Claudia Gadelha will be returning to the octagon this year, just not against the opponent she wanted. Claudia Gadelha has been a force to be reckoned with since the inception of the division back in 2014. A stalwart of the sport, Claudia Gadelha has been an active driving agent behind the success of the women's straw-weight division. Her feud against then-champion Joanna still stands as the most intense feud in UFC women's division history.
Claudia Gadelha will now enter the octagon again this year, this time against one of the brightest prospects of the division, Yan Xiaonan. For Yan Xiaonan, Claudia Gadelha is a perfect match up. For a long time, Yan has been on a winning streak. She has amassed a record of 5-0 in the UFC, which includes a win over former title challenger, Karolina Kowalkiewicz.
Claudia Gadelha and Yan Xiaonan will be meeting at September 26 UFC event, as first reported by Combate. The fight is expected to be an important one for the division. Claudia Gadelha is on a two-fight winning streak, which includes a close decision call to Angela Hill. Claudia Gadelha has hopes of competing for the title again and after her victory over her Hill, she even called out former rival Carla Esparza for a rematch.
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Claudia Gadelha an opportunity for Yan Xiaonan
Yan Xiaonan is amongst one of the newer prospects coming out of Asia and has earned a name for himself. She, however, still doesn't have a name on her resume which is both relevant and ranked considerably higher than her. Karolina was already on a losing streak when Yan faced her.
In Claudia Gadelha, she has that chance to prove once and for all what she is capable of. The fight card is definitely going to be more fun because of the addition of this match.