Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk will settle her longstanding score with division No. 1 contender Claudia Gadelha in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 23 Finale on FOX Sports 1 on July 8, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
But before either fighter steps foot inside the cage they’ll be tasked with leading a group of up-and-coming mixed martial arts (MMA) hopefuls en route to the promised land, as Jedrzejczyk and Gadelha were recently named coaches of TUF 23, premiering April 20 on FOX Sports 1.
TUF 23: “Team Joanna vs. Team Claudia,” airing every Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET on the cable television network, features eight light heavyweights and eight strawweights competing for a “six-figure contract.”
Jedrzejczyk (11-0) took a split decision from the Brazilian in late 2014, then went on to capture the 115-pound crown from Carla Esparza the following May. Since then, “Joanna Champion” made a pair of successful title defenses against Jessica Penne and Valerie Letourneau.
Gadelha (13-1), meanwhile, has been on a mission to prove she won her first go-round with Jedrzejczyk, the only loss on her professional record. Injuries, however, limited her ability to compete on a regular basis. “Claudinha” was last seen knocking around World Series of Fighting (WSOF) import Jessica Aguilar back in August.
Certainly a fight worth watching … but will you be tuning in for TUF 23?