The highly anticipated debut of Alexandra Albu finally has a date and an opponent.
The UFC Australian Twitter account broke the news that Albu will take on long time MMA veteran Julie Kedzie in Brisbane, Australia.
Albu‘s signing made a splash, in part due to her good looks. The Russian is an unknown in the world of mixed martial arts, but she has certainly made an early impression. Albu enters with a confirmed 1-0 record. She will not get an easy fight in her first UFC bout.
Kedzie returns to the UFC’s Octagon after a disappointing debut earlier this year against Germaine de Randamie. The judges were split in the decision, but Kedzie came up just short. It took Kedzie nine years to get to the big show, and she will try to avoid going 0-2 in the women’s bantamweight division.
Kedzie remains ranked No. 9 in the division. Thus, this bout will have significant ramifications in the division. A win for Albu would immediately move her into position for bigger bouts in a shallow division.
This will be the first chance to see what kind of skills Albu possesses. Kedzie is a well-rounded veteran with knockout potential. A lot of the questions about Albu‘s abilities will be answered. Consequently, Kedzie will have the opportunity to get back on the winning track after losing her previous three fights.
The mystique and mystery surrounding Albu now has an end date. This December, we will finally know what kind of ceiling she has on her career.
As the women’s division continues to grow both in talent and popularity, this fight will have a good chance to receive a lot of publicity. A good showing will be big for each woman’s career.
UFC Fight Night 33 hails from Brisbane, Australia on December 7th. The main event features heavyweights Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com