When Claudia Gadelha retired from MMA in December 2021, she did so with a fairly impressive resume: An 18-5 record and wins over the likes of current UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza and Karolina Kowalkiewicz.
But her losses to Joanna Jedrzejczyk still stick in her throat.
Gadelha continued to work with the UFC after she quit her job as a fighter. She collided twice in the octagon. The first meeting took place in December 2014, with the Polish fighter winning a split decision. 12 months later, Jedrzejczyk defeated Gadelha in a decisive fight to regain the UFC strawweight title.
Six years have passed and Gadelha, who suffered concussion-like symptoms after her bout with Yan Xiaonan in the UFC, has ruled herself out of ever again competing in MMA. However, she still believes that other forms can be pursued.
To that, Gadelha recently MMA Fighting’s Portuguese-language podcast Trocacao Franca that she’s open to competing in jiu-jitsu, whether its ADCC or other no-gi submission events in the future. Gadelha, a black belt of jiujitsu and MMA with seven submissions to her name, has an ideal opponent for her return on the mats.
” I’d love to fight again with Joanna. It means a lot. A lot,” she said. “I think those two fights were really close, and I would’ve loved to have fought her a third time. I don’t regret not doing it. … It would be a great thing if this happened in jiu jitsu
Jedrzejczyk was a decorated kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter before starting her MMA career in 2012, and has only won once via submission in the cage.
To put it bluntly, Gadelha is not optimistic that Jedrzejczyk will ever meet her in a contest that is strictly grappling.
“I don’t think she’d agree to it,” Gadelha said. It will simply linger in air, .”
Now that’s she’s moved on from her MMA career, “Claudinha” believes she walked away as the greatest strawweight to never become UFC champion.
” “I consider myself a champion, somebody who has overcame a lot through their life by fighting,” she stated.
“The idea of having a belt around my waist — I’m sure I was the best strawweight fighter who never won the UFC belt, and it was close. It was very close the first time I fought to win the belt. The other two times that I approached another chance to compete for the title it was extremely close. I was never submitted or knocked out.
” I always wanted to win. But it’s like I said, it’s a blessing in disguise. All my experience of trying and doing [what I did] has given me the knowledge to be able to help other talents.
“Responding to your question: .”
