Invicta FC 60 opens up a highly-anticipated weekend of sports. While most of the sports world has its eyes set on New Orleans and the Caesars Superdome for Super Bowl LIX on Sunday night, the MMA world will be fixated on several locales ahead of the biggest gridiron football game of the year.
49 hours before the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in The Big Easy for the ballgame, fights take Center Stage, and we mean that very literally. Center Stage in Atlanta, GA is the site where Shannon Knapp‘s promotion rings in its new year with Invicta FC 60.
Just like all six Invicta shows that took place in 2024, inside the United States, Friday’s lid-lifter for the women’s MMA promotion will be seen on CBS Sports Network. Live coverage of the main card kicks off at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT. Prelims begin the evening at 5:30 pm ET/ 2:30 pm PT on YouTube.
Main Card Fight Cancelled Ahead of Invicta FC 60
We’ll discuss the prelims on Invicta FC 60 in a moment, but as fight week continues in Atlanta, there’s been an alteration made to the main card. Initially, the co-main event of the evening on Friday was to have been a featherweight affair matching Jackie Cataline (5-3 MMA, 1-0 Invicta FC) with Jaime Edenden (5-2-1 MMA, 1-0 Invicta FC).
This contest has since been scrubbed due to Cataline serving a medical suspension in the aftermath of her appearance during Power Slap 11 last Thursday. Cataline was on the losing end of a unanimous decision versus Sheena Bathory (4-0 Power Slap) on the card. All other main card bouts, including the main event between Olga Rubin (9-4 MMA, 2-2 Invicta) and Mayra Cantuaria (10-6-1 MMA, 1-1 Invicta FC) will take place as scheduled.
Invicta FC 60 Featured Prelim: Giullany Perea vs. Jessica Hope Holmes
At the top of the bill in the undercard, action takes place in the atomweight division when Giullany Perea (2-0 MMA, 1-0 Invicta FC) meets up with Jessica Hope Holmes (2-1 MMA, 0-1 Invicta FC.) Perea enters the Invicta FC 60 featured prelim on Friday night having posted a record of 4-0 dating back to her amateur career.
Most recently, she scored a unanimous decision victory after three rounds over Alied Zubieta (3-4 MMA, 0-1 Invicta FC) in August of last year. She’s yet to taste defeat, so can Perea run her winning streak to five in a row during Invicta FC 60 on Friday night?
Across the way, Jessica Hope Holmes has gone 2-1 in her three career MMA fights. She’s making her return to the Invicta promotional banner after having scored a split decision win against Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (10-11 MMA, 1-3 Invicta FC) right before Christmas on Dec. 7 in Peak Fighting 41. Holmes hasn’t gone on a sustained winning streak since beginning her combat sports career. A victory in the featured prelim would be a step in the right direction.
Invicta FC 60 Co-Featured Prelim: Joy Pendell vs. Julia Dorny
Immediately beforehand, the co-featured undercard bout of Invicta FC 60 sees a featherweight tussle pairing Joy Pendell (3-2 MMA, 0-1 Invicta FC) and Julia Dorny (2-2 MMA, Invicta FC promotional debut.) Pendell has gone 3-2 thus far as a professional, but she’s eager to get back in the win column this coming weekend.
Back on Nov. 6, she saw her three-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Zurina Turrey (5-1 MMA, 1-0 Invicta FC) in her Invicta promotional debut. Pendell had an active year in 2024, making the walk to the cage four times between Jan. 19 and Nov. 6 of last year.
Can she restore her winning ways later on in the week? Only time will tell.
In the other corner, Julia Dorny comes in on short notice with a 3-2 record in her last five fights. She’s been a streaky fighter of late, having dropped two bouts in succession, losing her most recent contest by way of first-round submission due to a rear-naked choke versus Riley Martinez (4-0 MMA, 1-0 Invicta FC) in October of 2023.
A week or so ago at this time, Julia Dorny wasn’t even scheduled to fight, with Pendell’s original opponent for Friday night being Krissa Timbs, who withdrew from the card prior to the event. How will the short-notice call-up affect Dorny?
Invicta FC 60 Prelims: Amber Medina vs. Anna Somers
Strawweight action begins the night when debutante Amber Medina (2-3 amateur) makes her first walk to the cage as a professional competitor in MMA as she takes on Anna Somers (2-2 MMA, Invicta FC promotional debut.) Medina enters this fight on a two-match winning streak.
The one nicknamed “Vicious” has certainly lived up to her nickname of late. Both of her amateur MMA wins have been knockouts, including an April 30, 2023 stoppage in the second round versus Dania Cruz. Will another knockout be in the offing for Amber Medina on Friday?
Meanwhile, Anna Somers comes into Invicta FC 60’s undercard with a 2-2 record in her MMA career to-date. Last time out, she bested Sosha Sullivan (0-1 MMA) by way of split decision after three rounds in May of 2024. She’s only averaged one fight per calendar year since the start of her professional MMA career in January of 2021 in Columbus-based Ohio Combat League.
Thus, the question of ring rust rears its head once again. How much ring rust does she have heading into this one? Tune in and find out the answer.