Given the current landscape of the division and the finite number of potential new pairings that exist at the top of the rankings, likening her current situation to that of O’Malley as he worked forward in the bantamweight division a few years ago is apt.
Though she didn’t go through Dana White’s Contender Series —she was scheduled to face Brazilian Alexia Thainara, who went 2-0 in 2025 and sits at No. 15 in the rankings, prior to being pulled into the fight with Jasudavicius —Kline has been generating buzz since she first touched down in the promotion, and her win over Hill was the kind of statement effort that showed she’s ready for another step up in competition.
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“It’s super-exciting knowing that the same couple people have been at the top for a decent amount of time,” Kline said when asked about the divisional landscape. “Weili moving up kind of shifted things around, but I feel like right now, there is no young, blood-thirsty, hungry contenders, and I think I’m it.
“There are a handful of people that I’d love to steal their shine. I love fighting, and I want everybody. Everybody ahead of me is different, which is thrilling to me because new matchups make fun matchups, makes me better, makes them better, and makes it exciting for the fans and people watching.
“I do believe that I’m that person that can bring a lot of light to the division and can take people like Mackenzie out,” she added. “I come from a grappling background, so that would be super-exciting to see one day, and I think it’s only a matter of time.
“It’s not if; it’s just when.”
Again, there will be people that want to take umbrage with her confidence and be critical of a fighter that has yet to face, yet alone defeat, a Top 10 opponent saying that it’s basically only a matter of time before she’s seated on the strawweight throne, but that kind of self-belief is a prerequisite for greatness in this sport, and Kline has wanted to be great since she was 10 years old, so why should she change her outlook and approach now?
