A champion in the cage, a worker on the street
Jessica Andrade, once a UFC women’s champion with 17 wins in 30 fights, now works in app-based food delivery and manual labor to support herself. The 34-year-old Brazilian has been out of competition for less than a year due to a shoulder injury, but is already finding it necessary to work multiple jobs.
“Thank God I managed to save some money, so things are going well,” she said in a recent interview.
From titleholder to lawn landscaper
In addition to delivery work, Andrade recently started installing artificial turf at a friend’s house, removing rocks and readying the yard for the project. If I’m good at it, it’s one more way we can make some extra money whenever we need it.’”
This transition follows a career packed with honors, including six “Performance of the Night” bonuses and five “Fight of the Night” awards. She won the UFC title in 2019 by defeating Rose Namajunas in a dramatic finish—something that should, in theory, secure long-term financial stability.
The cost of coaching and content
Andrade took legal action against her former coach and manager over claims of embezzling more than $2 million from her accounts. She’s also sold her fight gear when sponsorships were hard to come by. In 2021, she launched an OnlyFans account, though she later said she felt pressured into it and disliked the experience.
Over the last few years, the UFC fighter has struggled with inconsistency, moving between the strawweight and flyweight divisions. She has dropped three fights in a row, though she did defeat current champion Mackenzie Dern with a knockout just recently.