Jessica Andrade is back on the winning track after defeating Mackenzie Dern at UFC 295. Now, the Brazilian MMA fighter is planning to take back the UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion title, which is currently owned by Weili Zhang.
Andrade obtained the UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion title in 2019 after successfully defeating Rose Namajunas. However, Bate Estaca quickly failed to defend the belt when she faced Zhang, who knocked her out at just 0:42 of Round 1. After this, Namajunas beat her in a rematch in 2020. Although Andrade made a five-fight winning streak after that, it was followed by a three-fight losing streak against Erin Blanchfield, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez.
With all that, Andrade’s recent victory against Dern is considered a much-needed win to regain her balance in the game. And now that the odds are in her favor, Andrade is determined to fight Zhang again, pointing out that her quick loss in their bout is something that deserves a second chance.
“I think obviously having the opportunity to fight Weili because that was kind of a quick fight, it was kind of taken quickly, so I think I deserve another chance,” Andrade said.
Aside from Zhang, Andrade also hopes to fight Polish fighter Joanna Jędrzejczyk, who is considered by many, including Daniel Cormier, as the greatest female strawweight mixed martial artist of all time.
Yet, Andrade is certain that the path to these fights would not be easy, especially in regaining the Strawweight Champion title. As the Brazilian fighter noted in her interview, this means fighting former opponents who defeated her.
“The rematches are what will take me through the path of being champion again,” Andrade said via an interpreter during a post-fight conference. “I know that in order to actually be a champion, to be able to fight for the belt toward the end of the year next year, I’m going to have to have some rematches and beat some girls that beat me. I do feel that’s going to be the way.”
