Jessica Andrade Steps in for Virna Jandiroba, Meets Tatiana Suarez at UFC Nashville

Former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade will replace Virna Janiroba and face Tatiana Suarez in the UFC Nashville co-main event on Aug. 5.

The promotion announced the 115-pound bout in a release on Tuesday. UFC on ESPN 50 takes place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, and is headlined by a bantamweight clash between Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov. According to MMAFighting.com, Jandiroba was forced to withdraw from the event due to a knee injury that will require surgery.

Andrade has already fought three times in 2023. After dominating Lauren Murphy in a unanimous decision triumph at UFC 283 in January, “Bate Estaca” has been finished in back-to-back outings by Erin Blanchfield and Xiaonan Yan. The first-round KO defeat to Yan at UFC 288 marked Andrade’s return to 115 pounds.

Suarez, meanwhile, was out of action for more than three years due to injury. She made her return at UFC Fight Night 220, where she submitted Montana De La Rosa in the second round with a guillotine choke on Feb. 25. The 32-year-old Millennia MMA product is 9-0 as a professional.