Canadian veteran Sarah Kaufman wins Invicta FC bantamweight title via submission

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Canadian Sarah Kaufman submitted Katharina Lehner in the third round Friday night to win the vacant Invicta FC bantamweight title at Invicta FC 29.

The 32-year-old from Victoria forced the 28-year-old German to tap at 4:30 of the third via a rear naked choke at the Scottish Rite Temple. Kaufman (20-4) had come close to finishing it in the second round with an arm triangle but Lehner (7-1-0) survived, wagging her finger at the Canadian veteran as she regained her feet.

It marked the first submission victory for the 133-pound Kaufman, a former Strikeforce world champion.

The fight was contested on the feet until Kaufman secured double underhooks to engineer a takedown in the second round. She got another takedown in the third, opening up a cut over Lehner’s eyes with some ground and pound before locking in the choke.