Joselyne Edwards Bio
Joselyne Celina Edwards Loboriel (born September 29, 1995), widely known by her ring name “La Pantera,” is a Panamanian mixed martial artist who competes in the women’s Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Standing 5 feet 8 inches tall with a 70-inch reach and an orthodox stance, she has built a reputation as a finisher inside the cage. Born and raised in Panama City, Panama, she now trains out of Kings MMA while continuing to represent her home country on the sport’s biggest stage.
As of April 29, 2025, Edwards was ranked #14 in the UFC women’s bantamweight rankings, a position reflecting years of steady development across regional and international circuits. Holding a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, she combines knockout power with a growing submission game. Her career has evolved from local shows in Panama to main-card appearances on some of the UFC’s most watched events of the year.
Early Life and Background
Joselyne Celina Edwards Loboriel was born on September 29, 1995, in Panama City, Panama, where she still resides. Growing up in the Panamanian capital, she was first introduced to combat sports as a teenager, beginning boxing at the age of 13. Those formative years in the boxing gym gave her a foundation in striking fundamentals, footwork, and the discipline required to train at a high level.
After four years of dedicated boxing training, Edwards transitioned into mixed martial arts at the age of 17. She had watched the UFC on television in Panama City but was unfamiliar with local gyms that taught the full range of MMA disciplines. To round out her game, she began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and within roughly six months she made her professional debut. That blend of boxing roots and quick jiu-jitsu development shaped her early identity as a striker with a clear finishing instinct.
Path to MMA
Edwards’ amateur and early professional path was built almost entirely on the Panamanian regional scene. Competing at bantamweight, she compiled a 9–2 record while capturing the UCC Women’s Bantamweight Championship in her home country and defending the title twice. Those results established her as one of the top female mixed martial artists in Panama and caught the attention of larger promotions abroad.
In 2018, Edwards relocated her training camp to the United States to pursue higher-level competition. She defeated former Bellator fighter Jessica Middleton by technical knockout on May 18, 2018, at The Fight Series, then added a submission win over highly touted prospect Brenda Gonzales at KOTC: Aggressive Lifestyle on September 1, 2018, claiming the KOTC Bantamweight Championship. Her bid for the LFA Women’s Bantamweight Championship against fellow future UFC fighter Sarah Alpar ended in a close split-decision loss, but the performance was enough to position her for an eventual UFC opportunity.
Joselyne Edwards Career
Early Career (2015–2020)
Edwards began her professional career in 2015, competing primarily at bantamweight on the Panamanian regional circuit. Her early run was defined by a high finishing rate, with most of her victories coming inside the distance. By the time she wrapped up her pre-UFC career, she had established herself as a two-time UCC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and as a finisher capable of ending fights both on the feet and on the ground.
Her 2018 move to the United States marked a clear step up in competition. Wins over Jessica Middleton and Brenda Gonzales demonstrated that her power translated against experienced international opponents. Even her narrow loss to Sarah Alpar in the LFA title fight served as a springboard, as it put her on the radar of major organizations looking for fresh talent in the women’s bantamweight division.
Ultimate Fighting Championship Breakthrough (2021–2023)
Edwards made her UFC debut as a replacement for Bethe Correia, facing Wu Yanan on January 16, 2021, at UFC on ABC 1, and won by unanimous decision. Just three weeks later she stepped in again for Nicco Montaño, this time dropping a unanimous decision to Karol Rosa at UFC Fight Night 184. The back-to-back bookings showed the UFC’s confidence in her willingness to take fights on short notice, even if the results were mixed.
After a canceled booking against Zarah Fairn Dos Santos and a unanimous-decision loss to Jessica-Rose Clark at UFC Fight Night 196 in October 2021, Edwards steadied her UFC trajectory in 2022. She defeated Ramona Pascual by unanimous decision at UFC 275, then replaced an injured Mariya Agapova and took a split decision over Ji Yeon Kim at UFC 277, a win that came despite a weigh-in miss that cost her a portion of her purse. In 2023 she added a controversial split-decision win over Lucie Pudilová at UFC on ESPN 44 before absorbing a unanimous-decision loss to Nora Cornolle at UFC Fight Night 226, leaving her with a UFC record that reflected both her resilience and her growing pains.
