Jessica
Andrade is not above working a regular job to make ends
meet.
The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight titleholder has been
sidelined for nearly a year while recovering from a shoulder
injury. During her hiatus from competition, the Brazilian has
turned to working as a delivery driver.
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Jessica Andrade explains why she’s working as a delivery driver
during her UFC injury layoff
Andrade, who has fought 30 times in the UFC, winning the 115-pound
title and also challenging for the flyweight belt, has been away
from action for almost a year now. However, it hasn’t stopped her
from finding alternate paths of income.
“Thank God I managed to save some money, so things are going well,”
Andrade said in an interview with Ag Fight. “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 also took up another project recently, helping a friend
renovate their house.
“Recently I started a project at [a friend’s] house, installing
artificial turf,” she said. “Her backyard was nothing but rocks. I
went there and removed all the rocks from the ground. I thought,
‘I’ll give this a try. If I’m good at it, it’s one more way we can
make some extra money whenever we need it.’”
Andrade has spoken publicly about financial struggles before. In
2018, she revealed that she sold UFC memorabilia to help make ends
meet. She also disclosed that her former management failed to pay
taxes owed from several of her 2023 bouts.
While Andrade has yet to lock in her next fight, she remains
focused on her rehabilitation as she works towards her Octagon
return.