As UFC embraces women’s MMA, Invicta’s Knapp sees ‘validation’ instead of threats

When the UFC first announced that it would add 135-pound women to its previously all-male roster of fighters, Invicta FC president Shannon Knapp liked to say that it didn’t concern her all that much because, “they’re doing one weight class; I’ve got five.”

But now, according to UFC president Dana White, the world’s foremost MMA organization will soon expand to two women’s divisions, adding the 115-pound class some time in the near future.

It’s enough to make you wonder, where will that leave Invicta, which gears up for its seventh event in Kansas City, Mo. this Saturday night (Dec. 7, 9 pm ET, pay-per-view)? If the UFC adds more women to the roster, especially in what Knapp regards as “probably the deepest division in all of women’s MMA,” what will that mean for the organization that was built on the belief that people really do want to see women fight, even if the UFC didn’t agree until Ronda Rousey came along?

The answer, according to Knapp, is that it’s nothing but good news for her all-female fight promotion.

“I look at it as validation,” Knapp told MMAjunkie on Tuesday. “It’s validation that we really are making a difference. I look at it as a validation for all the athletes, that they’re getting noticed. I think that’s hugely important for the sport right now, especially the females.”

It’s hard to argue that, for the individual fighters who end up getting signed, the UFC’s thawing attitude toward women’s MMA will be anything but a good thing. They’ll get more exposure, a bigger stage, probably more money in the end. What’s not to like there?

It’s also hard to argue that Invicta didn’t play a role in that change. The UFC may have initially opened its doors for the sake of Rousey alone, but surely Invicta’s ongoing success helped demonstrate that there was plenty of talent elsewhere in women’s MMA. Still, it seems possible that it could make that case too effectively for its own good, especially if it ends up having to compete with the UFC to sign or retain its biggest stars.

At the moment, Knapp said, it’s not anything she’s worrying about. She’s got plenty to think about as it is, what with three title fights coming up on this weekend’s card. She’s also got meetings scheduled that might determine Invicta’s future in the broadcast realm, with potential TV partners who are starting to realize, according to Knapp, “that maybe we actually have something over here at Invicta.”

If the UFC does look to Invicta’s ranks to populate a new division, Knapp isn’t about to dig in her heels and fight – nor is she likely to be caught off-guard.

“I may be a nice person, but I’m not a stupid person,” said Knapp. “I’m going to continue to do what I do and focus on that. What they do over there (at the UFC), I have a good relationship with them so it’s not like I don’t have a heads-up or don’t know. As for my fighters, I would never hinder someone from advancement, because I think that advancement helps both sides. It helps them and it helps Invicta.”

Unless, of course, it doesn’t. As Knapp pointed out to me back in October of 2012, when explaining why she wanted to run her own fight promotion rather than going to work for yet another one after her tenure at Strikeforce came to a close, she wanted something that she had full control over, and which couldn’t be pried away or ruined by someone else’s decisions.

Working for organizations like Strikeforce and the IFL, Knapp said, “I learned that either you build it and they destroy it, or you build it and then they sell it.”

But what if there’s a third option? What if you build it and do so well with it that the big wigs decide to slowly siphon off your best stuff? What if you end up with the credit for proving that it could be done, but not the actual, physical spoils of victory?

“I guess my answer to that is, it’s always going to be a victory for me if we’re making a difference,” said Knapp. “It’s never been about money for me. It’s always been about keeping Invicta going. Obviously, you have to make money to do that, but I’ve never been too concerned with making sure that all that money ends up in my pocket.”

After all, Knapp said, whether it’s the UFC or some other organization looking at her roster, “my focus has always been on making sure that the athletes who compete here really want to be here.”

That, too, is the same thing she’s been saying since the beginning. And, at least so far, you can’t say it hasn’t served her well.

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