Chelsea Chandler submitted Melissa Croden with a kimura at 4:52 of Round 1 on the UFC Edmonton preliminary card. The finish came in the closing seconds of the opening round.
Chelsea Chandler needed almost the entire opening round to get it done, but she left no doubt. On the UFC Edmonton preliminary card, Chandler submitted Melissa Croden with a kimura at 4:52 of Round 1, finishing the fight with just eight seconds left on the clock.
Chandler, 35, is an American fighter who trains out of Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. A southpaw who stands five-foot-eight with a 68-inch reach, she now sits at 6-4 in her professional career. On the feet she lands 3.55 significant strikes per minute at 45 percent accuracy, and she averages 0.87 takedowns per 15 minutes, numbers that fit a fighter whose grappling pedigree showed up in the finish.
Croden, also 35, came in with an 8-3 record and ranks 14th in the women's bantamweight division. The orthodox fighter is an inch taller than Chandler at five-foot-nine, with the same 68-inch reach. She is the busier striker on paper, landing 4.1 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, and she averages 1.02 takedowns per 15 minutes. Neither fighter had attempted a submission at a notable rate in her UFC career before this bout.
Why it matters
- Croden is ranked 14th at 135 pounds, so the loss is a setback for a fighter holding a spot in the rankings.
- Chandler ends the night with a first-round stoppage over a ranked opponent, a result that stands out given her 6-4 record.
- The finish was a stylistic win for Chandler: a grappling-based fighter ending the fight on the mat against an opponent with the edge in striking output.
The result adds a notable win to Chandler's résumé and leaves Croden to regroup after a defeat that came within seconds of the round's end.
