Pearl Gonzalez

10 MMA Stars Who Had Plastic Surgery

Whether necessary or elected, these 10 MMA stars went under the knife for plastic surgery:

The post 10 MMA Stars Who Had Plastic Surgery appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Whether it’s for cosmetic, functional, or medical reasons, a number of MMA stars have opted to undergo plastic surgery over the years.

In this article we’ll take a look at 10 of them, revealing what procedures they had and what the end result looked like.

If it had been left up to Pearl Gonzalez, nobody would have known that she had breast implants prior to her UFC debut at UFC 210 last year, but the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) had other ideas – and much to her embarrassment.

On the day of the weigh-ins, NYSAC officials informed the stunned Gonzalez that she wouldn’t be allowed to fight on the card due to her implants.

However, after taking a couple of minutes to get over the initial shock, Gonzalez told her team to stay focused and that she was determined to still compete.

The UFC then went to bat for Gonzalez and managed to smooth things over with the commission so that she could still fight on the card. Of course, by that stage word had gotten out about the situation and was being reported on far and wide.

“I don’t think I wanted the world to know about my surgery and to be talked about like this,” Gonzalez said at a hastily arranged press conference after her bout was green-lit, adding that, “I’m going to show the world that not only do I have breast implants, but I am a talented fighter.”

The post 10 MMA Stars Who Had Plastic Surgery appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

10 Former Gang Members Who Became UFC Fighters

It can be hard to find a way back out when a person heads down the wrong path in life, especially if they fall into the trap of becoming entrenched in gang culture, where the threat of death or prison always looms large over their heads. Some fighters know this only too well and can […]

The post 10 Former Gang Members Who Became UFC Fighters appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Some fighters know this only too well and can ruefully speak from first-hand experience, but for them, there was an escape route from the chaotic life they were leading, with mixed martial arts proving to be their salvation.

In this article we’ll look at 10 such cases, exploring the often bleak and tragic circumstances that led to their decision to join a gang in the first place, the trouble it caused them, and how pursuing a career in MMA helped turn their lives around and lead them all the way to the UFC.

Tito Ortiz

UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz rose to become one of the most famous fighters ever to compete in the sport, which is quite an achievement when you consider his childhood.

Both of his parents were heroin addicts, so Ortiz was fending for himself on the streets of Santa Ana, California, from an early age.

As young as five years old, Ortiz had already drunk beer and smoked cigarettes, and by nine he’d joined one of the region’s most notorious gangs, ‘F-Troop,’ after going through their initiation beating which saw him repeatedly sucker-punched by other members to prove his toughness.

According to Ortiz in his biography, ‘This Is Going To Hurt,’ he was soon getting into trouble doing “hoodlum stuff,” and in the years that followed he robbed houses and cars, fought rival gangs, tried “just about every drug there was to do except heroin,” and was “in and out of juvenile hall.”

After one of Ortiz’s friends was shot and killed next to him in a drive-by shooting, his mother moved with him to Huntington Beach, and with the police cracking down on gang culture in that area, Ortiz would turn his attention to wrestling and slowly but surely, he moved away from his troubled past and set out on a new path in mixed martial arts that would lead to him becoming a UFC champion.

The post 10 Former Gang Members Who Became UFC Fighters appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC 216 – Preliminary Card Predictions

UFC 216 – Lando Vannata Vs. Bobby Green Lando Vannata turned a lot of heads and raised a lot of eyebrows with an impressive UFC debut wherein he nearly got the better of Tony Ferguson.He promised of potential, and even knocked out John Makdessi with a wheelkick that was nothing short of spectacular. However, he […]

UFC 216 – Lando Vannata Vs. Bobby Green

Lando Vannata turned a lot of heads and raised a lot of eyebrows with an impressive UFC debut wherein he nearly got the better of Tony Ferguson.He promised of potential, and even knocked out John Makdessi with a wheelkick that was nothing short of spectacular. However, he was humbled at UFC 209 at the hands of David Teymur.

Vannata’s loss only goes to prove that there is always room for improvement. He gets to be in the spotlight again come UFC 216 on October 7^th when he faces off against the more experienced Bobby Green. Vannata has been training hard from what we know, and this will be the perfect opportunity for him to showcase his newly acquired skills.

UFC 216 – Pearl Gonzalez Vs. Poliano Botelho

Pearl Gonzalez really messed up her UFC debut, it was pretty diabolical as everything went horribly wrong for her. Sadly, the UFC cuts her no slack and has put her up against Poliano Botelho who is strong favorite going into this match up.

Things don’t look positive for Gonzalez at this point. She is going to have a hard time, and we doubt she is ready for a challenge this tough, this early.

UFC 216 – Walt Harris Vs. Mark Godbeer

There is always one fight in every UFC fight night which features two massive men that can both pack a punch. While it might not be the most agile or technical fight of the night. There is certainly going to be a display of brute force in this match up. The two middle heavyweights should make for an interesting fight. This one is really hard to predict, can go either way.

UFC 216 – Matt Schnell Vs. Marco Beltran

This fight is pretty much going to help the UFC decide who is going to be cut. Firstly, the weight division itself is losing popularity and the UFC themselves don’t seem to bother much for this weight class. Furthermore, both fighters have suffered back to back losses and whoever is on the losing side here will certainly be going home for good.

UFC 216 – Tom Duquesnoy Vs. Cody Stamann

This fight is basically the UFC giving Duquesnoy a stage and an opponent which is ideal for him to show off what he can do. The ex BAMMA champion did impress in his debut and the UFC seem keen to see what else he can do at the expense of Cody Stamann.

Stamann might be able to prove the UFC wrong and actually cause an upset here, but it is going to be an uphill task to say the least.

Pearl Gonzalez-Poliana Botelho Scheduled for UFC 216 in Las Vegas

Pearl Gonzalez will attempt to get back in the win column this October when she faces Poliana Botelho at UFC 216, according to a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Gonzalez was involved in a heavily-publicized ordeal prior to her UFC 210 fight in April with Cynthia Calvillo, which she lost via submission. The day […]

10 Current UFC Fighters Who Have Been To Jail

Boxing is often credited with having given many a troubled youth an alternate path away from a life of crime, as well as an opportunity to make something of themselves – and the sport of mixed martial arts is no different. Researching this article, there were many tales to be had of the rough childhoods, […]

The post 10 Current UFC Fighters Who Have Been To Jail appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Researching this article, there were many tales to be had of the rough childhoods, thuggish behavior, and poor choices that had led to 10 current UFC stars having been sent to jail at some point in their lives.

However, one recurring theme that cropped up more often than not was of these individuals then discovered MMA upon their release, and they were then able to use that as a springboard to move beyond their criminal past, channel their energy and attention in a more positive direction, and it ultimately lead to them competing in the Octagon.

It’s a positive take on what is otherwise a dark collection of stories that demonstrate just how close some of these stars came to throwing away any chance they had of making something of their lives. Let’s take a look back at how 10 current UFC athletes turned it around after going to jail.

Mark Hunt

Some of heavy-handed heavyweight Mark Hunt’s many fans may be surprised to discover that in his younger days before he discovered MMA, he had a reputation for violence and criminal behavior in his home city of Auckland, New Zealand.

Hunt and his siblings suffered horrific physical abuse at the hands of their father growing up, and the anger felt as a result of that led to him regularly getting into trouble himself for fighting on the streets.

Hunt also became involved in petty crimes and admits to having stolen dozens of cars in his early teens, before finally being sentenced to nine months in jail at just 16-years-old after mugging a man for his Dr Martens shoes.

Hunt didn’t learn his lesson though and was later put behind bars again for assault.

It was only when a bouncer convinced him to try martial arts after witnessing him knock out several people outside a nightclub that Hunt finally started to get his life on track, and in the two decades since he’s gone from living a pitiful existence to earning $750,000 every time he fights in the Octagon.

The post 10 Current UFC Fighters Who Have Been To Jail appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Pearl Gonzalez Says Breast Implant Fiasco Impacted Her Mentally Before UFC 210

Pearl Gonzalez admits she lost control after the fiasco regarding her breast implants. Gonzalez’s UFC 210 bout was in jeopardy when the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) told her she wouldn’t be cleared after she tipped the scales. The commission ended up having a change of heart and allowed her to compete inside the […]