UFC veteran Jessica Andrade has raised some real concerns among mixed martial arts fans after revealing she is currently working as a delivery driver to bring in some extra money.
Jessica Andrade, who is a former UFC world champion, has lost three on the bounce and hasn’t been seen since last summer when he was beaten by Loopy Godinez. Andrade picked up a shoulder injury, meaning that we are still waiting on the eventual return of the 34-year-old to active competition.
In her many years under the UFC umbrella, Jessica Andrade has been able to achieve some great things, and she has also cemented herself as one of the nastiest finishers in the history of women’s MMA.
UFC Champion as Delivery Driver
In a recent interview, however, Jessica Andrade revealed that she has taken another job in order to get onto a more comfortable financial footing, and it doesn’t make for good reading.
Jessica Andrade discusses current financial situation
“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,” Andrade said, external on the Brazilian MMA podcast Direto de Vegas.
“I do whatever it takes. I’m not afraid of hard work. I can do just about anything.”
“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.
Quotes via BBC
Beyond anything else, this points to the absolutely insane structure of fighter pay that is clearly holding athletes back from earning what they deserve on the UFC roster. They are sold the dream of a lifetime by Dana White and the company, with the idea being that if they are good enough, they can achieve great riches.
In reality, fighters like Andrade who have fought 30 times in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, should not have to take other jobs as a way to earn more money. It’s beyond a joke, and it’s something that will hopefully be rectified in the years to come – if not, the complaints are going to get louder and louder.
