Pearl Gonzalez (born August 12, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist. She formerly competed for Ultimate Fighting Championships, and currently fights in the strawweight division of the Invicta Fighting Championships.
Gonzalez was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents were both drug and alcohol abusers, disturbing her childhood and adolescence. Her parents eventually separated, leaving Pearl with her father and rest of the siblings with their mother. Her father, after getting clean, placed her in combat sport classes when she was eleven years old. Gonzalez later trained in boxing, and won the Golden Gloves amateur championship in 2008. She stopped fighting for a while in order to raise her younger sister, but went back to fighting at 21 at Combat-Do in Cicero, IL under Grappling Hall of Famer Bob Schirmer. Pearl is currently the host of the Extra Rounds Podcast on UFC FIGHT PASS.
She is of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Filipino, Irish descent.
Gonzalez started her amateur career in 2009, and fought professionally since 2012. She competed for the Xtreme Fighting Championship, Xtreme Fighting Organization, Splode Fight Series, and Hoosier Fight Club. Gonzalez amassed a record of 6âÂÂ1 prior to being signed by UFC.
Gonzalez made her promotional debut on April 8, 2017, at UFC 210 against Cynthia Calvillo. She lost the fight via rear-naked choke.
Her next fight came on October 7, 2017, facing Poliana Botelho at UFC 216. She lost the fight via unanimous decision.
After two losses at UFC, Gonzalez was released by UFC and she joined Invicta Fighting Championships shortly after.
Gonzalez made her promotional debut on March 24, 2018, at against Kali Robbins. and she won the fight via unanimous decision.
Gonzalez faced Barbara Acioly on May 4, 2018, at . She submitted Acioly and won the fight.
Gonzalez faced Daiane Firmino on September 1, 2018, at . She won the fight via unanimous decision.
Gonzalez faced Vanessa Porto for the vacant Invicta FC Flyweight Championship at Invicta FC 34 on February 15, 2019. She lost the fight via technical decision.
On October 4, 2019, Gonzalez faced Brogan Walker-Sanchez at . She won the fight via unanimous decision.
Gonzalez faced Miranda Maverick at on February 7, 2020. She lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Gonzalez was then scheduled to face Erin Blanchfield for the vacant Invicta FC Flyweight Championship at on November 20, 2020. However, Gonzalez was forced to withdraw due to contracting COVID-19 and the bout was supposed to be postponed to the future. However, her contract with the organization expired before she had the following bout.
Gonzalez made her MMA return after three and a half years at XFC 50 on April 12, 2024 against Monica Medina. She won by armbar submission in the first round.
On April 22, 2021, it was announced that Gonzalez had signed a multi-fight contract with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. On June 1, 2021, it was announced that Gonzalez was expected to make her debut against Charisa Sigala at on June 26, 2021. She won the debut via unanimous decision.
Her sophomore appearance came against Britain Hart at on November 12, 2021. She lost the fight via unanimous decision and subsequently stated that she will be moving away from the sport. This fight, however, earned her the Fight of the Night award.
After winning her first two professional boxing bouts, she lost to Gina Mazany at Gamebred Boxing 4 on April 1, 2023. After more than 2 years, she made her boxing return on the Misfits Mania â The Fight Before Christmas undercard, where she defeated Tai Emery via unanimous decision and won the vacant MFB women's middleweight title. Her first defense victory was on March 7, 2026 on the MF Duel 2: Mitchell vs. Rosado undercard, where she defeated MFB women's lightweight champion Carla Jade via unanimous decision.
|- |Loss |align=center|11âÂÂ6 |Rainn Guerrero |Decision (unanimous) |XFC: Detroit Grand Prix 2 | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Detroit, Michigan, United States | |- |Win |align=center| 11âÂÂ5 |Monica Medina |Submission (armbar) |XFC 50 | |align=center|1 |align=center|1:51 |Lakeland, Florida, United States | |- | Loss | align=center| 10âÂÂ5 | Miranda Maverick | Decision (unanimous) | | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 10âÂÂ4 | Brogan Walker-Sanchez | Decision (unanimous) | | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | |- | Loss | align=center| 9âÂÂ4 | Vanessa Porto | Technical Decision (unanimous) | | | align=center| 4 | align=center| 2:34 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 9âÂÂ3 | Daiane Firmino | Decision (unanimous) | | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 8âÂÂ3 | Barbara Acioly | Submission (armbar) | | | align=center| 1 | align=center| 1:30 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 7âÂÂ3 | Kali Robbins | Decision (unanimous) | | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | |- | Loss | align=center| 6âÂÂ3 | Poliana Botelho | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 216 | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- | Loss | align=center| 6âÂÂ2 | Cynthia Calvillo | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 210 | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 3:45 | Buffalo, New York, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 6âÂÂ1 | Katie Klimansky-Casimir | Submission (armbar) | Hoosier Fight Club 28 | | align=center| 2 | align=center| 4:20 | Hammond, Indiana, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 5âÂÂ1 | Valeria Mejia | TKO (punches) | XFO 56 | | align=center| 1 | align=center|3:34 | Island Lake, Illinois, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 4âÂÂ1 | Katie Anita Runyan | Submission (armbar) | Xplode Fight Series: Heat | | align=center| 1 | align=center|0:39 | Valley Center, California, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 3âÂÂ1 | Nikki Duncan | Decision (unanimous) | XFO 55 | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 2âÂÂ1 | Cortney Casey | Submission (armbar) | XFC 26 | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 4:43 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 1âÂÂ1 | Suzie Montero | Submission (armbar) | XFC 22 | | align=center| 1 | align=center|4:56 | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | |- | Loss | align=center| 0âÂÂ1 | Munah Holland | Decision (majority) | Ring of Combat 39 | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |-
|- |Loss |align=center|1âÂÂ1 |Britain Hart |Decision (unanimous) | | |align=center|5 |align=center|2:00 |Miami, Florida, United States | |- |Win |align=center|1âÂÂ0 |Charisa Sigala |Decision (unanimous) | | |align=center|5 |align=center|2:00 |Miami, Florida, United States | |-