Former Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos has joined the Invicta FC roster and faces Brazilian compatriot Ediane “India” Gomes at Invicta FC 5 on April 5 in Kansas City, Mo. Santos’ signing was officially announced on Friday during “Inside MMA” on AXS TV.

The announcement came just days after Santos (10-1) was released from her Zuffa contract. Santos has not fought since Dec. 17, 2011, when she knocked out Japanese standout Hiroko “Cat’s Eye” Yamanaka in just 16 seconds to retain her Strikeforce title. The result of the bout was subsequently overturned to a no-content when Santos tested positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. The CSAC suspended her a year, and she sat out all of 2012.

Prior to her suspension, Santos had won 10 straight fights and was universally regarded as one of the top two female fighters in MMA. She made history on Aug. 15, 2009, when she became the first Strikeforce women’s 145-pound champion by stopping Gina “Conviction” Carano. Santos now looks for a fresh start under the Invicta FC banner and hopes to move past the controversy that has followed her since her failed drug test.

Gomes (10-2) has made a quick rise up the female featherweight ranks during the past two years, and she is currently riding a four-fight winning streak. In October, Gomes handed Katalina Malungahu the first defeat of her career at Invicta FC 3. This past month, she returned to the Invicta FC cage and took a lopsided unanimous-decision victory over Yamanaka in a bout that left Yamanaka with a concussion and fractured orbital bone.

Santos and Gomes face off in a featured main-card matchup at Invicta FC 5, and the winner will move on to battle Marloes “Rumina” Coenen for the inaugural Invicta FC featherweight title at Invicta FC 6 in July.

Invicta FC 5 card released, two title fights headline

This past week, the full 15-fight Invicta FC 5 card was released, and a pair of championship bouts headlines. In the night’s main event, Invicta FC atomweight champion Jessica Penne (10-1) puts her title on the line against popular Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA fighter Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (10-3).

Penne is undefeated since moving down to 105 pounds in late 2010, and she’s finished all three of her atomweight opponents. She became the first Invicta FC champion in October by submitting Jewels titleholder Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama. Waterson, meanwhile, returned to action this past year following the birth of daughter Araya and scored a first-round submission victory over Diana “Dynamite” Rael. In her Invicta FC debut in October, Waterson earned a shot at Penne’s title by defeating fellow Colorado native Lacey “The Ladie” Schuckman.

The Invicta FC 5 co-main event pits Brazilian veteran Vanessa Porto (15-5) against rising star Barb “Little Warrior” Honchak (7-2) in the inaugural Invicta FC flyweight championship bout.

Porto has won five of her past six fights and became the Pink Fight 132-pound champion in March. She picked up the biggest win of her career at Invicta FC 3 when she dominated long-time pound-for-pound standout Tara LaRosa en route to a lopsided unanimous-decision victory. Honchak is one of the flyweight division’s fastest rising female stars, and she has not lost a fight since September 2010. Honchak’s current six-fight winning streak includes victories over notables Felice Herrig, Roxanne Modafferi, Bethany Marshall and Aisling Daly. She is 2-0 under the Invicta FC banner.

In other featured action on the Invicta FC 5 main card, former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman (15-2) takes on Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-2-1). Additionally, Bellator 115-pound women’s champion Zoila “The Warrior Princess” Gurgel (12-2) makes her Invicta FC debut against Brazilian prospect Jennifer Maia (6-2-1) in a flyweight matchup, and Kaitlin Young (7-7-1) returns to the Invicta FC cage to face former Strikeforce contender Amanda “Lioness of the Ring” Nunes (7-3) at 135 pounds.

Rounding out the main card, Julia “The Jewel” Budd (4-2), who was originally set to face Ediane Gomes on the card, now meets Australian grappler Fiona Muxlow (6-2) in a featherweight showdown. Nicdali “The Night Queen” Rivera-Calanoc (8-6) takes on “Sassy” Cassie Rodish (4-3) in an atomweight contender’s bout. Australian star Bec “Rowdy” Hyatt (4-2) welcomes Austrian prospect Jasminka Cive (5-0) to the Invicta FC strawweight division, and unbeaten Finnish fighter Katja “Killer Bunny” Kankaanpaa (7-0-1) battles Juliana “Ju Thai” Carneiro Lima (5-0).

The preliminary-card portion of the Invicta FC 5 card once again features some of MMA’s top female prospects. In the featured prelim, Jessamyn “The Gun” Duke (2-0) looks for her third straight win for Invicta FC when she faces multi-time muay Thai champion Miriam Nakamoto (1-0), whom some regard as the best female striker in the world. Duke has earned impressive stoppage victories in both of her Invicta FC bouts. Nakamoto, 15-0 in muay Thai competition, made a successful MMA debut with a dominant TKO victory in September.

