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Growing up in Rockport, Missouri, Shannon Knapp was something of a tomboy, roughhousing with her younger brothers and watching "rasslin" with her grandfather, but that passion led her to become a pioneer in women’s mixed martial arts.
"I’ve always been a fan of combat sports," Knapp, the co-founder and president of Invicta Fighting Championships, or Invicta FC, said. "I’ve always had a fascination with it. ... I wanted to be a ninja, all that kind of stuff. There was something about it that drew me in. Maybe it was empowerment or just being strong as a female, but I did love it."
Knapp, a former self-defense instructor, got her start in the mixed-martial arts on the broadcasting side, but her rapport with athletes led to opportunities on the business side.
She spent time with UFC, Affliction, and Strikeforce among other MMA organizations.
It was during her time with Strikeforce, one of the few MMA promoters that sponsored women’s bouts, that she began to appreciate the commitment of the women involved in the sport, which remained male-dominated.
"Having the opportunity at Strikeforce to work with these women and see how talented they were and how incredibly skilled they were, I felt like it gave me the toolset and the resources to go out and change the rest of the world's mind," Knapp said.
When UFC moved to buy Strikeforce in 2011, Knapp reached a crossroads.
"For me, it was a question: Do I go to work for the UFC or do I take on a challenge?" she said. "And the challenge was, at that time, there wasn't a lot of support for women competing in the (MMA) space. A lot of people didn't like women competing."
That’s why Knapp founded Invicta FC, which only stages women’s MMA bouts, with Janet Martin in 2012.
"Those female athletes gave me the tools to go out and make a change for others," Knapp said.
Now, Invicta FC, which recently reached a broadcasting deal with CBS Sports, is set to stage a milestone event on Friday, Sept. 20, at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas.
"This is where Invicta was born," Knapp said. "The idea was really born here. This is where I started the business. ... September 20 will be our 500th fight. We will hit that goal, that milestone, during that event. I think it's incredible. We've been breaking barriers and building legends for many years now, so it's just exciting to still be doing what we love and still making that difference in this space."
The main event for Invicta FC 57 will be the atomweight title bout between two Brazilians, Elisandro Ferreira (7-2) and Andressa Romero (7-4-1).
That bout will air at 8 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network.
"They both want that belt," Knapp said. "Anytime there's a belt on the line, you're going to see nonstop action."
The evening will feature seven total bouts — including strawweight, featherweight, bantamweight and three flyweight fights.
The doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the first preliminary bout scheduled for 6 p.m.
"These are some of the most skilled, incredible athletes that you will find," Knapp said. "We bring them in from all over the world. They're the best of the best, and they're exciting. These women come to compete. They're very connected with what they're doing, so it's fun to watch and they're matched well. It's really like watching chess in a combat kind of way."
Tickets for Invicta 57 are available on Eventbrite.
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