Cláudia Gadelha Explained

Cláudia Gadelha
Other Names:Claudinha
Birth Name:Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha[1]
Birth Date:7 December 1988
Birth Place:Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Residence:Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Weight Lb:115
Weight Class:Strawweight
Style:Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Team:Nova União (until 2016)[2]
Luttrell/Yee MMA (2017)
UFC Performance Institute
Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts (2017–present)
Jackson Wink MMA Academy (2017)
Nick Catone MMA (2019–present)[3]
Rank:2nd degree[4] black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under André Pederneiras[5] and Jair Lourenço
Years Active:2008–2021 (MMA)[6]
Mma Kowin:2
Mma Subwin:7
Mma Decwin:9
Mma Decloss:5
Sherdog:48404
Medaltemplates:[7]

Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha (pronounced as /pt/; 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 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 drugs and 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 and he invited her to take a class at his 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 and never got involved in drugs again. 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.[8]

Gadelha previously trained at Nova União with former UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo.[9] She is the youngest BJJ black belt in Nova União's history.[10] Gadelha opened her own gym in March 2016. In August 2016, she decided to move to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA, and left Nova União. She also trained at Jackson-Wink MMA Academy.[11]

In early 2018, Gadelha moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she trained at the UFC Performance Institute and Xtreme Couture.

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.[10] Upon her return, she took part in the filming of Fight Xchange,[12] 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.[13] The series aired on Super Channel in Canada.[13] 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.[14] She won the fight by split decision.[15] [16]

In her next fight, Gadelha earned her first TKO win on September 21, 2012, when she defeated Adriana Vieira at Shooto Brazil 34.[17]

In January 2014, Cláudia won the vote of the WMMA press for the 'Fan Favorite Fighter of the Year 2013.'[18]

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.[19]

After recovering from her injury, Gadelha faced and defeated Hérica Tibúrcio on May 11, 2013, at Max Sport 13.2 in Brazil.[20]

Gadelha then made her Invicta FC debut at Invicta FC 6, replacing injured champion Carla Esparza against fellow undefeated fighter Ayaka Hamasaki.[21] 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.[22] [23] [24]

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.[25]

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.[26] 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.[27]

2014

In the UFC's first female strawweight fight, Gadelha faced Tina Lähdemäki on July 16, 2014, at . 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.[28] 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.[29] 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.[30]

2015

Gadelha was expected to face Aisling Daly on April 11, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 64.[31] 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.[32]

Gadelha next faced former WSOF Women's Strawweight Champion Jessica Aguilar on August 1, 2015, at UFC 190.[33] She won the fight by unanimous decision.[34]

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.[35] [36] She lost the fight via unanimous decision.[37]

On November 19, 2016, she defeated Cortney Casey at 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.[38]

Gadelha faced Jéssica Andrade at on September 23, 2017.[39] She lost the fight via unanimous decision.[40] The fight earned Gadelha her second Fight of the Night bonus award.[41]

2018

Gadelha faced Carla Esparza on June 9, 2018, at UFC 225.[42] She won the fight by split decision.[43]

Gadelha faced Nina Ansaroff on December 8, 2018, at UFC 231.[44] She lost the fight via unanimous decision.[45]

2019

Gadelha faced Randa Markos on July 6, 2019, at UFC 239.[46] She won the fight via unanimous decision.[47]

Gadelha was scheduled to face Cynthia Calvillo on December 7, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 7.[48] 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.[49] [50]

2020

Gadelha was scheduled to face Alexa Grasso on January 18, 2020, at UFC 246.[51] 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.[52]

Gadelha was expected to face Marina Rodriguez on May 2, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 174.[53] However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed to a future date[54] Instead Gadelha faced Angela Hill on May 16, 2020, at .[55] She won the bout via split decision. 13 of 17 media outlets scored the fight in favor of Hill.[56]

Gadelha was scheduled to face Yan Xiaonan on September 26, 2020, at UFC 253,[57] but a knee injury sustained by Gadelha ruled her out of the bout.[58] The pair was rescheduled to on November 7, 2020, instead.[59] She lost the fight via unanimous decision.[60]

On December 17, 2021, it was reported that Gadelha announced her retirement from competing in MMA professionally.[61]

