Jessica Andrade finds motivation in three-fight skid ahead of return at UFC 295

NEW YORK – Jessica Andrade is facing her worst career stretch, but she’s not letting that get her.

The former UFC strawweight champion is on a three-fight losing streak entering Saturday’s matchup against Mackenzie Dern on the main card of UFC 295, which goes down at Madison Square Garden.

Andrade (24-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC) was finished by her last three opponents, as she got submitted by both Erin Blanchfield and Tatiana Suarez, and knocked out by Yan Xiaonan.

Although the landscape might look grim for Andrade, she’s using the three-fight skid as motivation.

“I think there is a lot of pressure,” Andrade said through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC 295 media day. “Actually, more pressure on myself to turn things around and to have a different outcome. You obviously feel the pressure to have a different outcome going forward.

“I think for me, I’ve seen so many things throughout my career in the UFC that to me, it’s more motivation to get back in the win column, motivation to have a comeback, motivation to keep my place in there. So for me, it’s more motivation than pressure.”

In terms of the fight itself, Andrade is happy to have been matched up against Dern (13-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC). She believes their skills promise an action fight.

“I think it’s a great fight as far as matchmaking goes,” Andrade said. “I think it’s a fight that should’ve happened in the past, but it’s finally happening. As far as style, she’s definitely got an edge in the jiu-jitsu and her ground game, but as far as stand up game, she’s gotten better in striking, but I don’t think she’s at my level. I’m at a very high level of striking. I got that style against her, so I think stylistically this is a really good matchup.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.