MMA News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Nov 4, 2023; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Denise Gomes (blue gloves) fights Angela Hill (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ibirapuera Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports

Will Fatima Kline Be The UFC’s Newest Strawweight Contender?

Originally posted on Stadium Rant | By Andre Castillo | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 1:03 PM ET

Fatima Kline is getting the biggest fight of her career, as she draws veteran Angela Hill at UFC 322 for her third assignment of 2025.

It represents a classic “gatekeeper vs. prospect” fight, and should Kline win, it will represent a breakout moment in a division that will enter a new era soon.

To understand how important this fight is, it helps to take a look back at Kline’s career.

The Birth Of “The Archangel”

Like most female fighters in the UFC, Kline got her start in Invicta Fighting Championship, once the premier women’s mixed martial arts promotion. After winning her first four fights there, she immediately got a title opportunity in another feeder promotion.

That promotion was Cage Fury Fighting Championships, and it had done well as a launchpad to the UFC. In fact, its first two strawweight champions, Miranda Granger and Elise Reed, had joined the promotion after claiming gold. So did flyweight and bantamweight champion Katlyn Chookagian.

Kline became a two-weight champion (125, then 115), then followed in those women’s footsteps. Her circumstances of entering the Octagon for the first time, however, were rather different.

It was on short notice, at flyweight. Kline was supposed to compete on Dana White’s Contenders Series for a contract, but after Viviane Araujo suffered an injury, she stepped in against Jasmine Jasudavicius.

The fight was not close. Jasudavicius exploited her size advantage to contain Kline on the ground en route to a dominant decision win.

Even had Kline won, however, she would have still moved back down to strawweight because of one person: Erin Blanchfield, her teammate and friend. Back at her natural weight class, “The Archangel” has been dominant, banishing Victoria Dudakova and Melissa Martinez from the UFC with knockouts.

Aiming For “Overkill”

This leads back to Hill, the resident gatekeeper of the strawweight division. At 40 years of age, she is nowhere near title contention, but not beating her means one is not quite ready to contend yet. Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba passed that test, but Denise Gomes and Luana Pinheiro did not.

For Kline, victory is not just desirable – it is mandatory for her given the state of the division. With Weili Zhang going to flyweight, a new champion will be crowned soon, but the pool of contenders is rather thin.

Tatiana Suarez is coming off a loss to Zhang in her last fight and will need an impressive rebound against Lemos this Saturday at Noche UFC. Xiaonan Yan is coming off a loss to Jandiroba, while Loopy Godinez already has losses to Hill, Jandiroba, and Mackenzie Dern.

A win will put Kline in the conversation, especially if it comes by an impressive finish. She has the instinct and power to do so, but Hill is a a durable veteran who has survived heavy hits by the likes of Lemos and Jessica Andrade.

End Of My Fatima Kline Rant

If a few fans are to be believed, there is no secret as to whom the UFC wants as its next strawweight champion: Dern. She is fairly young at only 32, conventionally attractive, and certifiably exciting, boasting five submission wins and seven bonuses in the Octagon so far. Her half-Brazilian, half-American heritage only adds to her appeal, as she may prove capable of serving both markets.

Some executives and fans, however, might prefer a full-fledged American, which is understandable. After Jon Jones’ retirement, there is currently only one champion from the United States – bantamweight queen Kayla Harrison, and even she may be gone after fighting Amanda Nunes.

Kline may be the country’s next big hope, and her path to the title will start in the middle of November at Madison Square Garden.

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: