It took 42 seconds for China’s Zhang Weili to strip the UFC strawweight title off Jessica Andrade. It’s taken the Brazilian 11 months to come to terms with playing a part in her downfall. “I think that I got really excited and ahead of myself,” said Andrade. “I wanted to finish that fight quickly and I wanted to go back home and that’s where I went wrong. I ended up getting knocked out.” Now, “Bate Estaca” (20-7) is back and preparing for a rematch with American Rose “Thug” Namajunas (8-4) at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday that, for all intents and purposes, plays out as an eliminator to decide the next fighter to go into battle against the Chinese phenomenon. Andrade and Namajunas have a little history of their own, of course. At UFC 237 in May last year they spent a round and some more slugging it out before Andrade slammed Namajunas to the canvas – at 2.58 of the second round – to claim the strawweight title and finally deliver on the potential she had always shown in a decade inside the cage. Maybe that move was a hint at what would eventually be Andrade’s undoing against Zhang in Shenzhen last August, that desire to get things done and dusted as soon as possible. No doubting that Zhang’s sheer talent played a massive role as well, and the Chinese fighter has since carved a slice of UFC immortality thanks to the five-round war that saw her defend her crown against Poland’s Joanna Jędrzejczyk (16-4) in arguably the greatest fight the women’s side of the sport has seen. But during an international media day before Saturday’s Fight Island card, Andrade was asked a few times about what she thought went wrong last August. And the sense is she has a fierce desire to make matters right. Ribas wants to steal some of ‘crazy’ VanZant’s fans at UFC 251 “When I saw an opening [against Zhang] I went for it and I ended up losing the fight,” said the 28-year-old. “I’ve definitely worked on my patience [since] and having the patience to go in there and find the right pace for the fight. [A rematch is] obviously what I want. I want to go and fight for the belt. Whoever wins this fight is going to be in that position.” Andrade faces a fighter also seeking redemption in the 28-year-old Namajunas. She lost the strawweight title and she’s battled some personal and physical demons. In past times the pair have trained together but over the past 12 months – with their destinies inside the cage again becoming entwined – they have gone to separate camps. View this post on Instagram Está chegando a hora!! #4Dias Marque um amigo que vai assistir com você o meu retorno ao octógono no #UFC251 #4Days A post shared by Jessica Andrade “Bate Estaca” (@jessicammapro) on Jul 7, 2020 at 9:25am PDT “I think a lot has changed since the last fight and the lead-up to this one,” said Andrade. “I think she has changed, I have changed. So we are really going to have to get in there and see who wants it more. “Rose feels like she knows me so that was really the point of camp, to switch things up. I’ve been working a lot on my takedowns, on my movements. I’m not just going to be standing there for her to punch me. I think that’s really going to make the difference, the switch up.” The Covid-19 pandemic forced Andrade to lock down with those close, but she said the extra work done on cardio – enforced via quarantine – has her fitter than ever. Even the rescheduling of the clash, as the UFC rearranged its calendar, has had its positive points, she said. View this post on Instagram Primeiro teste para COVID-19 feito Agora só esperar o resultado. O UFC @ufc @ufc_brasil está com uma estrutura incrível para a realização dos eventos, sensacional, cumprindo todos os protocolos e cuidados para não colocar os atletas em risco. . . First test for COVID-19 done! Now just wait for the result! . The UFC has an incredible structure for the events, sensational, complying with all protocols and care not to put athletes at risk. A post shared by Jessica Andrade “Bate Estaca” (@jessicammapro) on Jul 1, 2020 at 12:39pm PDT “I actually didn’t have to retrain, I just continued doing what I was doing,” said Andrade. “I was able to have a little break and had more time looking at what I needed to do for this fight. So it ended up being great for me because I had more time to assess what I needed to do. “It’s really about getting a win right now. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I’ve already proved that I’m tough enough, every time we step in there. So it’s really about coming and having a victory. “I think I’ve always been underestimated but I like it,” said Andrade. “I like going in there and showing the warrior that I am.”