Alesha Zappitella’s goals go far beyond defending her title on Friday.
Zappitella (8-2-1), who claimed the Invicta FC atomweight belt with a fourth-round finish of Ashley Cummins this past September, is set for her first title defense when she meets Jessica Delboni in the co-main event of Invicta on AXS TV, which takes place at the Police Athletic League in Kansas City, Kan. The two-hour main card will air on AXS TV at 8 p.m. ET.
With the strawweight title currently vacant, Zappitella wants to make history with Invicta FC. Not only that, the 26-year-old is also eyeing another promotion’s titleholder, Rizin FF super atomweight champion Ayaka Hamasaki, as she aims to cement herself as the greatest atomweight in the sport.
“Past this fight, I have a couple of things I want to do,” Zappitella told MMA Junkie Radio. “I want to become the first ever Invicta champ-champ. There’s never been one of them, and the 115-pound belt is vacant, so I would love to fight for the 115-pound belt. The next thing I want to do is I want to prove that I am absolutely the best atomweight in the world. So, with that being said, I want Invicta to fly out Ayaka Hamasaki to come and fight me in my cage.”
Zappitella said that ONE Championship has also expressed interest in having her participate in their upcoming atomweight grand prix, but “Half Pint” says her loyalty lies with Invicta and the promotion’s president, Shannon Knapp. Zappitella likes her growth with the company and thinks it’s the perfect home for her career.
“I was actually contacted by ONE to be in the grand prix, but if I’m being completely honest, Shannon cares about me,” Zappitella said. “She cares about all of her fighters, and I completely believe in absolutely everything that Invicta is doing, and I think that Invicta is the place to be if you’re a woman – especially a 105er.
“I want to get famous in America so being signed to ONE really didn’t seem like the smartest decision for me. I’m going to ride it out, and I’m going to just build my legacy in Invicta and then go on to work for Invicta afterwards. I want to be an interviewer, a broadcaster, a commentator, so I really think Invicta is the place that I can do it.”
Alesha Zappitella’s goals include becoming Invicta FC’s first double-champion
