Athletes
Jessica Andrade No Stranger To Making UFC History
"Bate Estaca" Adds Another Milestone To Her Career When She Faces Off With Tatiana Suarez, And Could Pick Up Another With A Victory On Saturday
Thirty-nine fighters have made 25 or more trips into the UFC Octagon in the history of the promotion.
On Saturday night in Nashville, Jessica Andrade becomes the 40th member of that exclusive group and the first female athlete to accomplish the task.
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“I think it’s a double meaning,” began a smiling Andrade, her thoughts conveyed by ace UFC interpreter Fabiano Buskei. “First of all, getting to 25 fights is a great feeling and a great accomplishment, but, at the same time, I’m getting old! What is happening?
“It’s a great feeling to reach 25 fights,” continued the Brazilian, who made her short-notice debut just over a decade ago against Liz Carmouche. “I do believe another athlete will come and beat those 25 fights, but for now, getting to 25 is a great accomplishment.
“I’ve always said I wanted to get to 30 by the end of my career, and I don’t know, maybe by the end of the year I’ll get to 26.”
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Given that the weekend’s pairing with Tatiana Suarez marks Andrade’s fourth trip into the UFC cage already in 2023, collecting another appearance before the year is out feels almost guaranteed, but it could all hinge on how things play out on Saturday night in Nashville.
After beginning the year with a dominant decision win over Lauren Murphy at UFC 283, the former strawweight titleholder hustled into a fight against Erin Blanchfield less than a month later, replacing countrywoman Taila Santos and losing to the ascending American contender by second-round submission.
Then in May, Andrade returned to the Octagon and the 115-pound weight class, facing off with Yan Xiaonan at UFC 288 in Newark. Just over two minutes into the contest, the diminutive powerhouse was knocked out for the first time in her professional career, felled by a counter right hand in tight as she marauded forward behind reaching hooks that came up short of the target.
Bonus Résumé | Jessica Andrade
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Bonus Résumé | Jessica Andrade
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Now she’s once again agreed to step in on short notice, filling in for fellow Brazilian Virna Jandiroba against the undefeated Suarez, happy the UFC still has faith in her, but also acutely aware of how much is resting on this opportunity.
“I’ve always said I wanted to be an active fighter in the UFC and a fighter the UFC could trust to put in,” said Andrade, who pointed to only fighting once in 2022 as part of her motivation to make multiple appearances inside the Octagon this year. “Even though I’m coming off losses, the UFC still wants to see me fight, and put me in a tough fight against Tatiana — it’s an opportunity you can’t pass up.
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“There is a little dilemma in this one,” admitted Andrade, who is currently ranked No. 5 at both strawweight and flyweight. “I could win this fight and that could jumpstart a new path towards the belt or I could give up position where we would basically swap; I would fall to 10th and she could climb to fourth or fifth.
“But, at the end of the day, I’m not here to choose opponents. It could be the Pope inside the Octagon and I’m still gonna fight him!"
None of this should be surprising to anyone that has followed her career, as being available when called and making history are two things that have legitimately been hallmarks of Andrade’s career from the very beginning.
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Her initial appearance against Carmouche came after Miesha Tate was pulled from the bout to coach opposite Ronda Rousey on Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter. She was 21 years old, fighting two divisions higher than she will this weekend, and competing outside of her native Brazil for just the second time in her career.
It was also the first time in UFC history that a pair of openly gay fighters faced off against one another.
Now, 10 years and 24 fights later, in a weight class more suited to her size, Andrade is ready to learn from the mistakes she made in her last two outings and get herself back into the win column.
“You’re gonna see a different Jessica than you’ve seen in the past,” began the Brazilian standout, who cited a loss of focus in her fight with Blanchfield and deviation from the game plan in her bout with Yan as key contributors to her defeats.
“You’re going to see a Jessica that is focused, that is concentrating on the task at hand. You’re going see somebody that has worked a lot on the takedown defense, a lot on the cage, and you’re going to see somebody that packs a punch. The striking is something that I don’t think Tatiana is going to risk going against me in.
“I think that people are going to see somebody that is going to be moving a lot, and we’ve been working on kicks, knees, elbows, stuff from close range,” continued Andrade. “You’re gonna see somebody that is more focused and ready to take on all challenges — focused on the task at hand and really concentrated on it.
“As far as the win is concerned, it will be a great feeling to get back into the win column with a win against her,” she added, clearly aware of what it would mean to hand Suarez the first loss of her career. “I know if I want the belt in this division, I need to get back at it, and what better way than to start doing that on Saturday night.”
And if she does halt her two-fight skid and topple the undefeated former Ultimate Fighter winner, it would give Andrade a share of another record — the most wins by a female fighter in UFC history, a mark currently held by the recently retired Amanda Nunes, who exited on her 15th UFC victory.
UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Font took place live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on August 5, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
