French-Canadian striker Valérie “Trouble” Létourneau will indeed compete this coming weekend, but on a new card and against a different opponent. Létourneau has agreed to face off with unbeaten Brazilian Claudia Gadelha at Wreck MMA: “Road To Glory” on Friday night in Gatineau, Québec.
Both Létourneau and Gadelha were originally set to compete in separate bouts on Saturday at Freedom Fight: “Caged Combat” in Sudbury, Ontario, but the event was postponed earlier this week. Létourneau and Gadelha are now expected to face off at a catchweight of 130 pounds for Wreck MMA.
Létourneau (4-2-0), a member of the renowned Tristar Gym in Montréal, first rose to prominence in the Canadian MMA scene after a pair of spirited bouts with current Strikeforce standouts Sarah Kaufman and Alexis Davis under the TKO banner in 2007. Létourneau dropped and nearly finished Kaufman with a head kick, but she was ultimately overwhelmed by punches in the second round. Since dropping a Split Decision to Davis, Létourneau has put together three straight wins. All four of her career victories have come inside the distance and she is one of the most talented female strikers in Canada.
Gadelha (6-0-0), much like her opponent, has only gone to a decision once in her pro career. Unlike Létourneau, however, Gadelha is a jiu-jitsu specialist who holds five first-round submission victories. Widely regarded as the top female prospect in Brazil today, the 22-year-old Gadelha competes outside of her home country for the first time on Friday. Gadelha has not fought since a 70-second submission victory in September 2010, but she has been actively involved with grappling and jiu-jitsu competitions. She is currently a featured part of “The Fight Exchange,” an MMA documentary following the careers of Canadian and Brazilian fighters that will air later this year.
While both fighters will have to adjust their respective strategies for a new opponent on short notice, the bout between Létourneau and Gadelha represents an interesting clash of styles between two rising stars from Canada and Brazil. According to an announcement from Létourneau this weekend, the fight will be contested at a 130-pound catchweight; five pounds lower than Létourneau’s originally scheduled bout with Vanessa Mariscal for Freedom Fight.
Wreck MMA: “Road To Glory” takes place on April 20th at Casino du Lac Leamy in Gatineau, Québec.
Tim Peterson contributed to this report.