5 Things You Might Not Know About Jessica Andrade

Jessica Andrade’s small stature belies a ferocity that has made her one of the most unique Ultimate Fighting Championship competitors of all-time.

The 5-foot-2 Brazilian powerhouse will author the latest chapter of her remarkable career when she takes on Natalia Silva in the UFC Fight Night 242 co-main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Andrade, 32, climbs into the cage on the heels of back-to-back victories. She last strapped on the gloves at UFC 300, where she eked out a split decision over Marina Rodriguez in their three-round encounter on April 13. The Gilliard Parana protégé outlanded Rodriguez by a narrow 89-82 margin in significant strikes and secured the only takedown of the bout.

As Andrade moves ever closer to her looming showdown with Silva at 115 pounds, here are five things you might not know about her:

1. Martial arts stardom was a longshot at best.

Andrade was born on Sept. 25, 1991 in Umuarama, Brazil—a city of roughly 110,000 inhabitants situated almost 6,000 miles to the southeast of Ultimate Fighting Championship headquarters in Las Vegas. She grew up tending to crops on her parents’ farm, aspired to be a professional soccer player, dabbled in judo and did not begin formal jiu-jitsu training until she was an adult.

2. She proved to be a quick study.

“Bate Estaca” made her professional debut at the age of 19 on Sept. 6, 2011, when she disposed of Weidy Borges with punches in the second round of their pairing under the Sagaz Combat banner. Andrade started her career 9-2—Jennifer Maia and Kinberly Tanaka Novaes were responsible for her losses—before she signed with the UFC.

3. Exclusive clubs are her domain.

Andrade laid claim to the undisputed strawweight championship with a slam knockout of Rose Namajunas at UFC 237 on May 11, 2019. She remains one of only five women to have captured the 115-pound title, along with Namajunas (twice), Carla Esparza (twice), Weili Zhang (twice) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

4. She has been a model of dependability.

The Parana Vale Tudo product ranks as the all-time leader among women in UFC appearances (27) and victories (17). As the only female to ever compete in three weight classes for the Las Vegas-based company, Andrade has also pocketed 10 post-fight bonuses—six for “Performance of the Night” and four for “Fight of the Night”—totaling $500,000.

5. Quick-strike capability has been a calling card.

Andrade has six first-round finishes to her credit, six of them by knockout or technical knockout and five of them by submission. Since joining the UFC roster in 2013, she has victimized Amanda Lemos, Cynthia Calvillo, Katlyn Chookagian, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Joanne Calderwood and Larissa Pacheco.