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Cláudia Gadelha
Claudinha Gadelha @ Praça da Convivência, Mossoró.jpg
Gadelha in October, 2009
Born Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha
(1988-12-07) December 7, 1988 (age 35)
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
Representing  Brazil
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
World No-Gi Championships
Bronze 2010 California -61.5 kg (Brown)
Brazilian National Championships
Gold 2009 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -64 kg (Purple)
Gold 2008 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -64 kg (Blue)

Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈklawdʒɐ ɡaˈdeʎɐ]; born December 7, 1988), is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

As of 2022, Gadelha works for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on fighter development in her native Brazil.

Background

Gadelha had a tough late childhood and early youth. Her mother did not get along with her rebellious character, which, in her opinion, did not fit a girl. Gadelha's wish to practice martial arts was also not tolerated by her parents. Later she came into contact with bad friends, which forced her parents to take her to Natal to keep her away from these influences and finish high school. This relocation changed her life completely. At the age of 14, she started to work out secretly in a gym. One day Gadelha went to an MMA event in Natal where she saw a female fight. The experience raised her passion for the sport. At the same event, she met Jair Lourenço, leader of the gym 'Kimura Nova União' in Natal, and he invited her to take a class at the academy. Shortly afterward, by sheer coincidence, her father rented an apartment in the Kimura headquarters, and with that, her relationship with Nova União was cemented. Henceforth she dedicated her life to martial arts. At age 18, Gadelha moved to Rio de Janeiro where she celebrated her successes in BJJ and debuted in MMA. "The sport was teaching me how I should deal with life. Today, I am a completely different person, thanks to martial arts" Gadelha has said.

Gadelha previously trained at Nova União with former UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo. She is the youngest BJJ black belt in Nova União's history. Gadelha opened her own gym in March 2016 (Claudia Gadelha's MMA & BJJ Academy). In August 2016, she decided to move to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA, and left Nova União. As of November 1, 2016, Cláudia Gadelha's Academy (now CG Ultimate Fitness Academy) moved to Randolph, New Jersey. By request of the leaders of her training gym 'Luttrell/Yee MMA' Gadelha moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in July 2017. She also trained at Jackson-Wink MMA Academy which has relationships with Luttrell/Yee MMA.

In early 2018, Gadelha moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she trains at the UFC Performance Institute and Xtreme Couture. In spring 2019 she found professional management at 'Dominance MMA Management. They recommended doing her fight camps at 'Nick Catone MMA' in Bricktown, New Jersey under the tutelage of Mark Henry (striking) and Ricardo Almeida (BJJ). The normal training will continue to take place in Las Vegas.

Mixed martial arts career

Gadelha made her professional MMA debut on June 5, 2008, at Force Fighting Championship 1 against Elaine Leite. She won via armbar in 17 seconds. Gadelha then won her next six fights to maintain an undefeated 7–0 record.

Gadelha was sidelined for all of 2011 due to complications with a vein in her leg. Upon her return, she took part in the filming of Fight Xchange, a documentary series that followed the lives of six mixed martial artists - three Canadians and three Brazilians - as they trained together and prepared for upcoming fights. The series aired on Super Channel in Canada. Brazilian Globo.com repeated the series in February/March 2014 on the channel Combate.

On April 20, 2012, at the conclusion of Fight Xchange, Gadelha made her North American MMA debut against Valérie Létourneau at Wreck MMA: Road to Glory. She won the fight by split decision.

In her next fight, Gadelha earned her first TKO win on September 21, 2012, when she defeated Adriana Vieira at Shooto Brazil 34.

In January 2014, Cláudia won the vote of the WMMA press for the 'Fan Favorite Fighter of the Year 2013.'

Invicta Fighting Championships

Gadelha was scheduled to make her Invicta FC debut at Invicta FC 4 against Carla Esparza for the inaugural Strawweight Championship, but a broken nose forced Gadelha out of the bout and she was replaced by Bec Hyatt.

After recovering from her injury, Gadelha faced and defeated Hérica Tibúrcio on May 11, 2013, at Max Sport 13.2 in Brazil.

Gadelha then made her Invicta FC debut at Invicta FC 6, replacing injured champion Carla Esparza against fellow undefeated fighter Ayaka Hamasaki. Despite having a point deducted in the first round for an illegal knee, Gadelha defeated Hamasaki via third-round TKO and earned a shot at Esparza's strawweight title.

