Tag: Jessica Andrade

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC 251 with Elton John, Men At Work, Chili Peppers

Check out the complete list of fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 251 event.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC 251 went with as their backing tracks in Abu Dhabi.

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UFC 251 bonuses: Rose Namajunas-Jessica Andrade war nets ‘Fight of the Night’ honors

Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade were rewarded for a spirited effort with “Fight of the Night” honors at UFC 251.

UFC 251 was an eventful evening, and it ended, per usual, with four fighters taking home bonus money.

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) and [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] (20-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) met up on the evening’s main card in a rematch which was 14 months in the making, and it turned out to be well worth the wait.

The former strawweight champions put on a tremendous show, with Namajunas looking sharp over the first 10 minutes, then fending off Andrade’s ferocious comeback over the final round to earn a split decision win.

That was enough for the match to earn “Fight of the Night” honors, giving both competitors an extra $50,000. This marked Andrade’s seventh postfight bonus of her UFC tenure and Namajunas’ fifth.

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“Performance of the Night,” meanwhile, went to a pair of truly superlative performance. Jiri Prochazka (27-3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) lived up to the hype in his UFC debut, as the former Rizin light heavyweight champion knocked former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir cold early in the second round of their featured prelim bout. And the evening got off with a bang when Davey Grant (10-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) knocked Martin Day cold in the third round of their fight. Both take home their first UFC postfight bonuses for their “POTN” efforts.

UFC 251 took place Saturday at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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UFC 251 results: Rose Namajunas edges Jessica Andrade in thrilling battle

There was no belt on the line this time, but the rematch between Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade was well worth the wait.

The rematch between [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] and [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] was well worth the wait – for both Namajunas and the viewers who got to witness a tremendous scrap.

In their first meeting, at UFC 237, Andrade (20-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) took the strawweight belt from Namajunas (9-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) via a memorable, second-round knockout slam.

Fourteen months later, the duo met again. Saturday night at UFC 251, Namajunas put together two stellar rounds, then showed great heart in withstanding a furious third-round onslaught.

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Namajunas, competing for the first time since losing the title, eked out a split decision victor with the better end of two of three 29-28 scorecards.

Andrade make clear from the jump she planned on pushing a strong pace, using fast movement to dart in and out. Namajunas, however, didn’t need much time to figure out her range, and she began using a pinpoint jab, crisp straight hands, and solid counters on the occasion Andrade manage to break through.

This continued for the better part of two rounds, but Andrade might have the heaviest hands at 115 pounds, and she threw them, like with a wicked body shot in the second, she landed.

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And then Andrade turned it on in the third. Andrade threw everything but the kitchen sink at her foe, leaving Namajunas with her nose cut open and her left eye nearly swollen shut. Things looked bad when Andrade landed a strong throw to take her opponent to the mat.

But Namajunas got back to her feet, gritted her way through the onslaught, and got to the final horn to seal the win.

“She went into desperation and started really unloading and she caught me a couple times, obviously,” Namajunas said. “But I just stayed strong.”

With her third career decision win, Namajunas has now won four out of her past five. Andrade, who lost the title to current champ Zhang Weili, has dropped two in a row.

The strawweight bout was part of the main card at UFC 251 at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 251 results include:

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Twitter reacts to Rose Namajunas’ victory over Jessica Andrade in UFC 251 rematch

See the top Twitter reactions to Rose Namajunas’ win over Jessica Andrade in the rematch between former champs at UFC 251.

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] got the revenge she was looking for on Saturday when she defeated [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] at UFC 251.

After Andrade (20-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) took the strawweight title with a stunning slam knockout in May 2019, Namajunas (9-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) emerged victorious in the rematch with a split decision win in the main card pay-per-view bout, which took place at Flash Forum in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Namajunas’ win over Andrade in the matchup for former champs at UFC 251.

* * * *

UFC 251 predictions: Who’s picking upsets in the three title fights?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC 251 main card, which features three title fights in Abu Dhabi.

