DWCS 2023 Week 3: Josefine Knutsson is the fighter to watch
Dana White's Contender Series has four fights lined up for week 3, offering opportunities for new talent to secure UFC contracts. Originally there were meant to be five but after a medical issue with Luciana Pereira, there are now just four.
Vying for a contract with the promotion, Josefine Knutsson will take to the UFC Octagon in an effort to put on a contract-deserving performance.
Knuttson is a kickboxer turned mixed martial artist who now finds herself primed with a shot at becoming a part of the UFC roster. Knutsson was born in Stockholm, Sweden and competes in the strawweight division.
Long before a career in mixed martial arts, Knutsson started off in kickboxing and even had a brief amateur stint in Muay Thai. Knutsson was a force to be reckoned with as she won 27 of her 32 kickboxing bouts, with nine of those being knockout victories.
Knutsson was the first runner-up at the 2019 K-1 Women's Flyweight Championship Tournament and, although she did not win the tournament, she gained the respect of many. Knutsson then traded the ring for the cage as she began her career in MMA.
Knutsson has gone undefeated in her MMA career, having a perfect 5-win and 0-loss record. She has been in the UFC Octagon, as she fought on episode 3 of Road to UFC in 2022. That bout was a feature bout but, this time, Knutsson returns to the Octagon hoping to walk away with a contract of her own.
Josefine Knutsson could be exactly what the UFC needs
She is known for putting on exciting performances in any arena of combat she chooses to dominate. With each passing event that she is featured on, Knutsson effectively steals the show and captivates fight fans' attention with her wide array of skills and talent.
At this week's contender series, Knutsson will be going up against the Netherlands' 'Fight Queen' Isis Verbeek. Knutsson's adversary also has a background in kickboxing, which should make for an exciting fight between these two fighters who had a similar start in combat sports.
The UFC is ushering in a wave of up-and-coming, younger talent and Knutsson could fit well in this regard. The UFC's women's strawweight division also remains one of the most exciting within the promotion, with champion Zhang Weili leading at the forefront.
Knutsson has dominated the European women's combat scene and, with the Dana White's Contender Series opportunity, she places herself right in front of the UFC president to prove herself worthy of global notice. 'Thunder' could be the UFC's latest and most exciting Swedish import.
For all those reasons, Josefine Knutsson is the fighter to watch at Dana White's Contender Series Week 3.
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