Jessica Andrade Bio
Jéssica Fernanda da Costa Andrade, known professionally as Jessica Andrade, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Born on September 25, 1991, in Umuarama, Paraná, Brazil, she is a former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion and has also challenged for the Flyweight title. Standing 5 feet 2 inches tall with a 62-inch reach, Andrade has built a reputation as one of the most exciting finishers in the sport. Her aggressive style and willingness to engage in high-action bouts have earned her a devoted fan base and multiple post-fight bonuses.
With a professional record of 26 wins and 15 losses, Andrade remains an established figure in mixed martial arts. She carries the nickname Bate Estaca, a Portuguese term for piledriver, reflecting the punishing nature of her striking and grappling. Holding a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, she blends submission skills with knockout power across multiple weight classes.
Early Life and Background
Jéssica Fernanda da Costa Andrade was born to farmer parents Julio Andrade and Neusa Andrade in the small city of Umuarama in Paraná, Brazil. She is of Native Brazilian descent through her great-grandmother, a heritage she has acknowledged as part of her identity. Growing up, Andrade worked alongside her older brother Fernando in her parents’ plantation fields until child labor protections ended that chapter of her childhood. She later took jobs at a fish-and-pay pond and delivering medicine for a local drug store to contribute to her household.
As a young athlete, Andrade channeled her energy into soccer and futsal, eventually earning an opportunity to play for a São Paulo-based club. Her parents, however, did not allow her to relocate, and that decision redirected her competitive path toward combat sports. During her school years, she began training in judo before transitioning to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2011. The discipline would become the foundation of her future mixed martial arts career.
Path to MMA
Andrade’s introduction to competitive martial arts came through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments in her teens. During an early amateur competition, she was caught in an armlock and reacted by lifting and slamming her opponent head-first into the mat, an illegal move that resulted in immediate disqualification. Teammates who witnessed the explosive maneuver gave her the nickname Bate Estaca, meaning piledriver, a label that has followed her throughout her professional career.
The intensity that defined her grappling style carried directly into her professional transition. After years of training at Gracie Humaita in Umuarama, Andrade made her professional mixed martial arts debut on September 6, 2011. She won eight of her first ten fights in her native Brazil, competing primarily at bantamweight before eventually entering the UFC. Her early regional performances caught the attention of major promotions and set the stage for her arrival on the global stage.
Jessica Andrade Career
Early Career (2011–2013)
For her first six professional fights, Andrade trained at Gracie Humaita in Umuarama under the guidance of coach Gilliard Paraná. After a victory over Duda Yankovich, she relocated to Niterói to join Paraná Vale Tudo, the team that has remained her primary camp. On April 14, 2013, she fought outside of Brazil for the first time, submitting Milana Dudieva at ProFC 47 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Her rapid rise through the regional ranks earned her a UFC call-up later that year.
Andrade made her UFC debut on July 23, 2013, against Liz Carmouche at UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Moraga, stepping in as a replacement for Miesha Tate. The bout was historically significant as the first time two openly gay fighters met inside the UFC octagon, though Andrade lost via technical knockout in the second round. She quickly bounced back with a unanimous decision win over Rosi Sexton at UFC Fight Night 30, beginning her climb up the bantamweight ladder.
UFC Breakthrough (2013–2018)
Andrade’s early UFC tenure featured a string of competitive bouts, including a split decision win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 171 and a first-round submission of Larissa Pacheco at UFC Fight Night 51. After a loss to Marion Reneau, she rebounded with a unanimous decision over Sarah Moras before announcing her move to the strawweight division in late 2015. Her decision paid off immediately, as she stopped Jessica Penne via technical knockout at UFC 199 and submitted Joanne Calderwood at UFC 203.
Her 2017 unanimous decision victory over Maryna Moroz earned her a Fight of the Night bonus, and later that year she challenged Joanna Jędrzejczyk for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship at UFC 211, losing by unanimous decision. Wins over Cláudia Gadelha, Tecia Torres, and Karolina Kowalkiewicz kept her near the top of the division, and her first-round knockout of Kowalkiewicz at UFC 228 earned her a Performance of the Night award.
Strawweight Championship Era (2019–2020)
Andrade captured the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship on May 11, 2019, with a dramatic second-round slam knockout of Rose Namajunas in the main event of UFC 237. The iconic finish earned her both Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night honors. Her first title defense came against Zhang Weili on August 31, 2019, at UFC on ESPN+ 15, where she was stopped via first-round technical knockout, ending her reign.
Following the loss, Andrade dropped to flyweight and defeated Katlyn Chookagian via first-round technical knockout on October 18, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie, becoming the first woman in UFC history to win in three different weight divisions. A rematch with Namajunas at UFC 251 ended in a split decision loss, but the effort earned her another Fight of the Night bonus.
Recent Years (2021–Present)
Andrade challenged Valentina Shevchenko for the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship on April 24, 2021, at UFC 261, losing via second-round stoppage. She returned to strawweight with a first-round technical knockout of Cynthia Calvillo at UFC 266 and made history at UFC Fight Night 205 on April 23, 2022, when she submitted Amanda Lemos with a standing arm-triangle choke, the first such submission in UFC history. That performance earned her another Performance of the Night award.
In 2023, Andrade signed a new four-fight deal with the UFC and bounced between wins and losses, including a victory over Lauren Murphy at UFC 283 and a record-setting technical knockout of Mackenzie Dern at UFC 295 that earned her a sixth Performance of the Night bonus, the most by any woman in UFC history. She added a split decision win over Marina Rodriguez at UFC 300, while her 2024 flyweight bout against Natália Silva earned her a Fight of the Night bonus.
Style and Strengths
Andrade is recognized for her aggressive, high-pressure fighting style, blending powerful striking with a punishing ground game. Her black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gives her confidence in close quarters, and she is unafraid to use slams and clinch work to dictate where fights take place. Her cardio and willingness to push a relentless pace have made her dangerous across bantamweight, strawweight, and flyweight alike.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among her signature moments, Andrade’s slam knockout of Rose Namajunas to claim the strawweight title in 2019 stands as one of the most iconic finishes in women’s MMA history. Her standing arm-triangle choke of Amanda Lemos in 2022 marked the first such submission ever recorded in the UFC. With six Performance of the Night bonuses, she holds the record for the most such awards by a woman in the organization.
Jessica Andrade Career Wins
Jessica Andrade has compiled 26 professional victories across her career, with five wins by knockout, five by submission, and five by decision. Her finishes have come against a deep list of ranked opponents, including former champions and top contenders. She continues to add notable wins to her resume while competing against elite competition in two UFC weight classes.
UFC Highlights
Andrade’s UFC victories include wins over Rosi Sexton, Raquel Pennington, Larissa Pacheco, Sarah Moras, Jessica Penne, Joanne Calderwood, Maryna Moroz, Cláudia Gadelha, Tecia Torres, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Rose Namajunas, Katlyn Chookagian, Cynthia Calvillo, Amanda Lemos, Lauren Murphy, Mackenzie Dern, and Marina Rodriguez. Her first UFC victory came against Sexton in October 2013, and her most recent win came against Rodriguez at UFC 300 in April 2024.
Other Wins and Performances
Before joining the UFC, Andrade built her record on the regional Brazilian circuit, winning eight of her first ten professional bouts. Her international breakthrough came in 2013, when she submitted Milana Dudieva at ProFC 47 in Russia. These early performances established her as a rising talent in global mixed martial arts.
Jessica Andrade Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Andrade was raised in Umuarama, Paraná, by her parents Julio and Neusa Andrade, both of whom worked as farmers. She shares a close bond with her older brother Fernando, with whom she worked in the family fields during childhood. The family’s agricultural roots and Native Brazilian heritage through her great-grandmother remain part of her personal story.
Personal Life
Andrade married her longtime partner Fernanda Gomes in 2019, and the couple later divorced in 2023. She has been open about her personal journey, and her 2013 fight against Liz Carmouche was the first UFC bout between two openly gay fighters. In 2024, Andrade filed a lawsuit in the United States against her former coach and manager Gilliard Paraná, alleging embezzlement during his time managing her career from 2012 to 2024. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.
2025 Season Performance
Jessica Andrade entered 2025 looking to climb back into strawweight contention after a mixed 2024 campaign. She faced Jasmine Jasudavicius on May 10, 2025, at UFC 315 in Montreal, losing via first-round rear-naked choke submission. The result extended a stretch of fights where she has alternated between wins and losses against top competition.
Andrade returned on August 16, 2025, at UFC 319, where she dropped a unanimous decision to Loopy Godinez. As of August 19, 2025, she is ranked No. 9 in the UFC women’s strawweight division, remaining firmly in the title picture. With her recent four-fight contract and a reputation for thrilling performances, Andrade continues to be a meaningful presence in the strawweight and flyweight landscapes.
