Andrade: Fight With Champ Shevchenko ‘Should Have Happened Already’

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

After breezing past #1 ranked Katlyn Chookagian in her first fight at women’s flyweight, Andrade wants a fight with the champion yesterday.

Jessica Andrade stormed her way into the UFC wome’s flyweight division with a quick and mean TKO victory over #1 contender Katlyn Chookagian. The fight ended off a nasty body shot that literally sent Chookagian spinning across the cage in pain. Andrade chased her down with a flying knee before attacking the same spot and finishing with another vicious shot to the ribs (watch the highlights here).

The win didn’t just blast Andrade to the top of the 125 pound division. It also earned her the distinction of being the only woman in UFC history to earn wins in three different weight classes (115, 125, and 135). Add in her brief holding of the belt at 115 and how do you not justify a title shot against current champ Valentina Shevchenko?

At the post fight press conference Andrade made it clear that she felt ready.

“I think I can make a difference in this division,” she said. “I think I can put up a fight against Valentina. It’s something that should have happened already in other organizations, so I think I’m going to make a difference and put on shows in this division.”

She’s even down to step in if something happens to the upcoming women’s flyweight title fight between Shevchenko and Jennifer Maia set to go down at UFC 255 on November 21st.

“For sure I’m going to stay ready,” Andrade said. “If that happens, I’ll be there if needed. In any other division – 135, 145 – I’ll be ready. I haven’t felt this happy and haven’t had this vigor to fight. I just feel very good tonight.”

Now that she no longer has to killer herself to cut down to 115, Andrade sounds excited to compete as much as possible. After defeating the much larger Chookagian using speed, power, and ferocity, she’s clearly feeling capable of fighting bigger women.

“We’ll fight wherever, Andrade said. “Maybe with this fight, Jennifer Maia and Valentina, the UFC’s gonna want to have me have another fight. But I’m the person to do the movement in this division. It’s exactly what this division needs, it needs to be stirred around a little bit.”

Maybe with the way the UFC is booking things these days and turning around uninjured fighters quick, they’ll go ahead and just slide Andrade onto the UFC 255 card against another opponent. Andrade clearly wouldn’t mind, she just sees it as another paycheck, not even a challenge to herself or her apparent #1 contender spot.