Training, conditioning, and attitude often determine how a fighter fares in a fight. But at its best, the exchange still remains a gamble. If it clicks, the fighter gets the reward. Otherwise, it’s back to the grind. For some, that struggle extends beyond the ring or the cage. The former UFC women’s strawweight champion Jessica Andrade‘s current situation appears to point in that direction.

Sidelined by a shoulder injury since her unanimous decision loss to Loopy Godinez last year in August, the Brazilian is now forced to make a living by delivering goods. Speaking with Direto de Vegas, the popular Brazilian platform dedicated to mixed martial arts and the UFC, ‘Bate Estaca’ shared a few details that may surprise some.

“Thank God I managed to save some money, so things are going well,” Andrade said in the interview conducted in her native Portuguese. “But whenever I need to, I work as a delivery driver. 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.”

She isn’t alone in this. Former flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja famously worked as an Uber Eats driver in 2021 to help supplement his income and support his family. He did it even days before big UFC fights. Several UFC fighters work odd jobs on the side to help support their families since UFC historically pays up very little in terms of remuneration.

Thankfully for the former champ, the 34-year-old has found a line of work that not only keeps her busy but also provides her with an income to sustain herself. But it is also important to understand what has compelled the former strawweight champion to look for a living outside MMA while continuing to fight in the UFC.

Andrade’s current predicament likely stems from the trajectory her career recently took. Active in the UFC since 2013, she became a champion in May 2019 by defeating Rose Namajunas and faced some of the biggest names the division had to offer. But her career soon took a turn when setbacks became a pattern.

Since January 2023, switching between flyweight and strawweight, the 26-15 fighter has competed in nine bouts, out of which she could secure victories in only three.

Those losses were compounded by the severe shoulder injury she reportedly suffered during the bout against Loopy Godinez. Last year, Andrade met the Mexican on the preliminary card of UFC 319, headlined by the title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev.

More importantly, this isn’t the first time in her UFC career that Andrade has had to make such a decision to keep herself afloat.

The financial struggles behind Jessica Andrade’s UFC journey

Eight years ago, coming off her sixth career loss to Joanna Jędrzejczyk in May 2017, which also marked her first attempt at the strawweight title, Andrade was on a two-fight winning streak before she entered a bout against Karolina Kowalkiewicz in September 2018.

While the matchup was set to earn her a shot at then-reigning champion Rose Namajunas’ title, reports suggested financial pressure also played a major role in Andrade taking the fight against Kowalkiewicz, when she could have waited and bided her time for the championship fight.

Speaking with media at the time, Andrade revealed how a lack of sponsors forced her to sell her gear to pay her bills.

“Sometimes we have to sell UFC clothes, backpacks, gloves, and stuff like that to make some extra money to finish a camp,” she said at the time. “It’s quite difficult, but we go on.”

“…It would be great if we had this support from people, from businessmen, to say, ‘We will help.’ Even if it’s only with 500 reais ($120), because 500 reais makes a huge difference by the end of the month.”

Considering she allegedly received $96,000 for her previous bout against Tecia Torres, Andrade had, however, little reason to blame the UFC for her financial situation at the time.

Years later, her financial situation remained precarious, largely on account of factors such as her management team’s alleged failure to pay taxes in the United States for the fights that took place in 2023. The year stands out given that Andrade stepped into the cage a record five times.

A year later, in 2024, reports emerged that Andrade was planning to file a lawsuit against her former trainer and manager, Gilliard Parana, over an alleged embezzlement of $2 million, a claim Parana later rejected.

The UFC veteran’s situation also highlights how some fighters, while acknowledging the risk associated with a career in mixed martial arts, prepare for the possibility that fighting may not always be their only source of income.

One example is Tommy McMillen. The 28-year-old featherweight from Great Falls, Montana, has been getting major attention since his fight on Dana White’s Contender Series last year in September.

While he has been making strides in the promotion, including a recent third-round knockout of Alberto Montes and breaking the record for most strikes in a scheduled three-round bout, McMillen also took steps to build a career outside fighting. He worked as a recruiter and salesman, ensuring that he had a steady income. That way, his reliance on fight purses was reduced to a great extent.

Perhaps Jessica Andrade could have anticipated the financial setbacks she was likely to face in her UFC journey and taken similar measures as McMillen. Still, considering that the 34-year-old is willing to adjust and work hard until the situation improves, she deserves praise.