UFC signs Fatima Kline for short-notice debut vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius in Denver

Fatima Kline won’t have to go through Dana White’s Contender Series after all.

Days after news surfaced that Kline (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) would partake in DWCS on Sept. 24, she’s aborted that mission to jump right into the big show. On less than two weeks notice, Kline will elevate a weight class to 125 pounds to fight Jasmine Jasudavicius at UFC on ESPN 59, which takes place July 13 at Ball Arena in Denver.

Jasudavicius (10-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) was initially expected to fight Viviane Araujo, who has withdrawn for unknown reasons.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup including Kline’s manager Oren Hodak, of KO Reps, recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup. The promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Kline, 23, enters the UFC as a dual titleholder for top regional promotion CFFC. Prior to earning the CFFC strawweight and flyweight straps, Kline competed four times under the Invicta FC banner. She is a main training partner of UFC women’s flyweight contender Erin Blanchfield.

Jasudavicius, 35, has won three of her most recent four outings. She most recently competed in January when she finished Priscila Cachoeira by third-round submission.

With the change, the UFC on ESPN 59 lineup includes:

• Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez
• Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov
• Drew Dober vs. Jean Silva
• Charles Johnson vs. Joshua Van
• Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa
• Mariya Agapova vs. Luana Santos
• Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Fatima Kline
• Julian Erosa vs. Christian Rodriguez
• Josh Fremd vs. Andre Petroski
• Cody Brundage vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
• Nazim Sadykhov vs. TBA

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 59.