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Jessica Andrade is staying on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi despite her loss to Rose Namajunas at UFC 251. The two had first fought last year in Brazil, where Jessica Andrade defeated Rose Namajunas to become the UFC Women's Strawweight Champion.
Jessica Andrade lost the title in her first defense to Weili Zhang in China and was looking to make it 2-0 over Namajunas in their 3-round fight. However, Rose Namajunas beat the Brazilian in an incredible contest that won them both the "Fight of the Night" bonus.
It looked like Rose Namajunas took a lot more damage but she did enough to secure the decision victory. However, this hasn't stopped Jessica Andrade from wanting to step right back in the Octagon.
When asked about Jessica Andrade's status in the post-UFC 251 press conference, Dana White confirmed that she's staying on Fight Island in hopes of taking a short-notice fight (H/T BJPENN.com):
“Yeah, she hit me up and said, ‘I’m already training again and ready to go.’ She’s a little beast. Am I concerned about, no– I’m not concerned somebody (might miss weight or get injured) and we need her for backup. That’s just her mentality and that’s just what a little badass she is. She hit me up too and said, ‘I’m ready to fight again if you need me.'"
Is it too soon for Jessica Andrade?
The Brazilian former Champion Jessica Andrade is coming off two losses in her last three fights. Despite this, there's no denying that she's in the upper echelon of the Women's Strawweight division and also of Women's MMA globally.
The fact that she's willing to step inside the Octagon on short notice proves the Championship mentality that she holds and we could see her have another fight in the quickest turnaround of her career.
