The Puzzling Case of Denise Gomes: UFC’s Rising Star Who Suddenly Disappeared From the Spotlight

Remember when Denise Gomes was the hottest thing in women’s strawweight? Yeah, me too. The Brazilian knockout artist had the MMA world buzzing in 2023 with back-to-back highlight reel finishes that seemed to announce the arrival of the UFC’s next big thing. And then… radio silence.

Let’s dive into one of the most perplexing career trajectories in recent UFC history.

The Meteoric Rise That Had Everyone Talking

If you blinked, you might have missed Denise Gomes’ starmaking moment against Yazmin Jauregui. Twenty seconds. That’s all it took for the then 24-year-old to flatten her opponent with a perfectly timed right hand that sent shockwaves through the division.

That devastating KO came just months after she’d already impressed everyone by dismantling Bruna Brasil. Two fights, two knockouts, and suddenly everyone was asking the same question: “Is Denise Gomes the next big thing at 115 pounds?”

Insert image of Gomes celebrating her 20-second knockout victory here

The Numbers Behind the Hype

And Then… The Vanishing Act

For a sport that thrives on momentum, timing is everything. When you’ve got a 25-year-old prospect demolishing opponents in highlight-reel fashion, you strike while the iron is hot. But somehow, someway, the UFC let Gomes’ momentum completely evaporate.

It’s been over eight months since that 20-second knockout, and we haven’t seen or heard much from the Brazilian phenom. No fights scheduled. No major media appearances. Just… nothing.

I’ve been covering this sport for years, and I’m still scratching my head. Did I miss something?

The Theories Behind The Silence

Several possibilities come to mind:

• Injury concerns – The most obvious explanation, though there’s been no official word of any health issues
• Contract negotiations – Could Gomes be holding out for a bigger payday after those performances?
• UFC’s matchmaking priorities – The strawweight division is stacked, and sometimes fighters fall through the cracks
• Personal reasons – Athletes are humans first, fighters second

Whatever the reason, it’s a textbook example of how quickly momentum can dissipate in this sport. One minute you’re the next big thing, the next you’re yesterday’s news—even if it’s through no fault of your own.

What Gomes Brings to the Table

Let’s remember what made the UFC brass and fans so excited about Gomes in the first place. This isn’t just another prospect with a flashy highlight—this is a fighter with serious upside.

At just 25, Gomes possesses that rare combination of technical precision and raw power that can’t be taught. Her counterpunching ability is elite, her timing is impeccable, and she has that killer instinct that separates contenders from pretenders.

That 20-second knockout wasn’t lucky—it was a perfectly executed gameplan. She baited Jauregui, read her movement, and delivered a pinpoint strike that would make even the most seasoned strikers nod in approval.

What Should Be Next?

If I’m in the UFC matchmaking room, I’m picking up the phone right now and getting Gomes back in the Octagon ASAP. The strawweight division is always hungry for fresh contenders, and letting a talent like this sit on the shelf is borderline criminal.

A matchup against someone like Amanda Lemos or Marina Rodriguez would make perfect sense. Give her a top-10 opponent and see if she can continue her devastating run. The risk/reward calculation here is simple: if she wins, you’ve got a legitimate title contender on your hands. If she loses, she’s still young enough to rebuild.

The Fans Are Waiting

I’m not the only one wondering what happened to Denise Gomes. A quick scan of social media shows plenty of fans asking the same question: “Where is she?”

In a sport where attention spans are short and new contenders emerge weekly, staying relevant means staying active. Every day Gomes isn’t fighting or at least building her brand is a missed opportunity.

The Bottom Line

Denise Gomes represents one of the stranger career trajectories I’ve seen in recent UFC history. To go from such heights—back-to-back knockouts including a 20-second masterpiece—to complete silence is bizarre, to say the least.

Whatever the reason for her absence, I hope we see her back soon. Talents like hers don’t come around often, and in a division always looking for new blood to challenge the champion, Gomes has already proven she has the tools to make noise.

Until then, we’re left with highlight reels and memories of what could be the start of something special—or what might become one of MMA’s great “what if” stories.

What do you think happened to Denise Gomes? Let me know in the comments below.