ATLANTIC CITY – Claudia Gadelha (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) outworked and overpowered a game but overmatched Tina Lahdemaki (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), rolling to a unanimous decision victory (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) in the UFC’s first-ever women’s 115-pound bout.
The women’s strawweight bout kicked off today’s UFC Fight Night 45 event at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass prior to the FOX Sports 1 broadcast.
Gadelha seemed to be in for an easy night of work in the opening round. She used her strength advantage in the Thai clinch to rag-doll her opponent to the mat before later seizing full mount and then taking Lahdemaki’s back with almost two full minutes still to go in the frame. But while Gadelha mixed punches in with choke and neck-crank attempts, Lahdemaki defended well and weathered the storm, somehow lasting to the end of the round.
Lahdemaki’s toughness was on full display throughout the next two rounds as she proved perfectly willing to take a punch in order to land one of her own. But every time she got any momentum at all going, Gadelha managed to put her on her back and exploit a considerable advantage on the mat, both in power and experience.
In the end, it proved to be a spirited performance in defeat for Lahdemaki, but an easy call for the judges after a largely one-sided showing from Gadelha.
With the win, the Nova Uniao fighter Gadelha maintains her perfect record as a professional. Lahdemaki suffers the first defeat of her career with the loss.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 45 results include:
- Claudia Gadelha def. Tina Lahdemaki via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
For more on UFC Fight Night 45, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.
(John Morgan contributed to this report on site in Atlantic City)
Filed under: News, UFC