A potential strawweight title eliminator has been agreed for UFC 228 as Jessica Andrade is expected to meet Karolina Kowalkiewicz on Sept. 8.
Sources close to the matchup confirmed verbal agreements are in place but no contracts have been issued for the fight. ESPN initially reported the contest.
While Andrade seemed like the most likely contender to challenge Rose Namajunas next, a lingering neck injury will keep the strawweight champion sidelined for the immediate future.
With the title fight unavailable, Andrade is wasting no time booking her next fight with the ferocious Brazilian expected to return in September. Andrade is coming off a pair of dominant victories over Claudia Gadelha and Tecia Torres in consecutive bouts.
As for Kowalkiewicz, she’s won her last two fights in a row including a split decision victory over Felice Herrig back at UFC 223.
Both Andrade and Kowalkiewicz fell to former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in past title fights but with the championship changing hands now, each of them now has a chance to climb back up the ladder with a win in September.
There has been no main event announced for UFC 228, although several fights have been announced for the card. There’s also no location for the fight card, but there are rumors that UFC 228 may take place in Dallas, Texas but again nothing has been confirmed at this time.
Who wins the strawweight fight between Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Jessica Andrade? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
