At UFC 295, Jessica Andrade competed for the fifth time in 2023. She claimed victory through a second-round knockout against BJJ specialist Mackenzie Dern.
The event took place at the iconic Madison Square Garden, where Andrade was determined to break free from her three-bout losing streak. She showcased her dominance, securing the win just beyond the midway point of their main card confrontation.
Rogan met Andrade inside the Octagon after the bout to do his customary interview with the winning combatant. But the veteran UFC commentator caught a lot of fans by surprise with his farewell remarks.
Rogan said: “Well hopefully you’ll get a bonus tonight to help pay off some of those divorce bills.”
Facing a tumultuous period marked by a divorce from her ex-wife Fernanda Gomes, Andrade revealed her motivation for staying active in 2023. The financial strain of legal proceedings and associated expenses prompted her to participate in five bouts during the year.
Andrade previously said on the Trocação Franca podcast: “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.”
“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.”
Andrade was awarded a $50,000 performance bonus for her tenth career knockout victory.
Andrade’s opponent Mackenzie Dern also faced the complexities of a recent divorce leading up to UFC 295. Dern openly discussed her ongoing financial obligations, revealing that her purse for the night was still dedicated to settling post-divorce matters.
During UFC 295 media day, Dern shed light her divorce.
She said: “I realized we always have problems, Just the pressure. The last one I went through the divorce. The divorce is final but you don’t realize how much aftermath there is to it. Literally, this whole fight is still paying my ex. It’s crazy, I have to get punched in the face and you work so hard and you do all this and you have to like pay that much of something.”
“Money’s something, I’ll fight here, I’ll get it, whatever. Winning or losing, everything’s going to be taken care of. I’ll make more [money] and stuff like that but it’s just problems.”