6:00am- weight- 130.5

So I’m where I need to be right now. Ideally I would like to wake up tomorrow at somewhere in the 129 range, the lower the better. I don’t want to struggle making the weight. I’m gonna make the weight no matter what I just want to make sure that its not that hard on my body and I have enough time to properly rehydrate myself. Anyways all we did today was fly out. Me and Brian got to the hotel at 3. I ate real quick and than I took a nap and when we got up we ate again. While we were eating I rang into Bubby Mitchell, he’s a 125 pounder too that’s fight on the show also. He’s someone that I might fight down the road. We all had dinner together, he’s a cool guy. He’s smaller than me like 5’2 maybe 5’3. After dinner I came to my room and hung out for a little bit than Brian wanted to wrap my hands to get used to it. While he was wrapping them I stretched my legs out a little bit. All in all it was a pretty relaxing day. Tomorrow I gotta wake up and cut the weight so that should be fun! Lol…

Me and bubby

Wednesday 19th February, 2008-

7:00am- weight 129

So I woke up today at 129, I’m very happy that I woke up at that weight. I went with Brian and watched him have breakfast, haha. Anyways I didn’t eat or drink all day. I decided to cut weight at 2 o’clock; I also wanted to cut weight in my room away from all the other fighters. By the time 2 rolled around I was 127.8. I put on my sauna suit and some sweats and sweaters and I showed boxed for 15 minutes and I was 127.0 on the dot. I put everything back on and I jumped roped for 20 minutes this time and when I got done I weighed 126 on the dot. Once I saw that I stopped cutting and I took a shower and went to get my photo shoots and video interviews done.

Me cutting weight

We ended up getting on the scale at around 5:30ish. By the time I got on the scale I was 125.2 which is perfect! I meet Greg McDowell and he’s a real respectful guy. When I first found out I was gonna fight him he was kinda harsh to me but it really didn’t bother me. Today he was super nice and he’s actually a pretty cool guy. I think I’m in his head a little, it just seems that way. He weighed in at 119 which is really light. It looked like he was eating to actually gain weight but who knows.

Weighing in

Pose down

After the fight I messed up and I ate like a pig. I ate meatballs and chesses and red meat stuff that I normally haven’t eaten since I’ve been on my diet. I felt instantly sick! I had the runs like 30 minutes later and I actually threw up 3 times. Its weird like my body went into shock and what not. I’M NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN! It’s not worth it! 8 weeks or hard training and dieting and I almost ruined it! I dunno what I was thinking. I feel a lot better now and I should be good to go by tomorrow.

Me eating meatballs

Thursday 20th March, 2008-

So since my body is so used to getting up at 6am I woke up and got my stuff ready and had breakfast with Brian. I’m trying to eat the same type of foods that I’ve been eating the last couple of weeks with the only exception is that I’m eating more of it. I’m trying to carb load and I feel a little bloated because of the extra food and all the water that I’ve been drinking.

I’m not really nervous right now which makes me nervous is that makes any sense. Normally I’m really nervous before my matches but all my matches are usually in the morning. I have all day today so I’m trying to keep myself busy by going online and watching movies and what not. I don’t want to think about my fight till I get to the arena, from there I’m gonna get in fight mode. I spoke to my mom and I started to cry a little bit. For some reason I always get choked up when I talk to her before my fight. I’m gonna call her right before the fight cause I know that will put me in the mood that I need to be. It’s weird to explain. I saw Greg this morning and he seems super nervous when I spoke to him. Anyways enough about him.

I’m gonna have lunch with my dad, nena, brian, marc, sean, Karen, tarek, and cimins at 3 and than after that I’m gonna grab my stuff and head to the venue to check in and hang out till we get under way. This will probably be the last time I talk to them till after the fight. I like to be by myself a lot and that will give me a chance to get away and focus on what I have to do. Hopefully we’ll have a nice lunch and I’m gonna tell each one of them that I love them and that no matter what that they shouldn’t worry about me because I know what I’m doing in there and that I have to do what I have to do. After that I wont see them till the fight is over which will let me clear my head and focus on what needs to be done. A few more hours and its go time. My body feels good now I just have to get in the zone and bring it all together!

So the fight just got over and man what an experience! First after lunch I grabbed my gear and we went to check in and get our psychical done and get our gloves. They told me that I didn’t have to be back until 7ish and since the locker room was full, me and Sean went back to my room to stretch out. When we got there nena and xotchli were there getting ready so I was stretching out while they were getting dressed. It didn’t really bother me too much, I would have liked to have stretched out by myself but oh well. I got a good stretch and than we went back to the venue. When we got there we got a locker room and I got changed and Brian tapped my hands. I tried to stay relaxed and focus until he was done. When he finished I told him to give me a few minutes to myself. I said I pray and I called my mom and she got my head where its suppose to be. She told me that she loved me no matter what and that I was gonna win the fight and that everything was gonna be okay. I actually started to cry while she was telling me all of this. I felt great after we hung up the phone.

