After picking up her second straight win, over Angela Hill back in May, former strawweight title challenger Claudia Gadelha has her next bout set.
As first reported by Combate, Gadelha (18-4) will face China’s Yan Xiaonan (12-1) at a yet-to-be-announced UFC card on September 26. The card does not have an official event name or numbering, but is expected to take place in Las Vegas.
Her close split decision win against Hill at UFC on ESPN 8 made it two in a row for Brazil’s “Claudinha.” Prior to the Hill fight, Gadelha had earned a win over Canada’s Randa Markos at UFC 239. The strawweight standout has been a constant player at 115lbs since joining the UFC, but has come up short in key fights against Joanna JedrzejczyK (twice) and Jessica Andrade (prior to Andrade becoming champion).
A third straight victory could put Gadelha on the short list for a shot against current champ Weili Zhang, however.
As for Yan Xiaonan, the 31-year-old has not lost since 2010, and has won all five of her UFC appearances to date. That includes victories over Hill and Karolina Kowalkiewicz, among others. Overall, Xiaonan has won 11 straight bouts, and will more than likely jump into title contention with a win over Gadelha.
