Bantamweight veteran Julie “Fireball” Kedzie is set to make her Octagon debut on July 27th at UFC on FOX 8 in Seattle, Washington. Kedzie will face Muay Thai sensation Germaine “The Iron Lady” de Randamie in a bout that was first planned for a Strikeforce Challengers event in September 2011.

UFC officials announced the matchup today. Kedzie has maintained her role as an announcer for Invicta FC while recovering from a shoulder injury that she sustained in her Strikeforce bout with Miesha “Cupcake” Tate in August. De Randamie earned a Unanimous Decision win on the same August card.

Kedzie (16-11-0) has battled a who’s who of the sport throughout her nine-year career. Between June 2010 and April 2011, she fought three times on Jackson’s MMA Series cards in her adopted hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and scored decision wins over Malissa Sherwood and current Invicta FC competitors Sarah “The Monster” D’Alelio and Kaitlin Young. Kedzie’s victory over Young avenged a past defeat and also earned her the inaugural Jackson’s MMA Series women’s bantamweight title.

The title win earned Kedzie a spot on the Strikeforce roster, but her debut ended in a decision defeat to fellow UFC signee Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis. An injury kept her on the shelf until August of last year, when she stepped up to challenge former Strikeforce champion Tate. In one of the best performances of her career, Kedzie rocked and nearly finished Tate on two occasions, but ultimately succumbed to an armbar in the late stages of the final round. She now looks to get back on track in her highest-profile fight to date.

De Randamie (3-2-0) is one of the most decorated female strikers in the world, with a 49-0 record in Muay Thai and numerous world titles. The Dutch standout made a big impression in her January 2011 Strikeforce debut when she knocked out Stephanie Webber with a vicious knee in the opening round. Five months later, she faced Canadian Julia “The Jewel” Budd in a featherweight rematch from a Muay Thai bout, but de Randamie was outwrestled and dropped a Unanimous Decision after three rounds.

This past August, de Randamie faced off against one of her most experienced MMA opponents to date, former Smackgirl champ and Jewels standout Hiroko “Cat’s Eye” Yamanaka. While Yamanaka showed improvements in her striking, she was no match for de Randamie on the feet, and de Randamie walked away with a well-deserved decision victory. She now drops back down to her more natural fighting weight at 135 pounds for her UFC debut and aims to score another big victory.

UFC on FOX 8 takes place on July 27th at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington.

(Photo Credit: UFC)