Jessica Andrade beats the buzzer!! @jessicammapro
ends your
#UFCFightIsland6 co-main in RD 1!#InAbuDhabi
@VisitAbuDhabi
pic.twitter.com/AQDJgbhN1I— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA)
October 18, 2020
Jessica
Andrade became the first woman in UFC history to win a bout in
three different weight classes with her first-round stoppage of
Katyln Chookagian in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night.
By dispatching the most recent flyweight challenger in impressive
fashion in the UFC Fight Night 180 co-main event, Andrade
immediately emerged as an interesting foil for reigning 125-pound
queen Valentina
Shevchenko. The former strawweight champion is confident she
could give “Bullet” a challenge if they fought.
“I think I can put up a fight against Valentina,” Andrade said
through a translator at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.
“It’s something that should have happened already in other
organizations so I think I’m gonna make a difference in this and
put on shows in this division.”
Shevchenko is scheduled to make her next title defense against
Jennifer
Maia at UFC 255 on Nov. 21. Thus far, the champion has been
dominant in title defenses against Chookagian, Liz
Carmouche and Jessica Eye
after capturing the crown with a win over Joanna
Jedrzejczyk in December 2018.
Andrade will be ready to step in as a replacement in the UFC 255
title bout if need be, and also appears to be open to taking fights
in other weight classes if the opportunity arises.
“For sure, I’m gonna stay ready,” Andrade said. “If that happens
I’ll be there if needed. In any other division, 135, 145, I’ll be
ready. I haven’t felt this happy and haven’t had this vigor to
fight and I just felt really good tonight.”
Andrade has some history with Maia, as she fell to the current No.
1 contender via unanimous decision at Samurai FC 9 in 2012.
Regardless of what the future holds, Andrade sees herself as a
welcome addition to what has been a shallow division in the
UFC.
“We’ll fight wherever, Andrade said. “Maybe with this fight,
Jennifer
Maia and Valentina, the UFC’s gonna want to have me have
another fight. But I’m the person to do the movement in this
division. It’s exactly what this division needs, it needs to be
stirred around a little bit.”