Invicta bought by Anthem Sports & Entertainment
The world’s leading all-female mixed martial arts promotion, Invicta Fighting Championships, has been sold to media company Anthem Sports & Entertainment in a report by ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
Starting with Invicta 44 on May 21st, the promotion will now air on the Anthem-owned AXS TV in the United States and The Fight Network in Canada. Previously UFC Fight Pass had been the home to the promotion since 2014.
Invicta FC was founded by Shannon Knapp, a former UFC & Strikeforce employee, in 2012 and was instrumental in helping the careers of females mixed martial arts fighters around the globe. Current two-weight UFC champion Amanda Nunes fought for Invicta prior to joining the UFC and current UFC stars Rose Namajunas, Michelle Waterson, Carla Esparza, Joanne Calderwood, Angela Hill, Claudia Gadelha, and many more all wet through the Invicta system.
"This is a huge moment for Invicta, myself and for women in the sport," Knapp told ESPN. "I started Invicta to give female mixed martial artists a platform where they could compete and prove all the doubters wrong. This is what Invicta needed to grow to the next level. Invicta 44 will be the first time any of our shows will be available on national television, and it is great a new audience will get to see why Invicta is one of the world's most exciting MMA promotions.”
Knapp will remain as president of Invicta FC and will also join Anthem’s executive team as a senior member of the Sports Media Group alongside the likes of Mark Cuban and comedian Steve Harvey
