What could be more frustrating for a passionate fighter than living away from the cage? The tension, the smell of blood…

For seven long years, between 2014 and 2021, Andressa Rocha repressed her passion, waiting impatiently to reconnect with the sensations that make her feel alive::
“Martial arts is my whole life. I didn’t like the idea of stopping at all. I experienced my break from the sport as heartbreak,” she recalled. “But it was caused by force majeure.”. A stint in the army, a police academy exam and then a job in her city of Campo Grande, in the south of Brazil.
Now, at 29 years old, things have changed. Andressa Rocha is settled into her routine, uniformed and alternating between days on guard duty at the local prison and missions to escort prisoners. Importantly, combat has found its place again in her daily life.”I love my job, but what drives me is MMA. My goal in the future is to make a living from it.

“Martial arts have allowed me to gain confidence in my job”

Looking at her results, the Brazilian seems on the right path. She can count five finishes out of six victories during her career so far, which is rare in the smaller female weight categories. This impressive ratio can be explained by a well constructed career. First trained in muay thai, Andressa Rocha quickly completed her arsenal of skills by learning jiu-jitsu, before finally launching herself into MMA – a methodical process. And while her versatility is one of her strengths, her mentality is certainly another one:
“The very tough police training taught me to push myself to my limits and get out of my comfort zone. It has helped me a lot with MMA. But on the flip side, martial arts has also given me confidence in my job. It goes both ways.”