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.[62]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

|-|Loss|align=center|18–5|Yan Xiaonan|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|18–4|Angela Hill|Decision (split)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Jacksonville, Florida, United States||-|Win|align=center|17–4|Randa Markos|Decision (unanimous)|UFC 239 ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Loss |align=center|16–4|Nina Ansaroff|Decision (unanimous)|UFC 231 ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Toronto, Ontario, Canada||-|Win|align=center|16–3|Carla Esparza|Decision (split)|UFC 225 ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Chicago, Illinois, United States||-|Loss |align=center|15–3|Jéssica Andrade|Decision (unanimous)| ||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Saitama, Japan||-|Win|align=center|15–2|Karolina Kowalkiewicz|Submission (rear-naked choke)|UFC 212||align=center|1|align=center|3:03|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil||-|Win|align=center|14–2 |Cortney Casey| Decision (unanimous)|||align=center| 3|align=center| 5:00|São Paulo, Brazil| |-|Loss|align=center|13–2|Joanna Jędrzejczyk|Decision (unanimous)|The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia Finale||align=center|5|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Win|align=center|13–1|Jessica Aguilar|Decision (unanimous)|UFC 190||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Rio de Janeiro, Brazil||-|Loss|align=center| 12–1|Joanna Jędrzejczyk|Decision (split)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Phoenix, Arizona, United States||-|Win|align=center| 12–0 |Tina Lähdemäki|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States||-| Win|align=center| 11–0 | Ayaka Hamasaki| TKO (punches)| Invicta FC 6: Coenen vs. Cyborg| |align=center|3|align=center|3:58| Kansas City, Missouri, United States| |-| Win|align=center| 10–0 | Hérica Tibúrcio| Decision (unanimous)| Max Sport 13.2| |align=center|3|align=center|5:00| São Paulo, Brazil| |-| Win|align=center| 9–0 | Adriana Vieira| TKO (punches)| Shooto Brazil 34| |align=center|1|align=center|1:35| Brasília, Brazil| |-| Win|align=center| 8–0 | Valérie Létourneau| Decision (split)| Wreck MMA: Road to Glory| |align=center|3|align=center|5:00| Gatineau, Quebec, Canada| |-| Win|align=center| 7–0 | Kalindra Faria| Submission (armbar)| Hard Fight Championship| |align=center|1|align=center|1:10| Piracicaba, Brazil||-| Win|align=center| 6–0 | Alessandra Silva| Submission (armbar)| Expo Fighting Championship: Day Two| |align=center|1|align=center|N/A| Sorocaba, Brazil||-| Win|align=center| 5–0 | Ariane Monteiro| Submission (rear-naked choke)| Itu Fight Championship| |align=center|1|align=center|2:08| Itu, Brazil||-| Win|align=center| 4–0 | Davina Maciel| Submission (armbar)| Vision Fight 1| |align=center|1|align=center|1:26| Boa Vista, Brazil||-| Win|align=center| 3–0 | Aline Nery| Decision (unanimous)| Shooto Brazil 14| |align=center|3|align=center|5:00| Rio de Janeiro, Brazil||-| Win|align=center| 2–0 | Juliana de Sousa| Submission (armbar)| Watch Out Combat Show 4| |align=center|1|align=center|1:29| Rio de Janeiro, Brazil||-| Win|align=center| 1–0 | Elaine Leite| Submission (armbar)| Force Fighting Championship 1| |align=center|1|align=center|0:17| Aparecida, Brazil||-[66]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cláudia Gadelha Awakening Profile. Awakeningfighters.com. February 24, 2014.
  2. Web site: Claudia Gadelha talks leaving Nova Uniao ahead of a fight she didn't want to take. Guilherme Cruz. October 22, 2016. mmafighting.com.
  3. Web site: Claudia Gadelha Welcomes Every Challenge. E. Spencer Kyte. November 4, 2020. Ultimate Fighting Championship.
  4. News: Cláudia Gadelha recebe segunda graduação na faixa-preta de jiu-jitsu. AGFIGHT. October 25, 2018. December 8, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181209170011/https://agfight.com.br/claudia-gadelha-recebe-segunda-graduacao-na-faixa-preta-de-jiu-jitsu/. December 9, 2018. dead.
  5. Web site: Claudia Gadelha - Official UFC Fighter Profile. UFC.com. June 28, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150629002255/http://www.ufc.com/fighter/claudia-Gadelha. June 29, 2015.
  6. Web site: One-time strawweight title challenger Claudia Gadelha notifies UFC of retirement. December 17, 2021.
