VANCOUVER — A decade into her career as a mixed martial arts fighter, Jasmine Jasudavicius is still learning.
Now the world is starting to learn about the Canadian, too.
Proof that Jasudavicius is grabbing attention came last week when she was nominated for World MMA's female fighter of the year award.
News of the honour caught the No. 5-ranked flyweight off guard.
“I was at the gym, and a teammate of mine told my coach, and then my coach came and told me, and I'm like, ‘No way! I can't believe that. How unbelievable," Jasudavicius said.
“It kind of shows that all my hard work and everything that I have been doing, it wasn't for nothing. I put in a lot of work, a lot of early mornings, a lot of leaving the gym crying because I had a bad practice, getting emotionally attached to it. So it kind of just like shows, like, OK, it was for something."
The recognition comes as Jasudavicius (14-3-0) prepares for her next bout — a fight against No. 2 Manon (The Beast) Fiorot at UFC's Fight Night in Vancouver on Oct. 18.
Fiorot (12-2-0) is coming off a title-fight loss to Valentina Shevchenko in May.
Jasudavicius, 36, sees her matchup with the French fighter as a chance to steal Fiorot's spot and get one step closer to a title belt.
"We're at the top of the food chain, so everyone has very good strengths," she said. "I think that she's obviously very talented. And I’m ready to go in there and kind of see where I stack up against her. I watched her against the champ. I saw where she's at, I saw how talented she is. And I’m ready for my opportunity."
Fighting in Canada is always special, said Jasudavicius, who hails from St. Catharines, Ont.
"Within our country, I think that we're going through a crazy time right now," she said. "And to be able to go in there, if people can kind of forget about everything that's going on and just watch, I feel like I’ve got Canada on my back in there. I’m doing it for us. One for the good guys."
Canada has been good to Jasudavicius, too — she has yet to lose on home soil.
Back in May, the five-foot-seven fighter took down Brazil's Jessica (Bate Estaca) Andrade by submission at UFC 315 in Montreal.
The victory marked her fifth win in a row.
Jasudavicius credits the streak to consistency. For her, MMA is all encompassing.
"Even if I'm out of the gym, I'm doing something active — bike riding, hiking, all that kind of stuff. My mind is always on martial arts and getting better, becoming the best martial artist that I could possibly be," she said.
"And I think doing that for the last 10 years is why I'm finally seeing the fruits of the labour. Now it's like I planted this seed and I've been waiting for so long for 'Please grow, please grow, please grow!' Finally it's a tomato plant or whatever."
There's a duality to MMA, said Jasudavicius, because while she trains with a team full of coaches and sparring partners, she enters the cage alone. With the roar of the crowd, she can't hear her coach inside the octagon.
"I have a very, very good community around me. But yes, it sometimes does feel lonely because it is an individual sport," she said. "I'm the one that's getting up at six in the morning doing the hill sprints and stuff."
At the same time, the community is incredibly tight.
"It's something about punching your buddy in the face that just brings you closer, I guess," Jasudavicius said. "Once you've sweat on someone, it’s like you feel their soul. When you go with someone, you can’t hide yourself. You really, actually truly feel them."
Unlike some fighters, Jasudavicius came to MMA later in life. She grew up playing a variety of sports, but didn't try fighting until she was 26.
There are benefits to finding your passion as an adult, the fighter said, especially when it takes a physical toll.
"Because I wasn't in the sport for years and years, my body didn't get broken down," she said. "Look at all the wrestlers — they all have neck issues, back issues, knee issues, shoulder issues. Like every sport, you get damaged if you're doing it since you were a kid, it's inevitable. It's a physical sport."
Her career may span 10 years, but Jasudavicius is still constantly discovering new things about her craft.
"I feel like I'm a rookie and a vet all at the same time," she said. "I still have that white belt mentality to learn, because I know that I only know (a tiny bit) about martial arts, about each discipline, and so I feel like I'm hungry to learn.
"But I'm also experienced. I've had enough time in the cage. I've had enough of those ups and downs. I've had enough of the lessons. I feel like I kind of have the best of both worlds right now."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
