Jessica Andrade made her strawweight debut in June 2016. On Might 11, 2019, in her second try to say UFC gold, Andrade was topped the UFC strawweight champion. She gained that title with a slam knockout of Rose Namajunas. Andrade’s run at 115 kilos ended with back-to-back losses to Zhang Weili and Namajunas in 2019 and 2020. Following a three-fight run at flyweight, the place she went 2-1, Andrade returned to the 115-pound division on Saturday night time. The 30-year-old made an announcement within the headlining bout of UFC Vegas 52.
In that contest, Andrade used her power, situational consciousness and talent to safe the primary standing arm-triangle choke submission in UFC historical past, stopping Amanda Lemos on the 3:13 mark of the opening stanza.
The victory, which was her 14th with the UFC — tying Amanda Nunes for many amongst girls within the UFC — ought to put the previous champion proper again within the combine within the strawweight division.
After her eighth UFC submission win — which places her second to Nunes, who has 10, amongst UFC girls fighters — Andrade spoke about her three-fight foray at 125 kilos, her return to strawweight and her aim of regaining a UFC title.
“I had two tough weight cuts in my final fights at strawweight, and that’s what prompted me to combat at flyweight,” Andrade stated on the UFC Vegas 52 post-fight press conference. “Issues weren’t going nicely, my head wasn’t in a great place. It was a bit traumatic, the final two ones I had. So we determined to only take a break. Let’s give it a while, let’s do one thing in a weight class above. Let’s simply take away weight chopping out of your thoughts for a bit bit.
“In addition to issues went at flyweight, strawweight is the place I’m going to excel at. I do know I can to do nicely at flyweight, I do know that I can beat a bunch of women at bantamweight. But when I wish to be champion once more, strawweight is the place to be.”
UFC Vegas 52 befell at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The complete occasion streamed on ESPN+.
