New York, NY — Former UFC women’s strawweight champ Jessica Andrade picked up a much-needed win at UFC 295 on Saturday, knocking Mackenzie Dern down four times en route to a TKO finish in the second round.
“Bate Estaca” was clearly elated following the win, helped all the more by fellow Brazilian Alex Pereira winning gold to close out the event in New York City.
“Brazil has a title again, we have a belt. So many emotions. I got her four times. We’re beating records here,” exclaimed Andrade (25-12).
As for the clear discrepancy on the feet, especially in terms of power, “we knew that this was going to happen,” said Andrade. “We knew that, my team had mentioned ‘she does not have the strength to knock you out.'” Her team also advised Andrade that whatever she landed in the bout, Dern was “going to feel it, and she’s going to open up, and that’s exactly what happened. She opened up. It was a fight of calmness, a fight of patience and just waiting for the right moment to strike.”
“I know my power, I know the strength of my strikes, and as I always say for every interview, where ever my hand lands, no hair’s gonna grow anymore. I know how strong I am, and I’m going to keep doing it.”
Moving forward, Jessica Andrade expects to see some familiar names as she works her way back up the women’s strawweight division.
“The rematches are what’s going to take me through the path of being a champion again. I know that in order to be a champion, to actually be able to fight for the belt towards the end of the year next year, I’m going to have to have some rematches and beat some girls that beat me.”
Ultimately, he desire is for one particular rematch: with Zhang Weili, who took her title back in 2019.
“I think obviously having the opportunity to fight Weili, because it was kind of a quick fight, it was taken quickly. I think I deserve another chance,” stated Andrade. Though another rematch, against Joanna Jedrzejczyk, currently retired, also interests her. “It would be really cool if Joanna comes back. That would be really interesting.”
Watch the full UFC 295 post-fight press conference with Jessica Andrade above.
