Athletes
Denise Gomes: ‘I knew that my learning curve had no end’
Strawweight Denise Gomes Looks For Her First Win Over A Ranked Opponent This Saturday Against Karolina Kowalkiewicz At UFC Fight Night: Magny vs Prates
Going for her second win of the year, Denise Gomes returns to the Octagon this Saturday looking for a signature victory. She faces Karolina Kowalkiewicz, a UFC competitor since 2015 and the current No. 15 strawweight.
Gomes is 3-2 in the UFC and gets her second crack at a ranked opponent. As she reflects on her journey, the Dana White’s Contender Series alum believes her work has brought her to this challenge.
“I think that it means that I’ve been doing something good and been doing something well throughout this journey,” Gomes explained to UFC.com.
Order UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic
“I’m having another opportunity, but the best opportunity that I’ve ever had. Going forward I’m just trying to take the opportunity to do the best I can with it.”
In her last outing, Gomes outworked Eduarda Moura for most of the fight, leading to a split decision win, with two of the judges giving Gomes each round. Gomes landed the more significant strikes throughout the contest and showed strong defensive grappling at times.
“She came in to try to take me down. She was coming into my counter strikes. And that was not even 100 percent, that was like one percent of what I could do. In that fight, I actually unlocked some potential that night. It doesn’t matter if you try to bring the grappling strategy to my game. If you try take me down, I will defend and I was able to impose my game.”
Saturday's Full Fight Card Preview
Gomes evolved in a big way that night against Moura. At her relatively young age of 24, Gomes seems to have a very well-balanced MMA skillset that will surely keep her around for the foreseeable future.
In Gomes’s eyes, there’s potential for endless growth, and regarding this fight camp, it was one of the best she’s ever had.
Denise Gomes Gets Her First Career UFC Win | UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Allen
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Denise Gomes Gets Her First Career UFC Win | UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Allen
/
“Ever since I started this sport, I knew that my learning curve had no end. It’s endless, I feel that in this camp, I was able to put that into practice in the sense that there were things that I found out in this camp that the reason why I didn’t do them was because I had a mental block. I was limiting myself. I think I was able to unlock those things in this camp. Also, a new team, I’m training with a bunch of girls that I never had the opportunity to train with, so many different training partners.
UFC UNFILTERED: Neil Magny and Cody Stamann Preview Saturday's Card
“I think that’s the biggest difference. That makes me feel really good and really confident. I’m really happy about this and I’m really eager to show on Saturday.”
The fight is scheduled as the featured prelim, proving that the matchmakers believe it’s an important, and likely entertaining, matchup.
It’s her third time fighting at the UFC APEX, including Dana White’s Contender series, and despite being 1-1 overall there, Gomes feels at home.
“I caught myself thinking about this this past week, and how much that I feel comfortable here. I feel at home, I’m used to this place, and I just feel great.”
MORE FIGHT NIGHT: Prates Grounded | Stamann's Birthday | Reinier de Ridder Interview | A Decade Of Magny | Ricky Turcios Interview | GM3 Interview | Main Event Preview
Ahead of her battle with Kowalkiewicz, it’s all respect, but Gomes anticipates this moment to be the breakthrough she needs.
“Her story is very inspirational. Her journey in the UFC is just something that a lot of people take inspiration from. I think a lot of people that come from outside of the organization, they want to fight against someone like that. It’s a beautiful story and all the respect to her, but you have to keep your faith, and you have to understand that you deserve it and I deserve it. I’ve done my share to be here, I deserve to be here. I’ve put in the work for me to be here, as well, and it’s time for me to take that step forward.”
UFC Fight Night: Magny vs Prates took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 12, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
Tags