Cláudia Gadelha

Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈklawdʒɐ ɡaˈdeʎɐ]; born December 7, 1988) is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Since 2022, Gadelha has worked for the UFC on fighter development in her native Brazil. Gadelha was later made a Director of Business Development for the UFC and the UFC BJJ Senior Director of Jiu-Jitsu Strategy & Business Development.

Background

Gadelha had a tough childhood and early youth. Her mother did not get along with her rebellious character, which, in her opinion, did not fit a girl. Gadelha's wish to practice martial arts was also not tolerated by her parents. Later she came into contact with drugs and bad friends, which forced her parents to take her to Natal to keep her away from these influences and finish high school. This relocation changed her life completely. At the age of 14, she started to work out secretly in a gym. One day Gadelha went to an MMA event in Natal where she saw a female fight. The experience raised her passion for the sport. At the same event, she met Jair Lourenço and he invited her to take a class at his academy. Shortly afterward, by sheer coincidence, her father rented an apartment in the Kimura headquarters, and with that, her relationship with Nova União was cemented. Henceforth she dedicated her life to martial arts and never got involved in drugs again. At age 18, Gadelha moved to Rio de Janeiro where she celebrated her successes in BJJ and debuted in MMA. "The sport was teaching me how I should deal with life. Today, I am a completely different person, thanks to martial arts," Gadelha has said.