Jessica Andrade won’t have longtime head coach Gilliard Parana in her corner for the first time in a decade, but a member of Parana’s family will corner her when she faces Lauren Murphy at UFC 283.
Andrade joined the gym PRVT in late 2012 and quickly became the face of the team, scoring 18 victories and capturing the UFC strawweight title. Coach Parana can’t leave the United States for the bout Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, so he’s sending his mother, “Pola,” as a replacement.
“I felt something inside my stomach,” Pola stated about the UFC 283. invitation. Gilliard will not be there, so I’m glad to be there. He said that he couldn’t go to Brazil right now and Pola replied, “Mom, Jessica is cornering you this time .'”
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Andrade refers to “Pola”, as “grandmother,” and will be cornered also by Bruno Ribeiro, PRVT coach, and Marcos Menezes conditioning trainer.
Ribeiro, Andrade’s main cornerman at UFC 283, is a boxing and Muay Thai trainer and holds an amateur MMA record of 3-0; he has cornered Karol Rosa, Denise Gomes and Maria Oliveira alongside Parana in previous UFC fights.
Andrade told MMA Fighting that Ribeiro may Facetime Parana during the fight, too.
Pola hoped she would one day corner Andrade, given their relationship. But not having a visa to enter the U.S. prevented her from doing so.
“She moved into my home when she began fighting and so, we share this bond,” she stated.
Pola does not have any background in martial arts. She has only watched every PRVT fighter for more than a decade. She tried training with her son when he first started as a capoeira teacher decades ago but jokes she “abandoned” class when Parana didn’t cut her any slack for being his mom.
Pola stated that she will be anxious cageside and doesn’t intend to shout any commands during the fight at Jeunesse Arena. This is the same place where Andrade won the UFC strawweight title in 2019..
“I’ll probably be praying during the fight,” she laughed. Jessica’s fight is different from mine. This is our connection. I always feel way too nervous when I watch her on TV.
” I was in Rio at the time she won her belt. It was close to my birthday, so it was a present for me. She fights and I cry every time. Although I do not know exactly what I will do, I think I might be her lucky charm
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/18/23554853/lucky-charm-head-coach-absent-jessica-andrade-cornered-grandma-ufc-283?rand=96749
