Before the Octagon opens up for the first time in Holland this Sunday, UFC Fight Pass will be airing another of its properties on Saturday night. All-female promotion Invicta FC will be running another event from Costa Mesa, California, and it will be topped by two title fights. In the bantamweight division, Tonya Evinger will be making the first official defense of her belt against Colleen Schneider. Evinger has won eight straight bouts since dropping a decision to former Olympic wrestler and UFC title contender Sara McMann back in 2011. Only two of those opponents have managed to make it the distance against Evinger’s relentless attack on the mat. Schneider brings her own four fight winning streak into the bout, most recently earning a split decision over Raquel Pa’ahluhi in January. After starting her career just 1-4, she has gone 9-2 since 2012, only dropping bouts to Invicta contenders Irene Aldana and DeAnna Bennett. The other title at stake is in the strawweight division, where reigning champion Livia Renata Souza takes on UFC veteran Angela Hill. The undefeated (9-0) Souza is primarily known for the grappling game which earned her seven submissions in her first eight bouts (and the Invicta title). However, she showed some sharp striking skills in her first title defense, stopping the aforementioned Bennett with a liver kick and punches in just 90 seconds. Hill was the least experienced competitor on ‘The Ultimate Fighter 20’ and it showed both in the house and in her subsequent UFC appearances. Struggling with the grappling games of Carla Esparza, Tecia Torres, and Rose Namajunas, Hill was cut from the UFC after a 1-2 stint. The step back in competition has allowed her game to develop, and she has been able to show off her dangerous striking in a pair of Invicta performances ending in TKOs. MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened the betting lines today for the two title fights, as well as the next three bouts on Invicta 17 at Several Bookmakers. Take a look: ——————– MAIN CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 9pm ET) Tonya Evinger -600 Colleen Schneider +400 Livia Renata Souza -170 Angela Hill +130 Kaline Medeiros -185 Aline Serio +145 Latoya Walker -190 Charmaine Tweet +150 Megan Anderson -190 Amanda Bell +150 ——————– Brad’s Analysis: The only fighters who can stop Evinger’s game right now aren’t fighting in Invicta. I’d even be willing to consider a bet on her against current UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate given a decent number. Colleen Schneider is a fine fighter, but it’s a massive leap from Raquel Pa’aluhi to Tonya Evinger, and I’d be shocked if she’s capable of making it. I expect takedowns, ground-and-pound, and an eventually mercy kill submission from Evinger in another dominant performance. We haven’t really seen Hill’s grappling get tested since she moved from the UFC to Invicta, and I expect this bout to show where she’s really at. There’s no shame in any of the losses she has in her career, but her wins aren’t exactly top tier either. I think Hill may be the beneficiary of Souza scoring such a quick TKO in her last bout, which could encourage her to stand with a fighter she shouldn’t. Once Souza realizes the skill disparity on the feet, she may have already taken enough damage to compromise her ability to get Hill to the mat. Of course, if this does hit the mat at any point, Hill is in a world of dangerous with Souza’s submission game. If the number goes up any more, I may take a stab on Hill here. To be honest, I don’t have much insight into the other three fights from a betting perspective. 6-4 vs. 9-5, and a 36-year-old vs. a 38-year-old don’t really intrigue me as fights to begin with. Anderson is a decent prospect and should get by Bell by way of having a more well-rounded game, but it’s hard to trust her still after the performance against Dandois two fights ago.