Australian strawweight Alex Chambers (3-1) makes her North American debut against unbeaten striker Jodie Esquibel (3-0). Highly touted prospect “Thug” Rose Namajunas (1-0), fresh off of a “Submission of the Night” performance at Invicta FC 4, takes on Kathina “Kill Switch” Catron (2-1). Knockout artist Veronica “The Heartbreaker” Rothenhausler (1-0) faces her most experienced opponent to date when she battles former amateur champion “Miss” Mollie Estes (1-1). Opening up the action, River “Ruckus” Jones (6-0 amateur) makes her pro debut against top bantamweight prospect Lauren Barefoot (1-0).

Invicta FC 5 takes place on April 5 at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. The event is expected to air live on televised or Internet pay-per-view. Additional event details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Random drug testing planned for all future Invicta FC events

For the first time in its short history, Invicta FC will utilize random drug testing for its upcoming fifth event on April 5. Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp confirmed the news with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) on Sunday evening. Fighters who will be competing in April were informed of the new policy in late January. An independent agency in conjunction with the Missouri Office of Athletics will handle the testing.

Knapp states that the testing will be done in order to ensure that all Invicta FC athletes are competing on a level playing field. She believes that PED use is a significant problem in MMA and one that affects female fighters as well as men. Invicta FC 5 competitors will be tested at random on the evening before the event. Fighters will not be informed in advance as to whether they will or will not be subject to the testing.

The new anti-PED policy will extend to all future Invicta FC events. The promotion is currently fielding offers from a number of independent testing agencies and hopes to confirm its new testing partner later this week. While news of the testing comes mere days after the promotion announced the signing of Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, who tested positive for a steroid in 2011, the plans to institute the new drug tests were first put into place weeks before Santos was brought into the organization.

Rousey faces Carmouche in historic UFC 157 main event

On Saturday night, the UFC makes history when it promotes its first female fight inside the world-famous octagon. Newly minted UFC women’s bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) defends her title against Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 157 in Anaheim, Calif.

Rousey, a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in judo, has quickly become MMA’s top female superstar since capturing the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title from Miesha “Cupcake” Tate this past March. The popular and charismatic fighter went on to defend her new belt in August when she submitted former champion Sarah Kaufman in just 54 seconds. To date, all nine of Rousey’s pro and amateur MMA bouts have ended in first-round armbars. The 26-year-old is universally regarded as the No. 1 female fighter in MMA.

Carmouche will make history of her own when she competes for the first time in the UFC as the promotion’s first openly gay fighter. The former U.S. Marine stepped in on short notice to challenge Marloes Coenen for the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight championship in March 2011 and dominated the champion for more than three rounds before succumbing to a fourth-round triangle choke. She is coming off of back-to-back victories under the Invicta FC banner. Of Carmouche’s eight wins, seven have come inside the distance.

In six days, Rousey will step into the octagon as a significant favorite over the underdog Carmouche, but she is not taking her opponent lightly. The fighters have been featured prominently in episodes of “UFC Primetime,” which have provided information about the lives and careers of both women leading up to the event.

Joining Rousey and Carmouche on the UFC roster are four more confirmed signees. The aforementioned Tate (13-3) meets “Alpha” Cat Zingano (7-0) at the TUF 17 Finale on April 13 in Las Vegas. Jiu-jitsu ace Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis (13-5) and 2004 Olympic silver medalist in wrestling Sara McMann (6-0) are also officially signed to the UFC.

Holm vs. Merrill signed for Bellator 91

Top-ranked boxing champion Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm (2-0) is set to make her return to the MMA cage on Feb. 28 at Bellator 91 in Rio Rancho, N.M. The striking sensation is set to face Massachusetts-based jiu-jitsu practitioner Katie Merrill (1-0) in a featured bantamweight matchup on the event’s preliminary card.

Holm, who sports a 32-2-3 record in boxing, has held numerous titles during her illustrious career. In March 2011, she debuted in MMA with a second-round TKO victory over Christina “Machine Gun” Domke. Five months later, she stopped veteran Jan “Cuddles” Finney. In both bouts, Holm showcased a strong arsenal of kicks in addition to her crisp punches.

Merrill will also be stepping back into the MMA cage for the first time since 2011. She posted first-round stoppage wins in both of her amateur bouts and made a successful pro debut by submitting Kaline Medeiros in a rematch. Merrill has remained active in grappling competitions and will look for an upset victory when she makes her Bellator debut.

The preliminary portion of the Bellator 91 card streams live on Spike.com.

Jewels: 23rd Ring announced for March 30 in Tokyo

Japan’s leading all-female promotion, Jewels, will stage its first event of 2013 on March 30 at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Tokyo. “Jewels: 23rd Ring” features a top contender’s bout between promotional star Mika “Future Princess” Nagano (11-8) and grappling specialist Emi Tomimatsu (5-5). The winner is expected to move on to challenge Jewels lightweight (114-pound) queen champion Ayaka Hamasaki later this year.

Nagano has earned victories in three of her past four fights. Nine of the popular fighter’s victories have come via armbar submission. Tomimatsu returned to action in September 2011 following a lengthy injury hiatus and won three straight fights. She looks to get back on track after dropping a competitive unanimous decision to final Valkyrie champ “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi in a July rematch. Additional bouts will be announced for the card in the coming weeks.

