[sMMArt Money] Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann

STUDIO MMA, VENICE, CA – If the first Invicta FC event was any indication, tonight’s Invicta 2 is a can’t-miss.  Lucky for all of us the event streams for free, live tonight at 7PM ET (4PM PT) at InvictaFC.com.  And, again, lucky for all of us the betting odds are squirrely.  With some reasonable wagers, one might walk away with a full pocketbook.  Check out our analysis of 5 of the main card fights below.

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Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio [5-2-0 MMA] +195
Vanessa Porto [14-4-0 MMA] -250

Two bantamweight beastesses (we mean that as a compliment) collide in this main card FOTN candidate.  Porto has 13 finishes in her 14 victories and is on a 4-fight rager.  The Monster impressed in her TKO victory at Invicta 1, but survived only 25 seconds against Rousey in a 2011 Strikeforce fight.  These are the only odds on the main card that seem accurate to us.

Prediction: Porto via Submission, Round 1.

Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes [8-2-0 MMA] -550
Raquel “Rocky” Pa’aluhi [2-2-0 MMA] +375

Nunes is a knockout artist, plain and simple.  Most impressive was her 14-second stoppage of Julia Budd in a 2011 Strikeforce fight.  Pa’aluhi does have some gunpowder in her fists, but we don’t believe she belongs in the cage with Nunes.  She is a late replacement for Cesar Gracie protégé Leslie Smith.  No sensible reason to bet on this fight.

Studio MMA Prediction: Nunes via KO, Round 1.

Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche [6-2-0 MMA] -550
Kaitlin Young [7-5-1 MMA] +375

Carmouche delivered a beatdown to WMMA legend Marloes Coenen before being caught in a 4^th Round triangle choke that put an end to her Chael-Sonnen-style upset bid.  Nonetheless, it put her on the bantamweight map.  She followed this with a decision loss to #1 contender Sarah Kaufman, and then absolutely walloped Ashleigh Curry at Invicta 1.  We love her, but Girl-Rilla does not deserve this kind of favorable line against dynamic striker Kaitlin Young, who has 6 Kos to her credit.  Young put on crowd-pleasing FOTN at Invicta 1, earning a draw against a tough Leslie Smith.

Studio MMA Prediction: Carmouche via Decision, Round 3.

Alexis Davis [11-5-0 MMA] -225
Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano [18-9-0 MMA] +175

These two dynamos have, count ‘em, 43 MMA fights between them.  For WMMA, that is significant experience.  38-year-old submission guru Akano is the underdog here, but has 14 finishes on her resume.  To her credit, Davis has earned victories against big names Julie Kedzie and Amanda Nunes (a TKO) before losing a decision to Sarah Kaufman earlier this year.  We can’t endorse the generous line that Davis gets on this fight.

Studio MMA Prediction: Akano via Submission, Round 2.

MAIN EVENT

Sara McMann [5-0-0 MMA] -550
Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler [14-6-0 MMA] +375

With 13 submissions to her credit, including two twisters and a “shwing” – a submission she invented! – it is somewhat surprising to see that Shayna Baszler is such a massive underdog in the main event of Invicta 2.  Bet $100 on her and you’ll earn $375.  Yes, Sara McMann is an undefeated badass and an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling.  But that doesn’t just yet mean that she’s the second-coming of Ronda Rousey.  Put some dough on The Queen of Spades if you want some real juice.

Studio MMA Prediction: Baszler via Submission, Round 1.

Odds published at Bovada.lv.

Photo: The Invicta Facebook Page