From here we started to warm up, I warmed up by hitting mitts with Brian and I got a real good sweat going. We did roughly 3 rounds 5 minute rounds to warm up, than they moved us into the hallway to get us ready to walk out. When we got there I found out that they burned the wrong song for my intro and it was too late to change it because Comcast needed to approve of it before hand. At this point I said screw it and I threw on my IPOD and I figured if they wont let me walk out to the song than I can listen to it myself while I walked out. I was supposed to walk to mad world by Gary Jules but instead I walked out to barstools by Gary Jules. Still a good song but not the song I wanted to walk out to.
I walked out into the arena and the place was cheering, I could hear nena, Karen, tarek, xotchil, and Brian all yelling for me. I also could hear random people yelling out uly and useless. The ref came up to me and gave me some instructions but I honestly don’t remember what he told me. They introduced me but I don’t remember hearing my name or if I even acknowledged it. they brought me and Greg to the center of the ring for the stare down and we were standing there looking at each other but he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking up and he didn’t want to make eye contact with me. I took a set forward towards him and than he took a step forward also and I leaned forward and we were super close to each other. We were basically touching noses. The whole crowd went nuts. At first I took the step forward cause I wanted him to look me in the eyes cause I knew that’s not what he wanted to do. I wanted to appose my will on him from the get go. Even before the fight started.

Walking out wearing my brothers jersey to the ring

The fight started and I remember bits and pieces of it, I remember that we touched gloves and I remember telling myself that I needed to relax, move my head, control the center of the ring, and not to get caught with anything stupid. He threw the first punch which was more like pawing jabs than I think I threw a few jabs just to create my distance but I don’t think anything landed. Than the weirdest thing happened, he threw a kick at me and it felt like it was coming in slow motion. I saw the kick coming from a mile away it seemed super slow I even had enough time to tell myself to catch the kick. I caught the kick and than everything went in fast forward mode. Once I caught the kick I picked him up off the floor and slammed him down with a double leg and I landed in side control. It was weird cause it went from slow motion to fast forward in less than a second.

When we landed in side control he kinda had my head like in a weak head lock position but I had his bottom arm trapped so I worked on un-trapping my other arm since he had it figure foured between his legs. Once I got my hand free I worked on trapping his bottom hand so I could posture up and punch him in the face, when I did this I heard laimon yell out that the back was coming. I knew that I was either gonna trap his arm and pound him out or that he was gonna give up his back from this point. I went to punch and he turned to get away and as I went for his back he hit me with a punch but it didn’t matter cause I already was half way to his back from here. I got his back and threw my hooks in and started to attack his neck with the rear naked choke and a few seconds later he tapped. I got up and walked to the center of the ring.

I didn’t even raise my hand or celebrate I just turned and looked at him and I was just staring at him I dunno why. After a second I walked over to him to make sure that he was okay. They raised my hands and announced me as the winner and than laimon and Sean ran in the ring and threw t-shirts out to everyone and they LOVED it. they interviewed me and the interview sucked. Haha but it lasted longer than the fight. Speaking of which the fight lasted 41 seconds and for some reason it seemed faster than that.

When I got to the back I broke down, I was so relieved that it was over. I mean 8 weeks of training and it felt like I was being selfish. I missed my mom’s birthday and me and nena went through a lot and I was just glad that it was over. I saw my dad, nena,xotchil, Karen, tarek, brain and they all hugged me and told me how happy they were for me. I cried and told them that I loved them. I told nena that I loved her and that I was sorry for everything that I put her through the last few weeks and she just told me not to cry and that everything was gonna be okay. I called my mom and told
her that I won the fight for her. I was just glad that it was over and than I won and that I didn’t get hurt. We all had dinner after words and it was honestly one of the best nights of my night.

Me and my dad. He was SO nervous before the fight

The 3 wise men. Sean, brian and laimon

The 3 wise men. Sean, brian and laimon. A great friend and the best sponsor I can ask for. Brian cimins

Whos cheese cake was it?

Me and tarek. He was So drunk after the fight.

My cousin

Me and greg

I just wanna thank everyone that helped me out all my trainers Marc laimon, Brian clements, Sean Spees. All my training partners Sim Go, Sonny Nohara, Wayne McCullough, Jason Carptner, Jerry Shaprio, Anthony, Harry Sonson, and Ryan Monaco.

