UFC strawweight Pearl Gonzalez recently divulged some information on her past with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. The professional mixed martial artist explained that she comes from a troubled past.
In the interview, as transcribed by MMA Fighting, Gonzalez explained that she was jailed at the age of 30. The fighter’s husband at the time was a heroin addict. After he committed a robbery, the police arrived.
“They wanted me to tell on him and I wouldn’t. I was that ride-or-die girl at that time. You can’t snitch — no snitches in the hood. Snitches get stitches is what I grew up knowing.”
The days in her jail cell were the worst of her life, Gonzalez said.
“That was probably the lowest point of my life, I think, for me. Because I had so much ambition. I knew that I was meant to do something great. I didn’t know what at that time, but I felt like I was a complete failure. It was a very low spot. But that low place actually brought me back to the gym, brought me back to MMA.”
Gonzalez also explained that, when she was young, her parents were homeless. As a result, the fighter joined gangs for survival.
“I was [running with gangs], unfortunately, at 12 years old. That was the only lifestyle I had knew.”
The fighter then explained that her experiences have made her stronger.
“I needed to go through that, unfortunately, to be the woman I am today,” Gonzalez said. … “You just have to work hard and believe in yourself and you can be anything you want to be.”
