Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs Jessica Andrade In The Works For UFC Orlando
The UFC has a new strawweight queen in Rose Namajunas and there’s no shortage of challengers vying for her title.
Sources close to MMANYtt.com have revealed that a strawweight bout between Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Jessica Andrade is being targeted for UFC Orlando on Feb. 24. The news was confirmed this afternoon by Combate.
Kowalkiewicz (11-2) is coming off the back a win against Jodie Esquibel in October when she defeated the UFC debutant via a unanimous decision. Prior to that, the Pole had suffered back-to-back losses to Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 205, and then Claudia Gadelha at UFC 212 last June. With the wind now back in her sails, the #4 ranked Kowalkiewicz will look to take on another woman who fell short of the title against Jedrzejczyk earlier this year.
Andrade (17-6) is currently #2 in the division and is coming off the back of a win against Gadelha in September. Prior to that, Andrade was defeated by Jedrzejczyk at UFC 211 in Dallas after going on a winning streak of three against Angela Hill, Joanne Calderwood and Jessica Penne.
A win for either woman would put them right back into the title mix at 115-pounds with the champion Namajunas still awaiting to see whether or not former champion Jedrzejczyk will be granted an immediate title shot.