And all my sponsors for giving me the opportunity to make this happen

www.grapplers.com

www.fracturemma.com

www.getbigger.com

www.rentsamson.com
www.chemdry.com

www.fromthegut.us

www.bftrauma.com

Choke Nutrition

Kill Roys

If I forgot anyone im sorry.

Photo credits go to

www.sherdog.com

www.combatlifestyle.com

www.bloodymayhem.com

Gomez was born in California to a family with a Mexican heritage. His parents owned a furniture store in Los Angeles before moving the family to Las Vegas when he was about 11 and finding work in dealing used cars.

His two brothers and two sisters all came in quick succession, and Gomez jokes about his family options based on his ethnicity.

“Being Hispanic, there are three things people do: fighting, soccer and construction,” Gomez joked. “Well, I don’t like soccer, and I don’t like yard work.”

But another family member took to soccer. Herculez Gomez, 13 months older than Ulysses, became a star in the sport and eventually became a scoring champion in the top Mexican league. Even six months before the World Cup began, he was barely on the U.S. team’s radar, but he performed well leading up to the picking of the teams.

An exhibition game near the final roster cuts fell on Ulysses Gomez’ birthday, which was a good sign. Herculez always scored on his birthday, he said.

The tradition continued, and Herculez Gomez’ goal helped him make the American roster for the world’s biggest sporting event.

“There’s something I noticed about him playing,” Ulysses Gomez said. “I watched him play for his (Major League Soccer) team once in Denver, and before the game you could see his mood change. It was real subtle, but he got real serious, and I could see it. I never felt like that when I played soccer.

“But that’s how I feel when I fight, like I’m a little nervous. But about an hour before, I get real serious and very focused. That’s how I know it’s for me.”

Years of training

By 2001, Gomez was ready. Aug. 1, in fact.

“A day that forever changed my life,” he said.

He had been renting UFC tapes and enjoying MMA. He had always told friends he felt he could be successful there, as well. So one day, he simply picked up the phone, called a gym and found a home.

Within months, Gomez started his career in grappling tournaments that continued for years with great success – to the point that tournaments would specifically request him. At his height, he was appearing nearly two dozen times per year.

Then he tried boxing, and then Pankration, with wins in both. Following the World Wrestling Championships in 2007, he returned home a champion having represented the country. Palace Fighting Championships, the successful California-based promotion that’s groomed dozens of notables, called and said the promotion wanted him for an event.

Looking for a new challenge, he accepted. He made his professional MMA debut in March 2008 and won his first two fights before taking on Rambaa Somdet in November 2008.

“Everything that can go wrong went wrong,” Gomez said. “I was heavy at the weigh-in, and I had to cut 12 pounds that day. I was in the hospital, and they put IVs in, and they said, ‘You shouldn’t fight.’ I said, ‘Man, I’m fighting.’

“I remember him dropping me in the first round, and we made it all the way to a decision, and he won; he really did. We were talking afterward, and I said, ‘I can’t believe he dropped me.’ My guys said, ‘Which time? He dropped you four times.’ I only remembered once.

“That showed me I could compete when I’m not even 100 percent.”

Gomez (6-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) then won four consecutive fights to earn his upcoming Bellator opportunity, where he meets Travis Reddinger (14-2 MMA, 0-0 BFC) in an opening-round fight of the eight-man tourney. But he’s hoping his career can continue with the experience he gained in multiple fighting techniques in multiple countries over the years.

He doesn’t want to live up to his nickname, “Useless,” which he was called by other children in school who couldn’t pronounce his name. Gomez facetiously adopted the nickname for his fighting career.

“You have to have some fun with things, not be too serious all the time,” he said. “That’s how you stay loose.”

For additional coverage of Bellator 27, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

(Photo courtesy CombatLifestyle.com, where you can find more Ulysses Gomez photos)

Award-winning newspaper reporter Kyle Nagel is the lead features
writer for MMAjunkie.com. His weekly “Fight Path” column focuses on the
circumstances that led fighters to a profession in MMA. Know a fighter
with an interesting story? Email us at news [at] mmajunkie.com.

His two brothers and two sisters all came in quick succession, and Gomez jokes about his family options based on his ethnicity.

“Being Hispanic, there are three things people do: fighting, soccer and construction,” Gomez joked. “Well, I don’t like soccer, and I don’t like yard work.”

But another family member took to soccer. Herculez Gomez, 13 months older than Ulysses, became a star in the sport and eventually became a scoring champion in the top Mexican league. Even six months before the World Cup began, he was barely on the U.S. team’s radar, but he performed well leading up to the picking of the teams.

