A 135-pound women’s bout between tough veteran Julie “Fireball” Kedzie and unbeaten prospect Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio will now take place at Jackson’s MMA Series 3 on December 18th in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The fight, which was originally set to take place in September, was added to the card earlier this month and will serve as the co-main event.
Kedzie was forced to withdraw from the September matchup in order to take part in the filming of the Ultimate Women Challenge reality show, and will now return to action for just the second time in the last 17 months.
Kedzie (14-8-0), the 2005 HOOKnSHOOT Women’s Grand Prix Champion, has faced nearly every top contender at 135 pounds during her six-year career. At just 29 years of age, Kedzie is already one of the most experienced female fighters in mixed martial arts and intends to continue to compete for years to come. With many new stars and prospects emerging at 135 pounds, Kedzie will have no shortage of potential opponents and she will face a solid test in D’Alelio. Kedzie has won six of her last eight fights, including big victories over Kelly Kobold and Jan Finney (for the third time). However, she has fought just once since July of 2009.
D’Alelio (4-0-0), in stark contrast to Kedzie, has only been competing as a professional since February of this year. She has already picked up four stoppage wins and is seen as one of the top prospects in a rapidly-expanding 135-pound division. D’Alelio holds a submission win over recent Strikeforce women’s tournament participant Colleen Schneider and most recently defeated Raquel Pa’aluhi with a first-round armbar in September. Skilled in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, D’Alelio may possess a significant advantage if the fight with Kedzie goes to the ground. Six of Kedzie’s eight losses have come by way of submission.
Jackson’s MMA Series 3 takes place on December 18th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The event is headlined by a bantamweight bout between Johnny Bedford and Frank Gomez.
