Cláudia Gadelha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cláudia Gadelha |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gadelha in October, 2009
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha December 7, 1988 Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other names | Claudinha | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 115 lb (52 kg; 8 st 3 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Division | Strawweight | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Nova União (until 2016) Luttrell/Yee MMA (2017) UFC Performance Institute Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts (2017–present) Jackson Wink MMA Academy (2017) Nick Catone MMA (2019–present) |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | 2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under André Pederneiras and Jair Lourenço | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2008–2021 (MMA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By knockout | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By submission | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By decision | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha (born December 7, 1988), known as Cláudia Gadelha, is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist. She competed in the Women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
As of 2022, Gadelha works for the UFC. She helps develop new fighters in her home country of Brazil.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Cláudia Gadelha had a challenging youth. Her parents did not initially support her wish to practice martial arts. To help her focus, her parents moved her to Natal. This move changed her life.
At 14, she secretly started working out in a gym. One day, she saw a female fight at an MMA event. This experience sparked her passion for the sport. She met Jair Lourenço, who invited her to train at his gym, 'Kimura Nova União'. By chance, her father rented an apartment near the gym. This helped her connect with Nova União. From then on, she dedicated her life to martial arts.
At 18, Gadelha moved to Rio de Janeiro. There, she achieved success in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and started her MMA career. She said, "The sport taught me how to deal with life. Today, I am a completely different person, thanks to martial arts."
Gadelha trained at Nova União with famous fighters like José Aldo. She became the youngest BJJ black belt in Nova União's history. In 2016, she opened her own gym. Later, she moved to the USA to train with different teams. She trained at places like the UFC Performance Institute and Xtreme Couture.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
Cláudia Gadelha started her professional MMA career on June 5, 2008. She won her first fight quickly by using an armbar. She then won her next six fights, keeping an undefeated record of 7 wins and 0 losses.
In 2011, Gadelha took a break due to a leg issue. When she returned, she was part of Fight Xchange. This was a documentary series about six MMA fighters.
On April 20, 2012, Gadelha fought in North America for the first time. She won her fight by a split decision. This means two out of three judges thought she won. In her next fight, she won by TKO (Technical Knockout). This happens when the referee stops the fight because one fighter can't continue safely. In 2014, fans voted Cláudia as the 'Fan Favorite Fighter of the Year 2013'.
Invicta Fighting Championships
Gadelha was supposed to fight for the first Strawweight Championship at Invicta FC 4. However, a broken nose kept her from competing.
After recovering, Gadelha fought and won against Hérica Tibúrcio in Brazil. She then made her official Invicta FC debut at Invicta FC 6. She fought Ayaka Hamasaki, who was also undefeated. Gadelha won by TKO in the third round. This win earned her a chance to fight for the Invicta FC strawweight title.
She was set to challenge for the title again at Invicta FC 7. But she had to withdraw due to an illness.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In December 2013, the UFC signed Gadelha and other strawweight fighters. They were to compete to crown the first-ever UFC strawweight champion. However, Gadelha signed a direct contract with the UFC instead of joining The Ultimate Fighter reality show.
First UFC Fights (2014-2015)
Gadelha was part of the UFC's first female strawweight fight on July 16, 2014. She won this historic fight by unanimous decision. This means all three judges agreed she won.
She then faced Joanna Jędrzejczyk in December 2014. Gadelha lost this fight by split decision. Many people thought Gadelha had won, making the decision controversial.
In 2015, Gadelha was scheduled to fight Aisling Daly. But she had to pull out due to a back injury. Later that year, she fought Jessica Aguilar and won by unanimous decision. This win helped her get closer to a title shot.
Title Challenges and Key Wins (2016-2017)
In 2016, Gadelha became a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 23. She coached against her rival, Joanna Jędrzejczyk. They had a rematch for the UFC Strawweight Championship on July 8, 2016. Gadelha lost the fight by unanimous decision.
On November 19, 2016, she defeated Cortney Casey by unanimous decision.
In 2017, Gadelha faced Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 212. She won the fight in the first round by submission using a rear-naked choke. This impressive win earned her a Performance of the Night bonus.
Later that year, she fought Jéssica Andrade. Gadelha lost this tough fight by unanimous decision. However, the exciting match earned both fighters a Fight of the Night bonus.
Later Career and Retirement (2018-2021)
In 2018, Gadelha won a split decision against Carla Esparza. She then lost to Nina Ansaroff by unanimous decision.
In 2019, Gadelha defeated Randa Markos by unanimous decision. She was set to fight Cynthia Calvillo, but an ankle injury forced her to withdraw.
