UFC strawweight contender Claudia Gadelha had already shared the octagon twice with reigning champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and was hoping to work her way back for another shot at the title, but Jessica Andrade had other plans.
Andrade was able to dominate Gadelha for the majority of three rounds at UFC Japan, putting a lot of pressure on her and landing hard shots from nearly every position. The end result was a unanimous decision victory for Andrade as she put on the best performance of her UFC career.
There was also a lot of bad blood going into the fight as Andrade had accused Gadelha of abandoning her real home in Brazil.
“I don’t know if you can call it that, since she pretty much left everybody there in Brazil,” said Andrade discussing Gadelha’s exit from team in Brazil.
“A lot of people in Brazil are not happy with her,” Andrade said. “Because of the way things went and because of the statements she made about the country and the people there who are involved in fighting. This is something that she has to be responsible for. It was her decision, as was the way she dealt with it, and her reputation in Brazil was damaged because of it. Especially around the people that are in the sport.”
Following the fight with Adrade, Claudia made no excuses for her performance and just said that she would like to take some time off after a long ten months of training and fighting.
“No excuses. All merit goes to Jessica. Congratulations on your performance. Now my heart asks me to say something to you guys because I am feeling how much loved I am, how blessed I am, and how much I live the life I asked God for. I’m happy to see real friends and fans in defeat too, and that’s priceless. Thank you all for everything! I want to come here also to communicate that I will take some time off. I just went through 3 fights in 10 months, 10 months of much learning but also very tiring. I need time with my parents who are in Brazil loving me in the same way, my entire family as well. I’m going to be Ana Claudia a little more, breathe light things and enjoy the pleasures of life a little bit. With the certainty that Claudinha will come back stronger. Thanks to those who got my back!! Love you all!”
