Claudia Gadelha makes quick work of Karolina Kowalkiewicz with first-round submission
In a matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked strawweights in the world, Claudia Gadelha showed why she’s the best 115-pounder in the world not named Joanna Jedrzejczyk as she made short work of former title contender Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 212.
It was a huge moment for Gadelha not only because she was fighting at home in Brazil but this bout also came after she left her old team and relocated full time to live in the United States.
Gadelha did not disappoint as she came out looking sharper than ever against a legitimate threat like Kowalkiewicz, who entered the fight with only one loss on her professional record and that came to the Jedrzejczyk last November.
While she’s best known for her grappling, Gadelha looked confident on the feet during the early exchanges with Kowalkiewicz including a huge inside elbow that blasted the…