How Michelle Waterson-Gomez reignited love for MMA ahead of UFC Fight Night 228 return
LAS VEGAS – Michelle Waterson-Gomez’s last showing left a sour taste in her mouth. It was one that caused the former Invicta FC champion to question her future in MMA.
Waterson-Gomez (18-11 MMA, 6-7 UFC) returns to the octagon this Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 228. She takes on Marina Rodriguez (16-3-2 MMA, 6-3-2 UFC) in a rematch. “The Karate Hottie” enters the octagon on the heels of a three-fight losing streak, but many believe it should be off a win.
“I’m not going to lie when I say that it did take a real toll on me,” Waterson-Gomez said at the UFC Fight Night 228 media day when asked about her last fight. “I put a lot of energy into winning that fight, and to not get the outcome that I wanted, it was quite a let-down. I was numb for a while. …. You’re like, ‘Gosh, there’s so many things I could be doing with my life. Why am I still doing that.’
In April, Waterson-Gomez lost a split decision to Brazil’s Luana Pinheiro at UFC 287 in Miami. Many, including 12 of the 17 reporters who rendered scores of the fight on MMA Decisions, scored the fight for Waterson-Gomez. The official result put her at 1-5 in her past six bouts, causing her to lose her love for fighting.
However, Waterson-Gomez was able to reignite that love again in the past few months, and a lot came from getting back to her roots.
“It just kind of came full circle for me in this fight camp,” Waterson-Gomez said. “I was just talking in another interview about the same thing. When I first signed with the UFC, and I was having my debut, I was just excited to come here and perform and win. I just wanted to show the world what I was capable of, and nothing else mattered. I think it’s like that in life.
“Like when you fall in love, it doesn’t matter what your parents say or think that it wasn’t meant to be, but you don’t care because you’re in love. But then you let all the noise get to you, and you let other opinions get to you. I just came to a point in my life where I don’t want the opinions of others dictate how I live my life. So I really just quieted a lot of that down. My camp was really quiet. I stayed away from social media quite a bit and I just listened to my heart.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 228.