Usman
vs.
Masvidal		 Volkanovski
vs.
Holloway		 Aldo
vs.
Yan		 Andrade
vs.
Namajunas		 Ribas
vs.
VanZant
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 60-36		 masvidal2020
Masvidal
(56%)		 holloway2020
Holloway
(56%)		 yan2020
Yan
(67%)		 namajunas2020
Namajunas
(79%)		 ribas2020
Ribas
(71%)
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 72-24		 masvidal2020
Masvidal		 volkanovski2020
Volkanovski		 yan2020
Yan		 namajunas2020
Namajunas		 ribas2020
Ribas
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 70-26		 usman2020
Usman		 volkanovski2020
Volkanovski		 yan2020
Yan		 namajunas2020
Namajunas		 ribas2020
Ribas
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 68-28
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 usman2020
Usman		 holloway2020
Holloway		 yan2020
Yan		 namajunas2020
Namajunas		 ribas2020
Ribas
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 68-28		 usman2020
Usman		 volkanovski2020
Volkanovski		 yan2020
Yan		 namajunas2020
Namajunas		 ribas2020
Ribas
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 67-29
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 masvidal2020
Masvidal		 volkanovski2020
Volkanovski		 yan2020
Yan		 namajunas2020
Namajunas		 ribas2020
Ribas
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 67-29		 masvidal2020
Masvidal		 volkanovski2020
Volkanovski		 yan2020
Yan		 namajunas2020
Namajunas		 ribas2020
Ribas
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 66-30		 masvidal2020
Masvidal		 volkanovski2020
Volkanovski		 aldo2020
Aldo		 namajunas2020
Namajunas		 ribas2020
Ribas
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 66-30
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 masvidal2020
Masvidal		 volkanovski2020
Volkanovski		 yan2020
Yan		 namajunas2020
Namajunas		 ribas2020
Ribas
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 65-31
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 masvidal2020
Masvidal		 volkanovski2020
Volkanovski		 yan2020
Yan		 namajunas2020
Namajunas		 ribas2020
Ribas
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 63-33		 masvidal2020
Masvidal		 volkanovski2020
Volkanovski		 yan2020
Yan		 namajunas2020
Namajunas		 ribas2020
Ribas
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 63-33		 usman2020
Usman		 volkanovski2020
Volkanovski		 yan2020
Yan		 namajunas2020
Namajunas		 ribas2020
Ribas
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 63-33		 usman2020
Usman		 volkanovski2020
Volkanovski		 yan2020
Yan		 andrade2020
Andrade		 ribas2020
Ribas
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 60-36		 masvidal2020
Masvidal		 holloway2020
Holloway		 yan2020
Yan		 namajunas2020
Namajunas		 ribas2020
Ribas
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 37-59		 usman2020
Usman		 holloway2020
Holloway		 aldo2020
Aldo		 andrade2020
Andrade		 vanzant2020
VanZant

After much anticipation, the UFC has its first of four straight events on “Fight Island” on Saturday – with three title fights atop the bill.

UFC 251 takes place Saturday at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) takes on short-notice challenger [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC). Usman is more than a 2-1 favorite, but it’s Masvidal with an 8-6 lead in the picks from our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-main event, featherweight champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time against former champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC), whom he beat to win the title in 2019. Volkanovski is more than a 2-1 favorite and has a big 11-3 lead in the picks from our staff members.

In the third title fight on the main card, [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) meets former featherweight kingpin [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) for the vacant bantamweight title. Yan is more than a 2-1 favorite, and only two of our pickers are taking Aldo in an upset to become a rare two-division UFC champion.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) meets [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in a rematch. Andrade knocked Namajunas out in May 2019 to win the women’s strawweight title, but has since lost it to champ Zhang Weili. Namajunas is favored in the rematch, and has a big 12-2 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is by far the biggest favorite at the event at more than 8-1 against [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC). Only one of our pickers is taking VanZant in an upset in what is the final fight on her UFC deal before she tests free agency.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Masvidal (56 percent), Holloway (56 percent), Yan (67 percent), Namajunas (79 percent) and Ribas (71 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

UFC 251: Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 251 fight between Jessica Andrade and Rose Namajunas, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Jessica Andrade and Rose Namajunas square off in a women’s strawweight bout on the main card at UFC 251 Saturday at the UFC’s Fight Island facility on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 10 p.m. ET on Pay-Per-View.

Andrade (20-7) – a.k.a. “Bate Estaca” – looks to bounce back after a title fight loss to Zhang Weili in 42 seconds last time out on Aug. 31, 2019. Before that loss, Andrade defeated Namajunas in a title fight May 11, 2019. So, this will be an interesting rematch. Win or lose, Andrade makes it fun. Each of her three fights have ended via KO/TKO, with two victories. However, four of her past seven have ended up going the distance.

