The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight titleholder has been
sidelined for nearly a year while recovering from a shoulder
injury. During her hiatus from competition, the Brazilian has
turned to working as a delivery driver.

Jessica Andrade explains why she’s working as a delivery driver
during her UFC injury layoff

Andrade, who has fought 30 times in the UFC, winning the 115-pound
title and also challenging for the flyweight belt, has been away
from action for almost a year now. However, it hasn't stopped her
from finding alternate paths of income.

“Thank God I managed to save some money, so things are going well,â€
Andrade said in an interview with Ag Fight. “But whenever I need
to, I work as a delivery driver. I deliver meals and things like
that. I just pick up orders through an app and make the deliveries.
I do whatever it takes. I'm not afraid of hard work. I can do just
about anything.â€

She also took up another project recently, helping a friend
renovate their house.

“Recently I started a project at [a friend's] house, installing
artificial turf,†she said. “Her backyard was nothing but rocks. I
went there and removed all the rocks from the ground. I thought,
‘I'll give this a try. If I'm good at it, it's one more way we can
make some extra money whenever we need it.'â€

Andrade has spoken publicly about financial struggles before. In
2018, she revealed that she sold UFC memorabilia to help make ends
meet. She also disclosed that her former management failed to pay
taxes owed from several of her 2023 bouts.

While Andrade has yet to lock in her next fight, she remains
focused on her rehabilitation as she works towards her Octagon
return.

MMA analyst Dominick Cruz has given his thoughts on Conor McGregor's potential recovery from his recent knee injury.

At UFC 329, Conor McGregor suffered a nasty knee injury that will likely keep him out of action for quite some time. Some even feel like it is the final nail in the coffin of his career, especially when you consider that he recently turned 38 years old.

RELATED: Logan Paul urges Conor McGregor to join WWE because he's ‘cooked' in MMA: “He has a lot of people fooledâ€

McGregor has been able to come back from injuries in the past, but after everything he's been through, it's going to be a really tall order for him to make the walk to the cage again before finally riding off into the sunset.

Dominick Cruz, who knows a thing or two about picking up injuries, had the following to say when discussing McGregor's chances of a successful return.

Cruz's view on McGregor's injury

“I have nothing but positive energy to put toward him in his healing,†Cruz said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.†“An ACL, meniscus tear is what I heard it is, and I knew in my gut it was an ACL. You just don't know to the extent. Sometimes you can tear the ACL and everything else, but he just tore a meniscus and ACL, which is very repairable.

“The good news is because it's an ACL and meniscus – meniscus, that doesn't stop you. If it was MCL, he'd be stuck for a little while, like frozen for I think two to three months before you can even start bending the leg. He should be able to start moving that leg right away, which will really quicken the healing process for him.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Do you believe we will ever see Conor compete again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

Dulatov (12-1) is scheduled to take on Wellington
Turman (18-8) in his second appearance in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship since winning a contract on

Dana White's Contender Series. He returns in a welterweight
matchup at
UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25 at Etihad Arena in Yas Island.

Islam Dulatov says his UFC Abu Dhabi game plan doesn’t require
studying Wellington Turman

Dulatov isn't bothered by the fact that there isn't much footage
available on Turman. “The Ripper” is confident that he doesn't need
to see Turman's film to execute his game plan.

“Not that much footage of him,†Dulatov said in a recent interview.
“But he is the same person, he has the same chin, and he has the
same style he had before. If he learned some stuff it's good for
him. But at the end of the day, for what I want to do with him, I
don't need to see footage. I just want to knock him out.â€

Dulatov vows to look for a first-round finish over Turman like he
always does. The surging 170-pounder jokingly claimed that until he
starts getting paid by the hour, he wants to finish fights as
quickly as possible.

“First round finish is the perfect performance for me,†Dulatov
added. “I don't like to fight too much. I don't get paid by
minutes. If the UFC starts paying me for rounds, maybe I'll fight
three rounds. But right now, I think I'm good with first
round.â€

Dulatov is a former model who has walked the ramp for the likes of
Versace, Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss. He has finished all
12 of his wins, going past the first round only once since his lone
loss in his pro debut in 2019. The 27-year-old scored a first-round
knockout win over Adam Fugitt
in his UFC debut last year.

While Dulatov is based out of Germany, he recently announced that
he will be representing Turkey going forward. Meanwhile, Turman
will likely be fighting for his spot on the roster as he is 3-6 in
the UFC and currently on a three-fight slump.