The Strawweight Queen is back. “Thug” Rose Namajunas will return this weekend against Brazilian powerhouse Jessica Andrade in UFC 237’s headliner in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. This will be the champions first fight back since last April. UFC 237 is live from the Jeunesse Arena this Saturday. Coverage begins with the early prelims at 3:15 p.m. PST on UFC Fight Pass, followed by the prelims at 5 p.m. PST on ESPN, and finally the main card at 7 p.m. on Pay-Per-View.

Namajunas, who is on a three-fight win streak, looks to defend her belt for a second time this weekend. The 115 pound champion is coming off a classic bout against the former strawweight title holder Joanna Jedrzejczyk, where she won by unanimous decision. Since that bout last April, Namajunas has been on the sidelines. She had been dealing with a neck fracture. Namajunas appeared on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show last June in which she revealed she was dealing with a fracture that did not require surgery. The last we had seen from Namajunas was impressive. She was becoming a fighter that had gone through the trenches of defeat and came out the other side better than ever. A winner of six of her last seven, including a knockout and decision victory over the once undefeated title holder Jedrzejczyk, Namajunas is turning towards a different opponent. This weekend, Namajunas is set to return and is putting her three-fight win streak and her title on the line against Andrade on enemy turf.

Andrade is on a three-fight win streak that includes a vicious first-round knockout of Karolina Kowalkiewicz. The Umuarama native is known for her heavy aggression and fast pace. This is her second title shot opportunity in two years. Andrade is looking to take a different approach this weekend, as she appears to be cutting down on a lot of muscle mass. Perhaps this is to increase cardio, or it could be assistance with her upcoming weight cut down to 115 pounds. Nevertheless, Andrade looks prepared to capture UFC gold this coming weekend.

Also on the card, 44-year old Anderson “The Spider” Silva takes on number 10 ranked Jared Cannonier in a middleweight division bout. This fight has no title shot implications but a dominant performance can shoot both of these fighters up to top 5 competition. Both of these men have a lot to prove, as Silva hopes to regain some of the momentum his illustrious career has provided in surplus and Cannonier looks to make a name for himself in his new weight class.

Silva has dropped three of four while Cannonier has won two of four. Look for this fight to stay standing and not go the full 15 minutes.

One of the best featherweights in MMA history in Jose Aldo will take on rising prospect Alexander Volkanovski. Aldo is currently on a two-fight win streak with both wins coming by TKO. Volkanovski is on a 16-fight win streak and is 19-1 overall. This bout is intriguing because Aldo has proven throughout his career that he is one of the most powerful strikers in the division with amazing counter-wrestling. Volkanovski has been nearly unstoppable but it should be noted that this is his biggest test yet. He was tested against Chad Mendes last December, but overcame adversity and ended up winning in stunning fashion. This could be Volkanovski’s biggest win yet and could shoot him straight up a title shot. The same could be said for Aldo, but with current featherweight king Max Holloway having two stoppage victories over him, it would be hard to justify a third fight between the two.

Nevertheless, the bout should exceed expectations and will showcase an amazing display of mixed martial arts. Will the hometown hero take down another prospect? Or will Volkanovski prove he is as elite as he claims to be?

UFC 237 is live this Saturday. The main card begins at 7 p.m. PST only on Pay-Per-View.