Quick results

DeAnna “The Argentine Assassin” Bennett (2-0) def. Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Pena (3-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) at “Showdown Fights 10: Collard vs. Clements” on Feb. 8 in Orem, Utah. Bennett reversed a takedown in Round 1 and controlled the action with punches from top position. Pena came back strong in the second stanza, which was contested entirely on the feet. She remained effective with her striking in the final round, but Bennett reversed another takedown and threatened with a tight armbar before the bell. All three judges scored the fight for Bennett, and the hometown star remains perfect in her career.

Lacey “The Ladie” Schuckman (8-6) def. Darla “Train Wreck” Harris (3-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at “Sparta Combat League: Thunderdome” on Feb. 9 in Denver. Schuckman scored takedowns in all three rounds and avoided Harris’ submission attempts from the bottom. Schuckman chained together submissions of her own in Round 1m and she closed out the fight with punches and elbows that set up an armbar attempt before the final bell. The cageside judges all scored the fight for Schuckman, who earned her first atomweight win.

Amy Adam (1-1) def. Belinda Sedgwick (0-2) via submission (punches) at the 1:17 mark of Round 1 at “Brace For War 19: Sydney” on Feb. 16 in Australia. Adam rebounded from a close split decision loss in her December pro debut. Sedgwick has suffered quick defeats in both of her pro bouts.

Thea Wolfe (1-0) def. Sarah “The Midget” Lagerstrom (0-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at CageSport 23 on Feb. 16 in Tacoma, Wash. Wolfe’s striking proved to be the difference maker in the fight, and she landed numerous knees in the clinch en route to the well-earned victory.

Upcoming fights

Suzie “La China” Montero (1-1) faces Pearl Gonzalez (0-1) at “XFC 22: Crossing The Line” on Feb. 22 in Charlotte, N.C. Kickboxing veteran Montero won her pro MMA debut in October 2011 when she defeated Kim Couture. She is coming off of a competitive third-round TKO loss to Jessamyn Duke at Invicta FC 3. Gonzalez amassed a stellar 8-1 amateur record and now looks for her first pro win after dropping a close decision to Munah Holland one year ago. XFC 22’s main card airs live on AXS TV.

Shauna “Little Thunder” Carew (1-0) faces Christina Nicole Tatnell (0-1) at “Valor Fight 4: Supremacy” on Feb. 23 in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. Carew posted a unanimous-decision victory in her pro debut on the all-female Brace For War 17 card in Australia and now looks for her second straight win. Tatnell stepped in on short notice to face Carew’s teammate, Bec Hyatt, in October and suffered a quick TKO loss.

Hatice “The Turkish Delight” Ozyurt (1-1) faces Katharina Albinus (1-1) at No Compromises Fighting Championship 1 on Feb. 23 in Bremen, Germany. Ozyurt opened her pro career with a victory over Lena Buytendijk and looks to return to her winning ways after suffering a submission setback in April. Albinus returns to action for the first time since scoring a second-round TKO victory in September 2011.

Kalindra Faria (7-3-1) faces Aline Sattelmayer (2-0) at Detonic Fight on Feb. 23 in Monte Siao, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Faria is one of Brazil’s top female prospects and captured the inaugural Pink Fight 121-pound title in March. She has not lost in close to two years, and all three of her defeats have come against high-level opposition. Sattelmayer remains unbeaten in her young career and won both of her fights in 2012. She looks for a big victory on Saturday.

Edwina White (0-0) faces Kate “The Great” Bloomfield (0-2) at “Disorderly Conduct: Heartbreakers” on Feb. 23 in Columbus, Neb. White makes her pro debut in the fight after earning first-round stoppage victories in each of her three amateur bouts. Bloomfield went 4-0 as an amateur with four first-round finishes, but she remains in search of her first pro win.

Jennifer “Superstar” Scott (2-2) faces late replacement opponent Lauren Taylor (4-0) at Legacy FC 18 on March 1 in Houston, Texas. Scott originally was scheduled to face April Coutino on the card. She hopes to get back on track after suffering losses in her past two fights. Taylor captured two titles in her home state of Alaska before relocating this past year. She is currently training in Texas in preparation for the short-notice Legacy FC 18 bout. The fight will be a part of the televised portion of the card on AXS TV.

The inaugural Championship Fighting Alliance women’s featherweight tournament begins on March 2 at “CFA 10: McSweeney vs. Staring” in Coral Gables, Fla. In quarterfinal action, Fallon Fox (1-0) battles Allanna “Hands of Stone” Jones (1-1), Revelina “Nana” Berto (3-0) meets Peggy “The Daywalker” Morgan (1-0), Ashlee Evans-Smith (5-4 amateur) takes on Tori Adams (1-0) in a rematch from 2011, and Kelsey De Santis (3-0 amateur) awaits a new opponent after Taylor “No Mercy” Stratford was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury. The tournament lineup has undergone a number of changes due to injuries and withdrawals.

(Pictured: Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos)

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MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every other Monday. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.