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Michelle Waterson-Gomez knew it was time.

At UFC 303, “The Karate Hottie” officially signaled the end of her 17-year career when she announced her retirement following a loss to Gillian Robertson. During Waterson-Gomez’s post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, the promotion played a heartwarming video on the T-Mobile Arena screens recapping some of her best moments inside the cage.

In an emotional conversation, Waterson-Gomez appeared on The MMA Hour afterward to talk about what led her to make the decision to hang up the gloves for good.

“I’ve been fighting for over 17 years,” Waterson-Gomez said. “My husband sacrificed a lot in order for me to fight. He sacrificed his own fighting career. As long as my daughter’s been born, she’s been a gym kid. You take her to the gym, she was in the car seat, she’s had to sacrifice birthdays, events, change around things on her end so mommy can train, so mommy can fight. She’s getting older, and I want to be in her corner. I want to be in my husband’s corner. There are a lot of things that he’s doing right now that I want to be a part of.

“I’m not getting any younger. I think that you just kind of have to recognize things for what they are, and as a fighter and a competitor, if I could, I would stay in chasing the wins, chasing that incredible high that you get when you win, chasing the gold. But I think I just had to recognize where I was at in my MMA career, and the amount of time and sacrifice I was putting into that could be put into a different direction, where I can get a win in different areas of life.”

Heading into her final fight, Waterson-Gomez said she only told a handful of people (including close friend and teammate Holly Holm) that she was planning to retire, because she didn’t want to anyone to think she wasn’t fully committed to preparing for Robertson. She knew the Canadian was a tough opponent and all of her thoughts were on ending a four-fight losing skid.

The bout didn’t go Waterson-Gomez’s way, as Robertson outworked her to take a unanimous decision, but the support and respect she’s received since UFC 303 has been overwhelming.

“It fills my heart, it really does,” Waterson-Gomez said. “It’s crazy. If you were to ask me when I was a little girl, what did you think you were going to be when you grow up, I would have never in a million years imagined that I would be a professional fighter for the UFC, but that’s where the road took me and I am so eternally grateful for that. It’s really shaped me into the person I am today.

“The fight game is tough. It’s unforgiving. You’re met with challenges every step of the way and it can be a lonely road sometimes. You have to be very selfish in order to climb the ladder, but that’s kind of how life is and I think that’s why I fell in love with fighting is because it’s just a mirror representation of what life is. It’s tough. You’re going to be met with adversity. It’s supposed to be hard. You’re supposed to have struggles and you’re supposed to meet those struggles with excitement. You’re supposed to overcome those challenges and become a better person from it.”

Waterson-Gomez never fought for a title in her UFC run, and her 6-9 record with the promotion doesn’t scream all-time great, but she consistently went the distance with the best of the best and earned a devoted fan following. When she made her pro debut in 2007, it was five years before the first show held by all-women MMA promotion Invicta FC and six years before UFC would host its first women’s fight.

When Waterson-Gomez started as a pro, there was no promise of fame or riches for a female fighter. But she persisted, becoming a UFC mainstay and one of the most respected veterans on the roster.

“I think I’m the most proud of believing in myself enough to try,” Waterson-Gomez said. “Putting myself in front of really, really hard, almost untouchable goals, and reaching out like that. I’m a little karate girl from rural Colorado. Rashad [Evans] told me, ‘You’re not even supposed to be here, peanut.’ Truthfully, he wasn’t saying it in a mean way, but like, ‘You forced your way in.’

“I did point-sparring karate growing up, and it’s very outside of who I am to be a fighter — and I wanted to know that I could, and so I did. And I stayed at the top for a really long time and I’m really proud of that. I fought the best in the world, stayed in the top 10 for as long as I could for the majority of my career until this last year. I was able to climb pretty high, and I’m really proud of that.”

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Run It Back?
| BJPenn.com

As if Pereira doesn’t already have a lot of big fight options, now we have Joshua suggesting he consider a big money boxing match as well.

There’s a lot of MMA fighters out there that think they’d do well in boxing. Less rare are boxers who agree with those opinions. But now we have boxing heavyweight great Anthony Joshua suggesting UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira should step out of the cage and into the ring.

“Alex Pereira should make a boxing debut one day,” Joshua wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Pereira isn’t a complete stranger to boxing. He has one official exhibition match on his record: a TKO win over Marcelo de Souza Cruz in 2017. But this was right in the middle of Alex’s seven year kickboxing career. Six months later “Poatan” won the Glory middleweight championship and he put aside any ambition to keep boxing.

