Claudia Gadelha and Tina Lahdemaki Meet in UFC's First Strawweight Bout

Claudia Gadelha and Tina Lahdemaki Meet in UFC's First Strawweight Bout

by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

UFC officials today announced via FOXSports.com that Claudia Gadelha (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Tina Lahdemaki (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) have verbally agreed to square off in the promotions first womens's 115lb Strawweight bout at UFC Fight Night 45.

UFC Fight Night 45 takes place July 16 at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey and is headlined by Donald Cerrone vs. Jim Miller; it is not yet know if Gadelha vs. Lahdemaki will be on the preliminary card of the main card.

Originally set to compete on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter, a landmark season which will see the winner of the show not only crowned as The Ultimate Fighter Season 20 champion, they will also be crowned the women's strawweight champion, Gadelha opted against appearing on the show in fear she would struggle to make make weight often in a short period of time.

A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Gadelha finished 7 of her first 10 opponents in her native Brazil before signing for Invicta FC where she knocked out Ayaka Hamasaki in her promotional debut in July. Following the victory over Hamasaki, the 25 year-old Nova Uniao fighter was set to face strawweight champion Carla Esparza, but the bout was scrapped when Gadelha came down with gastroenteritis.

Unbeaten in her MMA career, Tina Lahdemaki will be the first female from Finland to fight in the UFC when she takes on Gadelha. Originally a flyweight, Lahdemaki made the sucsessful drop to 115lbs at Cage 24 in November, where she defeated Cage Warriors and Super Fight League Karla Benitez by first round submission. A pro since 2010, the 26-year-old has 2 victories by submission and 1 victory by KO / TKO in her 5 fight career.

We the addition of Gadelha vs Lahdemaki, UFC Fight Night 45 now 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

Jessamyn Duke Meets Leslie Smith at UFC Fight Night 45

Jessamyn Duke Meets Leslie Smith at UFC Fight Night 45

by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

A women's bantamweight match up between two women hoping to return to the win column has been added to UFC fight Night 45.

UFC officials have today confirmed Jessamyn Duke (3-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Leslie Smith (6-5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will square off on the preliminary card at next month's UFC Fight Night 45 which takes place July 16 at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. UFC Fight Night 45 is headlined by Donald Cerrone vs. Jim Miller.

A quarter-finalist on season 18 of the Ultimate Fighter, Duke earned her place on the UFC roster with a decision victory over Peggy Morgan at November's Season 18 finale. The 27 year-old returned in April dropping a decision to Bethe Correia, to make the first lost the in the Kentucky natives career.

Fighting for the second time since joining the UFC in April to take on former Strikeforce champ Sarah Kaufman as late replacement, Invicta FC vet Leslie Smith fight in the UFC for the first time on the back of a full training camp. A native of California, the 31-year-old won four “Fight of the Night” bonuses in six Invicta FC fights, picking up notable wins over Raquel Pennington, Jennifer Maia, and Katlin Young.

With the addition of Duke vs Smith, UFC Fight Night 45 now 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

Stay tuned to kingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on UFC Fight Night 45.

Jim Alers vs Lucas Martins Set for UFC Fight Night 45

Jim Alers vs Lucas Martins Set for UFC Fight Night 45
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Former Cage Warriors Featherweight champion Jim Alers will make his along awaited return Stated side to face Lucas Martins at UFC Fight Night 45 in New Jersey.

UFC Fight Night 45 takes place July 16 at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey and is headlined by top 10 ranked lightweight Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone. The main card air live in the UK on BT Sports following prelims on UFC Fight Pass. It is not know yet if Alers vs Martins will feature on the main card or the fightpass prelims.

Fighting out of Orlando, Florida, Jim Alers (13-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is some what of a stranger when it comes to fighting in The States having fought outside of his home country in his last 6 fights. A brown belt in BJJ, the former kindergarden teach burst on the the international scene under the Cage Warriors banner where he put together a 7 fight win streak which saw the 27 year old earn the promotions featherweight title - vacated by Conor McGregor, and defend it on two occasions.

Following and impressive stoppage win over Graham Turner at Cage Warriors 63, Alers joined the UFC where Alers made his octagon debut, coming away with a split decision over fellow newcomer Alan Omer at UFC Fight Night 39, in Abu Dhabi.

Fighting for the 4th time for the UFC, Lucas Martins makes his featherweight debut against Alers having previously fought at both Lightweight and Bantamweight for the promotion.

A product of Chute Box in Brazil, Martins (14-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) made his UFC debut against fellow Brazilian Edson Barboza who he lost to by first round TKO, marking the first lost for Martins career. Martins bounced back from the loss to Barboza with a TKO victory over Jeremy Larson before dropping to bantamweight to defeat Ramiro Hernandez by rear naked choke.

A lethal finisher, Martins has taken all but one of his career victories inside the distance, with 9 victories coming by TKO and 4 by submission.

Stay tuned to kingdommma.co.uk for all the latest on UFC Fight Night 45