Jessica Andrade considers suing ex-coach over financial transgressions: ‘I don’t know if he can sleep at night’
Jessica Andrade announced in April she had decided to leave PRVT team and no longer work with her longtime coach Gilliard Parana. Now, she could take it one step further and file a lawsuit against the MMA veteran.
Andrade announced during an interview with UFC Fight Pass that “many thing happened” which she couldn’t reveal at the time. Parana announced the same week he was retiring as coach, stepping down as the leader of PRVT. Less than three months later, “Bate Estaca” went public on the situation again in an interview with Ag. Fight.
“There were some situations, both financially and, I think, of integrity,” Andrade said. “I thought he was something in my life and then it became something completely different. He’s always said he was like a father to me, and then I found out the things he had done to me, things that a father definitely wouldn’t do.”
Andrade did not elaborate on the more cryptic allegations, only claiming that money supposedly owed to her by Parana “isn’t with me, but with other people — and I don’t even think he has it, he’s probably thrown it to some other people.” Andrade said she will “probably” file a lawsuit against him.
MMA Fighting reached out to Parana, who declined to comment.
“I can’t say much, I have to wait for things to happen,” Andrade said. “I think he’s a bit worried because he’s been asking around a lot about me, asking what I’m saying about him. I’m not saying anything but the truth, but I think people will really understand what’s going on down the line. I’ll be able to sit down and talk to everyone about what really happened.”
According to Andrade, Parana charged the former UFC strawweight champion 30 percent of her fight purse. On top of that, she had to pay for her coaches to work in camp, which led to a bad financial situation. Andrade revealed in 2018 she sold her UFC gear to make ends meet. In 2023, she said she fought five times in one year to pay the costs of her divorce.
Andrade was still under contract with Parana when she fought and beat Marina Rodriguez at UFC 300 in April, but the coach allegedly sent her a message saying he wouldn’t ask for the 30 percent. Next, Andrade confirmed that she has agreed to face Natalia Silva on Sept. 7, a match recently reported by Ag. Fight, though the contract is yet to be signed.
“What [Parana] was able to take from me is already gone,” Andrade said. “I hope I can get it back one day, but I don’t know if he can sleep at night. I know I can, but I’m not so sure about him.”