Former UFC champion Jessica Andrade working as delivery driver while recovering from injury
The Brazilian strawweight says she's willing to do whatever it takes to support herself while working toward a return to competition.
Jessica Andrade is about to complete a full year away from competition. The last time the Brazilian stepped into the Octagon was in August 2025, when she lost a unanimous decision to Lupita Godinez and suffered a serious shoulder injury. Since then, the former strawweight champion has undergone surgery and is still working her way back. During her time away from competition, "Bate Estaca" revealed she has turned to other ways of making money, including working as a delivery driver.
Jessica Andrade Isn't Afraid of Hard Work
A true veteran of the sport, Andrade made her UFC debut in 2013 and worked her way to the top of the division. The Brazilian earned a title shot against Joanna Jędrzejczyk but came up short, forcing her to rebuild her path before eventually defeating Rose Namajunas to become UFC Strawweight Champion. According to Andrade, that same work ethic has remained unchanged while she recovers from injury.
While recovering, Andrade has turned to working as a delivery driver to make some extra money. Speaking on Ag Fight's "Direto de Vegas" podcast, Bate Estaca made it clear she is not afraid of hard work.
"Thank God I've managed to save some money, so things are going well," Andrade began. "But whenever I need to, I work as a delivery driver. I go out and deliver meals and things like that. I 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."
Jessica Andrade Focused on Her Return
Since losing the strawweight title to Weili Zhang in August 2019, Andrade has experienced ups and downs inside the Octagon. More recently, the Brazilian has struggled to find consistency and currently rides a three-fight losing streak. Now, Bate Estaca is focused on the final stages of her recovery so she can return to competition as soon as possible.
During Andrade's absence, the strawweight division continued to move forward. Mackenzie Dern captured the UFC title, while the former champion slipped to No. 9 in the rankings. Even so, Andrade remains one of the division's most experienced fighters and hopes to begin another climb toward the top once she is medically cleared.
