This year’s edition of Dana White’s Contender Series, which will take place over the summer, continues to grow. The latest addition sees women’s bantamweights face off, in a fight featuring Invicta FC vet Hailey Cowan against Claudia Leite.
Multiple sources have confirmed to Cageside Press that Cowan (6-2) will fight Leite (7-2) on August 16.
Hailey Cowan is coming off a big win back at Invicta FC 45 this past January, beating Monica Franco by submission. Prior to that, she’d had a five-fight win streak snapped. Between the end of her win streak and the victory against Cowan, she took over a year off.
Cowan has an extensive background in gymnastics and was very accomplished at Baylor University. She won a few tumbling national titles and is a two-time All-American. Prior to the Invicta FC win in January, she’d spent the entirety of her pro career fighting for LFA.
Standing across from Cowan on August 16, 2022 will be Brazilian Claudia Leite. Fighting out of Astra Fight Team, Leite won the vacant Nacao Cyborg bantamweight title last October.
Starting off her career at 3-2 Leite hasn’t lost since winning four in a row, a streak that dates back to 2019. After winning that regional title Leite was scheduled for a big fight against the women’s MMA pioneer Sarah Kaufman. That fight was canceled after Leite had visa issues; now Leite finds herself fighting on the Contender Series.
