UFC 268: Jessica Andrade picks Rose Namajunas to retain title in Zhang Weili rematch
- ‘Weili is very quick, but Rose is stronger than she looks. I don’t think this will be a five-round fight,’ Andrade says
- Former strawweight champ insists she will ‘fight anyone to get my shot’ at winning back the belt after failed run at flyweight crown
Former UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade has nothing but bad intentions for the winner of the title clash between incumbent Rose Namajunas and challenger Zhang Weili at UFC 268 on November 6.
The Brazilian (22-9) wants another shot at the belt – after a failed run at Kyrgyzstani-Peruvian Valentina Shevchenko (22-3) and her flyweight crown – and that is why she is keen to lay out her vision of how Namajunas-Zhang will play out.
The fact the 30-year-old took the title from Namajunas (10-4) via first-round knockout (slam) in May 2019, and then lost it to Zhang (21-2) via first-round TKO (knees and punches) in August 2019, adds considerable weight to her words. As does the three-round war Andrade lost to Namajunas in their non-title rematch in July of last year.
“I’ve fought them both and with Weili it was quick so I didn’t get a chance to know her as a fighter, but I fought Rose and I know her potential. I think she is going to win,” Andrade told the Post.
“Weili is very quick, Rose is stronger than she looks. I don’t think this will be a five-round fight, and I think Rose is going to get the win. Then I will fight anyone to get my shot and I will have my chance to win the belt back again.”