Bellator signs Invicta Flyweight Champion Vanessa Porto
The Bellator MMA signings continue. For the third time in a week, they have signed someone that was holding gold. This time they picked up the reigning Invicta FC flyweight champion, Vanessa Porto.
She picked up that strap when she defeated former UFC fighter, Pearl Gonzales, at Invicta 34. She then continued on to a four-fight win streak, defending it once with another decision win against Karina Rodriguez.
The 36-year-old Brazilian on the ground is supremely talented, as 11 of her 22 wins have come via submission. She's also incredibly tough to finish, with only 3 of her 8 losses coming in that manner.
Vanessa Porto signs with Bellator MMA
Scott Coker bringing her into Bellator proves to the rest of the women at 125 that he's seriously looking to grow the division. Ilima-Lei MacFarlane is their present champion and sits at 11-0. Bellator's female flyweight division has an array of talent both young and old, from Valerie Loureda to Liz Carmouche to Kate Jackson and Juliana Velasquez.
Porto has wins over UFC level talent like Roxanne Modafferi, who she's got a 1-1 record against, Germaine de Randamie, and Jennifer Maia. She's also suffered losses to the likes of Amanda Nunes and Cris Cyborg early in their careers.
So now, Invicta needs to find a new 125-pound champion with Porto heading to Bellator. What President Shannon Knapp and Nunes (who's their main matchmaker) have come up with is a real test for the two women that will fight for that belt next. It's as even a match as you can have.
In their 23-woman deep division, it will be "The Chi-Town Princess" Pearl Gonzales against New Jersey native, Renzo Gracie prospect "Cold Blooded" Erin Blanchfield. The 21-year-old is 6-1 overall and 4-1 with the organization. Being trained under Renzo and John Danaher she's a pit viper in the cage who's on a 3-fight win streak.
The fight is slated for the week before Thanksgiving, November 20th at Invicta FC 43. It'll be in their home base of Kansas City. It takes the main slot above a nasty strawweight battle between Emily Ducote and the 9-1 Montserrat Ruiz.