For Claudia Gadelha, Winning the Invicta FC Belt Would Be the Result of 10 Years of Hard Work

Prior to her Invicta FC debut in July, Brazilian Claudia “Claudinha” Gadelha had made a name for herself as a top 115-pound fighter in various promotions around the world.

Still, when stepping up to a bigger show, one never knows how a fighter is going to react, but Gadelha lived up to the expectations surrounding her by getting a third-round TKO victory over Jewels star Ayaka Hamasaki.

“It was great for me,” said Gadelha. “One dream that I realized, fighting in a big show as Invicta was always a dream.

“I think it was a good fight for me, but I am always looking to do better. I had tough fights back in Brazil and Canada fighting in different weight classes and big girls, so fighting here now make everything more professional and easier.”

Gadelha (11-0) performed so well in her debut that she instantly earned a title shot against Invicta champion Carla Esparza (9-2) at Saturday’s Invicta FC 7 event in Kansas City.

“(Fighting for this title) is a big motivation to me, to my time, and my life,” said Gadelha. “I have been always fighting for that and I will leave my life inside the cage.

“I am going there to fight my fight; I am ready for anything.”

Even though she may be new to American fans, after working her way up through the ranks, Gadelha told MMAWeekly.com that winning the Invicta title on Saturday night would be the pinnacle of a journey she’s worked hard on for several years.

“(Winning the title) would mean the world,” she said. “(It would be the) answer to 10 hard years of hard work so far away from my family and friends, fighting for a dream.

“(I would like to thank) God first, my team Nova União, my doctors, my fiancé Christopher Murphy, and my family.”