BREAKING #InvictaFC59 closes out the year on @CBSSportsNet at the @eastern_atl on 12/13 with a HUGE title fight between @Talita_MMA and @jennimaiaufc! #Atlanta #IFC59
FULL FIGHT CARD IN PRESS RELEASEhttps://t.co/GhXgZeJPwQ
— Invicta FC (@InvictaFights) November 15, 2024
A win for Jennifer Maia would make her one of a small few Invicta Fighting Championships titleholders in multiple divisions.
Firmly back in the Invicta FC ranks after a decision win over Mayra Cantuaria in August, Maia (22-10-1) needed that one victory to earn a crack at bantamweight gold. The former Invicta flyweight queen—who won the interim strap in 2016, later receiving undisputed distinction and defending it twice—will be battling the streaking Talita Bernardo (11-4) atop Invicta FC 59. The promotion sent out a press release on Friday detailing the full lineup of this Dec. 13 event, one that will be held at The Eastern in Atlanta.
Maia left the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2023 after fighting out of her contract. As a member of the top league from 2018 to 2023, Maia unsuccessfully vied for its flyweight strap while celebrating wins over names including Roxanne Modafferi, Joanne Wood and Casey O’Neill. When the organization elected not to re-sign her, a 12-fight UFC vet with an even record of six wins and six defeats, she returned to her former league of Invicta.
Fellow Brazilian Bernardo usurped the bantamweight throne by beating Taneisha Tennant at Invicta FC 51 in early 2023. The 37-year-old came back a little under 18 months later to register her first defense, tapping Olga Rubin in the main attraction of Invicta FC 55. Like Maia, Bernardo previously competed in the UFC, but she only won once in four outings. Since departing the UFC, Bernardo has earned five straight triumphs, with three of those coming by sub—all in Round 2.
Invicta FC 59 Lineup:
Talita Bernardo vs. Jennifer Maia – bantamweight title
Riley Martinez vs. Jackie Cataline – featherweight
Alejandra Lara vs. Paula Cristina dos Santos Silva – flyweight
Valesca Machado vs. Yasmin Castanho – strawweight
Monique Adriane vs. Ana Palacios – atomweight
Giulliany Perea Vieira vs. Natalie Salcedo – atomweight
Ashley Barrett vs. Fernanda Orellana – strawweight
