When they competed in different weight classes, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Jessica Andrade had the same manager, got along well and even trained together on sporadic occasions. After the Brazilian went down to strawweight, though, everything changed, and a somewhat hostile atmosphere was created after the UFC champion changed teams and changed managers.

Upon hearing that the Polish champion took issue with some of her previous comments during an interview on The MMA Hour last Monday, Andrade assured she has respect for her rival and tried to put an end to the controversy. 

According to "Bate Estaca," all her comments on Jedrzejczyk's fighting style are technical analysis and should not be taken personally.

"It can also be seen as promotion but technically speaking, if you watch her fights, you can see that she was knocked down and that she felt the blows," Andrade told FloCombat via AG. Fight. "It seems to me that if she takes a strong blow to the chin, she can fall. I did not say that to tease (her), I said even though I noticed that it could be her weak point, she can also see mine and talk about that, no problem. I respect her a lot, she's one of the toughest athletes around, no wonder she owns the belt. I'm looking forward to fighting the best."


Caption:Feb 4, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Jessica Andrade (red gloves) fights Angela Hill (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Andrade, who has already started her camp for the fight at UFC 211 on May 13 in Dallas, Texas, predicts an evenly matched bout. Aggression is her signature style, and the Brazilian had no trouble acknowledging she is less technical than her upcoming opponent on the feet. However, Andrade also guarantees she has what it takes to nullify this difference when the two of them meet in the cage.

"I think it's going to be a great fight, it's going to be a great show," Andrade said. "I think it's going to be a great fight. But I'm good on the ground. She's good defensively, but she got dropped in her last fight. It's going to be a war."

Knowing Jedrzejczyk's abilities standing up, Andrade currently pays special attention to her Muay Thai training. There is also a trip to Thailand planned, where she is looking to sharpen her punches and kicks before challenging for the UFC belt.

"It's in the plans to go to Thailand, but if it does not happen, I'm sure it's going to be well done here, we're already doing a camp, and the idea is to go in April and stay there for three weeks, then head straight to Dallas," Andrade said. "We are seeing how the training will be here and if it is feasible to go or not."

This will also be the Brazilian's first camp with a real-sized Octagon as part of her daily routine. This novelty is the result of an investment that Andrade made in herself--she bought the cage in conjunction with her coach to be able to train in more detail for her Polish rival.

"We have brought new girls to train with us, we have invested in new teachers," Andrade said. "We also bought an official size Octagon, because the one we had was smaller, and that makes a lot of difference. It helps to get a sense of size and space, how much you can spin, where the middle of the cage is, when it's near the grid."

At 25 years old, and with a professional record of 16 victories and five losses, Andrade remains unbeaten as a strawweight. With three convincing wins in the category, the Brazilian now has the chance to become the UFC's first Brazilian women's 115-pound title holder when she faces off with Jedrzecyzyk in Dallas.