With her next fight officially booked, Sijara Eubanks is working hard to ensure the weight-cutting disaster that struck her career in December doesn’t happen again.

Eubanks (2-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) committed one of the biggest gaffes in recent UFC memory when, on weigh-in day, she was forced to withdraw from the inaugural UFC women’s flyweight title fight against Nicco Montano due to being hospitalized from a weight cut gone wrong. Montano went on to claim the gold against last-minute replacement Roxanne Modafferi, and Eubanks was the target of heavy criticism for the mistake.

In the months since that forgettable day prior to The Ultimate Fighter 26 Finale, Eubanks has kept a relatively low profile while sorting out her next steps. She was recently announced for a 125-pound matchup against Lauren Murphy (10-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) at June’s UFC Fight Night event in Utica, N.Y., meaning her incident didn’t serve as a deterrent from fighting in the weight class.

Eubanks said she had no doubts about remaining at flyweight. Over the past several months, she said she’s done everything right to guarantee history doesn’t repeat itself with future weight cuts.

“I had no doubt whatsoever (about fighting at flyweight),” Eubanks told MMAjunkie. “In my mind I was like, ‘I want 125, this is the best division for me.’ I feel like I have some redemption I want to get at flyweight, just as far as the weight cut itself. But I wanted to do it in a safe and healthy manner, so I went out to the UFC Performance Institute (in Las Vegas) and I asked them straight up: ‘Can I make it in a healthy way?’ They said, ‘Absolutely.’ That’s all I needed.

“I’ve been focused. I’ve got a new nutrition plan, new condition plan and been focused on getting that together. This allowed me to be a better fighter because it put me in a place where I have to be more disciplined and more strategic in my weight management than I’ve ever been before. It makes me an even more dangerous fighter.”

Eubanks said the adjustments to her training and preparation has resulted in a greater lifestyle change. She’s cut red meat and chicken our of her diet, and has also overcome her disdain for using long-distance running as part of her conditioning plan. As a result, Eubanks said she feels refreshed and can put more energy into training her skill set rather training to lose weight.

Once it was decided the 125-pound division would be her home, Eubanks said she lobbied for the UFC to reschedule her title bout vs. Montano. The champion even said she wanted Eubanks as her first defense, but Eubanks is understanding of the UFC’s desire to go in another direction.

“I definitely asked (for a title shot),” Eubanks said. “It’s not like I lost or anything, but I figured I was realistically going to have to take another fight before I was granted the title shot again. No problem. I don’t mind proving I can make the weight and I can be a more disciplined fighter in that area. Of course I was hoping for it. I saw Nicco she said she was hoping to fight me out of the gate. But everything happens for a reason. We are where we are and I’ll fight whoever I’ve got to fight.”

Eubanks ended up drawing Murphy as an opponent, and they will clash at the UFC’s debut event in Utica, which goes down June 1 at Adirondack Bank Center and airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass. The pair has a bit of history stemming from their time on “The Ultimate Fighter 26” reality series, but Eubanks said she doesn’t hold much of a grudge.

Prior to the tournament quarterfinals, Eubanks was seemingly on the cusp of missing weight. Murphy attempted to use Eubanks’ scheduled sauna space to cut weight in case a last-minute replacement was needed, which caused some obvious tension between the sides. Eubanks said she doesn’t hold resentment toward Murphy over the incident, but she did admit those memories make her a little more excited to share the octagon with the former Invicta FC champ.

“We had the little bit of beef, per se, on the show with the whole sauna incident and everything like that,” Eubanks said. “For me, once I made the weight it was over and kind of dead to me. It came back up when the episode aired, and I think it’s just a little cherry on top. I told (my team) I would do whatever it takes to get back to the title. I’m not picky. I want to fight the best, but whatever everyone says is the best way for me to get back, then that’s what I’m going to do. When Lauren’s name came up it was just a little extra grin. It was a little extra, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll take that one for sure.’ Get us a little hype.”

Eubanks said her goal for the encounter with Murphy is to make a statement. Murphy has never been stopped inside the distance during her MMA career, and Eubanks said being the first would send the type of message she’s looking for.

“I’m going to finish Lauren for sure,” Eubanks said. “There’s definitely a lot of holes, per se, in her game that we can take advantage of. It’s a really good matchup for me and I’m really excited to put on some fireworks. I’m determined to prove that I not only belong in this division, but that I’m a force and a finisher in this division. It’s a lot less about Lauren and a lot more about me bringing my best self to the cage on June 1.”

If Eubanks wins in the grandiose fashion she expects, then a title shot could be a realistic possibility. She’s not confident Montano will still be holding he gold when she gets there, though, because the champ likely has a dangerous first title defense ahead against Valentina Shevchenko.

“I think Valentina takes that one, for sure,” Eubanks said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Nicco, especially after she came out and said she would like to fight me for her first title defense. But I think from what I know watching Nicco fight in the house and from what I’ve seen out of Valentina at 125 and 135, I think Valentina’s a little more well rounded than Nicco is. Definitely a lot more experienced. I’m going to give it to Valentina if that fight comes through.”

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