As UFC Fight Night lands in Nashville on Saturday, July 12, 2025, the women’s strawweight division will be represented with a fight between Fatima Kline and Melissa Martinez. With both fighters entering this bout at 1-1 in the UFC and coming off of wins, this fight is an important one in the careers of both combatants. Here, I break this fight down and make my Fatima Kline vs Melissa Martinez prediction before the action begins.
Our Fatima Kline vs Melissa Martinez Pick
- Pick: Fatima Kline to win by decision
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
- Bonus Bets For the Fight: Use BetMGM bonus code ATSBONUS to get up to $1,500 in bonus bets if your first bet doesn’t win
Tale of the Tape
| Fatima Kline | Melissa Martinez | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 24 | 27 |
| Reach | 66″ | 66″ |
| Stance | Orthodox | Southpaw |
| Record | 7–1 | 8–1 |
Fatima Kline vs Melissa Martinez Preview
Fatima Kline is a dynamic striker with crisp combinations, who has three knockout wins in her seven career victories. She made an emphatic impression at UFC Fight Night in January, stopping Viktoriia Dudakova by knockout in the second round. She is 1-1 in UFC after losing her debut to Jasmine Jasudavicius in 2024. A win here would put her above the .500 mark for the first time in her UFC career and could set her up for bigger and better things.
Melissa Martinez boasts an 8–1 record with five career knockouts heading into this fight. She is also 1-1 in UFC, losing her debut to Elise Reed before getting a decision win over Alice Ardelean in her last fight. Her offensive output and southpaw stance make her a tough opponent to defend against. But Martinez relies less on takedowns and will need to protect against being brought to the mat to win this fight.
Betting Insights
- Moneyline markets indicate Kline is the clear favorite at -1200, Martinez is +700 to win the fight.
- While Martinez has five knockout wins in her career, she hasn’t knocked anyone out since 2019 in Combate Americas.
- Prop bets on Kline by decision or to win via knockout offer better value than the moneyline, given the steep price for Kline to simply win the fight.
Fatima Kline vs Melissa Martinez Prediction
I think it is pretty clear that Kline is the more well-rounded fighter going into this preliminary bout. She averages 1.84 takedowns per fight compared to just 0.50 for Martinez. That, combined with dangerous striking, will give Martinez more to defend than Kline.
I expect Kline to control distance with her striking, mix in leg kicks, and capitalize on Martinez’s southpaw stance by punishing her lead leg. Martinez will aim to apply pressure, throw overhand lefts, and disrupt Kline’s rhythm, but may struggle with consistent output and staying upright.
Given her ability to dictate pace, pick shots, and avoid unnecessary risks, Kline should be able to manage the three rounds effectively and walk away with a clear decision win. A finish is possible, but the smarter play is a three-round unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.
