Irene Aldana to Make Octagon Debut Against Leslie Smith at UFC on Fox 22

Invicta Fighting Championships veteran Irene Aldana will make her first Octagon foray against Leslie Smith at UFC on Fox 22.

The promotion’s Spanish branch recently announced the bantamweight pairing. UFC on Fox 22 takes place at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., and is headlined by a strawweight showdown pitting Paige VanZant against Michelle Waterson.

A native of Guadalajara, Mexico, Aldana is 7-2 as a professional, with all of her victories coming inside the distance. The 28-year-old went 4-1 during her Invicta FC stint, coming up short against Tonya Evinger in a bid for bantamweight gold in July 2015. Aldana enters her debut on the strength of back-to-back first-round TKO triumphs over Faith Van Duin and Jessamyn Duke.

Smith, meanwhile, last appeared at UFC 198, where she suffered a first-round TKO defeat to Cristiane Justino in a 140-pound catch-weight affair. Smith is 2-3 in the Octagon, with wins against Rin Nakai and Duke.