In an interview with MMAFighting, UFC women’s bantamweight Jessica Andrade revealed that she would be making the jump from bantamweight all the way down to the strawweight division. It is not a move she desired, as in a previous interview she said that cutting down to 115-pounds would be “too much” for her. However, that was when she was riding high on a three-fight winning streak, but now finds herself 1-2 in her last three contests. It was a second round rear naked choke submission in a rematch against Raquel Pennington that sent her back to the drawing board, where she weighed her options and decided to make the move from 135-pounds down to the 115-pound division. The Brazilian feels the weight cut is not an issue, as she previously concerned it could be. “It’s easy. I expected it to be way more complicated, but I managed to stay at 132-pounds and eat well,” she said. Many would agree that this is a wise move for Andrade, who is undersized for the UFC’s bantamweight division. She was competing in the women’s flyweight division prior to signing with the UFC, but since the UFC does not have a 125-pound weight class, she had to compete as a bantamweight. Now, cutting down to strawweight, she will go from being at a size disadvantage to having a size and strength advantage over her opponents. The Brazilian feels happy about her move to a new weight class, where she will have a quicker route to a title shot. In her new division, she will aim to make a run for the gold. The 24-year old currently has no fight booked. but she longingly looks forward to her Octagon return.
