Queer MMA fighter Jessica Andrade sets the record as the woman with most UFC wins
The UFC fighter has broken records. (Getty)
Queer MMA fighter Jessica Andrade has set the record as the woman with the most UFC wins following her bout in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Andrade — who is openly lesbian and married — scored the title following her split decision victory against Marina Rodriguez on 13 April at UFC 300. Judges scored the fight 28-29, 29-29 and 29-28 in favour of Andrade, marking the Brazillian fighter’s second win in a row and her 17th win overall inside the UFC Octagon.
The 33-year-old’s win also broke a tie for most UFC wins by a female fighter in the UFC. Andrade was previously tied with openly lesbian fighter Amanda Nunes. Andrade also holds the record as the only woman to win fights in three different weight classes.
Back in 2013, Andrade celebrated being a part of the first fight in UFC history between two openly LGBTQ+ fighters when she went up against Liz Carmouche, who is also openly lesbian and married. She lost to Carmouche, before securing her first UFC win against Rosi Sexton later that year.
In 2017, Andrade proposed to her girlfriend in the cage following a loss to Joanna Jędrzejczyk. Fans in the crowd started cheering as she made the proposal to her girlfriend Fernanda Gomes in Portuguese, before it was translated into English.
“Today, I’d like to make a special request to my girlfriend, Fernanda, who is here,” said Andrade. I want to ask her for marriage.”
Fernanda, shocked and smiling in the audience, said yes. The public proposal took place following the bout in Texas, where, at the time, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said passing a bill to stop trans people using public bathrooms was his top priority.
More recently, anti-drag measure was signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in June 2023, while Abbott also signed a bill banning life-saving, gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth in the same month.
The law, which was scheduled to take effect from September 2023, would penalise businesses with a $10,000 (£8,000) fine for hosting so-called “sexually oriented performances“. Performers could be charged with a Class A misdemeanour, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 (£3,200) fine.
