Athletes
Fatima Kline | Ready To Show And Prove
Ascending Strawweight Excited For Next Test, Eyes Title Opportunity In 2027
Sometimes when you don’t initially get what you want, things still have a way of working out in your favor. Such is the case for Fatima Kline, who returns to action this weekend in Oklahoma City looking to build on her outstanding 2025 campaign in a main card clash with Tabatha Ricci.
After wrapping last year with a unanimous decision win over Angela Hill at home in New York City that propelled her into the rankings, the ambitious and talented Kline was chomping at the bit to get right back into the Octagon and continue her march forward in the strawweight division. When we spoke early in the year, she was targeting the end of March or early April as a return date, but a fight never materialized, which allowed the 26-year-old to focus on an important element she felt needed addressing.
UFC Returns To Abu Dhabi Next Week! Tickets Still Available Here
“I think the biggest one I can tell you is that I was able to connect with a new cornerman, a new team I’ve been working on for this fight specifically,” Kline said. “MSG was great, and the fight went the way it should have, but there was a disconnect between me and my cornermen, and I think the timeframe right now, and not having fought in March, April, and May, which I initially wanted, I was really able to focus on ‘Who should I work with? Who would I be able to work with?’
“I was really on a hunt to find people, find somebody that I connected with, but also my coach, Augie (Matias), connected with, and without having to be rushed, I was able to find somebody my coach connects with really well and that I connect with. I feel that I have a really good foundation going into this camp, and I’m excited to see it all on the big show.”
The search led her to team up with Azamat “Ozzy” Dugulubgov, who amassed an 8-2 record as a pro before hanging up his gloves and shifting his focus to coaching in 2015, and has worked with several prominent competitors since, including flyweight standout Amir Albazi.
To outsiders, Kline’s desire to switch things up and feeling like there was a disconnect in her last outing likely lands as a surprise, since her UFC 322 win over Hill was her best overall performance to date inside the Octagon, and from the outside looking in, everything appeared to be working well. But we’re never privy to what’s going on behind the scenes or how an athlete feels in the heat of the moment, and though she was successful in her New York homecoming, the former CFFC two-division champion felt it was time to make a change.
Watch This & Every UFC Event Live On Paramount+
“I feel like when I fought Angela — maybe nobody else could see it, but I felt a disconnect, and I hope people see that there is a connection, there is a stronghold behind me,” Kline said.
“My amateur debut, my opponent told me after the fight that a big reason she couldn’t keep up was how in-tune me and my corner were, and I remember that to this day that my cornermen and our dynamic was more of a threat to her than even I was. That was a lesson I learned back in 2018 and I wanna continue to learn from my lessons, my mistakes, and keep that with me going forward.”
The ability to find and implement a new coach and corner voice into the mix wasn’t the only beneficial result of spending the first half of 2026 on the sidelines, as the opportunity to face Ricci wasn’t one that would have been available to her earlier in the year and only came together a couple weeks ago when “Baby Shark” raised her hand to step in as a replacement.
Kline was initially paired off with Brazilian stalwart Amanda Ribas, who was forced to withdraw. Having dropped a unanimous decision to recent title challenger Virna Jandiroba earlier this year, Ricci was eager to get back into action in hopes of making an expedient return to the win column, and when the spot across from Kline opened up, she volunteered.
“When I got Amanda, it wasn’t no surprise — I know she’s tough, she’s been a title contender, and she’s challenged Mackenzie Dern and some of the best in the world; I was super-excited to test myself against somebody like that,” Kline said. “Maybe she’s fallen in the rankings a little bit, but that that does not take away from her experience.
MORE: Fighters On The Rise | Saturday's Fight By Fight Breakdown | Tabatha Ricci I Just Wanna Fight’ | Christian Leroy Duncan The Next Step Of The Masterplan
“The closer I can get to the top 5, I’ll take what I can get, but I did have my sights set more so on Tabatha, and I’ve had my sights set on her for over a year now. She’s been right on the cusp of top 5. I’d say I’m a step behind her right now — she’s a little ahead of me, and she’s challenged Virna for top 5; obviously, that didn’t work out. Now I’m challenging her for her spot. I think this is a fight where ‘Who wants it more? Who’s ready for top 5 more?’ I don’t see this fight going anywhere but in my way.”
Though she’s effusive with her gratitude for Ricci stepping up to take the fight, knowing that if she hadn’t, it would have likely meant an even longer stay on the sidelines, Kline sees this weekend’s bout between the ranked strawweights as a chance for her to show just how ready she is to compete with the best the division has to offer.
Fatima Kline Earns TKO Victory Against Melissa Martinez | UFC Nashville
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there`s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world`s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Fatima Kline Earns TKO Victory Against Melissa Martinez | UFC Nashville
/
“I don’t know that many girls would take this fight on five weeks’ notice like she did, and I’m so grateful that she did take this fight because I think I would be stuck without a fight, so I’m real appreciative,” began Kline. “She obviously feels like, ‘I belong here and I can test myself against her,’ and she’s got the confidence to do so. I have the same confidence in myself going towards her, and I do really admire her tenacity and her willingness to work.
“But that’s exactly what I plan on doing: I plan on working her in July 18.”
For Kline, that means only one thing.
Experience The Thrill Of UFC At Fanatics Fest NYC
“I need to do what I’ve been training every single day for the past three months,” she said. “I need to get after her where she thinks she’s best and drowned her where she thinks she’s best to prove that I can beat at you exactly what you think you’re good at.
“I want to make a statement for myself. I want to give the fans what they wanna see, I wanna give myself what I want, what itch for every time I fight: it’s not a decision, it’s not a split decision — it’s a finish and I’ll be hunting for it.”
If that’s how things end up playing out and the opportunity to log another appearance later this year comes to pass, Kline would prefer a five-round main event against a top 5 opponent over another opportunity to compete at Madison Square Garden this November, but only because she has bigger dreams when it comes to her next fight at MSG.
“A win on Saturday would put me in the perfect position to challenge a top 5 girl; to challenge myself against the few and far in between; to challenge myself against the best in the world,” Kline said. “I think that’s where I belong, but I’m willing to make myself undeniable.
“I want a taste of what it’s like to be the main event in New York City," Kline said. "I think 2027, me main eventing, crossing my fingers, fighting for the title; that’s a dream of mine.
“But I’d love to fight one more time before the end of the year, assuming this fight goes well, and I’d love to get my hands on the belt in 2027,” Kline added. “(Next year), I do picture myself getting my hands on the title.”
UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman took place live from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on July 18, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!