Ever since suffering a severe shoulder injury during her unanimous decision loss to Loopy Godinez at UFC 319 last August, Jessica Andrade’s fighting career has been on pause. Nearly eleven months have passed since that night, leaving the former strawweight champion physically unable to step into the Octagon.
And surprisingly, to keep up with her living expenses during this extended recovery period, Andrade recently revealed that she has taken up work as a food delivery driver.
Jessica Andrade Details Her Side Hustle
While speaking on the Direto de Vegas podcast recently, Andrade said she’s managed her finances well enough to get by, but doesn’t hesitate to take on extra work when the bills come due.
“Thank God I managed to save some money, so things are going well. 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 said.
#UFC fighter Jessica Andrade delivering food to make money while sidelined with injury
📰 https://t.co/VMwJ8bvfLB pic.twitter.com/8wumVmj4s8
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) July 22, 2026
Andrade added that she recently helped a friend with a landscaping job, clearing rocks and laying turf, while her shoulder heals from an injury sustained in her last fight.
Andrade, 34, is a 30-fight UFC veteran sitting at 17-13 inside the Octagon and 26-15 overall. She won the strawweight title at UFC 237 in 2019 and has fought the absolute best in the world, including Rose Namajunas and Mackenzie Dern.
But financial struggles have shaped much of her career. Early on, she sold her own gear to make ends meet, and she later faced back taxes from 2023. That same year, she fought five times specifically to pay for her divorce. She is currently on the sidelines following a decision loss to Loopy Godinez.
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Recently, Andrade dropped a lawsuit against her former coach and manager, Gilliard Parana. She had filed the suit in 2024 over an alleged $2 million embezzlement. Parana denies all the accusations and Andrade confirmed she will not move forward with the legal dispute.
Jessica Andrade’s UFC Story Shows Fighter Pay Still Catches Up With Champions
Andrade’s situation highlights a frustrating trend in MMA. Former champion Alexandre Pantoja faced this same reality.
In 2021, despite being a top UFC contender, he drove for Uber Eats while his wife cleaned houses to pay for basic living expenses during the pandemic.
Andrade faces similar financial vulnerability today. He subsequently lost the flyweight belt at UFC 323 to Joshua Van, who defended his title against Japanese contender Tatsuro Taira.
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Since MMA organizations do not pay regular salaries when athletes cannot compete, injured fighters must seek immediate side hustles. Andrade’s return to delivery work while recovering shows exactly what fighters must do to survive outside the cage.
PHOTO CREDIT: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
