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Former UFC champion Jessica Andrade has revealed that she now has to work as a delivery driver to make ends meet.
The Brazilian was the strawweight champion back in 2019 and has fought 30 times in the UFC since making her debut with the company in 2013, winning 17 of her fights to hold an overall record of 26-15.
Andrade now competes at flyweight, but hasn’t fought since last August after picking up a shoulder injury in her defeat to Loopy Godinez. The fighter, nicknamed ‘Bate Estaca’, has now revealed that her fortunes have taken a turn for the worse since that injury.
Speaking on Brazilian MMA podcast Direto de Vegas, Andrade revealed she now has a second job to make ends meet.
‘I work as a delivery driver, ‘ she explained. ‘I deliver meals and things like that. I just pick up orders through an app and make the deliveries
‘I do whatever it takes. I’m not afraid of hard work. I can do just about anything.’
Andrade then said she has started doing a landscaping project at her friend’s house, which involves removing rocks, putting down grass and painting fences to earn some extra cash.
‘If I’m good at this, it becomes one more thing I can add if I ever find myself short on cash. We need some extra money,’ she said.
Andrade has spoken previously about her financial plight, saying that she had to fight five times in 2023 alone to cover the costs of an expensive divorce from her partner. She also filed a lawsuit against her former manager over alleged embezzlement, which he denies.
Questions around UFC fighter pay have risen over the past 12 months with the start of Zuffa Boxing.
The boxing organisation, started by UFC President Dana White, paid Conor Benn nearly €13million for just one fight, and gives only 20% of revenue to fighter pay, while boxers get about 60% of revenue from their events.
UFC fighters are classified as independent contractors, but the organisation do cover medical costs for injuries sustained during sanctioned UFC fights.
