UFC women’s strawweight contender Claudia Gadelha underwent successful surgery Wednesday on her right knee.
Gadelha (16-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC), who recently beat Carla Esparza at UFC 225, posted a picture on her Instagram page after the procedure. In a short video she posted from the hospital bed, the former UFC title challenger said her knee was now in top shape and joked she’d be able to throw a lot of kicks on people moving forward.
“Surgery went well guys, big thank you to my loved ones!”
Gadelha revealed her knee injury right after the split-decision win over Esparza earlier this month. Talking to MMAjunkie at the time, her coach, Chris Luttrell, said Gadelha had injured her knee about two weeks before the fight and had it worked on at the UFC Performance Institute.
The injury worsened in the first round and, after tests, Gadelha announced it would require surgery. According to MMAFighting.com, the women’s strawweight contender expects to be cleared in late July or early August.
Gadelha vs. Esparza was the culmination of a rivalry that had brewed for five years. After two cancelled Invicta FC meetings, Gadelha finally squared off with the UFC’s first strawweight champion, but her win wasn’t the end of it. Shortly after, Esparza accused the Brazilian of greasing in their fight. Gadelha dismissed the accusations but said she’d be open to a rematch.
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