Also see: UFC 251 Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal: Main Card Odds

Namajunas (9-4) has been champing at the bit since losing her strap at UFC 237 in that May 11 bout. Prior to that setback, she had consecutive wins over Joanna Jedrzejczyk and a submission victory over Michelle Waterson. Namajunas – nicknamed “Thug” – is certainly battle tested against the best in the division. She owns a three-inch reach advantage vs. Andrade, and towers over the 5-foot-1 Andrade by four inches. While Namajunas dominates in the height and reach departments, Andrade has a 6.55-3.95 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, while also leading 3.21-2.17 in takedown average.

UFC 251 Special Offer in CO, IN, NJ and WV: Bet $1 at BetMGM.com, WIN $100 in free bets if Kamaru Usman wins at UFC 251. Place your bets now! Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions.

Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 6:40 a.m. ET.

ANDRADE (+162) is worth a roll of the dice on the 2-way line, as she proved she can push Namajunas (-200) aside before. However, I’d go lightly on this one. If you think this one is too close to call, perhaps how the fight will finish is more your speed. Taking DECISION (-143) is the way to go.

ANDRADE BY DECISION/TECHNICAL DECISION (+350) on the 5-way line is a solid wager, too, assuming she is able to pull off the mild upset. Roll with OVER 2.5 ROUNDS (-162) or YES (-118): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? on round wagering.

Also see:

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Andrade (+162) to win outright pays a profit of $16.20. A $10 ticket for a win by Andrade via decision/technical decision (+350) fetches a return of $35. If you like the fight to go the distance (-118), a $10 wager gives you an $8.47 profit.

To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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6 burning questions heading into UFC 251

MMA Junkie senior editor Dave Doyle walks you through the key storylines from UFC 251, which features three title fights

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It’s a little ironic that the one time the UFC can’t do an “International Fight Week,” the promotion’s annual blowout July card is as international as it’s ever been.

The worldwide coronavirus pandemic caused UFC 251 to get moved to “Fight Island,” a.k.a. Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. There, Saturday night’s card will be topped with three title fights featuring competitors with roots in locations as disparate as the mainland U.S., Nigeria, Hawaii, Australia, Russia and Brazil. 

With [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] replacing Gilbert Burns on short notice in the welterweight title main event against champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag], [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] defending the featherweight belt against the man from whom he took the belt, [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], and [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] challenging former longtime featherweight kingpin [autotag]Jose Aldo [/autotag]for the vacant bantamweight belt, there are no lack of storylines heading into the grand opening of the UFC’s July run of shows in the Middle East.

The UFC 251 main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Without further ado, then, here are six burning questions heading into UFC 251.

Is this Jorge Masvidal’s moment of truth?

UFC 244: Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz

UFC 251 got an undeniable boost when Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) stepped in on a week’s notice to fight Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC).

Masvidal is by far the biggest name associated with this show, the sort who will bring viewers who might have previously been on the fence about buying the show into the fold. 

If you look at this one way, you can paint this as the ultimate win-win situation for Masvidal: “Gamebred” says he got close to the money had asked for during his recent holdout in order to take this fight. He gets the title shot which has eluded him in his long career and the opportunity to take things to yet another level. And if he loses? Well, he was the guy who was willing to fly to the Middle East on short notice to save a show and take on an enormous challenge. Who would hold that against Masvidal?

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But it’s not quite that simple. The stakes are, in fact, enormous. Masvidal has fought for 17 years and 48 official fights (and that’s not counting his Miami backyard roots) to get himself into this position. He has to fight an absolute killer in Usman, and no matter how his team tries to spin it, he obviously hasn’t had a full training camp. If he wins, his ascension to superstardom is complete. If he falters, he falls back into the pack at age 35. 

But then, fortune favors the bold, and that’s exactly what makes this a can’t-miss fight.

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UFC 251 pre-event facts: Is this the best title-fight triple header in UFC history?

The best facts and figures about UFC 251, which features Usman vs. Masvidal, Volkanovski vs. Holloway, and Yan vs. Aldo title fights.

