Jessica Andrade opens up on carjacking incident

Earlier this month, UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade was carjacked at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Speaking to ESPN, the UFC titleholder opened up on this harrowing incident. Apparently, she didn’t even know she was being robbed at first. It was only when she saw the gun that she knew what was happening.

“The lights went red, and I slowed down. I saw a motorcycle close, and when I realized he was already by my side, I wasn’t quite aware of what was going on,” Andrade explained. “I thought he was going to ask me something. When I saw the gun, I was like, ‘Oh crap.’

“I wasn’t understanding the whole deal,” she said. “I got out of the car, but I didn’t see him pointing the gun at me at any time.”

Jessica Andrade continued, explaining that her assailant initially had difficulty getting her car moving. When this happened, she worried things were about to get bad, but thankfully her wife Fernanda defused the situation.

“My car’s hand brake is a button that was pressed. He didn’t know that and was having trouble to make the car go,” Andrade said. “I was like, ‘Oh great. Now he’s going to get out of the car and shoot us. We’re screwed.’ Until Fernanda told them about the hand brake. They managed to do it and went away.

“I couldn’t even remember license plate.”

For Jessica Andrade the priority throughout this ordeal was on keeping calm.

“During the crime, I kept my cool,” Andrade said. “I’d let them take everything. I don’t know how I got that calm because Fernanda was losing it. I hugged her and told her ‘Everything’s gonna be fine. We’re going home.'”

The champ concluded with a message to any other prospective criminals — and it highlights the ongoing problem of fighter pay in the UFC.