It’s the last weekend in June. Where does the time go these days? The last weekend before the Independence Day holiday in America next Thursday is a jam-packed one, with no fewer than four cards happening on Friday night, three of them being MMA shows.
While the PFL holds its last show of its regular season, an anticipated return takes place in The Sunflower State of Kansas. Friday evening, women’s promotion Invicta Fighting Championships (Invicta FC) begins its 2024 schedule of events, and it does so on a new television home.
All five of Invicta’s events from June 28 to Dec. 13 will be seen on CBS Sports Network. The cabler is available on various providers throughout the United States. For those subscribed to DIRECTV, CBS Sports Network is airing its programming on channel 221, while Dish Network subscribers can tune into channel 158 for the action.
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With the exception of Invicta’s Nov. 5 show, its cards this year will be live on Friday nights. It starts with Invicta FC 55. Live coverage begins at 9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT on CBS Sports Network.
Bantamweight Title Up For Grabs in Invicta FC 55 Main Event Friday Night
All told, barring any adjustments between now and Friday, the final version of Invicta FC 55 will feature seven MMA bouts. Topping the bill is a battle for supremacy at 135 lbs. in the main event.
Incumbent bantamweight champion Talita Bernardo (10-4 MMA, 3-0 Invicta), an alumnae of the UFC, returns to the cage for the first time in over 17 months when she meets challenger Olga Rubin (9-3 MMA, 2-1 Invicta), formerly of Bellator MMA, where she went 4-2. As with all title fights in most promotions, the Invicta FC 55 main event is an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.
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Invicta FC 55 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into the Invicta FC 55 main event on Friday night, challenger Olga Rubin stands as the taller combatant at 5-foot-9, compared to the 5-foot-4 frame of champion Talita Bernardo. Rubin also owns a one-inch reach advantage (69 inches to 68 inches) over Bernardo.
Currently, the oddsmakers have Talita Bernardo installed as a -163 favorite on the money line, with Olga Rubin countering as a +120 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend in MMA or combat sports, please wager responsibly.
Bernardo Seeks to Make Initial Defense of Title A Successful One
Talita Bernardo enters Friday’s title fight having posted a record of 4-1 over her last five fights. Most recently, she captured the 135-lb. strap with a unanimous decision victory over Taneisha Tennant (5-2 MMA, 4-1 Invicta) during Invicta FC 51 on Jan. 18, 2023 on AXS TV.
She’s on a four-fight winning streak since being released by the UFC after her defeat in May of 2019, with a stopover in Oktagon MMA, based out of the Czech Republic. Talita Bernardo hasn’t looked back in the three-plus years’ worth of fights following her departure from MMA’s top promotion.
Bernardo now has a title to show for it. Can she run her current winning streak to five? Tune into Invicta FC 55’s main event for the answer.
Olga Rubin Looks to Build Off Submission Win
In the other corner, Olga Rubin has gone 3-2 in her last five appearances. Like Bernardo, Rubin also fought in Oktagon before joining Invicta,
Last time out, she stopped Claire Guthrie (5-3 MMA, 4-2 Invicta) with a second-round submission (buggy choke) on May 3 of last year during Invicta FC 53. Rubin’s win that night resulted in her being nominated in the Submission of the Year category at the 15th Annual World MMA Awards last December.
Rubin discussed her effort with Cageside Press in Vegas during red carpet arrivals the night of the ceremony.
“Basically, I’ve been doing jiu-jitsu since at least 2013, and I’ve been doing that buggy choke, at least trying to get the buggy choke in a fight, for at least three fights before I got it,” the challenger began. “So for me, it was like my moment, because I was really working on the choke.”
What does the future hold for Olga Rubin this Friday? Only time will tell.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
Stylistically, the Invicta FC 55 main event looks to be a toss-up. Both the champion and the challenger are adept in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Bernardo Can Flip the Script
Talita Bernardo is able to create offense of her own when she’s absorbing strikes. Look at the tape of the third round of her fight against Taneisha Tennant from January of 2023.
Less than two minutes into the round, Bernardo ate a slew of left-handed punches before rising up and securing a takedown of her own from the bodylock. At that point, her ground game told the story as she assumed top position and stayed there for the better part of the third period.
If Bernardo is on the receiving end of some strikes, she knows how to improve her situation. It’s something to look out for in the Invicta FC 55 main event.
Olga Rubin Does the Same
In the other corner, once Olga Rubin says “Two can play that game.” Late in the second round of her fight versus Claire Guthrie, she was on the receiving end of a takedown but quickly moved into apply the torque to get Guthrie to tap out.
All Olga Rubin needs is one opening to do some damage.
Final Thoughts
Even though the Fourth of July isn’t for another week, you can expect some fireworks on Friday night in Invicta FC 55’s main event as International Fight Week continues.
Prediction: Talita Bernardo by Unanimous Decision.