  7. Web site: World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship 2010 . World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship 2010 . en.
  8. Web site: Claudinha Gadelha se divide entre as lutas do UFC e os estudos para ser delegada(Portuguese). globo.com. August 31, 2014.
  9. Web site: Interview with Claudia Gadelha of Nova Uniao - future of women's MMA - Jits Magazine. JitsMagazine.com. August 1, 2013.
  10. Web site: New stars in the making at Invicta FC 6. BloodyElbow.com. July 12, 2013. August 1, 2013.
  11. Web site: Brazilian fighter finds an MMA home in Albuquerque. May 30, 2017.
  12. Web site: InternationalMovieDatabase. IMDb. April 2, 2014.
  13. Web site: Super Channel Series: Fight Xchange. SuperChannel.ca. August 1, 2013.
  14. Web site: Valérie Létourneau vs Claudia Gadelha Planned For Wreck MMA. MMARising.com. April 15, 2012. July 20, 2013.
  15. Web site: Claudia Gadelha Edges Valérie Létourneau At "Road To Glory". MMARising.com. April 20, 2012. July 20, 2013.
  16. Web site: WRECK MMA Road to Glory Play-by-Play – Turner, Holst, Dewsbery Win. TopMMANews.com. April 20, 2012. July 20, 2013.
  17. Web site: Friday Recap: Claudia Gadelha, Kathina Catron Earn Quick Wins. MMARising.com. September 21, 2012. July 20, 2013.
  18. Web site: WMMA Press Awards Fan Favorite. wombatsports.wordpress.com. January 2, 2014. January 2, 2014.
  19. Web site: Injury forces Claudia Gadelha out of Invicta 4 main event. MMAFighting.com. December 28, 2012. July 20, 2013.
  20. Web site: Claudia Gadelha Defeats Hérica Tibúrcio At Max Sport 13.2 In Brazil. MMARising.com. May 11, 2013. July 20, 2013.
  21. Web site: Invicta FC: Claudia Gadelha Replaces Injured Champ Carla Esparza Against Ayaka Hamasaki. MMAMania.com. June 12, 2013. July 20, 2013.
  22. Web site: Invicta FC 6 Results: Cris Cyborg Wins Featherweight Title. MMARising.com. July 13, 2013. July 20, 2013.
  23. Web site: Invicta FC 6 results: Cris 'Cyborg' claims featherweight belt with TKO win . MMAjunkie.com . July 13, 2013 . July 20, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130717050058/http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/07/invicta-fc-6-live-results-and-fight-recaps . July 17, 2013 .
  24. Web site: Invicta FC 6 Victories Set Up Title Shots for Claudia Gadelha and Leslie Smith. MMAWeekly.com. July 14, 2013. July 20, 2013.
  25. Web site: Claudia Gadelha ott Invicta FC 7 card. mmafighting.com. December 7, 2013. December 14, 2013.
  26. Web site: UFC Announce Plans for Strawweight Division with TUF 20, Signings of Several Invicta FC Roster Confirmed. MMAInsider.net. Dave Reid. December 11, 2013. December 11, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131212021107/http://mmainsider.net/13572/ufc-announce-plans-for-strawweight-division-with-tuf-20-signings-of-several-invicta-fc-roster-confirmed. December 12, 2013. dead.
  27. Web site: TUF 20 Tryouts: 36 women vying for 8 spots, Claudia Gadelha and Juliana Lima officially out . bloodyelbow.com . April 28, 2014 . May 2, 2014.
  28. Web site: Fight Announcements. October 17, 2014.
  29. Web site: Sherdog.com. December 14, 2014.
  30. Web site: Media scores of the fight Claudia Gadelha vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk. October 22, 2015.
  31. Web site: Ireland's Aisling Daly meets Claudia Gadelha at UFC Fight Night Krakow. ufc.co.nz. Staff. February 12, 2015.
  32. Web site: Claudia Gadelha reveals she has withdrawn from bout with Aisling Daly in Poland. severemma.com. Sean Sheehan. March 27, 2015. March 27, 2015.
  33. Web site: Jessica Aguilar signs with the UFC, meets Claudia Gadelha in Brazil. mmafighting.com. June 11, 2015. June 11, 2015.
  34. Web site: UFC 190 results: Claudia Gadelha tops Jessica Aguilar to set up potential title shot. mmajunkie.com. Matt Erickson. August 1, 2015. August 1, 2015.
  35. Web site: Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Claudia Gadelha rematch set for July 8 following coaching slots on TUF 23. January 18, 2016. mmamania.com. Jesse Holland. January 18, 2016.
  36. Web site: The Ultimate Fighter Finale Fri. Jul. 8, 2016 Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia. ufc.com. March 8, 2016.
  37. Web site: TUF 23 Finale results: Joanna Jedrzejczyk outlasts Claudia Gadelha then apologizes. mmaweekly.com . Ken Pishna. July 9, 2016. July 9, 2015.
