LAS VEGAS — Cris Justino celebrated her 30th birthday doing what she loves — obliterating an unfortunate opponent inside the cage.
Justino (14-1) successfully defended her Invicta FC featherweight title for the second time, knocking out a wildly overmatched Faith Van Duin (5-2) in 45 seconds on Thursday. The bout headlined Invicta 13 at the Cosmopolitan.
Justino improved to 3-0 under the Invicta banner. The champion in the 145-pound weight division, she is angling toward a fight against UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.
“I love [to] fight. I love punching face,” Justino said. “Let’s go train hard and try to make 135 or 140 pounds — fight Ronda Rousey. Stop running.”
Van Duin essentially played the role of sacrificial lamb: Justino was listed as more than a 30-to-1 betting favorite over Van Duin, who has been training in mixed martial arts only since 2012.
Justino showed Van Duin no mercy in the Invicta main event. She hit Van Duin with a straight right in the opening seconds, followed by a monster right cross as they broke out of a clinch moments later. Van Duin didn’t fall down from the shot, but she was clearly wobbled.
Justino swarmed with a blitz of punches as Van Duin retreated to the fence. Referee Steve Mazzagatti stepped in quickly after Van Duin slumped to her back from the shots.
Fighting out of Southern California, Justino and her camp have expressed interest in a 140-pound catchweight fight in the UFC later this year. The UFC has stated a potential megafight with Rousey (11-0) will happen only at 135 pounds; the promotion currently does not have a 145-pound weight class. Justino has never fought at bantamweight.
In January, Justino signed a contract extension with Invicta that allows her to fight in the UFC. Invicta CEO Shannon Knapp has previously stated she would support Justino’s move to the Octagon.
Rousey, 28, is scheduled to make her sixth title defense against Bethe Correia (9-0) at UFC 190 on Aug. 1 in Rio de Janeiro.
In the co-main event, Tonya Evinger (16-5) dominated Irene Aldana (5-2), scoring a TKO victory at 4:38 of the fourth round to win the vacant bantamweight title.
In an atomweight title fight, Ayaka Hamasaki (12-1) became the first-ever Japanese Invicta champion, defeating Herica Tiburcio (9-3) via split decision.
Courtesy of: ESPN GO