Update: Katlyn Chookagian vs. Jéssica Andrade in the works for UFC event on October 17th.

One-time strawweight titleholder, Jéssica ‘Bate Estaca’ Andrade is still expected to make her flyweight division bow on October 17th. – but not against originally targeted opponent, Jessica ‘Evil’ Eye. A matchup between the Brazilian and recent title challenger, Katlyn ‘Blonde Fighter’ Chookagian is currently in the works for the UFC Fight Night event instead.

Andrade and Eye were targeted to meet at the event, with the bout failing to come to fruition after Eye suffered an injury which required surgery recently.

Hoping to land in a new division with a win – 28-year-old Paraná native, Andrade dropped a close split judging loss to fellow former champion, ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas at UFC 251 last July in the pair’s rematch. The defeat marked two straight for Andrade.

Returning to the win column at UFC Fight Night Vegas at the end of May – Pennsylvania native, Chookagian managed a shutout unanimous decision win over Antonina Shevchenko – following a prior loss to her younger sister, flyweight titleholder, Valentina Shevchenko. News of the reworked 125-pound pairing was initially reported by MMA Junkie reporters, Nolan King and John Morgan.

Now a former contestant at bantamweight and strawweight, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Andrade looks to improve on her 11-6 promotional record in between both divisions. Before her previously mentioned decision defeat to the returning Namajunas, Andrade lost the strawweight crown in a forty-two second knockout loss to current strawweight best, Zhang Weili in August last year.

Rising to the strawweight summit, Andrade took high-profile wins over Cláudia Gadelha, Tecia Torres, and Karolina Kowalkiewicz – before a shocking slam knockout win over then-champion, Namajunas in their UFC 237 headliner in May of last year.

Renzo Gracie Combat Team trainee, Chookagian has been majorly dominant at flyweight since her return to 125-pounds back in January of 2018 at UFC Fight Night Charlotte opposite Mara Romero Borella.

In four wins since, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt has managed to pick up victories over Alexis Davis, Joanne Calderwood, former Invicta FC titleholder and upcoming title challenger, Jennifer Maia, as well her aforenoted win over Dana White’s Contender Series product, Shevchenko.

Ross Markey

Senior writer for FightBook MMA. An aspiring mixed martial arts reporter based in Ireland. Producer of news articles, interviews, opinion features, and exclusive features such as, ‘The Fallout’, ‘The Breakdown, and, ‘This Week In MMA’.