Midnight Mania! Like Dern, Andrade Fighting To Pay For Divorce

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It’s highly unusual for an elite fighter to compete five times in a calendar year. It happens occasionally as a fighter rises through the ranks, but outside of the Kevin Hollands and Donald Cerrones of the world, most fighters are unable to find consistent success against the best in the world that often.

That’s part of what makes former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Strawweight champion Jessica Andrade’s current struggles unusual. She had a title shot nearly locked down at the start of the year, but she still jumped on a short-notice fight against the highly dangerous Erin Blanchfield up a weight class.

That risk backfired, and then she followed it up with an upset knockout loss to Xiaonan Yan. Most former champions would take some time off after a pair of stoppage losses, but Andrade fought three months later against another really tough task in Tatiana Suarez … and it didn’t work out. Now, she rides a three-fight losing streak into her fifth fight of 2023 against Mackenzie Dern, yet another Top Five-ranked opponent, this weekend (Sat. Nov. 11, 2023) at UFC 295.

Why so active? Andrade revealed the reason on MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast, and it’s one her opponent can understand: divorce. Dern made headlines earlier in the week for revealing that her ex was receiving her entire UFC 295 salary, and Andrade’s own split is costing her a pretty penny as well.

“This year I had my divorce that has taken a lot of my money in paying for lawyers and things here and there, so I ended up taking five fights,” Andrade said. “It will be over this year, God willing, and I’ll be fine. [I fought five times in 2023] because of that, because of the divorce. I had to spend a lot of money with lawyers in Brazil, it’s too much bureaucracy.”

She also added “maybe my losses also came because of that, for not being with my head 100 percent during the fight.”

Despite the personal struggles and recent skid, Andrade is optimistic that she can get back in the title mix sooner than later. Next year, she doesn’t expect to fight quite so often.

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“I was going well and then I made a mistake and ended up losing the fight,” Andrade said. “I need this victory now, of course, and I’m coming for it. Maybe next year I have the chance to fight five times again. Why not? But I think the UFC will slow things down for me [laughs]. But the plan is to have the opportunity to win two or three more fights and then ask for the belt, to fight whoever is the champion.”

What are the odds Jon Anik brings it up during the broadcast?

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Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.