Now he sounds open to the idea … of a one-off match, at least.

“I’m honored you think so,” Pereira replied. “It’s always been my dream, I’m 37 I cannot make a career in it so who do you recommend I fight?”

“The options are endless champ,” Joshua replied. “I am sure something can be done. Drop [258 MGT [Joshua’s agent] a line.”

Just “AJ” being nice, or is he interested in fighting Pereira down the line? Unless it’s way down the line, we’re not particularly interested. “Poatan” is now one of the biggest stars in the UFC, and he may explode into super-stardom over the next year or two with the right fights.

There’s Jon Jones. There’s the Israel Adesanya trilogy fight. There’s Tom Aspinall. And they all compete in the same sport as Pereira. MMA fighters boxing is an okay sideshow, but it’s getting a bit tired at this point. Diaz vs. Masvidal 2 was great and all … but it would have been better under MMA rules.

What do you think, Maniacs? Do you have any interest in seeing how “Poatan” would do in boxing?

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Watch Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal full fight video highlights from their main event showdown Saturday night, courtesy of multiple outlets.

Diaz vs. Masvidal took place July 6 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Nate Diaz (1-1) and Jorge Masvidal (1-1) squared off in the the main event clash. The fight aired live on pay-per-view on DAZN, ESPN+, and PPV.com.

Official result: Nate Diaz def. Jorge Masvidal via majority decision (95-95, 97-93, 98-92)

Catch all the video highlights below.

For more on Diaz vs. Masvidal, check out our live blog below.

Round 1: Diaz comes out attacking the body. Masvidal starting off southpaw. Diaz with a steady stream of punches. Masvidal counters with volume of his own. Diaz looking to mix up the head and body strikes. Right hook from Masvidal connects. Diaz continues to mix high and low attacks. Diaz pressures with Masvidal in the corner, nothing too heavy getting through. Masvidal building momentum as the round progresses. Diaz content to slap away at Masvidal’s defenses.

MMA Fighting scores the round, 10-9 Diaz.

Round 2: Masvidal much quicker to return punches in this round. He’s not letting Diaz walk him down. Diaz digging at the body. Masvidal answers with short punches as he fights his way off the ropes. That Diaz jab is working. Masvidal sneaks in a right, then two more rights to the body. Diaz going for the head, but Masvidal keeps his gloves up. Check right hook by Masvidal. Diaz back to th ebody. Diaz answers with a jab. Close round.

MMA Fighting scores the round, 10-9 Masvidal. Overall, 19-19.

Round 3: Masvidal firing away as Diaz just marches towards him. He has Diaz on the defensive, that’s not something you see often. Masvidal attacks the body, that creates an opening for a left hand to the head. Diaz pressures, but eats a counter left. I have Masvidal scoring with the bigger punches, despite Diaz’s impressive output. Masvidal rushes forward. Diaz non-stop punching and now it’s Masvidal who has to back up. Big close to the round for Diaz.

MMA Fighting scores the round, 10-9 Masvidal. Overall, 29-28 Masvidal.

Round 4: Masvidal making good use of the jab now. Diaz wants to bully Masvidal, but he’s not avoiding Masvidal’s counters or combinations. Diaz punches the body. Counter left by Masvidal scores. Masvidal gets his jab going. These are some close exchanges. Masvidal fires hard to the body. Diaz with punches in bunches, nothing big, but he’s wearing Masvidal down. Masvidal maybe slowing down or conserving his energy. A lot of rounds to go.

MMA Fighting scores the round, 10-9 Diaz. Overall, 38-38.

Round 5: Masvidal slipping and ripping Diaz’s body. Diaz just stuffing punches in Masvidal’s face. They’re going at it, just a nasty, gritty fight. Right hook from Masvidal on the money. He’s going for the body every time they’re close. Straight left by Masvidal. Diaz throwing from every angle. Masvidal doubles up on the jab. Two Masvidal rights to the body. Diaz has Masvidal cornered and he’s jabbing away. Masvidal bursts out from the corner! This pace is absurd.

MMA Fighting scores the round, 10-9 Masvidal. Overall, 48-47 Masvidal.

Round 6: Masvidal finding a home for the right hand now. Diaz wants to use his jab to set up his power, Masvidal starting to suss out the timing. Diaz punches away at Masvidal as he pushes him to the corner. Masvidal with a body shot as he circles. That tactic has been money for him all fight. Diaz swinging away without any regard for his safety. And right on cue, Masvidal lands a counter right. Right hook by Diaz. Masvidal hits him with a left, they are just trading.

MMA Fighting scores the round, 10-9 Diaz. Overall, 57-57.

Round 7: Masvidal with a lunging right. Diaz right back to walking Masvidal down. Rope-a-dope of sorts for Masvidal. Right hand by Masvidal. He counters Diaz’s aggression with hooks. Short right by Masvidal. Jab slows Diaz down. Left hook by Diaz. There’s Masvidal with a left hook. Defense has gone out the window. Diaz lets loose with a right hand and Masvidal just takes it. Wild scrapping.

MMA Fighting scores the round, 10-9 Masvidal. Overall, 67-66 Masvidal.

Round 8: Diaz relentless. Body-head-body-head-body-head, Diaz targeting any opening he can find. Masvidal strings together a combination and Diaz just throws his arms out to his sides, beckoning Masvidal to keep it up. Right hook by Masvidal. He’s landing body shot after body shot, then Diaz jabs him square on the face. Right by Masvidal as he backs away. Diaz steps forward with straight punches. Masvidal with some straight bombs around Diaz’s defense as time ticks way.

MMA Fighting scores the round, 10-9 Masvidal. Overall, 77-75 Masvidal.

Round 9: More of the same from these two, with Diaz showing non-stop aggression and Masvidal picking sports for his power punches. Diaz peppering Masvidal’s defenses with punches, some of these are getting through. Masvidal counters a body shot with a smacking right. Diaz still pouring it on. This is crazy. Masvidal goes to the body, then scores with a right up top. Diaz with a little show boating, Masvidal can’t capitalize. Right hand by Diaz.

MMA Fighting scores the round, 10-9 Diaz. Overall, 86-85 Masvidal.

Round 10: Diaz right out of his corner just banging those gloves at the side of Masvidal’s head, but Masvidal’s counters are on point. Right hand by Masvidal. Another one off of a break. Masvidal lands a counter left. Slick combination by Diaz. They are reaching down deep and trading in close. Masvidal lands clean to the body, but nothing can slow Diaz down. Masvidal drives a right hand into his stomach. He’s leaning on Diaz as time ticks down. Diaz hits Masvidal with a right hand. Diaz doing a little better as they throw from range. Punching to the bell, once more. Incredibly fun fight.

MMA Fighting scores the round, 10-9 Diaz. Overall, 95-95.

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Former undisputed bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling is hoping to book his sophomore featherweight clash at UFC 306 – regardless if that comes against Movsar Evloev or not, as he calls out recent winner, Diego Lopes for a huge bout at the Noche event.

Sterling, a former undisputed bantamweight champion and a record-setting gold holder at 135lbs pounds, landed at number eight in the featherweight ranks off the back of his impressive victory at UFC 300.

Making his divisional bow in April, Uniondale native, Sterling turned in a one-sided unanimous decision triumph against perennial contender, Calvin Kattar, despite receiving criticizm from promotional officials as well as fans in attendance.

Aljamain Sterling offers to fight Diego Lopes at UFC 306

And despite remaining open to a showdown with surging Russian contender, Evloev in his next outing at the featherweight limit, Sterling has now switched his attention to Brazilian star, Lopes – who is fresh from a short-notice win over Dan Ige at UFC 303 at the end of last month.

“Movsar Evloev, I don’t know what he’s doing,” Aljamain Sterling said on his YouTube channel. “I gave him a date and he hasn’t accepted it yet, he’s been making all these excuses. Either, you fight on my terms, or I fight somebody else. So, Diego Lopes, if you oblige, let’s make it happen at The Sphere, on September 14.”

Fresh from a decision win over Ige on just four hours’ notice at UFC 303 last weekend, Lopes made his promotional bow on short-notice against the above-mentioned, Evloev, pushing him the distance over the course of three rounds in a close loss.

In the time since, Manaus-born contender, Lopes – who currently holds the number twelve rank at the featherweight limit, has landed victories over Gavin Tucker, Pat Sabatini, and a blistering knockout of Sodiq Yusuff to go with his win against Ige last month.

Who wins in a future featherweight showdown: Aljamain Sterling or Diego Lopes?

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

LAS VEGAS — Undefeated UFC fighter Shara Magomedov talks to the media about how grateful he is that his UFC dreams have come true, playing the bad guy in an upcoming movie, when he expects to fight next, why he wants to fight Kevin Holland, and more.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts