Conor McGregor, look what you’ve started. The current craze of fighters vying to challenge for a second title has spread outside the UFC, as Invicta FC atomweight champion Ayaka Hamasaki (14-1) will move up in weight for a marquee strawweight fight in March. MMAFighting was first to report the news. Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp confirmed the report, indicating an announcement would be forthcoming.
Since McGregor claimed his second (then simultaneous) title in November, a number of fighters have expressed interest in doing the same. On the women’s side of the sport, both Amanda Nunes (eyeing the UFC’s new featherweight division) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (focusing on a potential UFC flyweight class) have shown a desire for more gold. Now, it appears Invicta’s Hamasaki may be the next to actually try it. Key word: may. Hamasaki will square off against former Invicta FC strawweight champion Livia Renata Souza (9-1) at Invicta FC 22 on March 25 in Kansas City. Should she pick up a victory, Hamasaki is looking to be picked up by the UFC. If that falls through, however, the atomweight champion has indicated she is willing to fight for the strawweight title — and defend both belts.
The Invicta FC strawweight title found itself in limbo when champion Angela Hill returned to the UFC to face Jessica Andrade at last weekend’s UFC Fight Night 104 in Houston, TX. Despite losing on the judge’s scorecards, Hill put on a gutsy effort and will likely stick around the UFC for a while.
The end result is that the Invicta FC strawweight belt could soon be up for grabs. Who vies for it next will depend on the outcome of Hamasaki vs. Souza. Meanwhile, Invicta FC 22 will be headlined by a rematch between bantamweight champ Tonya Evinger and Yana Kunitskaya.
