The score has been settled for Karina Rodriguez.
On Friday night, Rodriguez won a close unanimous decision against DeAnna Bennett at Invicta FC 35 to avenge a March 2018 split-decision loss in their first fight. More importantly, Rodriguez claimed the promotion’s four-woman flyweight tournament with the victory to secure a title shot vs. champion Vanessa Porto later this year.
“It’s an honor to fight with such a veteran, an awesome fighter in Vanessa Porto,” the 33-year-old Rodriguez said following her victory at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. “So I’m very thankful for this opportunity, and I’m going to bring a war for all the fans.”
Like their first encounter, Rodriguez (8-3) and Bennett (10-5-1) didn’t make the decision easy for the judges.
Round 1 could’ve gone either way, as Rodriguez started off strong by consistently landing punches from the outside and throwing leg kicks to offset potential takedown attempts from the wrestling savvy Bennett. But Bennett rallied as the round wore on, finding a home with her stiff left hand.
In Round 2, the two fighters exchanged early. Bennett went for her first takedown attempt roughly two minutes in, but Rodriguez defended well. Bennett tried for a second takedown in the final two minutes, but again Rodriguez defended well. Both attempts led to a lot of clinch work against the cage but not a lot of offense.
With the fight seemingly up for grabs heading into the third round, Rodriguez landed an early jump kick to the liver that seemed to hurt Bennett, who responded by shooting low for a takedown. A scramble ensued, and the two women ended up pressed against the fence with Bennett in control. Bennett stuck to Rodriguez like glue for the majority of the round, securing a couple of takedowns, although she didn’t land any significant strikes.
The judges must not have believed Bennett’s cage control was enough to secure the win, with all three scoring 29-28 in favor of Rodriguez.
“I worked really hard on the takedown defense,” Rodriguez said. “I know that’s going to be her game, and also I worked on the strength that is my boxing. I hit her harder than the first time, I guess.”
The full Invicta FC 35 lineup includes:
- Karina Rodriguez def. DeAnna Bennett via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) – to win flyweight tournament final
- Viviane Pereira def. Alesha Zappitella via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Kanako Murata def. Liana Pirosin via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:10
- Lisa Spangler def. Katharina Lehner via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Kaitlin Young def. Faith McMah via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:52
- Chelsea Chandler def. Brittney Victoria via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 3:58
- Kelly D'Angelo def. Jillian DeCoursey via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Loma Lookboonmee def. Monique Adriane via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Genia Goodin def. Valerie Wong via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
For more on Invicta FC 35, check out the MMA Events section of the site.
