Glena Avila To Face Jordan Nicole Gaza At Dakota FC 13Unbeaten strawweight prospect Glena “Heartless” Avila returns to action on October 13th at Dakota Fighting Championships 13: “Coming Home” in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Avila faces off with former Tuff-N-Uff champion Jordan Nicole “Ninja Princess” Gaza in the night’s co-main event.

Avila has earned submission victories in each of her two pro fights to date and she most recently captured the Budo Fights 120-pound women’s title in December. Gaza looks to get back on the winning track after suffering a razor-thin Split Decision setback in her June professional debut.

Avila (2-0-0) racked up an impressive 6-0 record as an amateur that included title reigns in two different weight classes for the Full Contact Fighting Federation. She turned pro at BlackEye Promotions 4 in June 2011 and submitted Angelica Brotherton with an armbar late in the third round. Six months later, Avila returned to her home state of Oregon and made short work of Maria Andaverde at Budo Fights 6 to capture the promotion’s 120-pound “superfight” championship. Avila has finished six of her eight career opponents and looks to take another step up the ranks at 115 pounds with a win over Gaza in October.

Gaza (0-1-0) also enjoyed a successful amateur career prior to making her pro debut in June. The 19-year-old jiu-jitsu practitioner captured the Tuff-N-Uff 115-pound women’s championship one year ago, but lost the title to Jillian “Justice” Lybarger in her first defence in November. Feeling that she was ready to join the professional ranks, Gaza left her amateur career behind and faced off against another teen prospect, Paige VanZant, on June 30th. After three back-and-forth rounds, VanZant was awarded a Split Decision victory that did not sit well with Gaza’s hometown supporters. Gaza will not have an easy fight ahead of her against Avila, but a victory would be huge for the popular Texas native.

Dakota Fighting Championships 13: “Coming Home” takes place on October 13th at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota.