Veronica Rothenhausler Plans to Kickoff Invicta’s Lightweight Division… by Kicking Some Ass

Following an explosive 72-second knockout pro debut at Invicta FC 4 in January 2013, Veronica “Heartbreaker” Rothenhausler has had more than her fair share of setbacks.

Not once, but twice was Rothenhausler expected to compete again in Invicta in 2013, only to have both fights be scrapped at the last minute. Then with Invicta’s own layoff this year due to restructuring, it appeared as if Rothenhausler’s luck was nothing but bad.

Still, she refuses to be down about the lost time and instead looks at the opportunities it’s afforded her.

“Some things did happen that kind of set me back,” said Rothenhausler. “I was supposed to fight Mollie Estes (at Invicta FC 5), but they pulled her to fight Julia Budd, and they listed me as an injury, but that wasn’t the case. Then the last time (at Invicta FC 7), I had issues getting down to 145 pounds.

“I look at it this way, if that didn’t happen, I might not have this opportunity to debut the 155-pound division, and that’s huge. Everything happens for a reason, and this is it right here.”

Having been over a year and a half since she last fought, Rothenhausler feels her game grown exponentially since then.

“I’ve been training the whole time, so I’ve got about a year and a half under my belt at Team Alpha Male (in Sacramento) and I’m excited to showcase what I’ve got,” she told MMAWeekly.com.

“I feel like I’m a whole different animal now that I’ve been over here for this length of time. I’m ready to come out and show the world, and what better stage to be on than Invicta.”

Rothenhausler (1-0) will make her long-awaited return on Sept. 6 in Kansas City at Invicta FC 8 against veteran Charmaine Tweet (5-4) in the promotion’s first 155-pound fight.

“I’m going to just come out full-force and just do my thing,” said Rothenhausler. “I’ve gotten my ass beat by a lot of dudes (during training at Team Alpha Male), and I promise you that Charmaine Tweet has nothing on them.

“I think I’m just going to get out there and show her a level of aggression that she’s never seen before.”

For Rothenhausler, not only is it important to her to come back after her layoff with a win, but also prove that Invicta’s newest weight class is viable and worth bringing back in the future.

“I want to get this win, but I also want to make a devastating statement,” she said. “I want to show everybody that you want this weight class.

“Right now there’s only the two of us in it, so I look at it as my duty to convince people that they want it. It’s time – it’s been so damn long – it’s time for me.”

(Photo courtesy of Esther Lin/Invicta FC)