Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Andrade was originally slated to face former title challenger Jessica Eye.
A change of plans for Jessica Andrade’s move up to flyweight.
MMA Junkie reports that the former UFC strawweight champion will take on former flyweight title challenger Katlyn Chookagian on October 17th at a location TBD. Originally, Andrade was supposed to face Jessica Eye at this event, but Eye’s health issues stemming from a staph infection make that impossible at the moment.
Andrade (20-8) lost her title via quick TKO against current champ Zhang Weili almost exactly one year ago today. Her lone appearance in 2020 saw her lose a very close and entertaining split decision in her non-title rematch with Rose Namajunas. When Andrade does compete at 125 lbs, she’ll be the first fighter to compete in the UFC’s strawweight, flyweight, and bantamweight divisions.
Chookagian (14-3) may have suffered a brutal, non-competitive defeat in her title fight against Valentina Shevchenko, but she made up for it by thoroughly outclassing Antonina Shevchenko by unanimous decision in May. At 5’9” she’ll have nearly an eight-inch height advantage over the Brazilian.
The UFC’s October 17th card is headlined by a featherweight bout between Chan Sung Jung and Brian Ortega.