Canadian bantamweight Melissa Croden to make her UFC debut on Vancouver card

VANCOUVER — Canadian bantamweight Melissa (Scare) Croden will make her UFC debut in Vancouver on Oct. 18 against Brazil’s Tainara (Thai Panther) Lisboa.

Croden (6-2-0) has won her last two bouts and four of her last five. All six of her wins have been finishes, five by knockout and one by submission.

The 34-year-old from Crowsnest Pass, Alta., is coming off a second-round TKO of American Ashley Deen in the Legacy Fighting Alliance promotion in October 2024.

Lisboa (7-3-0) is coming off a submission loss to fellow Brazilian Luana Santos in May after winning her first two UFC outings.

The rejigged UFC Fight Night main event pits Reinier (The Dutch Knight) de Ridder, ranked fourth among middleweight contenders, against No. 11 Brendan (All In) Allen of the U.S.

Other Canadians on the Vancouver card are Jasmine Jasudavicius, (Proper) Mike Malott, Aiemann Zahabi, Kyle (The Monster) Nelson, Charles (Air) Jourdain and Kyle (Killshot) Prepolec.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

The Canadian Press

The Canadian Press is Canada's trusted news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia stories across print, broadcast and digital platforms.