Sherdog.com’s 2015 Event of the Year

5. Invicta Fighting Championships 11
Friday, Feb. 27
Shrine Auditorium | Los Angeles
Still one of MMA’s most violent and polarizing figures, Cristiane Santos makes news whenever she fights. Such was the case at Invicta Fighting Championships 11 on Feb. 27, when the Invicta featherweight champion needed less than a minute to do her business.

Santos successfully defended her 145-pound title in the main event, as she cut down the overmatched Charmaine Tweet with first-round punches at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Tweet succumbed to blows 46 seconds into round one, becoming the latest addition to a long list of “Cyborg” victims that includes Marloes Coenen (twice), Shayna Baszler, Gina Carano and Jan Finney. From the start, Santos was in high gear. The Brazilian showcased her unparalleled punching power against Tweet, with UFC officials Lorenzo Fertitta, Dana White and Sean Shelby in attendance.

Meanwhile, highly touted strawweight prospect Alexa Grasso continued to improve her stock, as she earned a unanimous decision over Mizuki Inoue in the co-main event. The 22-year-old Lobo Gym rep improved to 7-0 and thrust herself into contention for Invicta’s 115-pound championship. Grasso’s clash with Inoue featured back-and-forth exchanges on the floor and the feet. Her pinpoint accuracy and timely submission attempts carried her past the 21-year-old Inoue.

DeAnna Bennett also made a significant move in the strawweight division, grinding through Norma Rueda Center and picking up a unanimous decision. The undefeated Bennett shined in the clinch and did enough elsewhere to warrant 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 scores from the judges.

Invicta 11 featured four other first-round finishes, as Irene Aldana submitted Colleen Schneider with a rear-naked choke in just 65 seconds, Jamie Moyle left J.J. Aldrich unconscious with a rear-naked choke, Christine Stanley put away Laura Salazar with punches and Aspen Ladd dispatched Ana Carolina Vidal with punches and elbows.