In 2020, a fight against Alexa Grasso was canceled due to a weight issue. Gadelha then fought Angela Hill and won by split decision. Many media outlets thought Hill had won this fight.
Her last fight was against Yan Xiaonan on November 7, 2020. Gadelha lost this fight by unanimous decision.
On December 17, 2021, Cláudia Gadelha announced her retirement from professional MMA fighting.
Post-Fighting Career
After retiring from fighting, Cláudia Gadelha began working for the UFC. Her main job is to help develop young athletes in her home country of Brazil.
Championships and Accomplishments
Cláudia Gadelha achieved many things in her career:
Mixed Martial Arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- She competed in and won the very first Women's Strawweight fight in UFC history.
- She earned the Fight of the Night bonus two times (against Joanna Jędrzejczyk and Jéssica Andrade).
- She earned the Performance of the Night bonus one time (against Karolina Kowalkiewicz).
- UFC.com Awards
- In 2016, her second fight against Joanna Jędrzejczyk was ranked #6 Fight of the Year.
- Women's MMA Awards
- She was voted the 2013 Fan Favorite Fighter of the Year.
- MMAjunkie.com
- Her fight against Joanna Jędrzejczyk in July 2016 was named Fight of the Month.
- Her fight against Jéssica Andrade in September 2017 was named Fight of the Month.
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 23 matches | 18 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 0 |
| By submission | 7 | 0 |
| By decision | 9 | 5 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 18–5 | Yan Xiaonan | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Santos vs. Teixeira | November 7, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 18–4 | Angela Hill | Decision (split) | UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris | May 16, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 17–4 | Randa Markos | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 239 | July 6, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 16–4 | Nina Ansaroff | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 231 | December 8, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
| Win | 16–3 | Carla Esparza | Decision (split) | UFC 225 | June 9, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| Loss | 15–3 | Jéssica Andrade | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Saint Preux vs. Okami | September 23, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 15–2 | Karolina Kowalkiewicz | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 212 | June 3, 2017 | 1 | 3:03 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 14–2 | Cortney Casey | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Nogueira 2 | November 19, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | São Paulo, Brazil | |
| Loss | 13–2 | Joanna Jędrzejczyk | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Cláudia Finale | July 8, 2016 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | For the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 13–1 | Jessica Aguilar | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 190 | August 1, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | UFC Women's Strawweight title eliminator. |
| Loss | 12–1 | Joanna Jędrzejczyk | Decision (split) | UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic | December 13, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 12–0 | Tina Lähdemäki | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Miller | July 16, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 11–0 | Ayaka Hamasaki | TKO (punches) | Invicta FC 6: Coenen vs. Cyborg | July 13, 2013 | 3 | 3:58 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | Invicta FC Strawweight title eliminator. |
| Win | 10–0 | Hérica Tibúrcio | Decision (unanimous) | Max Sport 13.2 | May 11, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | São Paulo, Brazil | Catchweight (117 lb) bout. |
| Win | 9–0 | Adriana Vieira | TKO (punches) | Shooto Brazil 34 | September 21, 2012 | 1 | 1:35 | Brasília, Brazil | Flyweight bout. |
| Win | 8–0 | Valérie Létourneau | Decision (split) | Wreck MMA: Road to Glory | April 20, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Gatineau, Quebec, Canada | Catchweight (130 lb) bout. |
| Win | 7–0 | Kalindra Faria | Submission (armbar) | Hard Fight Championship | September 25, 2010 | 1 | 1:10 | Piracicaba, Brazil | |
| Win | 6–0 | Alessandra Silva | Submission (armbar) | Expo Fighting Championship: Day Two | August 22, 2010 | 1 | N/A | Sorocaba, Brazil | |
| Win | 5–0 | Ariane Monteiro | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Itu Fight Championship | June 4, 2010 | 1 | 2:08 | Itu, Brazil | |
| Win | 4–0 | Davina Maciel | Submission (armbar) | Vision Fight 1 | December 20, 2009 | 1 | 1:26 | Boa Vista, Brazil | |
| Win | 3–0 | Aline Nery | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto Brazil 14 | November 28, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 2–0 | Juliana de Sousa | Submission (armbar) | Watch Out Combat Show 4 | June 25, 2009 | 1 | 1:29 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 1–0 | Elaine Leite | Submission (armbar) | Force Fighting Championship 1 | June 5, 2008 | 1 | 0:17 | Aparecida, Brazil |
See also
- List of female mixed martial artists
