Jessica Andrade's Strange Homecoming

For Jessica Andrade, UFC 283 will be a welcome, yet strange homecoming.

The 31-year-old, who faces Lauren Murphy in a high-stakes flyweight tilt on Saturday at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, will be competing in her native country for the first time since May 11, 2019, when she wrested the Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight title from Rose Namajunas at UFC 237. Separated from that glorious night by six fights, nearly four years and a change in weight class, Andrade finds herself at, not merely a career crossroads but a four-way intersection. As “Bate Estaca” prepares to face Murphy, she spoke to Sherdog about her training, her long road back from injury, the nagging desire for a measure of strawweight revenge and the prospect of fighting without her longtime head coach in her corner for the first time in years.

First and foremost, Andrade is clearly pleased to be back fighting in Brazil. “I'm very happy to be able to fight at home,” she said. “Lauren Murphy is a very tough opponent. She already fought for the belt and she’s coming off a win. That’s very important. I also think this is a good match for my fighting style – striking, takedowns, and takedown defense. I believe it’s good matchmaking at the right time, especially since I’m coming back from herniated disc surgery. This will be at one weight class above what I’ve been fighting. I’m very happy. I know she’s bigger and has a longer reach. That doesn’t make much of a difference. I know I’m one of the shortest UFC fighters. I always fight bigger opponents. I’ll look to use the best possible strategy against her. I want to impose my striking game. But if we need to hit the mat, I know I also have a very good technical level on the ground. It’s another day in the Octagon. The main difference is that I’ll be home with my people. That makes a big difference.”

Andrade, who has spent her entire career as a member of southeastern Brazil powerhouse Parana Vale Tudo, relocated her camp to Las Vegas in recent months, availing herself of the UFC Performance Institute and the wealth of options in the promotional hometown, while keeping her accustomed cadre of training partners in place.

“Training in Las Vegas has been wonderful,” Andrade said. “Whoever trains here can fight anywhere in the world. The elevation and the air are very different. I have full technical and psychological support from the UFC Performance Institute. It’s made a big difference. I’ve been hitting pads with Bruno ‘Paranazinho’ Ribeiro. The MMA sessions are with my team – head coach Gilliard ‘Parana,’ Karol Rosa, Denise Gomes, Mariana Morais and Maria Oliveira. To be training inside the UFC – that's on another level. They also help us with our nutrition. When I get ready here, I feel the readiest. I’m going into this fight with very little stress. My master and the girls I train with are always nearby. That’s very important to me.”

Now in her 30s, Andrade is one of the most accomplished women in UFC history, with a strawweight championship and a flyweight title shot already on her ledger. Despite those achievements, however, she maintains she is nowhere near contemplating the end of her career, and one of the motivations pushing her forward is evening up the score with a particular rival. “Prior to my last win, some folks were already calling for my retirement,” she said. “I’ll keep going as long as my body allows for it. If I get to the point where I can no longer make weight, train well, and feel strong, then it will be time to step [away]. I believe I have another 10 years ahead of me. If I beat Murphy, I could get a shot at the flyweight belt. Actually, my preference is to go back to strawweight and seek revenge against Weili Zhang. My goal for 2023 is to be champion again and to keep the belt.”

One unexpected benefit of being in Las Vegas surfaced when a nagging lower back injury ended up needing surgical intervention. While it resulted in Andrade fighting just once in 2022, she considers the proximity to top-level, MMA-oriented medical care a blessing. “This fight should have already happened,” she said. “But I had a problem with a herniated disc, between the L4 and L5 vertebrae. It required surgery. Some days, I could barely walk. On other days, I was bedridden from the pain. I was spending 24 hours a day on painkillers. After some physical therapy at the UFC PI, it was clear that surgery was my only option. It kept me from fighting for some time. My expectation is to beat Lauren Murphy. But if I can’t fight for the 125-pound title, then I’d like to go back to 115 pounds and ask for a rematch against the current champion. When you go back and forth between weight classes, it’s hard to find a place in the rankings. And, of course, the UFC knows that I’m available to fight at any weight class, as a replacement. But my main wish is to go back to 115 pounds and become champion again.”

In an ironic twist, Andrade’s return to Brazil will require a step outside her comfort zone on fight night, as the PRVT head coach will be absent from her corner. “This will be the first time I’ll fighting without master ‘Parana’ at my side,” she said. “My corners will be Mariana, ‘Paranazinho’ and Marquinhos [conditioning coach Marcos Menezes]. They’re very special in my life. They’re always a big help. Unfortunately, my master won’t be with us as he’s working on his visa. I’m sure he’ll be rooting from home, and he’ll probably be on the phone with Bruno between rounds, giving instructions. I’m confident we’ll have a great fight and I’ll be able to honor my team and my country. Everything is going to work out.”

Distractions notwithstanding, Andrade’s attention is focused on the task in front of her, and she looks forward to feeding off of the energy of a partisan throng at Jeunesse Arena. “To fight at home is always great,” she said. “The local crowd always helps. The last time I fought in Brazil, I won and captured the UFC [strawweight] belt. Fighting in Brazil, in front of my people, sure makes a difference. The excitement and hunger to win increase when you fight at home. That energy is what I’ll try to capture again. Some people say fighting at home is more pressure. It’s only more pressure if you let it get to you. Considering all the things I’ve gotten used to, that type of experience is priceless. I may be living in Vegas, but I’m not truly at home here, as I don’t always understand what people are saying. I’m confident I’ll capture another victory, and I’ll be ready for the next one.”