An exhibition game near the final roster cuts fell on Ulysses Gomez’ birthday, which was a good sign. Herculez always scored on his birthday, he said.

The tradition continued, and Herculez Gomez’ goal helped him make the American roster for the world’s biggest sporting event.

“There’s something I noticed about him playing,” Ulysses Gomez said. “I watched him play for his (Major League Soccer) team once in Denver, and before the game you could see his mood change. It was real subtle, but he got real serious, and I could see it. I never felt like that when I played soccer.

“But that’s how I feel when I fight, like I’m a little nervous. But about an hour before, I get real serious and very focused. That’s how I know it’s for me.”

Years of training

By 2001, Gomez was ready. Aug. 1, in fact.

“A day that forever changed my life,” he said.

He had been renting UFC tapes and enjoying MMA. He had always told friends he felt he could be successful there, as well. So one day, he simply picked up the phone, called a gym and found a home.

Within months, Gomez started his career in grappling tournaments that continued for years with great success – to the point that tournaments would specifically request him. At his height, he was appearing nearly two dozen times per year.

Then he tried boxing, and then Pankration, with wins in both. Following the World Wrestling Championships in 2007, he returned home a champion having represented the country. Palace Fighting Championships, the successful California-based promotion that’s groomed dozens of notables, called and said the promotion wanted him for an event.

Looking for a new challenge, he accepted. He made his professional MMA debut in March 2008 and won his first two fights before taking on Rambaa Somdet in November 2008.

“Everything that can go wrong went wrong,” Gomez said. “I was heavy at the weigh-in, and I had to cut 12 pounds that day. I was in the hospital, and they put IVs in, and they said, ‘You shouldn’t fight.’ I said, ‘Man, I’m fighting.’

“I remember him dropping me in the first round, and we made it all the way to a decision, and he won; he really did. We were talking afterward, and I said, ‘I can’t believe he dropped me.’ My guys said, ‘Which time? He dropped you four times.’ I only remembered once.

“That showed me I could compete when I’m not even 100 percent.”

Gomez (6-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) then won four consecutive fights to earn his upcoming Bellator opportunity, where he meets Travis Reddinger (14-2 MMA, 0-0 BFC) in an opening-round fight of the eight-man tourney. But he’s hoping his career can continue with the experience he gained in multiple fighting techniques in multiple countries over the years.

He doesn’t want to live up to his nickname, “Useless,” which he was called by other children in school who couldn’t pronounce his name. Gomez facetiously adopted the nickname for his fighting career.

“You have to have some fun with things, not be too serious all the time,” he said. “That’s how you stay loose.”

For additional coverage of Bellator 27, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

(Photo courtesy CombatLifestyle.com, where you can find more Ulysses Gomez photos)

Award-winning newspaper reporter Kyle Nagel is the lead features
writer for MMAjunkie.com. His weekly “Fight Path” column focuses on the
circumstances that led fighters to a profession in MMA. Know a fighter
with an interesting story? Email us at news [at] mmajunkie.com.

The 26-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt boasts a 6-1 overall professional record with all of his six victories coming via submission. He will enter the tournament in the midst of a four-fight winning streak that includes a five-round unanimous decision victory over jiu-jitsu black belt Luis “Speedy” Gonzalez Wednesday night in Fresno, Calif.

“Ulysses has a great background in jiu-jitsu which could serve him well in our 135 tournament,” said Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He comes to us through the same management team that provided Joe Soto during Season 1, so their track record is very impressive. We’re happy to have him and look forward to watching him fight in our Bantamweight Tournament this summer.”

Gomez is the third confirmed participant in Bellator’s Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament along with Kansas City’s Danny Tims and Hawaii’s Mark Oshiro. Bellator Season 3 begins August 12th and will again be televised LIVE every Thursday night on FOX Sports Net and during taped Saturday night Bellator highlight shows on NBC, Telemundo and the cable network mun2.

Gomez was born in Southern California but moved to Las Vegas at the age of 12. At around the same time, he saw his first pro MMA fight and got hooked. He started training in jiu-jitsu and competing in a variety of local and regional grappling competitions. He made the transition to MMA in his early 20s and took his first pro fight in March 2008.

A father of two, Gomez comes from a family of athletes. His older brother, Herculez, is a renowned pro soccer player who spent seven years in the MLS before moving over to Puebla FC of the Primera Division de Mexico. Ulysses Gomez is known for wearing the soccer jersey of his brother’s current team as his walk-out T-shirt before his fights.

“My brother is a great athlete and a role model to me,” he said. “My own career, on the other hand, is just getting started and I think Bellator is going to take me to the next level. I love the tournament format, I love that they market to Hispanics. God’s given me the talent, so now I want to make the most of it.”