What condition did Virna Jandiroba suffer from? Revisiting UFC star's health complications after death of sister
The term 'Jiu-jitsu saved my life' holds a special meaning in UFC strawweight contender Virna Jandiroba's life as it helped her deal with mental health issues while growing up.
Born in Brazil, Jandiroba started training in Kung Fu and Judo as a kid. However, the death of her elder sister Laiane due to stomach cancer caused her to have serious mental health problems.
Jandiroba, who was 15 at the time, had an anxiety issue and she developed hypochondria - a chronic psychiatric disorder characterized by excessive fear/ worry about having a serious illness - following her sister's death.
The Brazilian started training jiu-jitsu to overcome the psychiatric issues. Ahead of her fight against Mallory Martin in December 2019, Virna Jandiroba shed light on her health condition during an interview with MMA Fighting:
"I started training Jiu-jitsu because I had an anxiety issue when I was a teenager. So I've been doing therapy ever since. I had panic attacks after my sister died, and jiu-jitsu helped me overcome that. I was afraid to get out of home, and it was traveling to jiu-jitsu tournaments that I started feeling safer. But I've always dealt with anxiety." [H/t MMA Fighting]
Jandiroba eventually realized that she was good at jiu-jitsu and won several competitions in the regional circuit. Her jiu-jitsu resume includes wins over the likes of former two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes and top UFC strawweight contender Claudia Gadelha, among others.
While she was at it, Jandiroba continued to work with a therapist to deal with the stress of losses and other aspects of her combat sports career.
She eventually transitioned to MMA and took it up as a serious career path in the following years. Before transitioning to the UFC, Virna Jandiroba won the Invicta FC strawweight title and defended it against Janaisa Morandin.
Virna Jandiroba returns to competition at this weekend's UFC Atlantic City event
Virna Jandiroba has emerged as a serious top-ranked fighter in the UFC strawweight division over the last few years. The 35-year-old started her UFC tenure with a loss against former two-time champion Carla Esparza but has since amassed a respectable 5-3 record in the promotion.
Jandiroba is currently riding a two-fight winning streak and is coming off a unanimous decision victory over fellow Brazilian Marina Rodriguez in her most recent outing. She is currently the No.5-ranked UFC strawweight contender.
'Carcara' will return to action against Loopy Godinez at this weekend's UFC Atlantic City event. Godinez has emerged as the dark horse of the division, having won four of her five most recent fights and pulling off an upset win over Tabatha Ricci at UFC 295.