Female fighter dubbed 'Russian Ronda' set to make UFC debut on April 29

Last August, it was announced that the UFC had signed bantamweight prospect Irina Alekseeva, a fighter dubbed the ‘Russian Ronda’ thanks to her strong background in judo.

A veteran of Bellator MMA, Irina Alekseeva’s MMA record currently stands at 4-1, although she has not fought since her win over Stephanie Page in October 2021.

Now, though, a date and opponent for her octagon debut has been confirmed. ‘Russian Ronda’ will face off against Stephanie Egger at UFC Fight Night 223, which is scheduled for April 29th at the Las Vegas APEX.

Switzerland’s Egger has been with the UFC since October 2020, and has put together an octagon record of 3-2, taking her overall ledger in MMA to 8-3. In her last bout in September 2022, she defeated Ailin Perez via submission with a second-round rear-naked choke.

Whether Egger can compete on the ground with Alekseeva remains to be seen.

UFC Fight Night 223 is set to be headlined by a lightweight bout between Arman Tsarukyan and Renato Moicano. The fight between Alekseeva and Egger is likely to be part of the event’s preliminary card, although the exact bout order is yet to be confirmed by the promotion.

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Why is new UFC fighter Irina Alekseeva known as the ‘Russian Ronda’?

Irina Alekseeva’s nickname ‘Russian Ronda’ would appear to refer to former bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

‘Rowdy’ hung up her gloves in late 2016 after her loss to Amanda Nunes. Prior to this, she held the bantamweight title for the best part of three years, making six successful defenses.

Like Rousey, Alekseeva has a strong background in judo. She is a three-time silver medallist at the Russian Judo Championships, and also won gold medals in the Russian and European Sambo Championships.

The Russian’s credentials in judo might not be quite as strong as Rousey’s, but judging by her MMA career thus far, she’s definitely a force to be reckoned with on the ground.

Watch Alekseeva submit Zlata Sheftor here