Kings MMA Era (2024–Present)
Continuing her development at Kings MMA, Edwards faced Ailín Pérez at UFC 302 on June 1, 2024, and dropped a unanimous decision, the second loss of her calendar year. She bounced back emphatically on October 19, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 245, submitting Tamires Vidal with a rear-naked choke at the end of the third round despite missing weight once again. The finish reaffirmed her threat level and signaled that her ground game was sharpening under her new team.
The momentum carried into 2025. On April 26, 2025, at UFC on ESPN 66, Edwards stopped Chelsea Chandler by technical knockout in the first round. Later that summer, she was booked against former title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC on ESPN 72, but when Bueno Silva withdrew, Priscila Cachoeira stepped in, and Edwards delivered a first-round knockout that earned her a Performance of the Night award. A rematch with Nora Cornolle on February 21, 2026, at UFC Fight Night 267 ended in another rear-naked choke victory, this time in the second round, and a unanimous-decision win over Norma Dumont on April 25, 2026, at UFC Fight Night 274 extended her winning streak and pushed her up the divisional ladder.
Style and Strengths
Edwards is an orthodox striker whose background in boxing gives her crisp straight punches and a comfort in exchanges at range. At 5 feet 8 inches with a 70-inch reach, she enjoys a frame advantage over many of her bantamweight opponents, and she uses that length to set up power combinations. Her purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu adds a credible submission threat, and recent finishes by rear-naked choke have shown that her ground game is no longer something opponents can ignore.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the defining moments of Edwards’ UFC run are her first-round technical knockout of Chelsea Chandler in April 2025 and her first-round knockout of Priscila Cachoeira later that summer, the latter of which earned her a Performance of the Night bonus. Her back-to-back submission finishes of Tamires Vidal and Nora Cornolle further cemented her reputation as a well-rounded finisher inside the UFC women’s bantamweight division.
Joselyne Edwards Career Wins
Across her professional career, Joselyne Edwards has compiled a record that reflects her finishing ability and her durability across multiple promotions. Her pre-UFC resume in Panama and on the U.S. regional scene established her as a champion, while her UFC tenure has added signature wins over established names in the bantamweight class.
UFC Highlights
Inside the UFC, Edwards has racked up notable victories over Wu Yanan, Ramona Pascual, Ji Yeon Kim, Lucie Pudilová, Chelsea Chandler, Priscila Cachoeira, Nora Cornolle, and Norma Dumont. Her first UFC win came by unanimous decision over Wu Yanan at UFC on ABC 1 in January 2021, while her most recent stretch includes first-round knockouts of Chandler and Cachoeira and a second-round submission of Cornolle in their 2026 rematch.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the UFC, Edwards captured the UCC Women’s Bantamweight Championship in Panama and defended it twice during her regional run. She also won the KOTC Bantamweight Championship with a submission victory over Brenda Gonzales in September 2018 and added a technical knockout of former Bellator fighter Jessica Middleton earlier that same year.
Joselyne Edwards Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Joselyne Edwards’ immediate family is limited. She was born and raised in Panama City, Panama, and her early introduction to combat sports came through the local boxing and jiu-jitsu communities rather than through any documented athletic lineage.
Personal Life
Edwards continues to reside in Panama City, Panama, even as she trains at Kings MMA in the United States. She is widely recognized by the nickname “La Pantera,” a nod to her Panamanian heritage and her aggressive fighting style. Beyond her career as a professional fighter, she keeps much of her personal life out of the public spotlight.
2025 Season Performance
Edwards’ 2025 campaign marked a clear turning point in her UFC career. She opened the year by stopping Chelsea Chandler with a first-round technical knockout at UFC on ESPN 66 on April 26, 2025, announcing herself as a rising finisher in the women’s bantamweight division. The performance pushed her into sharper focus among the division’s contenders and set the stage for one of the most talked-about bookings of her run.
Later in the summer, Edwards was originally scheduled to face former title challenger Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC on ESPN 72 on August 9, 2025. When Bueno Silva withdrew, Priscila Cachoeira stepped in on short notice, and Edwards delivered a first-round knockout that earned her a Performance of the Night award. The win moved her further up the rankings and gave her valuable momentum heading into the following calendar year.
Looking ahead, Edwards’ late-2025 surge positioned her for high-profile matchups, including her February 2026 rematch with Nora Cornolle and her April 2026 unanimous-decision win over Norma Dumont. With her combination of striking power, submission upside, and proven ability to perform on short notice, she remained one of the most intriguing names to watch in the bantamweight class as the division continued to evolve.
