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UTICA, N.Y. – Sijara Eubanks missed out on her first opportunity to fight for the UFC women’s flyweight title back in December. After recording her first official UFC win on Friday at UFC Fight Night 131, she said she’s earned a second chance.

Eubanks (3-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) defeated Lauren Murphy (10-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC) by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 131, which took place at Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, N.Y., and aired on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass. It put “The Ultimate Fighter 26” finalist in good position to challenge for a title, and that’s what Eubanks wants.

Although it wasn’t the emphatic finish she wanted, Eubanks said she’s the best candidate to challenge the winner of the planned 125-pound title bout between champ Nicco Montano (4-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Valentina Shevchenko (15-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC).

“I feel like I’m next in line,” Eubanks told reporters, including MMAjunkie, after her win. “I know the whole talk is that Nicco and Valentina are going to be the next matchup, but I really think that – I knew the winner of me and Lauren was going to get the winner of Nicco and Valentina. So I figured I was going to win tonight. I won, and I figured that’s next. But I really want to get back to the gym, because it’s off camp that you have the most improvement.”

Eubanks said she was relatively happy with her performance against Murphy. It helped put some of the memories of her failed weight cut for the inaugural women’s flyweight title fight against Montano in December in the past, and also gave Eubanks a crucial 15 minutes of UFC experience.

“I thought I dominated all three rounds,” Eubanks said. “I wanted to finish, but who doesn’t want to finish their fights? Everyone wants a submission or a knockout. You just want to prove that you’re even more dominant than that. I feel like I controlled the whole fight from front to back, so I’m happy with it.”

Eubanks made some significant lifestyle changed following the disappointing situation in December. She said fighting at flyweight takes serious commitment, and she plans to keep very disciplined going forward to ensure she’s ready for her next opportunity.

“I’m going to stay training,” Eubanks said. “Taking care of my body is the No. 1 thing. It’s important that I stay nice and lean to stay fit for this flyweight division. I know the best Sarj. It sounds cocky, but I don’t know who messes with me when I’m at my best.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 131, check out the UFC Events section of the site.