Fatima Kline says CFFC title will 'skyrocket' her to UFC: 'I think I'm definitely one of the best in the game'
Kline challenges fellow late replacement Sara Cova for vacant belt at CFFC 127 on UFC FIGHT PASS.
At just 23 years old, undefeated strawweight prospect Fatima Kline unquestionably has time on her side in terms of chasing the highest levels of professional MMA. The thing is, she's ready to be there now.
"Oh, I'm 100 percent ready," Kline said. "I feel like even without this fight, I've been ready for it. I've just been waiting on my opportunity."
Kline started training at just 10 years old, with her parents enrolling her in jiu-jitsu to start learning self-defense. Little did they know it would immediately ignite a passion that has driven Kline for more than a decade.
"As soon as I did it, I mean, I had my first competition a couple of months later, and I was hooked right away," Kline said. "Right away, I knew I wanted to do jiu-jitsu, and I started watching UFC and seeing Ronda Rousey, and after that I knew that I could do it, too, and I've pursued it ever since."
A few years after her start in jiu-jitsu, Kline added striking to the routine. She made her amateur debut while she was still a teenager and then turned pro at 20, and she's gone 4-0 since, with all four wins coming under the Invicta FC banner. It wasn't necessarily the path Kline's parents intended with her early start in martial arts, but it didn't exactly prove a surprise, either.
"It is a little crazy when you're a kid and you're like, 'I want to grow up to be a fighter,'" Kline said. "It's like, 'OK, we'll see where things go,' but I mean, I stuck with it, and my parents definitely were behind me all the way.
"My dad actually used to box. My mom has always been an athlete. She does CrossFit, so I come from a very athletic background, and they were 100 percent supportive of me, and my brothers and sisters, they helped me actually train in the gym sometimes and everything, so I definitely am grateful to have the support system that I do."
Following her successful run in Invicta FC, Kline (4-0) now makes her way to the CFFC cage for the first time. "The Archangel" was expected to face fellow undefeated prospect Jazmin Navarrete (6-0) in the headlining bout of CFFC 127, where the promotion's vacant strawweight title was to be on the line. However, with Navarrete forced to withdraw from the contest during fight week, Mexico's Sara Cova (5-3) has agreed to step in on short notice, and the two will challenge for the CFFC women's flyweight title, instead.
The matchup takes place on Friday, streaming live on UFC FIGHT PASS from Mississippi's Horseshoe Tunica Hotel & Casino.
"I'm super excited," Kline said. "I was having some trouble finding some fights with Invicta, so luckily they let me loose to fight for a title for CFFC. I hopped on the opportunity right away. I couldn't be more excited to be fighting – and especially for a belt."
Rounding out her game at New Jersey's MK Muay Thai, Cordoba Trained Wrestling Club, and Silver Fox Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kline believes she's honed her skills to the point that she's ready to compete at the sport's highest level. Should she prove victorious over Cova, especially in impressive fashion, that invitation could very well come her way.
Kline sure hopes that's exactly how it works out and isn't the least bit intimidated by the potential opportunity.
"I want to thank God for always giving me the opportunities I have, and, you know, all of my coaches: Frankie Roberts, August Matias, David Cordoba and my fourth corner cornerman, Erin Blanchfield, for always supporting me and coaching me through it all," Kline said. "Big thank you to them and my family.
"I think getting a title and finishing this fight will definitely skyrocket me to the UFC. I'm well prepared for it, and I think I'm definitely one of the best in the game, and I just need a chance to prove that."
