Claudia Gadelha, Tina Lahdemaki meet in UFC's first 115-pound women's bout
The first-ever UFC women’s 115-pound is set for next month’s UFC Fight Night 45 event.
UFC officials today announced via FOXSports.com that strawweights Claudia Gadelha (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Tina Lahdemaki (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) have verbally agreed to meet at the event.
UFC Fight Night 45 takes place July 16 at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J. Most of the card is expected to air on FOX Sports 1 following a few prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
It’s not clear where Gadelha vs. Lahdemaki will be placed on the lineup.
The two UFC newcomers officially kick off the UFC’s second and latest women’s division. After launching a 135-pound bantamweight division in 2013, UFC officials announced plans for the 115-pounders. Although most of the top prospects will compete on “The Ultimate Fighter 20,†which kicks off this fall and will crown an inaugural champion, some other bouts will be booked in the interim.
Gadelha, in fact, was originally targeted as a “TUF 20″ cast member, but she ultimately opted against it when she determined it’d be too difficult to make weight so many times in such a short timeframe.
Prior to her UFC deal, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt submitted or knocked out seven of 10 opponents in her home country of Brazil. She then made her Invicta debut in July 2013, and the 25-year-old Nova Uniao fighter scored a third-round TKO win over Ayaka Hamasaki. However, a subsequent title fight with champ Carla Esparza was scrapped on the eve of the fight due to Gadelha’s bout of gastroenteritis.
She now meets undefeated Finish fighter Lahdemaki, who turned pro in 2010 and has posted stoppages in three of her five career wins. Although she’s been competing at 125 pounds, she’ll drop to the strawweight division for her first fight since November, when she choked out Cage Warriors and Super Fight League vet Karla Benitez (11-7) at Cage 24.
The latest UFC Fight Night 45 card includes:
Donald Cerrone vs. Jim Miller
John Lineker vs. Alptekin Ozkilic
John Howard vs. Rick Story
Pat Healy vs. Gleison Tibau
Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham
Jim Alers vs. Lucas Martins
Aljamain Sterling vs. Hugo Viana
Joe Proctor vs. Justin Salas
Jessamyn Duke vs. Leslie Smith
Claudia Gadelha vs. Tina Lahdemaki
