The Pressure Is on Jessamyn Duke in Her UFC Return After Yearlong Absence
The horsewoman rides again.
Jessamyn Duke, frankly known more for her time on The Ultimate Fighter and her place in Ronda Rousey's "Four Horsewomen" contingent than for her performances to date in the UFC, is returning to the Octagon after a year away. The bantamweight will face Elizabeth Phillips at UFC on Fox 16 on July 25.
The UFC announced Duke's return Thursday, with Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting subsequently reporting the news.
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The rangy muay thai fighter is 3-2-1 as a pro and 1-2 in the UFC. She bested Peggy Morgan in The Ultimate Fighter 18 but has not won since.
Most recently, in July 2014 she lost by first-round TKO to Leslie Smith. However, it's her previous performance that may be more memorable.
At UFC 172 in April 2014, Duke dropped a unanimous decision following a contest in which neither Duke nor her opponent looked particularly good. The biggest moment came after the fight was over, when Duke's opponent looked into the camera, held up four fingers in Four Horsewomen sign and peeled one down to signal she had completed the first leg of a larger journey.
That opponent was Bethe Correia, who went on to defeat another Horsewoman in Shayna Baszler and did a good enough job of antagonizing her way into a title fight with Rousey this August at UFC 190 in Brazil.
In the meantime, Duke will be looking to regain the form she had earlier in her career. As a fighter in the Invicta promotion, she won her first two contests, the first by TKO and the second by submission.
She hasn't come close to recreating that success in the UFC so far.
Luckily for Duke, she is still only 28, but she may feel the pressure to win in July. Otherwise, the consequences may be severe. She has lost two straight, and three consecutive losses is often (if not always) a tipping point for release from the UFC.
The relatively unknown Phillips (4-3) has also lost two straight in the UFC, potentially setting up a "loser-leaves-town" matchup at UFC on Fox 16.
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