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Gadelha

Lahdemaki

As expected, #3 Unified ranked starwweight Claudia Gadelha won’t have to wait until after TUF 20 to make her octagon debut.

The InvictaFC vet will make history as one of the first female strawweights to step into a UFC cage as she will face Finnish fighter Tina Lahdemaki at UFC Fight Night July 16th in Atlantic City, NJ.

Gadelha (11-0) defeated Japanese superstar Ayaka Hamsaki a year ago at Invicta, handing the former JEWELS champion her first loss. She also has wins over InvictaFC signee Herica Tiburcio and UFC bantamweight Valerie Letourneau. Gadelha was supposed to face former InvictaFC champion Carla Esparza for the title last December, but a bacterial infection sidelined her the day of the fight. She also was to take part on the Ultimate Fighter 20, but since she could not consistently make weight for the six week taping of the show, she was signed to the main roister immediately.

Lahdemaki (5-0) will be dropping to 115 from 125 for the fight. In her last fight this past fall, she choked out Karla Benitez to the win. This will be her first fight outside of her native Finland.

The match joins Jessamyn Duke versus Leslie Smith on the card.

The event will air July 16 on Fox Sports 1.

Filed under: female mma, MMA, UFC women, wmma, womens mma

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