Jessica Andrade

TRAINING: I wake up every day and do cardio workout from 9am to 10am. Then I have lunch, rest for a little bit and go back to the gym. From 3pm to 5:30pm I have one training session, and then another one from 6pm to 7pm. We work on different things every day, and all the girls from our gym are there with me and we do our best helping each other at some moments and then beating each other as if it was fight day to be prepared for any situation.

When and why did you start training for fighting? I used to do judo in school, and when I was finishing high school I was invited to start training jiu-jitsu. Eight months after my first jiu-jitsu class I had my first pro fight, I loved it and had to keep on doing it. That was back in 2011.

What ranks and titles have you held?  I’m a blue belt in jiu-jitsu and a light blue rank in Muay Thai.

Do you have any heroes? My family and my master are my heroes.

What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It’s a dream come true. There is no way of denying that fighting in the UFC is an objective every MMA fighter must strive to achieve.

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? No, I got into MMA straight out of high school.

What was your job before you started fighting? I worked on a few jobs here and there. For five years I worked on a "Pesque e Pague" (a place with lakes where people can catch fish and pay for the fish they catch), I worked in a pharmacy for a few months, and also worked as a truck driver at a farm.

Specific accomplishments in amateur competition? Nothing major, but I do have a few trophies for futsal (five a side) soccer.

Favorite grappling technique: Rear naked choke

Favorite striking technique: Overhand