Jasmine Jasudavicius was already chomping at the bit ahead of UFC 297, when we spoke with the flyweight star ahead of her January 20, 2024 fight with Priscila Cachoeira.
In an interview conducted just prior to Christmas 2023, the Canadian admitted that “I’m counting down the days already,” adding that “I can’t wait for fight night.”
The timing of the fight means no big Christmas meal for the Southern Ontario-based fighter, and a toned down celebration heading into New Year’s. “This year’s Christmas is really tamed down because of it. We just plan on celebrating after.”
Still, it’s bound to be worth the wait. This past June, Jasudavicius (9-3) got a preview of what fighting at home will be like, competing on the opposite end of the country in Vancouver in front of a roaring Canadian crowd.
“As soon as you got into the hotel, you could already feel the vibe and everything,” she recalled. “I’m hoping that it’s the same thing, and all the Canadians win straight and everything. But that was kind of an unbelievable event, so hopefully this one blows it out of the water.”
A repeat of that perfect storm of Canadian success — the red and white went 6-0 on the night — would be ideal for Jasudavicius. “You could feel it in the air. I called it even the first day, the first interview that I had, I’m like ‘I could see Canada going six straight on this.’ It was crazy. I hope Toronto’s like that.”
There’s been one fight in between for Jasmine Jasudavicius, now entering her sixth bout with the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion. That was a September loss to Tracy Cortez, at Noche UFC in Las Vegas. It’s a fight that left Jasudavicius with mixed feelings due an an injury sustained early in the bout.
“In that fight I broke my orbital right away, like two minutes in, so I couldn’t see anything. I’m obviously kind of like unhappy with my performance but at the same time, under the circumstances I’m happy with my performance I guess. That one’s kind of behind me, I’ve learned my lessons from that, and this is a new adventure, a new kind of monster to tackle.”
Luckily for Jasudavicius, no surgery was needed to correct the orbital, though it required an extended stay in Las Vegas to ensure the pressure of a flight didn’t complicate matters. When she took the fight with Cachoeira, in fact, “I was still having kind of like issues with it and I was really worried. But I just held out hope that everything would be good with it, and it was continuing to heal. And I didn’t want to not get this opportunity and kind of be stuck, so I was just holding out hope and pushing for the fight and here we are. My eyes are all good, and I’m excited for this event.”
For a time, it seemed as if Jasudavicius might be matched up with Andrea “KGB” Lee, a fight she’d been calling for. In the end, she isn’t certain how the pairing with Cachoeira wound up coming together.
“Not entirely sure, I was just pushing for any fight I could get,” explained Jasudavicius, who admitted to messaging UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard weekly. Her original callout of KGB Lee came because the former LFC champ is “always down” to fight, and was “a very respectful callout,” she added.
“I was hoping for anyone who would say yes, and Priscila was the one that said yes, and here we are.” As for what she expects from Cachoeira, “they call her the ‘Zombie Girl’ for a reason. I expect her to be like that, a zombie.”
What has Jasudavicius most excited, of course, is the setting. She lights up at the prospect of fighting in Toronto, frankly. “In Vancouver, I feel like I had the crowd with me but this time, I’m really going to have the crowd. Because my family, my friends are able to make it. This is literally an hour from my house. It’s unbelievable,” she exclaimed. Though there will be one exception to her family being present.
“My dad, he doesn’t come, he doesn’t watch me fight. He says it gives him a stomach ache,” Jasudavicius said with a laugh. On the flip side, “my sister, she’s like a big fan, she’s come to almost all of them. And my mom as well.”
Watch our full interview with UFC 297 flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius above.
