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Shannon Knapp on tonight's Invicta FC 28: Title headliner, Pearl Gonzalez, new 'ring boy'

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Invicta FC action returns tonight, and company president Shannon Knapp said the card offers a lot, both in and out of the cage.

Invicta FC 28 takes place at Union Event Center in Salt Lake City and streams entirely on UFC Fight Pass. In the main event, Mizuki Inoue (12-4) meets Virna Jandiroba (12-0) for the vacant strawweight title.

Knapp said the strength of the top of the card speaks for itself. With a title fight in the headliner and a supporting cast with notable vets such as DeAnna Bennett and Milana Dudieva, Invicta FC fans will get to see some regulars in action.

Kali Robbins and Pearl Gonzalez

Knapp said she’s also looking forward to the debut of Pearl Gonzalez (6-3), who comes to Invicta FC after an 0-2 UFC run for a matchup with unbeaten Kali Robbins (5-0).

“On this card we’ve got some young talent,” Knapp told MMAjunkie Radio. “I think that fight between Kali Robbins and Pearl Gonzalez is going to be really good.”

Although the in-cage talent is usually the primary focus, Invicta FC 28 is getting some attention elsewhere. UFC middleweight Elias Theodorou (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) will make his first appearance as a “ring boy” for the all-female promotion.

Theodorou’s role has traditionally been reserved for women, but Knapp said she was willing to try something new as long as it’s done with taste.

“To be honest with you, I didn’t ever think I would have a (ring) boy because I didn’t want it to be a joke or anything like that,” Knapp said. “But he’s taken it very serious. He’s very excited about it, and he wants to be with the company longterm, not just for this event. It’ll be interesting to see how the fans react to it.”

Side attractions aside, Knapp said she’s proud of the lineup for Invicta FC’s second card of the year. If all goes according to plan, she said she expects another strong night of fights.

“For me it’s (about) the fighting styles,” Knapp said. “The personalities – that comes in as second thought. It’s really, ‘What’s really going to be a good fight?’ … The big deal is how they match up.”

For more on Invicta FC 28, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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