Jessica Andrade is looking to secure a victory for Brazil when she competes against Jasmine Jasudavicius on May 10th. Andrade acknowledges the challenges posed by the Canadian fighter ahead of their bout at UFC 315.
Jasudavicius arrives with momentum, having won her last four fights, notably defeating three Brazilian opponents during this streak. She secured submission wins over Ariane Silva and Priscila Cachoeira, followed by a decision victory against Mayra Bueno Silva. Andrade, herself a skilled jiu-jitsu black belt with numerous submission victories among her 26 MMA wins, expressed confidence, feeling “prepared and relaxed” for this upcoming fight.
Andrade commented on her current state, stating, “I don’t have to cut too much weight to compete in this weight class, so I’m happier than ever.” 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.”
Regarding her opponent, Andrade noted, “I’m ranked higher than [Jasudavicius] at 125, but she’s still a dangerous fight, a dangerous opponent, who’s coming off wins against three Brazilians.” She feels a sense of duty, explaining, “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.”
The former UFC strawweight champion recently won two consecutive fights in the strawweight division, knocking out Mackenzie Dern and earning a split decision over Marina Rodriguez. However, she then moved up to flyweight and lost a decision to Natalia Silva. Andrade plans to remain at 125 pounds for UFC 315 but intends to return to the strawweight division in the future.
Andrade elaborated on her divisional plans: “My goal was to fight at 115, but there are no girls to fight there.” She mentioned specific fighters: “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.” Citing a lack of available opponents at 115, she added, “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.”
She further explained the situation with the Ribas family: “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.” Andrade finds the strawweight division stagnant for her: “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 primary desire after UFC 315 is an opportunity to face a top-ranked strawweight contender. A victory over a rising flyweight talent in a hostile environment could significantly boost her aspirations for a championship shot. Her ideal scenario, nicknamed “Bate-Estaca,” involves going undefeated with four wins in 2025, culminating in a championship victory by December.
She also considered a fight with Alexa Grasso: “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,” Andrade said. Her immediate focus is her upcoming bout: “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.”
