Cive, and that will show against Hyatt. The former title challenger gained a lot of experience in January being thrown in to the deep end of the pool, and that'll payoff in this fight.

Hyatt is the better fighter right now, and she will take care of business against a dangerous striker.

Prediction: Hyatt defeats Cive via submission in the first round.

Julia Budd vs. Fiona Muxlow

Featherweights Julia Budd (4-2) and Fiona Muxlow (6-2) will want to make a statement when they throw down in the center of the cage.

In spite of having more fights than Budd, Muxlow will be an experience disadvantage in this fight. Budd has only competed at the top level of women's MMA. She has had four fights in Strikeforce, and is currently 2-0 in Invicta. Budd is currently the no. 4 ranked featherweight.

Muxlow has been a pro since 2007, and she is coming off a loss to Marloes Coenen at DREAM 18 on New Year's Eve. She lost via first round armbar.

This should be a straight forward fight for Budd. She'll get the takedown and start to punish Muxlow until a submission prevents itself. She is setting herself up to be one of the top contenders for the future Invicta Featherweight Championship.

Prediction: Budd defeats Muxlow via submission in the first round.

Kaitlin Young vs. Amanda Nunes

UFC bantamweight Amanda Nunes (7-3) takes on one of the most exciting fighters in the division in Kaitlin Young (7-7). Nunes has her back against the wall in this fight.

Nunes has lost two of her last three, and should she drop another bout she may not get to make her UFC debut. For Young, this is a prime opportunity to impress the UFC matchmakers and try to earn her spot in the newly minted division.

Both of these young love to strike, but Nunes holds the most power between the two. She has six TKO and KO performances under her belt.

Young has fought the best of the best. She won't be intimidated by Nunes' power. Unfortunately for her, Nunes will connect and find a way to finish the fight.

This should be one of the most exciting fights of the night

Prediction: Nunes defeats Young by TKO in the second round.

Zoila Frausto Gurgel vs. Jennifer Maia

The Invicta debuts of Zoila Frausto Gurgel (12-2) and Jennifer Maia (6-2) looks like good way to introduce Gurgel to the flyweight division.

Maia has several submissions to her credit, but she has faltered against the top level opponents she has faced. That shouldn't change at Invicta FC 5.

Gurgel is currently the seventh ranked flyweight, and is coming off a brutal loss to No. 1 Jessica Eye in Bellator.

In spite of that loss, Gurgel remains one of the better women in the world. She is 2-1 at 125 pounds, and the former strawweight champion of Bellator will get back on the winning side of things with a dominant showing in Kansas City.

Prediction: Gurgel defeats Maia by unanimous decision.

Sarah Kaufman vs. Leslie Smith

Sarah Kaufman (15-2) makes her Invicta FC debut on April 5th against Leslie Smith (5-2). This is a clash of top ten bantamweights, and the UFC will be sure to have an eye on the happenings in this scrap.

Kaufman, ranked second, returns to action for the first time since dropping her title bid against Ronda Rousey. Smith, ranked 10th, moved up after winning back-to-back fights over Kaitlin Young and Raquel Pennington in Invicta.

Smith has looked solid in recent outings, but Kaufman is a different level of fighter. She is a former champion for a reason. Kaufman should be able to dictate where this fight takes place, and that will probably be on the feet.

Both women like to strike, but Kaufman is the better striker. That is the biggest difference in the fight. Kaufman is simply better.

Prediction: Kaufman defeats Smith by TKO in the third round.

Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Ediane Gomes

Cyborg (10-1) finally makes her return after being suspended following her 16 knockout over Hiroko Yamanaka at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal. The result of the fight was overturned to a no contest following a positive test for the anabolic steroid stanozolol.

She will face Ediane Gomes (10-2) for the right to challenge Marloes Coenen for the Invicta FC Featherweight Championship at a later date.

Gomes is a powerful fighter in her own right, but there is no way she is going to be able to handle the pressure and pace of Cyborg. The former Strikeforce champion is going to put on a vintage performance and earn her shot against Coenen.

Cyborg will get the finish by simply overwhelming Gomes.

Prediction: Cyborg defeats Gomes by TKO in the first round.

Invicta FC Flyweight Championship: Barb Honchak vs. Vanessa Porto

The first of two championship bouts on the evening features Barb Honchak (7-2) and Vanessa Porto (15-5) battling for the newest Invicta FC title belt.

Porto earned the title shot by defeating Tara LaRosa at Invicta FC 3. LaRosa has long been one of the top women in the sport, and it was considered an upset when Porto defeated her last October. The win moved her up to No. 6 in the rankings.

Honchak, currently ranked fourth, looked extremely polished in her decision win over Aisling Daly at Invicta FC 3.

This fight should be a battle. Porto's grappling ability may come in to play if Honchak decides to take her down, but she may chose to turn this in to a striking battle. Either way, I see Honchak winning this fight.

Honchak has won six in a row because she continues to improve in all areas. She is turning in to one of the elite flyweights, and she will take Porto out later in the fight after she breaks her.

Prediction: Honchak defeats Porto by TKO in the fourth round.

Invicta FC Atomweight Championship: Jessica Penne vs. Michelle Waterson

The main event will see the first ever Invicta FC champion defend her atomweight crown. Champion Jessica Penne (10-1) defends the gold against Michelle Waterson (10-3).

This is a battle between the No. 1 and No. 3 ranked atomweights in the world. A world-class main event.

Waterson is riding a four-fight win streak in to the Invicta cage. She got the title shot by edging out Lacey Schuckman at Invicta FC 3.

"The Karate Hottie" is going to have her hands full with Penne. The champion defends submissions well, has good wrestling, and is dangerous on the feet. Penne will have the physical advantages to go along with her tactical advantages. That spells trouble for Waterson.

Waterson will be game, but eventually Penne will take over. Penne will wear on Waterson throughout the fight, and eventually be able to finish with a submission to elicit the tap and retain the Invicta championship.

Prediction: Penne defeats Waterson via submission in the fourth round.