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Claudia Gadelha Stepping Away After Disappointing Loss at UFC Japan

MMA Weekly
Claudia Gadelha Stepping Away After Disappointing Loss at UFC Japan

Claudia Gadelha had a disappointing showing against Jessica Andrade at UFC Fight Night 117: Saint Preux vs. Okami in Japan on Friday. Now, she's planning to take a step away from the sport to catch her breath.

Gadelha entered the fight as the No. 1 contender in the UFC strawweight division. That is sure to change following a unanimous decision loss in which she started strong, but was eventually overwhelmed by Andrade. By the end of three rounds, the scorecards were heavily in Andrade's favor showing scores of 30-26, 30-25, and 30-27.

In addition to Andrade on Friday, Gadelha has only ever lost to current UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who next steps into the Octagon opposite Rose Namajunas at UFC 217 in November. Having lost twice to the champion, however, coupled with the recent loss to Andrade puts Gadelha far back in the queue when it comes to getting another shot at the belt if it doesn't leave Jedrzejczyk's waist.

Knowing this and following a fairly busy year, Gadelha needs a little time to regroup. No, she didn't utter the word retirement, but the 28-year-old is feeling the effects of having fought at a high level for a long time and needs to regain some semblance of normalcy.

After making no excuses for the loss to Andrade and thanking her fans for their support, Gadelha wrote on Instagram that she is going to take a break.

“I want to come here also to communicate that I will take some time off. I just went through 3 fights in 10 months, 10 months of much learning, but also very tiring,” she said.

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“I need time with my parents, who are in Brazil loving me in the same way, my entire family, as well. I'm going to be Ana Claudia a little more, breathe light things and enjoy the pleasures of life a little bit. With the certainty that Claudinha will come back stronger. Thanks to those who got my back!! Love you all!!”

Gadelha gave no specific timeline for her return, but at 15-3, she remains one of the top 115-pound women in the world. She will immediately jump back into the thick of the division when she is ready to fight again.

No excuses. All merit goes to Jessica. Congratulations on your performance. Now my heart asks me to say something to you guys because I am feeling how much loved I am, how blessed I am, and how much I live the life I asked God for. I'm happy to see real friends and fans in defeat too, and that's priceless. Thank you all for everything! I want to come here also to communicate that I will take some time off. I just went through 3 fights in 10 months, 10 months of much learning but also very tiring. I need time with my parents who are in Brazil loving me in the same way, my entire family as well. I'm going to be Ana Claudia a little more, breathe light things and enjoy the pleasures of life a little bit. With the certainty that Claudinha will come back stronger. Thanks to those who got my back!! Love you all!! Sem desculpas. Todo mérito cabe a minha adversária, Parabéns pelo desempenho. Meu coração me pede que eu me manifeste por eu ter sentido agora o quanto sou amada, o quanto sou abençoada e o quanto vivo a vida que pedi a Deus. Fico feliz demais em ver os amigos e fãs de verdade também na derrota, e isso não tem preço. Obrigada a todos por tudo! Quero passar aqui também pra comunicar que vou ficar em off um tempo, foram 3 lutas em 10 meses, 10 meses de muito aprendizado mas também muito cansativos. Eu preciso de tempo com os meus pais que estão lá em Natal me amando do mesmo jeito, assim como minha família toda. E vou nessa ser a Ana Claudia mais um pouco, respirar coisas leves e aproveitar os prazeres da vida um pouquinho. Com a certeza de que a Claudinha voltará mais forte. Obrigada aos que são meus!! Beijos no coração de cada um!! #teamclaudia #teamgadelha #TeamCG #lifegoeson

A post shared by Ana Claudia Gadelha (@claudiagadelhaufc) on Sep 23, 2017 at 1:23am PDT

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