On December 7, 2013, Gadelha was again set to challenge Esparza for the Invicta FC strawweight championship at Invicta FC 7. On late Friday evening before the event, Gadelha was taken to the hospital due to gastroenteritis, triggered by bacteria, thus canceling the fight.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2013

On December 11, 2013, it was announced that Gadelha was signed by the UFC along with ten other strawweight fighters to compete on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter which will crown the first ever UFC strawweight champion. In April 2014 it was announced that Cláudia Gadelha would not take part in TUF 20, but has signed a direct contract with the UFC.

2014

In the UFC's first female strawweight fight, Gadelha faced Tina Lähdemäki on July 16, 2014, at UFC Fight Night: Cerrone vs. Miller. Gadelha won the fight via unanimous decision (30–26, 30–27, and 30–27).

Gadelha next faced Joanna Jędrzejczyk on December 13, 2014, at UFC on Fox 13. She lost the fight via split decision. After the horn signaled the end of the third and final round, Gadelha punched Jędrzejczyk after the referee had separated the two fighters. Gadelha immediately apologetically approached Jędrzejczyk and claimed she didn't hear the bell, despite being separated by the referee. Dana White later stated in the UFC on Fox 13 post-fight press conference that the UFC wouldn't take any disciplinary actions towards Gadelha, due to her immediate regret shown towards Jędrzejczyk. The judges' decision caused controversies afterward as 12 out of 14 media outlets and the majority of viewers scored the bout in favor of Gadelha.

2015

Gadelha was expected to face Aisling Daly on April 11, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 64. However, Gadelha pulled out of the bout in late March citing a recent muscle spasm in her back. Subsequently, Daly was pulled from the card entirely.

Gadelha next faced former WSOF Women's Strawweight Champion Jessica Aguilar on August 1, 2015, at UFC 190. She won the fight by unanimous decision.

2016

In early 2016, the UFC announced that Gadelha would be one of the coaches, opposite former opponent Joanna Jędrzejczyk on The Ultimate Fighter 23. A rematch for the UFC Strawweight Championship between the two took place on July 8, 2016, at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale. She lost the fight via unanimous decision.

On November 19, 2016, she defeated Cortney Casey at UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Nogueira 2 via unanimous decision.

2017

Gadelha faced Karolina Kowalkiewicz in the co-main event at UFC 212 on June 3, 2017. She won the bout by rear-naked choke submission in the first round. The win also earned Gadelha her first Performance of the Night bonus award.

Gadelha faced Jéssica Andrade at UFC Fight Night: Saint Preux vs. Okami on September 23, 2017. She lost the fight via unanimous decision. The fight earned Gadelha her second Fight of the Night bonus award.

2018

Gadelha faced Carla Esparza on June 9, 2018, at UFC 225. She won the fight by split decision.

Gadelha faced Nina Ansaroff on December 8, 2018, at UFC 231. She lost the fight via unanimous decision.

2019

Gadelha faced Randa Markos on July 6, 2019, at UFC 239. She won the fight via unanimous decision.

Gadelha was scheduled to face Cynthia Calvillo on December 7, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 7. However, on October 22, 2019, it was announced that Gadelha was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a torn ligament and a ruptured tendon in her ankle and was replaced by Marina Rodríguez.

2020

Gadelha was scheduled to face Alexa Grasso on January 18, 2020, at UFC 246. However, on the day of the weigh-ins, Grasso weighed in at 121.5, 5.5 pounds over the strawweight limit of 116 lbs. The NSAC decided to remove the fight because competitors are not allowed to compete if the weight between them is over 3 pounds.

Gadelha was expected to face Marina Rodriguez on May 2, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 174. However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed to a future date Instead Gadelha faced Angela Hill on May 16, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris. She won the bout via split decision. 13 of 17 media outlets scored the fight in favor of Hill.

Gadelha was scheduled to face Yan Xiaonan on September 26, 2020, at UFC 253, but a knee injury sustained by Gadelha ruled her out of the bout. The pair was rescheduled to UFC on ESPN: Santos vs. Teixeira on November 7, 2020, instead. She lost the fight via unanimous decision.

On December 17, 2021, it was reported that Cadelha announced her retirement from competing in MMA professionally.

Post-fighting career

Gadelha is working for the UFC after her retirement, with her main role being to develop young athletes in her native Brazil.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

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. Team 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
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