UFC Paris: Who is Jacqueline Cavalcanti?
The UFC returns to Paris, France, and while the card is headlined by France's own Ciryl Gane, there's plenty of undercard talent hailing from all different countries. One of those talents will kick off the card, in Brazil's Jacqueline Cavalcanti. Cavalcanti will make her UFC debut against another Brazilian who fights out of France, Zarah Fairn.
Cavalcanti was born in Brazil but now fights out of Portugal. The 26-year-old bantamweight has a record of 5-1 and went pro in 2018. After her debut in 2018, Cavalcanti would take four years off before competing in PFL's Challenger Series, where her only pro loss came to Martina Jindrova. Since then, Cavalcanti is 3-0, becoming local promotion Strikers Cage Championship's bantamweight champion and then winning gold at Legacy Fighting Alliance against Melissa Croden at LFA 157, which prompted her call from the UFC. Cavalcanti has three finishes and is looking to keep her hot streak going in Paris.
LFA bantamweight champion Jacqueline Cavalcanti makes her UFC debut against Zarah Fairn
Fairn will be fighting in France for the first time and is looking for her first win in the UFC. Fairn was 6-2 before joining the UFC in 2019, winning the bantamweight title for local promotion CWSE. Fairn lost to former Invicta FC champions Megan Anderson and Felicia Spencer, and most recently to Josiane Nunes at UFC 283. Cavalcanti and Fairn are both big bantamweights and with Fairn likely on the chopping block, she will be desperately looking for a win.
This fight will kick off the prelims at a catchweight of 140 pounds and could give Cavalcanti the chance to shine as an up-and-coming prospect in the women's bantamweight division.
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