Jennifer Gonzalez Released From UFC Ahead Of Debut: ‘USADA Thought I Was Hiding From Them’
Despite finding herself booked for a promotional bow at UFC Vegas 49 next weekend against Josiane Nunes, Chilean flyweight, Jennifer Gonzalez has been officially ssen her contract with the organization terminated just weeks following her initial signature.
The 35-year-old, who boasts a 13-5 professional record, had penned a deal with the organization earlier this month, and was slated to make her first outing on the contract at UFC Vegas 49 on February 26.
Jennifer Gonzalez has competed for the likes of Combate Global and Jungle Fight during her professional career
However, reports earlier this week detailed how Gonzalez had been removed from her scheduled flyweight bow against Nunes at the UFC Apex facility and had been released from her deal with the UFC.
Whilst official reasoning for Gonzalez’s departure remain undisclosed, the 35-year-old, 18-fight professional veteran has detailed a feud with anti-doping agency, USADA, official testers for the UFC, following her departure from the promotion.
“I don’t even know what happened, the truth,” Jennifer Gonzalez told ESPN Chile as translated by Bloody Elbow. “What happened was that this fight (against Josiane Nunes) was all rushed, all rushed. When they (the UFC) informed me of this fight, it meant that I had to do medical tests, blood tests, etc. Also, my passport was expired. Then I had to start doing the processing of my passport. I was out of the gym many times. USADA said that I needed to create a schedule telling them of my location at all times. I did not take that requirement at heart, but I made the schedule telling them that I was at the gym from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. But I was leaving the gym to solve some of the issues for this fight, like physicals and that was it. Nothing more important than that.”
“I was arriving home from an interview with Gonzalo Egas and I was surprised to see the people from USADA were outside of my residence, which is next to the gym,” Jennifer Gonzalez explained. “In Chile, USADA has never approached me. I invited them in and told them to wait for me at the gym. What happened is my house is next to the gym, it’s two buildings with two different gates. I was entering my vehicle into the garage, and the guy from USADA tells me he can’t lose sight of me. I told him that if he came with me, the dogs would catch him. I have two rottweilers. I requested two minutes to get the dogs in, park my truck and meet them at the gym. And when I told him that, I did not realize that he got upset. I opened the doors, let the dogs in, changed my clothes and went to the gym. And they were gone.”
“They had a conflict with Pablo, my partner and coach. Because they wanted to enter from the side and the dogs were, where I left everything open for Pablo to get into the truck,” Jennifer Gonzalez said. “When Pablo was entering the truck, they did not identify themselves as USADA. They thought that I was hiding from them. I don’t mind people going to the gym through the other gate, but why would they want to come through my house to go to the gym?”
Gonzalez detailed how upset she was left by the whole situation, maintaining that throughout her professional career, she had always been a “clean” fighter.
“I was very upset and tired of it,” Jennifer Gonzalez said. “I have never asked them for anything. I have never asked the sport for anything because I know they don’t give anything. I have earned everything alone and I have never had any problems. I was in another country, I fought. I was always clean. Now this happens, and it happens in Chile. From one Chilean to another Chilean. I explained to them why I was asking them to wait, but they felt like they were above me.”
“I spoke to them very kind, respectful,” Jennifer Gonzalez said. “They seemed like they were the owners of my house. And that’s not right. It’s my house, it’s a private matter. I don’t know. Anyway, I’m tired. I trained since I was 13-years-old. I have competed in many places, a great record. I’m at a good level and I know I can win that fight. I’m tired. Sometimes you fall, you get up, you fall and you get up. One more is nothing.”
UFC Vegas 49 is slated to take place on February 26. from the UFC Apex facility, with a short notice 160lbs catchweight main event between Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green booked to take main event honors.
