Invicta FC 20's Kaline Medeiros expects to win strawweight title – but no call from UFC

Strawweight title challenger Kaline Medeiros thinks her experience will help her defeat champ Angela Hill at Invicta FC 20.

As to what happens after that, she’s keeping her expectations low.

“I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished, whether it was early or late in my career,” Medeiros told MMAjunkie in advance of her UFC Fight Pass-streamed title bout, which serves as Friday’s headliner at Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo. “I’m happy with Invicta. I aim to capture and defend the belt, without any doubt.

Still, she said, “I’m not expecting to be called by the UFC.”

Relatively speaking, Medeiros (8-4) did get a late start in MMA. Now 37, she began her career five years ago on the regional circuit. But she’s also far more experienced than Hill (5-2), whose professional debut came just two years prior.

Hill had just one fight to her credit when she joined the cast of “The Ultimate Fighter 20.” She was submitted in the first round of the reality-show tournament by eventual winner and inaugural women’s strawweight champ Carla Esparza. She then decamped to the all-female Invicta FC and claimed the title in May with a split-decision win over Livia Renata Souza.

Maybe Medeiros is thinking practically about her upside to the industry-leading UFC, or she’s simply using a bit of reverse psychology. Whatever the case, she’s still dedicated to doing the best job possible in the cage.

“I think Angela Hill is a very good fighter,” Medeiros said. “She has very good striking. But nothing about her scares me. She’s not yet a complete fighter, despite her striking and explosiveness. I feel she is not a threat to me, whether on the feet or on the ground.”

In a previous outing against Invicta FC newcomer Manjit Kolekar, Medeiros encountered an opponent who was all too willing to circle away from her as she tried to engage. That didn’t keep Kolekar from getting repeatedly slammed to the mat when they eventually locked up, but the experience was frustrating for Medeiros, who sharpens her striking skills with the renowned Mark DellaGrotte at Sityodtong Academy in Boston.

“I didn’t expect the fight to play out like that,” Medeiros said. “I was really disappointed with the fact that she kept running. She kept avoiding physical contact. Her strategy didn’t work out. Since she was undefeated up to that point, I was expecting her to be more aggressive.

“Regardless of how I felt, the end result was most important. I’m happy to be victorious. Maybe she was intimidated by me.”

Medeiros doesn’t expect Hill to feel the same way when they clash, so she’s anticipating a more competitive fight. But the way she sees things, it’s a very winnable one.

“My greater MMA experience will count for a lot,” she said. “Ours will be a great fight. This won’t be like my last one. Angela, as the champion, will not run away. I’m sure of that.”

And if she wins and the UFC comes calling? Well, you’ll see whether she holds to her position.

For more on Invicta FC 20, check out the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.