Top women's featherweight fighter Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (12-1) added another belt to her trophy case, as she earned Invicta Fighting Championships' inaugural featherweight belt with a fourth-round stoppage of Marloes Coenen (21-6).
The bout served as the main event of Saturday's "Invicta FC 6: Cyborg vs. Coenen" event, which took place at Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Mo., and aired on pay-per-view.
As expected in the heavily anticipated rematch, Santos fired heavy right hands to open, but Coenen slipped underneath them and moved into the clinch. Santos eventually pulled free from the hold and looked to strike before Coenen brought her back into the position. Santos scored a toss from the hold and looked to unleash strikes, but a game Coenen defended well from her back and earned stand-up. Coenen tried to drag Santos to the floor late in the round, but "Cyborg" defended well and remained on her feet before scoring an impressive suplex late in the opening round.
Santos continued to move forward in the second. Coenen landed a big right hand, but it only seemed to anger Santos, who immediately launched into a flurry of punches. Coenen went again to the floor, and Santos patiently picked her shots while on top. Coenen was forced to turtle in defense, but she showed just enough to keep herself in the fight. Santos eventually backed away, and Coenen survived to see another frame.
Santos continued to overpower her opponent in the third. Coenen tried to find a way to bring the fight to the floor, but Santos looked comfortable on top and would simply back away when she was ready to continue the fight on the feet. Santos started to open up on the feet late in the round, but Coenen showed heart by covering up and trying to outlast the attack.
While Coenen looked both exhausted and frustrated, she answered the bell for the fourth. Santos resumed her assault, even pushing through an illegal upkick that earned a restart. On the feet, she delivered a crushing right hand that sent Coenen to the floor. Santos rushed to full mount and started to pound away from the top. Coenen again refused to wilt, covering up and holding her opponent tight. Coenen tried desperately to buck and roll away, but Santos rattled off punches and elbows. While Coenen blocked most of the blows, the volume of the assault was undeniable, and referee "Big" John McCarthy finally stepped in to call it off with 58 seconds left in the fourth.
With the win, Santos becomes the all-female promotion's first 145-pound champ.
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