It’ll be quite an end to the summer in the city of Denver, CO as far as competitive violence is concerned. In just about one month’s time, Ball Center, the home court of the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the host venue to the July 13 UFC Fight Night, will open its doors to fight fans again for ONE 168 on Amazon Prime Video.
Before that combat sports card takes place on Friday, Sept. 6, MMA takes center stage in the Mile-High City this Friday evening. Six weeks removed from its first show of the year, women’s MMA promotion Invicta Fighting Championships holds its sophomore effort in 2024. Stockyards Event Center is the home arena for Invicta FC 56.
Live coverage of Invicta FC 56 begins Friday evening at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT on the official Invicta FC YouTube channel and Facebook page before the main card at 9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT on CBS Sports Network. One program note: Although CBS Sports Network is available in Canada, the telecast will be seen on the channel in the United States only. Canadian viewers can watch on Fight Network.
Former Strawweight Titleholder Machado Returns in Invicta FC 56 Co-Main Event
All told, barring any late cancellations or postponements between now and Friday night, the final version of Invicta FC 56 features eight bouts, including a return at strawweight in the Invicta FC 56 co-main event. Former Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Valesca Machado (13-4, 1 NC MMA, 3-1 Invicta FC) looks to stay in the win column when she takes on 12-fight veteran and onetime Open FC Strawweight Champion Yulia Ostroverkhova (9-2-1 MMA, Invicta FC promotional debut.)
https://twitter.com/InvictaFights/status/1819433252295266735
With no 115-lb. championship at stake here, the Invicta FC 56 co-main event is an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round. Immediately following, the main event of the evening sees bantamweight action on the table when Jennifer Maia (21-10-1 MMA, 4-2 Invicta FC) meets up with Mayra Cantuaria (10-5-1 MMA, 1-0 Invicta FC.) More on that contest later on in the week.
Invicta FC 56 Co-Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Going into the Invicta FC 56 co-main event on Friday night, both contestants stand level in height at 5-foot-4. Valesca Machado owns a 63 1/2-inch reach, with no such information accessible for Yulia Ostroverkhova.
Currently, the oddsmakers have installed Valesca Machado as a -699 favorite on the money line, while Yulia Ostroverkhova counters as a +400 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend in MMA and/or combat sports, please wager responsibly.
Machado Seeks Second Straight Win Friday Night
Valesca Machado enters the co-headliner having posted a record of 4-1 in her last five fights. Back in February, she scored a first-round knockout of Taylor Mauldin (4-2 MMA) during A1 Combat 18 on UFC Fight Pass. In so doing, Machado, nicknamed “Tina Black”, captured the A1 Combat Strawweight Championship that winter’s night.
Time of the knockout: 49 seconds into the fight. Machado previously attempted to score a UFC deal in October of 2021 on Dana White’s Contender Series. With another stoppage like the one she scored 5 1/2 months ago, she may very well find herself on the UFC CEO’s radar once more.
The former champion has to take it one step at a time, one fight at a time, starting with the Invicta FC 56 co-main event on Friday night.
Ostroverkhova Readies for First US Appearance
In the other corner, Yulia Ostroverkhova has gone 3-1-1 in her last five fights. Most recently, she saw a seven-fight unbeaten streak snapped at the hands of Ekaterina Yar (2-1 MMA) on May 15 in MFP 246 (second-round submission due to a triangle choke) in Irkutsk, Russia.
Up to now, all of her fights have been in her native country. Friday’s contest marks her initial fight on American soil. Can she score her first win in the United States? Only time will tell.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
Expect another strength versus strength contest in the Invicta FC 56 co-main event. Two champs will be squaring off here.
“Tina Black” is A Quick Finisher
If you examine Valesca Machado’s career statistics, you’ll see that she’s won five of her fights via knockout. One need look no further than her February fight against Mauldin for a prime example of her power.
Upon moving in on Mauldin, Machado landed a nasty right-handed punch to begin the barrage of strikes that resulted in Mauldin being knocked out cold in under a minute. If she can land the heavy hands once again on Friday, look out!
Yulia Ostroverkhova Great on the Mat
In the other corner, Yulia Ostroverkhova is a tough customer at the shop. Once she gets an opponent on the canvas, like she did in 2021 against Zarina Gumerova, it might be all she needs to come away with the win.
Right after the opening bell tolled, Ostroverkhova dropped Gumerova and started landing impressive ground and pound shots. The rate at which those strikes were landing could have spelled the end of the bout right then and there, but she had other plans in mind, applying the torque to lock up a submission in under three minutes.
All Yulia Ostroverkhova has to do on Friday night in the Invicta FC 56 co-main event is drop Valesca Machado. If and when that happens, she’s got options as to how to take control of the match.
Final Thoughts
Even though this is only the co-headliner on Friday night, expect both of these competitors to have the same intensity that they would for a title fight. Tune in for this one.
Prediction: Valesca Machado by First-Round Knockout.
