It would have been roughly eight months between fights for Canadian UFC ladies’s flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius when she steps into the octagon subsequent month.
That’s longer than the Southern Ontario native would really like, and when she does return to motion, will probably be towards a recent face within the type of newcomer Gabriella Fernandes. That’s after unique opponent Cortney Casey was compelled out of the bout.
Chatting with Cageside Press in an unique interview this week, Jasudavicius (7-2) revealed how she obtained the information — and the way it virtually arrived late. “After I was in Florida, it really was form of unhealthy, as a result of I’ve a Canadian cellphone plan, but when I had been to attempt to do it within the States, it will be like $10 a day as well as [to the monthly plan]. So it simply didn’t make sense, so I simply acquired a cellphone there to make use of only for information and to make cellphone calls, no matter. And so I’d solely verify my Canadian cellphone each couple days,” Jasudavicius recalled. “I don’t even know precisely which day it was, Mick [Maynard, UFC matchmaker] messaged me and he stated ‘hey, Cortney’s out, however Fernandes, she’ll step in.’ And so I don’t know, hopefully it was simply that day, I don’t need to look unhealthy to Mick or something.”
Jasudavicius instantly accepted the change, and knowledgeable her workforce, with the contract arriving the subsequent day. That was roughly every week in the past. Now, Jasudavicius has a brand new opponent to deal with, although in complete she will get roughly a month to arrange.
“I believe it’s an excellent match-up. She’s a southpaw kicker. We’ve modified the sport plan, we’re getting ready for her as a substitute of Cortney now, however I believe it’s going to be good,” she stated of the change.
“In fact you’ve got slightly little bit of sport planning. I’ve clearly watched her and my workforce watches her, however on the finish of the day, you by no means know the way they’re going to come back in,” the Canadian stated when requested whether or not she tended to focus extra on herself, or her opponent. “We’ll have slightly little bit of a plan, however it’s all about me and what we’re doing and what we will management. That’s primarily form of the main target now.”
Natalia Silva, Jasudavicius’ earlier opponent, took her the gap, serving up the Niagara High Workforce fighter’s first loss within the UFC, and simply her second as a professional.
“You study one thing from each camp and each battle. Sadly I didn’t stroll away being the winner of that battle, however I really feel like I did study a ton from that battle. A loss forces you to study and to essentially work on loads of issues,” Jasudavicius noticed. “I really feel like in that battle I used to be making an attempt to do to a lot, I used to be making an attempt to make it a present and was making an attempt to do all this. I simply should go in there and battle, I can deal with combating and successful the battle. Not get all caught up within the hype and the way thrilling it’s. I actually do, I like competing and I take pleasure in being in there, however I’ve to deal with it being a battle.”
On the plus facet, Jasudavicius acquired quarter-hour of cage time underneath her belt towards Silva. “There’s no substitute in any respect. It doesn’t matter what you do within the room or something, there’s no substitute for actually lively competitors. And for me to have the ability to do this for quarter-hour, it pays so nicely, for data, for every thing.”
F*ck you, watch this.
Feb twenty fifth ⚔️ @ufc pic.twitter.com/4Swd5PzT7s
— Jasmine Jasudavicius (@JasJasudavicius) January 22, 2023
In current months, the 33-year previous has been extra lively on social media, launching a sequence of movies entitled “MMA is F*cked” and internet hosting polls and MMA-themed questions. A type of not too long ago requested what battle followers would change the result of; her personal reply was Jones vs. Cormier 2 at UFC 214.
Jasudavicius is of two minds on the social media entrance it appears. On the one hand, she sees herself probably exiting social media solely when her combating profession wraps up. “I sit up for being completed combating and never having to fret about social media in any respect. I’m going to be a type of folks that has a land line solely, go away a message, like nobody speak to me, I’m not going to have a cellphone, nothing once I’m completed. Perhaps I’ll, we’ll see, however proper now, that’s my considering.”
Then again, she’s realized to see the advantages an lively social media presence can convey. “I didn’t actually understand how essential social media was, and fascinating with the followers, and actually form of displaying who I’m. As a result of folks don’t know who I’m, so for me to point out my character, it makes it a bit extra intimate. In order that’s why I’ve been making an attempt to be extra lively on social media. And as well as with that comes higher sponsorships, and extra eyes on the battle and every thing, so it’s form of all-encompassing.”
Within the meantime, Jasudavicius sees herself incomes the win over Fernandes subsequent month, and her objective previous that’s to remain busy.
“I need to be lively. Similar to I stated earlier than, I’m right here for an excellent time, not a very long time. I don’t need a lot of a layoff, [like] from my final battle,” she said. “God forbid, I take no harm this battle, and I can get again dwelling and begin one other coaching camp that Monday, or no matter, two Mondays from after the battle or one thing like that. I need to be tremendous lively this 12 months and actually climb the ranks.”
A part of the rationale for the prolonged layoff between fights this outing was holding out for a rumored Canadian UFC occasion. The promotion has not headed north of the border since 2019, previous to the onset of COVID-19.
“They had been speaking a couple of Canada card, and so we had been like ‘oh perhaps we’ll look ahead to that card,’ as a result of it was rumored that was going to be like January. I believe that’s what a part of it was. However now shifting ahead, when the battle’s completed, I’m going to be making an attempt to get one thing instantly.”
Within the meantime, Jasudavicius is preserving her fingers crossed, hoping the UFC does make it to her native Canada quickly. “I hope so. Me and Mike Malott, we at all times discuss how sick it will be to battle in Toronto. I need to battle at dwelling so unhealthy.”
Watch our full interview with Jasmine Jasudavicius, the place she provides her ideas on the return of Jon Jones and extra, above. Jasudavicius faces Gabriella Fernandes at UFC Vegas 70 on February 25, 2023.