  38. Web site: UFC 212 bonuses: Brian Kelleher gets that $50K he called for in epic post-fight interview. mmajunkie.com. Staff. June 4, 2017. June 4, 2017.
  39. News: UFC's Claudia Gadelha challenges fellow Brazilian Jessica Andrade – who accepts. July 25, 2017. MMAjunkie. August 24, 2017. en-US.
  40. News: UFC Fight Night 117 results: Jessica Andrade beats up Claudia Gadelha in bloody battle. September 23, 2017. MMAjunkie. September 23, 2017. en-US.
  41. News: UFC Fight Night 117 Results, Highlights, Bonus Money Winners, Fight Scores, Attendance And Gate. Mazique. Brian. Forbes. September 23, 2017. en.
  42. News: Carla Esparza vs. Claudia Gadelha announced for UFC 225 in Chicago. February 15, 2018. MMAjunkie. February 15, 2018. en-US.
  43. News: UFC 225 results: Claudia Gadelha survives early trouble, outpoints Carla Esparza, much to crowd's dismay. June 10, 2018. MMAjunkie. June 10, 2018. en-US.
  44. Web site: Former title defender Claudia Gadelha meets Nina Ansaroff at UFC 231 in Toronto. mmadna.nl. Marcel Dorff. September 5, 2018. September 5, 2018. nl.
  45. Web site: UFC 231 Prelims: Unranked Nina Ansaroff Upsets No. 4 Strawweight Claudia Gadelha. Sherdog.com. Sherdog. December 9, 2018.
  46. Web site: Strawweightclash tussen Claudia Gadelha en Randa Markos tijdens UFC 239 in Las Vegas. DNA. MMA. May 2019. en-US. May 1, 2019.
  47. Web site: UFC 239 Results: Gadelha Defeats Markos In Lackluster Affair. Evanoff. Josh. July 6, 2019. Cageside Press. en-US. July 7, 2019.
  48. Web site: UFC Washington D.C. Adds Aspen Ladd vs. Yana Kunitskaya, Claudia Gadelha vs. Cynthia Cavillo. Gonzalez. Gabriel. August 9, 2019. Cageside Press. en-US. August 9, 2019.
  49. Web site: Claudia Gadelha withdraws from Cynthia Calvillo fight, Angela Hill offers to fill in BJPenn.com. Shelton. Cole. October 23, 2019. BJPenn.com. en-US. October 23, 2019.
  50. Web site: Marina Rodriguez replaces Claudia Gadelha against Cynthia Calvillo during UFC Washington. Redactie. October 23, 2019. mmadan.nl. October 24, 2019.
  51. Web site: Claudia Gadelha treft Alexa Grasso tijdens UFC 246 in Las Vegas. December 13, 2019. en-US. December 13, 2019.
  52. Web site: Lee . Alexander K. . Alexa Grasso misses weight for UFC 246 by over five pounds, bout with Claudia Gadelha canceled . . January 17, 2020 . January 17, 2020.
  53. Web site: Claudia Gadelha vs. Marina Rodriguez headed to UFC Oklahoma City. 2020-02-12. mmafighting.com. MMA Fighting Newswire. 2020-02-12.
  54. Web site: Dana White says UFC 249 will not happen April 18. espn.com. Brett Okamoto. 2020-04-09. 2020-04-09.
  55. Web site: UFC reveals full fight cards for May 13 and May 16 events. Martin. Damon. 2020-05-01. MMA Fighting. en. 2020-05-04.
  56. Web site: UFC on ESPN 8 results: Claudia Gadelha edges Angela Hill, calls for Carla Esparza rematch. 2020-05-17. MMA Junkie. en. 2020-05-17.
  57. Web site: Claudia Gadelha returns vs. Yan Xiaonan at Sept. 26 UFC event. MMAFighting.com. July 6, 2020. July 6, 2020. Guilherme Cruz.
  58. Web site: 2020-09-01. Knee injury forces Claudia Gadelha out of UFC 253 fight with Yan Xiaonan. 2020-09-01. MMAfighting. Guilherme Cruz. en.
  59. Web site: Bissell. Tim. 2020-09-05. Report: Claudia Gadelha vs. Yan Xiaonan being moved to Nov 7 UFC event. 2020-09-07. Bloody Elbow. en.
  60. Web site: Vreeland. Daniel. 2020-11-07. UFC Vegas 13 Results: Yan Xiaonan Jabs Away, Wins Decision Over Claudia Gadelha. 2020-11-08. Cageside Press. en-US.
  61. Web site: Cruz. Guilherme. 2021-12-17. One-time strawweight title challenger Claudia Gadelha notifies UFC of retirement. 2021-12-17. MMA Fighting. en.
  62. Web site: Cruz. Guilherme. 2022-01-19. Retired fighter Claudia Gadelha details new UFC job, wants to bring Performance Institute to Brazil. 2022-01-20. MMA Fighting. en.
  63. Web site: MarQ . WMMA Press Awards Fan Favorite; Promotion and Sponsor of the Year Winners | Wombat Sports . Wombatsports.wordpress.com . January 2, 2014 . March 20, 2016.
  64. Web site: MMAjunkie's 'Fight of the Month' for July: Can barnburners from Sioux Falls upset Joanna 'Champion'?. August 4, 2016.
  65. Web site: MMAjunkie's 'Fight of the Month' for September: A bloody, all-Brazil slugfest. October 3, 2017.
  66. Web site: Claudia. Sherdog.com. Sherdog. 2020-05-17.