Jéssica Andrade facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jéssica Andrade
Andrade at UFC 228 in 2018
Born	Jéssica Fernanda da Costa Andrade (1991-09-25) September 25, 1991 (age 33) Umuarama, Paraná, Brazil
Nickname(s)	Bate Estaca
Height	5 ft 2 in (157 cm)
Weight	115 lb (52 kg; 8 st 3 lb)
Division	Strawweight (2016–2020, 2022–present) Flyweight (2020–2021, 2023) Bantamweight (2011–2015)
Reach	62 in (157 cm)
Fighting out of	Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Team	Gracie Humaita (until 2013) Paraná Vale Tudo (2013–2024)
Rank	Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Gilliard Paraná
Years active	2011–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total	40
Wins	26
By knockout	10
By submission	8
By decision	8
Losses	14
By knockout	5
By submission	5
By decision	4

Jéssica Fernanda da Costa Andrade (born September 25, 1991) is a professional mixed martial artist from Brazil. She is known for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Jéssica has fought in the women's Strawweight and Flyweight divisions. She even held the title of UFC Women's Strawweight Champion. As of July 2025, she is a top-ranked fighter in both divisions.

Early Life and Training

Jéssica Andrade was born on September 25, 1991, in Umuarama, Paraná, Brazil. Her parents were farmers. Jéssica and her older brother helped on the family farm when they were kids.

When she was 14, she started working at a fish pond. Later, she delivered medicine for a drug store. Growing up, Jéssica loved playing soccer and futsal. She dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. She was good enough to be offered a spot on a team in São Paulo, but her parents did not allow her to move away.

During her school years, Jéssica began training in judo. Soon after, in 2011, she started learning jiu-jitsu.

How Jéssica Got Her Nickname

Jéssica's teammates gave her the nickname bate estaca, which means "piledriver" in Brazil. This happened during one of her first amateur BJJ competitions. Jéssica was caught in an armlock by her opponent. In a moment of panic, she lifted her opponent and slammed her head-first onto the mat. This move is against the rules in jiu-jitsu. Jéssica was immediately disqualified, but the nickname stuck!

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Starting Her Professional Journey

Jéssica Andrade began her professional mixed martial arts career on September 6, 2011. For her first six fights, she trained at Gracie Humaita in Umuarama. After winning against Duda Yankovich, she moved to Niterói. There, she joined the Paraná Vale Tudo team. She won eight of her first ten fights in Brazil.

In April 2013, Jéssica fought outside of Brazil for the first time. She won her fight against Milana Dudieva in Russia.

Joining the UFC

Jéssica made her UFC debut on July 23, 2013. She stepped in to fight Liz Carmouche at UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Moraga. Jéssica lost this fight in the second round.

Her second UFC fight was on October 26, 2013, against Rosi Sexton at UFC Fight Night 30. Jéssica won this fight by a clear decision from the judges.

Jéssica was set to fight Julianna Peña at UFC 171. However, Peña got injured, and Raquel Pennington took her place. Jéssica won this close fight by a split decision.

She continued to fight in the UFC, facing new opponents like Larissa Pacheco and Sarah Moras. She won some fights and lost others, learning and growing with each match.

Moving to a New Weight Class

In October 2015, Jéssica decided to move to the strawweight division. This was a big change for her. Her first fight in this new weight class was on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. She fought Jessica Penne and won by TKO in the second round.

Jéssica then faced Joanne Calderwood on September 10, 2016, at UFC 203. She won this fight by submission in the first round. She also won against Angela Hill in February 2017, earning a "Fight of the Night" bonus.

Becoming a UFC Champion

Jéssica Andrade fought for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on May 13, 2017, at UFC 211. She faced Joanna Jędrzejczyk but lost the fight by decision.

After this, Jéssica continued to impress. She won against Cláudia Gadelha in September 2017, earning another "Fight of the Night" bonus. She also defeated Tecia Torres and Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Her knockout win against Kowalkiewicz earned her a "Performance of the Night" award.

On May 11, 2019, Jéssica got another chance to fight for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. She faced Rose Namajunas at UFC 237. Jéssica won the fight by knockout in the second round, becoming the new champion! This win earned her both "Fight of the Night" and "Performance of the Night" awards.

In her first title defense, Jéssica fought Zhang Weili on August 31, 2019. She lost the championship in the first round. She later had a rematch with Rose Namajunas in July 2020, which she lost by split decision, but it was still a "Fight of the Night" performance.

Exploring the Flyweight Division

After two losses at strawweight, Jéssica decided to try the flyweight division. On October 18, 2020, she fought Katlyn Chookagian at UFC Fight Night 180. Jéssica won by technical knockout in the first round. This made her the first woman in UFC history to win in three different weight divisions: bantamweight, strawweight, and flyweight. This win also earned her a "Performance of the Night" award.

Jéssica then challenged Valentina Shevchenko for the UFC Women's Flyweight Championship on April 24, 2021, at UFC 261. She lost this championship fight in the second round.

She continued to fight in the flyweight division, winning against Cynthia Calvillo in September 2021.

Back to Strawweight and More Records

Jéssica returned to strawweight and faced Amanda Lemos on April 23, 2022. She won the fight with a unique standing arm-triangle choke in the first round. This was the first time this specific submission was used to win a fight in UFC history! This earned her another "Performance of the Night" award.

In January 2023, Jéssica won against Lauren Murphy by unanimous decision. She then faced Erin Blanchfield and Yan Xiaonan, losing both fights.

On August 5, 2023, she fought Tatiana Suarez and lost by submission. However, Jéssica bounced back with a big win against Mackenzie Dern at UFC 295 in November 2023. She won by TKO and set a new record for most knockdowns landed by a woman in a UFC fight. This win also gave her another "Performance of the Night" award, making her the woman with the most such awards in UFC history.

Jéssica continued her winning streak by defeating Marina Rodriguez at UFC 300 in April 2024.

Recent Fights

Jéssica returned to flyweight to fight Natália Silva on September 7, 2024. She lost this fight by decision, but it was still a "Fight of the Night" performance.

On May 10, 2025, Jéssica fought Jasmine Jasudavicius at UFC 315, losing by submission.

Jéssica Andrade is scheduled to face Loopy Godinez on August 16, 2025, at UFC 319.

Achievements and Awards

Jéssica Andrade has achieved many impressive things in her career:

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Women's Strawweight Champion (One time)
  • She has won the "Performance of the Night" award six times. This is the most for any woman in UFC history!
  • She has won the "Fight of the Night" award five times. This is also the most for any woman in UFC history!
  • She has the most post-fight bonuses (like "Performance of the Night" and "Fight of the Night") in UFC Women's history, with 11 awards.
  • Jéssica has the most wins in UFC Women's history (17 wins).
  • She has competed in the most bouts in UFC Women's history (29 fights).
  • She is one of the top fighters for finishes (winning fights without going to a decision) in UFC Women's history.
  • She holds the record for most finishes and knockouts in the UFC Women's Strawweight division.
  • Jéssica is the only woman in UFC history to win a fight in three different weight classes.
  • She holds the record for the most fights by a woman in a single calendar year (5 fights in 2023).
  • She was the first fighter in UFC history to win a fight with a standing arm-triangle choke.

Personal Life

Jéssica Andrade was married to Fernanda Gomes.

Pay-per-view Bouts

See also

In Spanish: Jéssica Andrade para niños

• List of current UFC fighters
• List of female mixed martial artists