Noche UFC: Who is Josefine Knutsson?
UFC 293 may be over with Sean Strickland shockingly outworking a seemingly lethargic Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title, but the action continues this week with a succinctly themed card called Noche UFC.
On Mexican Independence Day, Alexa Grasso defends her flyweight title in a rematch against former champion Valentina Shevchenko, whom she dethroned at UFC 285. Plus, top welterweights Kevin Holland and Jack Della Maddalena collide, and plenty of Mexican talent will be in action.
But one of the most promising competitors on the card, especially female, does not hail from the land that has produced legendary boxers like Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. Rather, she hails from cold, northerly Sweden, and her name is Josefine Knutsson.
A highly-decorated Muay That fighter and kickboxer, Knutsson entered MMA in 2020, defeating Nina Back in an amateur bout at Brave CF 37. She turned pro the following year, then notched three successive wins in the Fight Club Rush regional promotion.
That got her noticed by UFC scouts, who booked her against Ye-Dam Seo at Road to UFC. She won but was not offered a contract. She got another shot at Dana White's Contender Series against Isis Verbeek, but another win was not enough again.
Josefine Knutsson will face Marnic Mann in UFC debut
But when there is a will, there is a way - and Knutsson is now getting her chance anyway, fighting Marnic Mann in the prelims.
Like Knutsson (who replaced Elise Reed), Mann comes in as a short-notice fill-in for Iasmin Lucindo, who in turn replaced Cynthia Calvillo. And like her opponent, Mann has competed in DWCS, losing by head-kick knockout against Bruna Brasil. However, she is coming off a decision win against former Invicta atomweight challenger Amber Brown at LFA 157.
Knutsson vs. Mann is expected to commence the card at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT.
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