Canada’s Melissa Croden will be back home in Canada for her third UFC assignment.
Croden (7-3) will face Darya Zheleznyakova (10-2) in a bantamweight match-up at UFC Winnipeg on April 18, 2026 at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Promotion officials announced the bout on Tuesday. It marks Croden’s second UFC fight on Canadian soil in just three outings with the promotion.
Croden, who jumped to the UFC from LFA, finished off Tainara Lisboa at UFC Vancouver last October. Born in Toronto but fighting out of Alberta, Croden lost a unanimous decision to Luana Santos in her second assignment back in December.
In Darya Zheleznyakova, she gets a Russian standout who is 2-1 inside the octagon to date. Thus far, Zheleznyakova has split wins over Montserrat Rendon and Melissa Mullins with a loss to Ailin Perez. She also holds a victory over UFC vet Liana Jojua under the ARES FC banner.
In addition to Croden vs. Zheleznyakova, the UFC also confirmed a previously reported match-up between Jasmine Jasudavicius and Karine Silva for UFC Winnipeg on Tuesday. The Fight Night card is headlined by welterweights Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott, and features the following reported match-ups:
- Gilbert Burns vs. Mike Malott
- John Castañeda vs. Mark Vologdin
- Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Karine Silva
- Allan Nascimento vs. Mitch Raposo
- Choi Dong-hun vs. André Lima
- Melissa Croden vs. Darya Zheleznyakova