The UFC makes its debut on “Fight Island” Saturday with UFC 251, which takes place at Flash Forum in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

Arguably the strongest championship triple-header in company sits atop the card, with [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) vs. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) for the welterweight title serves as the main event, [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) vs. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) for the featherweight title serves as the co-headliner, the [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) meets [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) for the vacant bantamweight belt in the featured bout.

All six men bring strong resumes into the title fights. For more on the numbers, check below for 70 pre-event facts about UFC 251.

* * * *

Main event

Kamaru Usman

Usman enters the event on a 15-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Usman is one of four fighters in UFC history to start 11-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.

Usman is the only welterweight in history to start his UFC career with 11 consecutive victories.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak is tied with Amanda Nunes for the second longest active streak in the company behind Nurmagomedov (12).

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the second longest in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (12).

Usman has earned eight of his 11 UFC victories by decision.

Usman outlanded Tyron Woodley by a margin of 336-60 (+275) in total strikes at UFC 235, the record for a UFC championship fight.

Usman landed 192 body strikes at UFC 235, the single-fight UFC record.

Usman has defended 100 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC competition, which includes 17 total.

Usman’s 12 takedowns landed against Rafael dos Anjos at the TUF 28 Finale are tied for second most in a single UFC welterweight fight. Luigi Fioravanti holds the record with 13 at UFC 82.

Usman has been controlled for just two seconds in UFC competition, the least amount of time in company history.

Jorge Masvidal

Masvidal competes in his fourth UFC headliner. He’s 2-1 in previous main events.

Masvidal competes for a UFC title in his 49th MMA fight, the second most experience in history for a first-time challenger behind Alistair Overeem (56).

Masvidal is 7-4 since he returned to the welterweight division is July 2015.

Masvidal has earned all six of his UFC welterweight stoppage victories via strikes.

Masvidal’s five-second knockout of Ben Askren at UFC 239 is the record for fastest in UFC history.

Masvidal is one of five fighters in UFC history to finish a bout by submission at the 4:59 mark of Round 2. He accomplished the feat at UFC on FOX 8.

Co-main event

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Volkanovski is the only Australian-born champion in UFC history.

Volkanovski’s six-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Arnold Allen (seven).

Volkanovski enters the event on an 18-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Volkanovski has outlanded his eight UFC opponents by a 650-301 margin in total strikes.

Volkanovski lands 56.8 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Jimmy Hettes (57.3 percent).

Max Holloway

Holloway competes in his 21st UFC featherweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Holloway’s 16 victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Holloway’s 10 stoppage victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Holloway’s eight knockout victories in UFC featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

Holloway’s six third-round stoppage victories in UFC competition are tied with Randy Couture and Yoel Romero for most in company history.

Holloway’s eight knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Jeremy Stephens (11) and Josh Emmett (10).

Holloway is one of three fighters in UFC history to complete 22 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown. B.J. Penn and Jon Jones are the others.

Holloway is the only fighter in history to land 2,000 or more significant strikes in UFC competition. His 2,071 landed are most in company history.

Holloway has landed 100 or more significant strikes in 10 separate UFC fights, the most in company history. No other fighter has more than seven such performances.

Holloway landed 290 significant strikes against Brian Ortega at UFC 231, the single-fight UFC record.

Holloway landed 134 significant strikes in Round 4 a UFC 231, the single-round UFC record.

Holloway and Ortega combined for 400 significant strikes landed at UFC 231, the single-fight UFC record.

Holloway’s seven fight-night bonuses for UFC featherweight bouts are third most in divisional history behind Cub Swanson (eight) and Chan Sung Jung (eight).

Featured bout

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Yan can become the third Russian-born champion in UFC history. Nurmagomedov and Andrei Arlovski also accomplished the feat.

Yan’s six-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Yan has earned all three of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.

Yan lands 1.52 knockdowns per 15 minutes in UFC bantamweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Cody Garbrandt (1.58).

Jose Aldo

Aldo can become the eighth fighter in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes.

Aldo is the third fighter in history to fight for a title following consecutive non-title UFC losses. Yoel Romero and Tank Abbott also accomplished the feat.

Aldo is the only two-time UFC featherweight titleholder in history and one of eight overall in company history to have two reigns in a single weight class.

Aldo was unsuccessful in his bantamweight debut at UFC 245 in December.

