A key strawweight bout has been officially added to the lineup of September’s UFC Japan card. Former title challengers Claudia Gadelha and Jessica Andrade will clash at the event, numerically UFC Fight Night 117. Combate first reported the news after the two fighters agreed to the bout on social media. The pairing has since been added to the UFC’s official line-up for the event.
Gadelha (15-2) has twice lost to current UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, which represents the Brazilian’s only two losses as a professional. She first dropped a split decision to Joanna Champion in December 2014, prior to the Polish striking star capturing the UFC title. A rematch came in July of last year after the pair coached opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter 23. That time out, the decision was more one-sided in favor of the champ.
Since then, however, Gadelha has racked up two wins against Cortney Casey and Karolina Kowalkiewicz. She remains ranked 1st in the division under the UFC’s official rankings.
Jessica Andrade, meanwhile, is the most recent victim of Joanna Jedrzejczyk, falling to the champion at UFC 211 in May. Andrade (16–6) had been on a three-fight win streak before that, and was seen by many as the last serious threat to Joanna Champion’s title reign.
A win at UFC Japan could boost the victor right back into title contention. The event takes place September 22 in Saitama, Japan at the Saitama Super Arena. Shogun Rua rematches Ovince St. Preux in the evening’s headliner.
