History-maker Jessica Andrade is looking to cause a storm in the UFC’s flyweight division, insisting she would not shy away from a match-up with feared champion Valentina Shevchenko having excelled on divisional debut in Abu Dhabi.
The former strawweight No 1, who competed at the inaugural Fight Island the capital in July, defeated top-ranked contender Katlyn Chookagian in the first round of the co-main event at UFC Fight Night on Sunday morning – the penultimate show on the promotion's second run on Yas Island.
In doing so, Andrade became the first woman in the UFC to register victories in three different divisions. The Brazilian had entered the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation at bantamweight.
“I feel really good,” Andrade told the media at the post-fight press conference at Flash Forum. “It’s one more accomplishment – one win in another division. I have to thank my master, my team, my wife, and let’s go to the next.
“I felt really well tonight. And if the UFC offers me a fight at 135 [lbs], 145 [lbs], we’ll see.”
With first flyweight test passed, Andrade is eying another title challenge, this time in her new weight class.
She believes she warrants the opportunity to face the winner of next month’s championship bout between Shevchenko and Jennifer Maia. The pair go head-to-head at UFC 255 on November 21.
“I think I can make a difference in this division,” Andrade said. “I can put up a fight against Valentina. It’s something that should have happened already in other organisations, so I’m going to make a difference and put on shows in this division.”
Andrade declared that she was even willing to step in at late notice should either Shevchenko or Maia have to withdraw from their fight, saying: “For sure. I’m going to stay ready. If that happens, I’ll be there if needed. In any other division – 135, 145 – I’ll be ready.
“We’ll fight wherever. Maybe with this fight [between] Jennifer-Valentina, the UFC’s going to want to have me fight another fight. But I’m the person to make the movement in this division – it’s exactly what it needs. It needs to do stirred around a little bit.
“I haven’t felt this happy and haven’t had this vigour to fight. I just feel very good tonight."
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Gallery from UFC Fight Night
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That was certainly evident in her performance in the early hours of Sunday at Flash Forum. Andrade rocked Chookagian with a body shot towards the conclusion of the opening round, ensuring she secured a rebound win following July’s defeat in her rematch with Rose Namajunas.
Andrade’s second Fight Island appearance earned her a $50,000 bonus for one of the two Performance of the Night handed out by UFC president Dana White.
"Thankfully I’m on a good bonus-winning streak and one of my goals has always been to buy my mum a house,” Andrade said. “So maybe next week I’m going to go down to my home state [in Brazil] to look into that. It’s always good to get a win and to get a bonus on top of that.”
Results
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Rasi, Harry Bentley (jockey), Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi (trainer).
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m; Winner: Ya Hayati, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Magic Lily, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Eynhallow, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
500 People from Gaza enter France
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COPA DEL REY
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
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Results
1.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Al Suhooj, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
2pm Handicap (TB) 68,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner Miracle Maker, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mazagran, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
3pm Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Alla Mahlak, Adrie de Vries, Rashed Bouresly
4pm Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Hurry Up, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m
HAJJAN
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
WE%20NO%20LONGER%20PREFER%20MOUNTAINS
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A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
PRISCILLA
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MATCH INFO
Europa League semi-final, second leg
Atletico Madrid (1) v Arsenal (1)
Where: Wanda Metropolitano
When: Thursday, kick-off 10.45pm
Live: On BeIN Sports HD
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee