Jessica Andrade has blamed a wardrobe malfunction on her loss to Erin Blanchfield.
The Brazilian MMA star says she 'lost focus' when her breast 'slipped out' of her sports bra during the fight.
Blanchfield, fresh off a huge win over Molly McCann, faced her toughest test to date in the form of ex-UFC strawweight champion Andrade, accepting the bout on short notice.
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And the young American stepped up to the plate, securing a submission win in the second round of their UFC Vegas 69 clash.
But while Blanchfield's performance has now catapulted her into title contention, Andrade believes there was a big factor that contributed to her victory.
“This is not an excuse, but when she came for the takedown, I lost focus. Because when she moved in, she put her shoulder just under my top and my breast completely slipped out. I lost focus and forgot to counter,” Andrade explained.
“All I could think of was my breast. When I used my hand to put my breast back in the top, that’s when she was able to take me down. It’s all part of the game, though. It’s not an excuse. She really had a great gameplan. It wasn’t on purpose. We have to be ready for everything. I should’ve been prepared to let my breast be out if it slipped out. It has been shown in so many places before. I shouldn’t even be worried about that.”
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Following her string of impressive victories, there have been calls for 23-year-old Blancfield to challenge reigning champ Valentina Shevchenko for the women's flyweight belt.
“I always try to think of what I want to say after a win because it can be very emotional and it can be a little cloudy but I knew beating someone like her, especially if I finished her, that I could deserve that title next,” Blanchfield said in her post-fight press conference.
She added: “I would definitely prefer Shevchenko I think she beats [Alexa] Grasso. I think Grasso is a very tough fighter, but I want to be the one to take that title from [Shevchenko].”
Max Sherry