Some high-level athletes find it difficult to understand when is the right time to retire. This, however, is not the case for Claudia Gadelha. Former challenger for the UFC strawweight belt (up to 52,1kg) and one of the pioneers of women's MMA in Brazil, the Mossoro native surprised by announcing her early retirement from the sport last week. After the moment, the combatant spoke to exclusive to SUPER FIGHTS and vented about the decision.
See too
At the age of 33, Claudinha retired from mixed martial arts in a prominent position in the strawweight division. His last fight took place in November 2020.
Hard decision
Giving up the sport that made her famous worldwide was not simple for Gadelha. Even though she is certain that she is making the right decision, the Brazilian spoke about the difficulties of stopping.
“It’s a very difficult decision in any athlete’s life, a very difficult transition. It's delicate. We see many athletes passing the point, sometimes not performing as before. It’s gone beyond the physical, mental point. I never wanted to be one of those athletes. I always tried to pay close attention to how I behaved in training and in the octagon. I wasn't happy with my last performances. (…) I couldn’t connect with coaches, training, getting injured a lot,” she said.
Rare injury in MMA
In addition to prioritizing her well-being outside the octagon, Cláudia also revealed another delicate reason for taking a stand in favor of retirement. The Mossoroense confessed to having suffered a rare injury within MMA, and explained the condition.
“Last year, I suffered an injury that is not very well known in Brazil. In the United States, American football players suffer from this injury a lot. (…) It was a brain injury. I had a concussion and the symptoms persisted for a long time. It's post-concussion syndrome. Lots of headache, nausea, vomiting, emotional issues. I got seriously injured and it took a long time. Two months ago, I was released by the UFC doctors, by the Athletic Commission, I started training, but I didn't have the same motivation. The blows to the head started to scare me in a way that I don't think is worth it anymore. I've been training since I was a child, I started fighting MMA when I was 18. I'm young, but I've had a long career. I don't want to prolong injuries to my body or my head. I’m ready for the next step,” she revealed.
From the octagon to the office
Having decided to ditch the gloves once and for all, Gadelha is excited for the next step in her life. The Brazilian leaves the octagon, but will continue to work with the UFC. Satisfied, the athlete spoke about her new role.
“I am very happy with the opportunity. Over the last year, I've helped a lot of friends who fight in the UFC, but they didn't have much direction on what to do. I've lived in (Las) Vegas for six years. As soon as the UFC Performance Institute opened, I was already there, using the services, understanding how it worked, improving my performance, understanding the science behind the sport. This gave me a great body and physical awareness. I started to feel happier helping the athletes there than going there to perform. I have a lot of that, helping people. When the issue of the injury came up, and Dana (White) called me and said he had other possibilities, the first thing I thought was: I want to help the people in Brazil. On the performance and entertainment side. It was kind of my decision. The UFC sat down with the team and wrote a role for me. I was given the title 'Director of Athlete Development'. I will work directly with the Rodrigo Minotauro carrying out several projects to develop the performance of Brazilian athletes”, he explained.
Athlete's history
Challenger for the UFC strawweight belt in 2016, Claudinha gadelha leaves MMA at age 33, with 23 fights fought. Over the course of her 13-year career, the Brazilian recorded 18 wins and five defeats.
