Vanessa Melo Replaces Duda Santana, Meets Sarah Alpar at UFC Oklahoma City

Tight squeeze by @TOOSWEET_Alpar #DWCS pic.twitter.com/YZMIdKvmYx

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 14, 2019

Vanessa Melo will replace Duda Santana and face Sarah Alpar at UFC Oklahoma City on May 2.

Both Melo and Alpar confirmed the new bantamweight booking on their Instagram stories Monday following an initial report from Combate. UFC Oklahoma City takes place at Chesapeake Energy Arena and also features a strawweight showdown between Claudia Gadelha and Marina Rodriguez. The Fight Night event does not yet have a headliner.

Melo is still looking for her first Octagon triumph after dropping unanimous verdicts against Irene Aldana at UFC Fight Night 159 and Tracy Cortez at UFC Fight Night 164 in 2019. The 31-year-old Sao Paulo, Brazil, native owns a 10-7 professional mark that includes eight wins by decision and two via submission.

Alpar, meanwhile, will be making her promotional debut after submitting Shanna Young on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series this past August. The Amarillo, Texas, native has won five of her last six professional outings and is 9-4 over the course of a career that began in 2011.