Gadelha to clash with Esparza at UFC 225

Claudia Gadelha and Carla Esparza are hoping third time's the charm.

After seeing two bookings under the Invicta FC banner fall through, the strawweights will now meet at UFC 225 on June 9 at Chicago's United Center, the promotion announced Wednesday.

The pair had been slated to clash at Invicta FC 4 and 7 in 2013, only for Gadelha to withdraw both times due to a broken nose and a bacterial infection, respectively. The former UFC title challenger had called Esparza out on more than one occasion over her promotional stint, and sees her designs materialize after falling to Jessica Andrade in a lopsided decision at UFC Fight Night 117 in September. She's gotten her hand raised in four of seven walks to the Octagon.

Esparza - the UFC's first 115-pound queen - had alternated wins and losses over her first four promotional bouts, but has since righted the ship with back-to-back unanimous verdicts over Maryna Moroz and Cynthia Calvillo in 2017.

A main event has not yet been attached to the UFC's first pay-per-view event in the Windy City.