Jasmine Jasudavicius had a bit of a hiccup getting to Edmonton earlier this month, but after having to switch flights when her original booking was re-routed, it all worked out in the end.
Jasudavicius (12-3), now the 13th ranked women’s flyweight in the promotion, submitted Ariane Da Silva at UFC Edmonton to claim her second Performance of the Night bonus, and third victory, of 2024.
The UFC was “so amazing,” noted Jasudavicius, speaking with Cageside Press recently. The company sorted out her flight issues after the airline tried to fly Jasudavicius all the way to Vancouver, then back to Edmonton, with a layover in between. Not the ideal situation for a fighter cutting weight, with a big opportunity on the horizon.
The end result was made all the more sweeter by submitting Da Silva, herself a former Submission of the Year winner from the UFC (in 2020, for her kneebar submission of Luana Carolina).
“The more successful she is, and then showing myself on top of that, then obviously the better,” Jasudavicius stated. “I was definitely nervous going into that fight, so I’m glad it went the way that it did.”
Still, asked if she could sum up the year she’s had – three wins, two in Canada, and two Performance of the Night bonuses in 2024 – Jasudavicius was more focused on what’s ahead.
“Honestly it’s like once a fight is done and I have another one booked, then I completely forget all of that and I’m only focused on kind of what’s ahead of me,” she admitted. That’s always been the case with the St. Catharines, Ontario-based fighter. “I think I’ve kind of always been like that. If you’re looking behind you, then you’re missing out on what’s going on in front of you. So I think it’s like, once something’s done I’m like ‘okay that was fun, what’s next?'”
What’s next is Mayra Bueno Silva. The pair shared the UFC 297 card to kick off 2024, where Silva faced Raquel Pennington for the women’s bantamweight title. Now, Jasudavicius and “Sheetara” will face off with Bueno Silva returning to 125lbs for the first time in years.
“She fought for a title before, at the weight class above. It is what it is. When this got offered and the team said ‘hey I think this is a good move,’ then I was about it. I trained with her before, so I kind of knew a little bit what she brings to the table,” Jasudavicius revealed. “Once we got offered that, I was of course nervous because she is very, very tough and very skilled, but this is what has to be done in order to make my way to the top. That’s part of the process.”
Jasudavicius was originally offered a date in January at the Apex, but needed a little more time. Even February seemed a bit too soon, but the offer to fight in Saudi Arabia sealed the deal.
“They’re like ‘it’s in Saudi Arabia,’ I’m like ‘let’s do it!’ How cool is that? Life’s about experiences, and once I heard it’s in Saudi Arabia, what’s crazier than that right now? Jumping on opportunities is what I do, so I thought that it would make the most sense.”
Most people avoid crazy. For Jasmine Jasudavicius, she embraces the crazy. “Exactly. The more potential adversity, the better. I thrive when the pressure’s on, so this kind of adds to the fun.”
Jasmine Jasudavicius faces Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC Saudi Arabia on February 1, 2025.
