The former strawweight champion is moving back to the division where she won the crown after a three-fight stint at 125.
At least for the immediate future, it appears that Jessica Andrade’s time in the UFC women’s flyweight division has come to a close. The former strawweight champion went 2-1 up at 125, picking up wins over Katlyn Chookagian and Cynthia Calvillo to sandwich an especially brutal loss to Valentina Shevchenko in Andrade’s bid for a second championship belt.
And it would seem that that one loss is likely pushing Andrade back down to her former home at 115—and perhaps the potential for a trilogy title bout against Rose Namajunas.
Whatever the ultimate goal, the first step is set to take place on an April 23rd UFC Fight Night card, where MMA Fighting reports that Andrade has agreed to a fight with rising top contender Amanda Lemos.
‘Amandinha’ (11-1-1) will enter this bout on a five-fight unbeaten streak, having dropped her UFC debut to Leslie Smith in a bantamweight bout in 2017. Most recently, Lemos took a split decision over the ever-game Angela Hill at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus back in December.
For Andrade (22-9), this bout represents her first since a September victory over Cynthia Calvillo at UFC 266. ‘Bate Estaca’ last competed in the strawweight division back in 2020, when she faced Rose Namajunas for a rematch of their 2019 title fight. Andrade lost that bout via split decision.
Fighting reports that the bout has yet to be officially signed, but both Lemos and Andrade have agreed to take the matchup. No official headliner or location for the April 23rd fight card has been confirmed.