After being forced to sit on the mixed martial arts (MMA) sidelines since Dec. 2011, Cris Cyborg unsurprisingly took out her pent up aggression and frustration on the surprisingly resilient Fiona Muxlow at Invicta Fighting Championship (Invicta FC) 5 last night (April 5, 2013) at Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.
Santos -- who had not competed since her win over Hiroko Yamanake, which took place under the Strikeforce banner, was ruled a "No Contest" when she tested positive for anabolic steroids -- wasted no time assaulting the Australian.
In fact, Santos dropped Muxlow within the first 10 seconds, but the last-minute fight card fill-in somehow managed to survive a savage Brazilian blitzkrieg for more than three agonizing additional minutes. Indeed, Muxlow -- who replaced the injured Ediane Gomes just two weeks ago -- miraculously clung to consciousness before referee "Big" John McCarthy had finally seen enough, calling off Santos after she landed several powerful shots that the game Australian was simply unable to defend.
Muxlow actually finished the fight on two feet, which is more than most females who step inside a cage with Santos can claim.
Invicta FC 5 marked the promotional debut for Santos, the former Strikeforce Women's Featherweight champion, who was released from her contractual Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) obligations (read more here) when she was unwilling -- or physically unable -- to drop 10 pounds and compete as a Bantamweight alongside Ronda Rousey, among others.
It's pretty clear, now more than ever, that Santos has few true tests on the current Invicta roster. However, with the victory over Muxlow, Santos earned a rematch against Invicta FC Women's Featherweight Champion Marloes Coenen, who she stopped via third round technical knockout back in 2010.
To check out complete Invicta FC 5: "Penne vs. Waterson" quick results and play-by-play coverage click here.
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