UFC 315's Jasmine Jasudavicius explains importance of 'skill-development rest' between fights
MONTREAL – Jasmine Jasudavicius has been looking forward to a real vacation for a while, but also knows why staying sharp between fight camps is important.
At UFC 315, Jasudavicius (13-3 MMA, 702 UFC) returns to action to face former champ Jessica Andrade in a key bout for the women’s flyweight division at Bell Centre on May 10.
Fight camp is beginning to ramp up for Jasudavicius, which has become somewhat of a bittersweet necessity. Getting a win over Andrade (26-13 MMA, 11-7 UFC) is important to reach her goal of becoming champion, but it also means a true vacation has to wait a little longer.
For her last fight against Mayra Bueno Silva in February, fight camp meant missing out on Christmas and New Year’s festivities with the family. The idea was to take some time away after that unanimous decision win, but when the UFC called to take on a former champ, it was time to get back in the gym to work through the good and not-so-good days.
“Every single time you do a camp, you get to those days where you’re exhausted,” Jasudavicius told MMA Junkie. “So, I expect those days. That being said, I made sure to take rest. After my last fight, I really did take some rest.
“I’m back in the gym now, but I’m enjoying it. I’m still able to rest my mind. I’m like having fun with martial arts. So, it’s still a rest, but a skill-development rest. That being said, after this fight, I’m going to take a real vacation.”
Jasudavicius has won four straight fights and has her sights set on Valentina Shevchenko’s title. Currently ranked No. 9 by the promotion, Jasudavicius knows a win over No. 7 Andrade puts her on the shortlist for title contenders.
At the UFC 315 on-sale press conference, Jasudavicius was sat next to Shevchenko, and admits she couldn’t help but eye the championship belt sitting on the table just inches away.
“To be able to be here almost like as a dry run before I’m able to do it with that belt sitting in front of me there, it’s absolutely amazing,” Jasudavicius said. “Valentina has showed so much within the sport, and me sitting up next to her, I look forward to my opportunity to kind of be in her shoes and have that belt.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 315.