Jessica Andrade returned to the profitable column with back-to-back strawweight victories over Mackenzie Dern and Marina Rodriguez to place herself again within the combine for a future title shot, however determined to return as much as flyweight for a conflict with rising prospect Natalia Silva this Saturday evening at UFC Vegas 97.
“Bate Estaca”, gained gained gold at 115 kilos again in 2019, stated life is healthier competing at 125 kilos with a better weight lower, however that’s not the primary purpose why she determined to combat at that weight class.
“My supervisor stated I might watch for a combat at 115 however they’d in all probability take away me from the 125 rating,” Andrade stated in an interview with MMA Preventing. “I need all of it, so I requested for a combat at 125 [laughs] they usually ended up providing me Natalia. It’s an important combat, an excellent powerful woman, and I’m positive it’s going to be an important combat for the followers as a result of we’ll stand and commerce.”
Andrade stated she initially agreed to face Silva for an August date, nevertheless it didn’t come to fruition. The UFC then approached her with the thought of battling Iasmin Lucindo, however making strawweight on such brief discover wouldn’t be viable. The promotion in the end revisited the unique Silva thought for Sept. 7 on the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
“Natalia may be very quick along with her kicks and has this taekwondo background,” Andrade stated. “Of all the ladies I’ve fought within the UFC up to now, nobody is a specialist on this martial artwork as she is, so it’s going to be one thing new to me. However the purpose why I took this combat was to avoid wasting my spot within the 125 rankings.”
Andrade’s teammate Jessica Delboni is a former Invicta FC strawweight champion and black belt in taekwondo, so “Bate Estaca” stated it was straightforward to organize to that model.
“I really feel nice and able to no matter Natalia has to supply me contained in the octagon,” Andrade stated. “I’m studying new methods and adapting properly. I’m very blissful, and each time I’m blissful going right into a combat, it goes my means. You’ll see a complete new Jessica, extra targeted and able to do the fitting issues. I gained’t do something loopy. I’ll keep targeted, and I’m able to land the fitting blows that may knock her out.”
Andrade snapped a three-fight skid with a stoppage over Dern in November of 2023 and adopted it up with a break up choice over Rodriguez on this previous April. A win Saturday slows down the hype of Silva, and Andrade feels might result in a title shot at one of many two weight courses — and even the BMF belt.
Silva is 5-0 within the UFC with spectacular performances, however Andrade is about to enter the octagon for an unprecedented twenty eighth time, with a report of 17-10 within the promotion that features wins over abilities like Rose Namajunas, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Amanda Lemos and Katlyn Cerminara.
“I believe that the truth that I’ve fought so many various women of so many various combating kinds brings me a bit extra of confidence, however each combat is completely different,” Andrade stated. “I can go in there and she or he lands me one kick that will get me pondering, ‘Expensive God, I’m f*cked, I’ve to modify methods now.’ Or I can land one hand and have a look at her face and see the combat going my means.
“Each combat it distinctive, however the expertise I’ve contained in the octagon, 28 fights within the UFC, makes me extra assured and calm to know that it gained’t be such an enormous of a deal. All these years of combating expertise makes me mature sufficient to enter the octagon realizing what I’ve to do when it’s time to combat.”
Andrade stated she has taken a couple of pages off of Viviane Araujo’s gameplan to organize her personal technique for the guy Brazilian. Araujo misplaced a call to Silva this previous February, however “Bate Estaca” believes it was sufficient to indicate holes in her recreation.
“I believe Viviane did an important technique of backing her up your complete time,” Andrade stated, “however Viviane was taking too lengthy to fireside, which gave Natalia room to really feel comfy and reply even along with her again in opposition to the cage. I’m very aggressive and I’m all the time connecting heavy fingers, so I’ll observe that path and provides her no espace to throw these kicks.
“If I see room for takedowns in the course of the combat, I do know my arsenal is certainly one of a sort. After I put them on their again, there’s nowhere to run. I’ll do a few of Viviane’s technique to beat Natalia, however being aggressive as I all the time am to provide Natalia no area to maneuver round and join.”
