KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Invicta Fighting Championships has revealed the fight card for “Invicta FC 47: Ducote vs. Zappitella.”
The event – which takes place Wednesday, May 11 – features a strawweight title bout between current champion Emily Ducote (10-6) and former atomweight titleholder Alesha Zappitella (9-3).
Oklahoma’s Ducote is coming off one of the greatest knockouts in Invicta history, stopping UFC veteran Danielle Taylor via head kick to secure the 115-pound belt and a spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10. Ohio native Zappitella is coming off a pair of battles with Brazilian Jessica Delboni. Prior to the pair’s second meeting, the 27-year-old declared her intentions to move up to the strawweight division and the decorated wrestler will face an immediate test opposite the division’s champion.
In the night’s co-main event, Colorado’s Courtney “The Lion” King (4-2) collides with Stockton, California’s Chelsea Chandler (3-1) in a featherweight matchup. King was last in action opposite Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison in the Invicta FC 43 headliner. Chandler rides the momentum of three straight victories under the Invicta banner.
A pair of New York natives meet in the atomweight division as Lindsey “Damsel” VanZandt (7-5) will square off with “Lionheart” Jillian DeCoursey (4-3). The pair met previously as amateurs in 2016, with DeCoursey besting VanZandt by decision.
Former bantamweight title challenger Lisa “Battle Angel” Verzosa (6-2) returns to action opposite the surging Serena “The Southpaw Outlaw” DeJesus (4-2). Verzosa went five rounds with current champion Taneisha Tennant in her last outing, while DeJesus has scored back-to-back wins over UFC veterans Lauren Mueller and Elizabeth Phillips.
Rounding out the fight card, Brazil’s Janaisa “Evil Princess” Morandin (10-4) takes on countrywoman Liana “Li” Pirosin (7-4) in a flyweight bout, and boxing Olympian Jennifer “Dugwen” Chieng (1-1) welcomes Alyssa “Lightning” Linduska (debut) to the promotion at strawweight.
The location, ticketing details and broadcast information for “Invicta FC 47: Ducote vs. Zappitella” will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Invicta FC 47 lineup includes:
- Champion Emily Ducote vs. Alesha Zappitella – for strawweight title
- Chelsea Chandler vs. Courtney King
- Jillian DeCoursey vs. Lindsey VanZandt
- Serena DeJesus vs. Lisa Verzosa
- Janaisa Morandin vs. Liana Pirosin
- Jennifer Chieng vs. Alyssa Linduska
