Melissa Gatto RegonhaMixed martial arts show results Date: December 18, 2021
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mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

who currently fights in the women's flyweight division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Background

Gatto was born and grew up in

Toledo, Paraná Toledo is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Paraná. It is located in the western region of the state, near Cascavel. Its population is 142,645 inhabitants, as estimated by IBGE. The road distance to the state capital is 540 km. ...

, Brazil, with an older and a younger brother. Following her big brother, she started training

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to commo ...

at the age of eight. Gradually she picked up also other disciplines eventually drifting to mixed martial arts in order to challenge herself. She attended Western Paraná State University from where she graduated with bachelor's degree in languages.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Gatto racked up a record of 6–0–2 in Brazilian regional circuit before signing a contract with the UFC. In her last bout before the UFC, she submitted fellow future UFC fighter

Karol Rosa Karolline Rosa Cavedo (born December 30, 1994) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. A professional since 2012, she currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 3, 2022, she is #9 in t ...

with a first round kimura at Nação Cyborg 3.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Gatto was scheduled to make her UFC debut replacing injured Jessica Rose-Clark on short notice against

Talita Bernardo Talita de Oliveira Neves Bernardo (born March 4, 1987) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist (MMA) who competed in the Bantamweight division in the UFC. Background Talita started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) at the age of 22, after she took ...

UFC 237 ''UFC 237: Namajunas vs. Andrade'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on May 11, 2019, at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background The event was originally expected to be held ...

on May 11, 2019. However, Gatto was pulled from the fight in the days leading up to the event and replaced by Viviane Araújo. She was then scheduled to face

Julia Avila Julia Aide Shumate Avila (born May 11, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Previously she has competed in Invicta FC, HD MMA, XKO MMA, Total Warrior Combat and King of the Cage ( ...

UFC 239 ''UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on July 6, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background A UFC Light ...

on July 6, 2019. However, she ended up pulling out citing an injury and was replaced by

Pannie Kianzad Pannie Pantea Kianzad (born December 8, 1991, in Ahvaz, Iran) is an Iranian-born Swedish mixed martial artist. She is currently signed by Ultimate Fighting Championship in the Women's Bantamweight division, having previously fought in Invicta FC ...

. Later, news surfaced that Gatto was in fact pulled from the card due to testing positive for

furosemide Furosemide is a loop diuretic medication used to treat fluid build-up due to heart failure, liver scarring, or kidney disease. It may also be used for the treatment of high blood pressure. It can be taken by injection into a vein or by m ...

, a diuretic. She was given a

USADA The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, ) is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti- doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent ...

suspension and was eligibly to return to competition on June 5, 2020. She was scheduled to face

Mariya Agapova Mariya Agapova (born April 7, 1997) is a Kazakhstani mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Agapova started training martial arts around the age of eight in o ...

at UFC on ESPN: Eye vs. Calvillo on June 13, 2020. However, Gatto pulled out due to visa issues and was replaced by

Hannah Cifers Hannah Lucinda Cifers (born June 26, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the strawweight division. She formerly fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Mixed martial arts career Early career Cifers made he ...

. She ultimately made her debut against

Victoria Leonardo Victoria Leonardo Mason (born February 16, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Born in the Pomona section of Galloway Township, New Jersey, Leonard ...

at UFC 265 on August 7, 2021. She won the fight via technical knockout after the doctor stopped the fight between rounds two and three due to an arm injury sustained by Leonardo. In her sophomore appearance Gatto faced

Sijara Eubanks Sijara Jihan Eubanks (born April 27, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently fights in the women's bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Eubanks was born and raised in Springf ...

on December 18, 2021 at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus. At the weigh-ins, Eubanks weighed in at 127.5 pounds, 1.5 pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at a catchweight. She won the fight via body kick TKO in the third round. The win earned her a ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Gatto then faced

Tracy Cortez Tracy Cortez (born December 10, 1993) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of March 7, 2023, she is #14 in the UFC women's flyweight rankings. Background Of Mexi ...

UFC 274 ''UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 7, 2022, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Background The event was originally link ...

on May 7, 2022. She lost the fight via unanimous decision. Gatto was scheduled to face

Gillian Robertson Gillian Elizabeth Robertson (born May 17, 1995) is a Canadian mixed martial artist (MMA). She currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Robertson was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Can ...

on September 17, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 210. However, Gatto was removed from the event for undisclosed reasons.

Championships and accomplishments

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

(One time)

Mixed martial arts record

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

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Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in Brazil's South Region. The Curitiba Metropolitan area ...

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Corumbá Corumbá is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, 425 km northwest of Campo Grande, the state's capital. It has a population of approximately 112,000 inhabitants, and its economy is based mainly on agriculture, anima ...

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Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...

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Cascavel Cascavel is a municipality in the state of Paraná in Brazil. It is the fifth most populous city in the state with 332,333 residents, according to IBGE, a government agency. The distance to Curitiba, the state capital, is 491 kilometers by f ...

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gatto, Melissa 1996 births Living people Flyweight mixed martial artists Brazilian female mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wushu Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian wushu practitioners Brazilian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners Ultimate Fighting Championship female fighters 21st-century American women