This past Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC Nashville, we saw a big time matchup in the strawweight division with potential title implications. Former world champion Jessica Andrade (24-12) was looking to get back on track as she took on the unbeaten Tatiana Suarez (10-0).
Thus far in her career, Suarez had overwhelmed opponents with her dominant wrestling and strength. There were questions on how she would handle herself against someone with a ton of power and a ton of strength like the former champion Jessica Andrade.
Well, Andrade never really got going on Saturday night. She couldn’t stop a couple of big takedown attempts and never looked comfortable on the feet. She was kept at distance with body kicks and you could tell she was hesitant to blitz at the fear of being taken down.
In the second round, she forced a scramble, but she scrambled directly into a guillotine attempt by Suarez. Suarez cranked on the choke and Andrade was forced to tap handing the former UFC champion her third straight defeat.
What’s next after UFC Nashville?
It’s hard to believe that this is where we are at with Jessica Andrade. Entering 2023, she was a top contender at 115 and 125 pounds. Then, she destroyed Lauren Murphy in front of her country Brazil. It looked like Andrade could get a title shot in either weight class.
Then, she decided to take a short notice fight against Erin Blanchfield and was stopped. She then took on Yan Xiaonan and got knocked out in the first. The former UFC champion then took this fight against Suarez and was once again finished. She’s gone from a title challenger in two weight classes to three straight losses by finish.
So, what’s next for her? Personally, I like the idea of her fighting Marina Rodriguez next. Rodriguez had a big winning streak going at 115 and like Andrade, is now on a losing streak that has dropped her back in the division. It would be a fun fight between the two strikers and would provide the winner with a good opportunity to bounce back.