With dominant Invicta FC 5 win, 'Cyborg' set for Coenen title rematch

Following a dominant win at Friday’s Invicta FC 5 event, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos is now slated to meet fellow ex-Strikeforce champion Marloes Coenen for the organization’s inaugural featherweight title.

Invicta FC officials announced the planned matchup during Friday’s online-PPV event.

The bout likely will be part of Invicta FC 6, which is targeted for a late-June or early-July date.

At Friday’s event in Kansas City, Mo., Santos (11-1) returned from a 16-month layoff that followed a failed drug test due to an anabolic steroid. She dominated late replacement Fiona Muxlow (6-3) and scored an early knockdown before finishing off the Australian later in the round. It marked Santos’ ninth knockout in 11 career wins.

She’ll now face an opponent who lasted longer than most. Back in January 2010, Santos defended her Strikeforce featherweight title with a third-round TKO victory over Coenen (21-5), whom she slowly wore down throughout the fight.

“[Coenen is] a very good fighter, and we’re going to have a good fight,” Santos said.

Coenen went on to win Strikeforce’s bantamweight title in her next bout by submitting Sarah Kaufman. That victory is part of the Dutch vet’s current 4-1 run, which also included a December submission win over Muxlow at DREAM.18.

Santos, who had her December 2011 win over Hiroko Yamanaka overturned to a no-contest, nonetheless remains undefeated over her past 12 fights.

The Santos-Coenen winner will join Michelle Waterson (newly crowned atomweight champion), Carla Esparza (strawweight champ) and Barb Honchak (new flyweight titleholder) as Invicta FC champions.

For more on Invicta FC 5, stay tuned to the MMA Events section of the site. And for the latest on Invicta FC 6, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos)