It’s been over a yr since Michelle Waterson-Gomez referred to as it a profession, however regardless of all her success exterior the cage, she admits the will to combat once more will in all probability by no means go away.
The veteran strawweight, who spent almost a decade and 15 fights with the UFC, determined to retire in 2024 as she turned her full focus in direction of her household in addition to different endeavors that don’t contain getting punched within the face. Today, Waterson-Gomez is asking fights as a colour commentator on the regional fight sports activities circuit, offering evaluation as a part of the UFC’s broadcast staff, and even dabbling in performing with a featured function in a brand new horror movie directed by fellow UFC veteran Keith Jardine.
However regardless of how she fills her days, Waterson-Gomez nonetheless has that want to return for yet another combat.
“It’s onerous, particularly since I’ve been commentating,” Waterson-Gomez informed MMA Combating. “I simply went to the UFC Worldwide Battle Week, and each time I watched the fighters step contained in the octagon, it made me want I used to be doing it nonetheless. I want I used to be contained in the octagon as a substitute of within the enviornment being a spectator. I don’t suppose it’s one thing that can ever go away.
“However it’s actually cool having the ability to see it from a distinct mild and type of see how superb it was that I used to be in a position to do it for 18 years. It was a tremendous profession and I feel typically once you’re in it, you don’t notice it. You’re simply head down, grinding, you’re within the reduce. Having the ability to step away from it, and be within the crowd and go searching, it’s like oh my gosh, all these individuals are right here to observe these fighters put their coronary heart and soul on the road and it was actually superb.”
Many athletes who shut the door on MMA find yourself competing in another sport like boxing, kickboxing and even bare-knuckle combating.
Waterson-Gomez says she not often escapes any occasion with out anyone asking her about combating once more so it’s virtually unimaginable to keep away from that topic. It seems even her fellow fighters always ask that very same query.
“It’s at all times tempting,” Waterson-Gomez stated. “I did some in ring saying for Karate Fight and I’m speaking to Bas [Rutten] and he’s like, ‘You must get into it, that is good for you, that is your wheelhouse!’ It’s undoubtedly tempting. The competitor in me and the fighter in me is like I ponder.
“However I’ve realized as nicely, all these different issues I’m making an attempt to get into, being an analyst for the UFC, entering into the performing world, it takes simply as a lot dedication, and if I wish to make a run at it, I’ve to have the ability to dedicate myself to these issues as nicely.”
There’s a large number of explanation why fighters don’t keep retired – together with the apparent monetary advantages – for Waterson-Gomez, from a private perspective, the hardest half isn’t getting that sure feeling once more that comes together with combating.
“There’s nothing like getting ready for a combat,” Waterson-Gomez stated. “The entire facet round combating, round dedicating every part to those 15 or 25 minutes beneath the lights, there’s nothing else prefer it. Strolling out to the octagon and having the ability to combat in entrance of a whole lot of 1000’s of individuals world wide. It’s an enormous, enormous adrenaline hit. For lots of fighters, it’s onerous to seek out that in another area.
“You develop into a fighter, you develop into a warrior and once you step away from it, you miss it. You undergo withdrawals. You undergo despair. There’s so many belongings you undergo. However fortunately, I’ve a tremendous husband, a tremendous household and supportive staff behind me to assist me transfer to the following chapter and put as a lot power into all the opposite endeavors that I’m doing as a lot as I used to be in combating.”
Whereas she confesses it’s troublesome to not pull the set off and are available again yet another time, Waterson-Gomez accepts that’s the truth each fighter offers with after retiring.
Fortunately, she’s nonetheless very a lot concerned with the game because of her commentating and analyst gigs, although even that comes together with its personal set of issues.
“It’s made it simpler but it surely’s additionally a type of issues and all people goes by means of it, it’s like dang, if I solely had yet another combat,” Waterson-Gomez stated. “It’s a shoulda, woulda, coulda sort factor. It’s like all people does it once they’re away from it. I’ll simply take yet another and this time I’m going to commit every part to it and I’m not going to have any regrets and I’m not going to be scared.
“That’s at all times going to be there however nonetheless having the ability to contact the magic in numerous methods has completely helped me transition.”
Along with her broadcasting work, Waterson-Gomez has expanded her portfolio with increasingly performing gigs, together with a job in Jardine’s writing and directorial debut, Kill Me Once more. She stars within the movie alongside Brandon Fehr (Remaining Vacation spot) and Raoul Max Trujillo (Mayans M.C.) in addition to some recognizable faces from the combat world, together with Maurice Greene and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
Even throughout her combat profession, Waterson-Gomez crossed over into performing sometimes however often in action-heavy roles with stunts the place her pure athletic abilities got here in helpful. Now, she’s doing dialogue and enjoying characters who by no means throw a single punch.
“It’s truly come full circle for me,” Waterson-Gomez stated. “After I was in highschool, I used to be an enormous thespian and going into faculty, I used to be truly double majoring in theater and sports activities science. It was at all times my dream to have the ability to be a storyteller. That’s what performing is. It’s having the ability to pull different folks into the story and take them away from the truth of life. My journey occurred to take me into the combat realm the place I nonetheless acquired to inform a narrative — it was my story although.
“That’s why I’m so grateful for Keith Jardine trusting me. I had a small function within the film, but it surely was nice to have the ability to step exterior of a traditional film that I might get forged for the place it was extra motion based mostly and so they may belief me with that as a result of that’s my wheelhouse. However to simply be a nurse on this thriller and to have strains and to have the ability to dig into that was actually enjoyable. It was simply very eye-opening. Keith has been so pivotal for me and having talks with him over the course of this movie being made. Simply listening to his journey as he’s retired and located a brand new ardour directing and screenwriting.”
