Claudia Gadelha is one of the top women’s mixed martial arts fighters in the world. The 29-year-old from Mossoro, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil is currently ranked as the No. 3 contender in the UFC’s strawweight division. She has previously competed for the championship, dropping a unanimous decision to former titleholder Joanna Jędrzejczyk.
Gadelha was not initially supported in her MMA career with her parents opposing the training, so she was forced to secretly begin training at her gym.
“The sport was teaching me how I should deal with life. Today, I am a completely different person, thanks to martial arts,” she said.
She has also previously discussed her rough childhood:
“I have a brother, but my father always asked me first when he needed help to carry things, because I was stronger than my brother and could handle more (weight),” Andrade said.
“When I wasn’t at school, I was at the farm. I think this strength of mine came from the farm. Spending my childhood carrying hampers to throw on the fork lifts, to mow corn, carrying weight around. I think the strength I have today is thanks to all this work from when I was a kid.”
Next up for Gadelha is a meeting with former UFC champion Carla Esparza at UFC 225 in Chicago, Illinois. The event is headlined by a middleweight title fight between current champ Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero. In the co-main event, Colby Covington faces former lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos for the interim welterweight title.