After a brief delay, Melissa Gatto will make her Octagon debut against Julia Avila at UFC 239.
The promotion’s Brazilian branch announced the bantamweight matchup on Wednesday. UFC 239 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 6 and is headlined by a light heavyweight title bout between Jon Jones and Thiago Santos.
Gatto was set to make her first promotional foray against Talita Bernardo at UFC 237 before being forced to withdraw due to an injury. The 23-year-old Sao Paulo native owns a 6-0-2 career mark that includes four triumphs by submission.
A two-time Invicta FC competitor, Avila will also be making her first UFC appearance. In her most recent outing, Avila scored a second-round TKO of Alexa Conners at Invicta FC 32 this past November. The 31-year-old known as “Raging Panda” has also earned notable wins over former UFC flyweight champion Nicco Montano and bantamweight contender Marion Reneau on the regional circuit earlier in her career.