Anyone that watches the regional circuit and has seen Fatima Kline compete knew that the unbeaten 23-year-old would eventually find her way into the UFC Octagon.
After earning “Double Champ” status under the Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) banner earlier this year by adding the strawweight title alongside the flyweight belt she’d won in November, Kline was signed last week to compete on the upcoming season of Dana White’s Contender Series.
A day later, she was chosen to replace Viviane Araujo opposite Jasmine Jasudavicius this weekend in Denver, skipping over the summer talent search series in favor of jumping right into the cage against a ranked opponent instead.
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“It’s been crazy,” Kline said on Wednesday afternoon of her whirlwind last seven days. “This is something that I’ve always wanted; I was ready for it from the second I got the call. I’m super-excited. I’ve been dreaming of this since I was 10, so I’m ready to show this is where I belong.
“You think the highs can’t get any higher, and then they did. I literally signed my Contender Series contract the day before I signed my official UFC contract, and it felt great,” she added. “I enjoyed being able to mentally prepare for being on Dana White’s Contender Series, and I had a whole game plan set, and look what happened — something even better came along.”

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A perfect 6-0 as a mixed martial artist and training partner of flyweight contender Erin Blanchfield, Kline was pegged by many observers as someone skilled enough to make the jump right to the UFC, with her appearance this summer on the Contender Series feeling like a bit of a formality.
Winning a single title under the CFFC shingle is difficult enough, but claiming gold in two divisions all before your 24th birthday (which is Friday) points to the newcomer potentially being a special talent, as does the fact that the UFC felt comfortable reaching out to her to take this fight against a ranked competitor like Jasudavicius.
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Exuding a quiet, secure confidence, Kline feels the same way, and is eager to validate her belief and the UFC’s decision this weekend.
“I’m really happy that I’m able to jump in there with some of the best in the world; I believe that’s where I belong,” she said with a smile and not a hint of hesitation. “I didn’t feel the need to do Contender Series, but whatever it is to take the next step, and now I’ve taken the next step.
“I felt super-privileged to be someone they called to step up against the No. 15 fighter at a weight class higher than me. I think we all know that I’m one of the best in the world and this is just another shot for me to prove that.
“I’m excited I get to skip Contender Series and jump right in, and hopefully jump right into the rankings and then jump back down to my own weight class.”
While the opportunity to navigate a UFC fight week for the first time is an experience most prospects eagerly anticipate, Kline has been around the promotion in the past, accompanying Blanchfield and cornering her in the past, and therefore hasn’t been as awed by the host of obligations and responsibilities that await athletes once they reach this level.
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As such, being hurriedly dropped into her first fight week experience without any notice actually feels right to the promising new arrival.
“I feel like my life is kind of based out of chaos, so I feel like this wasn’t any surprise to me,” said Kline, whose intention is to compete in the strawweight division, where she's registered five of her six wins, going forward. “I was super-happy when I got the call to take it. I felt so much peace, like, ‘I finally made it; all my hard work has led to this.’

“I think this is the better route for me, this is what God has planned for me, and this is where I’ll be taking the next step.
“Being able to be there for Erin in her fights — in her training camp, in her corner — I’ve been able to witness everything the UFC has to offer and everything that comes with being a UFC fighter, especially being high up in the rankings and having that prestige that she has,” she added. “It's helped me beyond words can really explain. I feel like being next to her and being her training partner has greatly helped me prepare for Saturday night.
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“It feels great to step in there and get my feet wet in the rankings right away,” continued Kline. “I definitely plan on going back down to my own weight class, but again, if this is the way in, this is the way in, and I’d rather it this way than be fighting someone outside of the rankings, trying to work my way in.
“I definitely feel this is a win-win situation for me, and I expect another win.”
Confident and poised, having accomplished one of the dreams she’s held onto since she was 10 years old, all that's left for Kline to do is make her first walk to the Octagon, cross that threshold for the first time, and step in with Jasudavicius.
And it should come as a surprise to no one that the undefeated, highly regarded prospect fully intends to leave Denver with her first UFC win in tow.
“I expect to be able to knock her out and finish her,” she said in a matter-of-fact manner when asked how she defines success this weekend. “No matter the weight — I’ve fought at ’25 before, I train with one of the best ‘25ers on the planet, and I’m greatly prepared for this fight.”
UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs Cortez took place live from Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on July 13, 2024. See the Final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!