Claudia Gadelha

Claudia Gadelha was one of the original cornerstones of the UFC's women's strawweight division. A powerful Brazilian grappler with heavy takedowns and a relentless top game, she spent years as one of the weight class's premier contenders.

Her career is inseparable from her rivalry with Joanna Jedrzejczyk. The two met twice for the title in intensely personal, hard-fought bouts that helped define the early strawweight era. Gadelha came up short against Jedrzejczyk but beat a long list of other top names, including former champion Carla Esparza.

She eventually retired as one of the division's foundational figures, a fighter whose grappling and big-fight rivalries left a real mark on the weight class.