Former UFC strawweight title challenger Claudia Gadelha retires from MMA competition

One of the best strawweight contenders has decided to call it a career.

Former UFC strawweight title challenger Claudia Gadelha has notified the UFC that she has decided to retire from MMA competition.

MMA Junkie confirmed the news with a source following an initial report from MMA Fighting. Gadelha also acknowledged her retirement news on social media via an Instagram story.

Gadelha (18-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC), 33, debuted with the promotion at UFC Fight Night 45 in 2014. During her tenure, she tallied seven wins and challenged for the strawweight title against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale. Her most recent appearance in the octagon was in November 2020, a unanimous decision loss to Yan Xiaonan.

Throughout her UFC run, the Brazilian fighter faced former champions Carla Esparza and Jessica Andrade, among other top contenders such as Angela Hill, Randa Markos, Cortney Casey, and Karolina Kowalkiewicz.