Jessica Andrade is focused on securing a victory for Brazil when she steps into the octagon against Jasmine Jasudavicius at UFC 315 on May 10. The seasoned fighter is fully aware of the challenges posed by her Canadian opponent.
Jasudavicius enters the bout on an impressive four-fight winning streak, notably defeating three consecutive Brazilian fighters – submitting Ariane Silva and Priscila Cachoeira, followed by a decision victory over Mayra Bueno Silva. Andrade, a decorated jiu-jitsu black belt with eight submission wins out of her 26 MMA victories, expressed confidence, stating she feels “prepared and relaxed” for this specific matchup.
Discussing the weight cut, Andrade mentioned, “I don’t have to cut too much weight to compete in this weight class, so I’m happier than ever.” Regarding her opponent`s strategy, she added, “And I’m ready for Jasmine’s game. I know she’s evolving on the feet, but her strongest weapon is the ground game. And you have to be a truck to take me down [laughs], so I think it’s going to be a very interesting fight.”
Despite being ranked higher at flyweight (125 lbs), Andrade considers Jasudavicius a “dangerous fight, a dangerous opponent,” particularly given her success against Brazilian athletes. Andrade noted the pressure from fans: “Everybody’s telling me like, ‘You have to stop her, she’s too cocky for beating Brazilians.’ I got this. I’ll do a good job and bring the win home. And then I’ll get to ask for a title shot at 115. Everything changes when you have a win on your record, especially after a win in a heavier weight class.”
Andrade`s recent strawweight performances saw her secure a knockout over Mackenzie Dern and a split decision against Marina Rodriguez. However, her most recent fight was a decision loss at flyweight to prospect Natalia Silva. The former UFC strawweight champion plans to compete at 125 pounds for UFC 315 but intends to return to the 115-pound division in the future.
She explained her current weight class situation: “My goal was to fight at 115, but there are no girls to fight there. Virna [Jandiroba] is someone I wouldn’t like to fight anytime soon. I like her a lot, we’re friends, and we’ve agreed that we’ll only fight if it’s for a belt. And there was nobody else to fight at 115. Amanda Ribas’ dad told me they wouldn’t fight me, so I have no options. The only option was to move up to 125 again and take this fight; otherwise, I would have no option but to stay sidelined for a long time. Right now, I’ll continue fighting at both, but my plan is to stay at 115.”
Elaborating on the difficulty finding opponents at strawweight, she recounted, “I met Amanda’s dad in the UFC, and he told me the UFC offered them a fight with me, and they said no, only if it’s for the belt or something like a title eliminator. Other than that, he said they wouldn’t fight me. I like them as well. It’s getting hard [to get fights] at 115, the division isn’t moving, and I’ve fought almost all the girls already. I think there are only three or four there that I haven’t fought before.”
Andrade`s main objective after UFC 315 is to challenge a top-ranked strawweight contender. A victory at flyweight, especially over a notable rising fighter like Jasudavicius, could significantly enhance her prospects for a shot at the strawweight title. Her ideal scenario, as “Bate-Estaca,” involves achieving a 4-0 record in 2025, culminating in a championship victory in December.
She had considered facing Alexa Grasso next but noted, “I even thought they would give me Alexa [Grasso] now, but she has a fight booked [vs. Natalia Silva at UFC 315], so I’ll just wait.” Her immediate focus is on her upcoming fight: “It depends on what happens in my fight now. I hope I don’t let it go the distance, end this before the third round, and can call someone out. I wanna win this fight and ask for a title shot — or someone close to it.”
Marcus Blakely