With Megan Anderson UFC-bound, Tonya Evinger steps in to face Helena Kolesnyk at Invicta FC 24

Invicta FC 24 has a new main event.

With Monday’s news that current Invicta featherweight champion Megan Anderson will fight Cris “Cyborg” Justino at UFC 214 on July 29 for the 145-pound title, Helena Kolesnyk will now face Tonya Evinger in the main event.

The fight will be a three-round non-title bout, contested at featherweight.

Evinger (19-5, 1 NC), Invicta’s current bantamweight champion, defended her title in March against Yana Kunitskaya. Overall, she is moving up a weight division while riding an 11-fight unbeaten streak, with two title defenses.

The Ukranian fighter Kolesnyk (5-0, 1 NC) is coming off a victory over Tatiana Portnova in Tech-Krep, needing just 25 seconds to score the TKO. A Muay Thai specialist, all five of her victories have come via finish (two submissions, three TKOs).

Anderson, who won featherweight title against Charmaine Tweet at Invicta FC 21 in January, was originally slated to face Kolesnyk in the main event in her first title defense. Yet things changed when UFC stripped Germaine de Randamie of the featherweight title she won at UFC 208 in February.

Invicta FC released Anderson of her contract to enable the UFC to make a new featherweight title bout between Anderson and Justino.

“We’re not making it easy for Helena over here,” Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp stated in a press release. “She’s gone from one champion [in Anderson] to another now with Tonya.

“I’m thankful that our athletes — and especially Tonya Evinger — are always ready and willing to accept a challenge. I have the utmost respect for both these main event fighters and I’m expecting a great fight on July 15.”

Invicta FC 24 takes place at the Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City on July 15. The card will also feature a flyweight clash between Russian UFC veteran Milana Dudieva an Mara Romero Borella.

The fight card so far is below:

Featherweight: Tonya Evinger vs. Helena Kolesnyk

Flyweight: Milana Dudieva vs. Mara Romero Borella

Bantamweight: Raquel Pa'aluhi vs. Yana Kunitskaya

Atomweight: Jinh Yu Frey vs. Ashley Cummins

Flyweight: Karina Rodríguez vs. Bárbara Acioly

Strawweight: Sunna Rannveig Davidsdottir vs. Kelly D’Angelo

Strawweight: Mallory Martin vs. Tiffany Masters

Featherweight: Felicia Spencer vs. Amy Coleman