Aldo is 3-5 in his past eight fights after going undefeated for more than a decade.

Aldo’s 18 UFC/WEC featherweight victories are the most in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s 11 knockout victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are most in combined divisional history.

Aldo defends 91 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s nine fight-night bonuses for UFC/WEC featherweight bouts are second most in combined divisional history behind Swanson (11).

Remaining main card

Jessica Andrade

[autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) makes her 17th UFC appearance, the most by any female in company history.

Andrade is 8-2 since she dropped to the UFC strawweight division in June 2016.

Andrade’s 11 UFC victories are second by any female in company history behind Nunes (12).

Andrade’s seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10).

Andrade’s four stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for most in divisional history.

Andrade’s three knockout victories in UFC strawweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Andrade is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a slam. She accomplished the feat at UFC 237.

Andrade is one of four in history to win a UFC title fight by knockout stemming from a slam when she won at UFC 237.

Andrade landed 242 total strikes against Claudia Gadelha at UFC Fight Night 117, the most in a UFC strawweight fight.

Andrade out-landed Gadelha by 194 total strikes at UFC Fight Night 117, the largest differential in a UFC strawweight fight.

Andrade lands 7.22 significant strikes per minute in UFC strawweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.

Andrade’s 10 takedowns landed against Tecia Torres at UFC on FOX 29 stand as the single-fight record for a women’s UFC bout.

Andrade’s six fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are the most in divisional history.

Rose Namajunas

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since May 11, 2019. The 427-day layoff is the longest of her more than seven-year career.

Namajunas’ four stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for most in divisional history.

Namajunas’ three knockdowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Angela Hill for most in divisional history.

Namajunas’ three submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Cynthia Calvillo for most in divisional history.

Namajunas’ submission of Paige VanZant at the 2:25 mark of Round 5 at UFC Fight Night 80 is the latest stoppage in UFC strawweight history.

Namajunas’ four fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are second most in divisional history behind Andrade (six).

Amanda Ribas

[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) moves up to the UFC women’s flyweight division after spending her first three octagon appearances at strawweight.

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Jan. 19, 2019. The 539-day layoff is the longest of her more than seven-year career.

VanZant is 1-1 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in January 2018.

VanZant earned the first stoppage victory in UFC strawweight history with her knockout of Kailin Curran at UFC Fight Night 57.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

Jessica Andrade hopes to get short-notice calls with move to Las Vegas, willing to fight heavier

Jessica Andrade is looking to be as active as possible and will relocate to give herself that opportunity.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] won’t be going back to Brazil after her fight this Saturday.

The former UFC strawweight champion plans on relocating to Las Vegas after her bout with Rose Namajunas this weekend at UFC 25. Andrade (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) hopes to get short-notice opportunities in the future and thinks a move from Rio de Janeiro to Las Vegas will increase her chances of being able to answer a short-notice call.

“That’s the thing. We’re hoping that being in Las Vegas we’re going to get a lot of opportunities that we wouldn’t have otherwise,” Andrade told reporters through an interpreter during a media scrum Wednesday. “With the whole visa thing, a lot of processes that you have to go through with being a Brazilian in Brazil to get fights in the U.S. last minute is barely an option for us. So just being there, hopefully we get more opportunities.”

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Andrade won’t limit herself to opportunities at strawweight, either, as she’s open to move up on short notice.

“I’m willing to fight at 125, 135, you never know. I’ve been there and done that,” Andrade said. “Just another quick weight cut to 115 is going to be hard, so if something pops up, heck, even here in the island there’s a bunch of 125 fights. If they need someone as a replacement, I’m here.”

Andrade won’t be taking the charter plane back to Rio de Janeiro after her fight with Namajunas on Saturday. Instead, she will go to Las Vegas and have her team also relocate to the U.S. so she can have her regular training and camps.

Despite looking and planning for the future, Andrade is not overlooking Namajunas. After all, the 28-year-old knew the rematch would happen eventually.

“After the win in Rio, I told Rose she could have the rematch any time she wants,” Andrade said. “I just wish I had the belt, but unfortunately that’s not going to happen. It’s a fight that was meant to be, and it was going to happen. It’s going to be on this Saturday, but it could’ve been a year or five years from now. Eventually it was going to happen, so it’s good that we’re getting it out of the way.”

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