Table credit: @Dimspace

The latest data release from USADA has highlighted another fighter entering the testing pool and seemingly on the verge of signing for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Pearl Gonzalez, 30, a strawweight fighter out Chicago, Illinois has a professional record of 6-1. Having lost her professional debut under the Ring of Combat banner in 2012, Gonzalez has gone on to record six straight victories fighting in the promotions XFC, XFO, Xplode MMA and Hoosier FC.

According to Tapology, Gonzalez has fought at three different weights in her career including 130, 120 and 115-pounds, though her last two fights have been taken at strawweight.

Gonzalez's last fight was back in April 2016 when she defeated Katie Casimir in the second round via submission and having been out of action since then, her entrance into the USADA testing pool would suggest her UFC debut could be imminent.


Table credit: @Dimspace

Also of note this week from the testing pool this week, Vitor Belfort has joined Conor McGregor and Yoel Romero at the top of the rankings for most tested UFC athlete.

McGregor, Belfort and Romero have provided 19 total samples since the program began, while Holly, Johny Hendricks and Dan Henderson are in second having been tested 18 times respectively.


Table credit: @Dimspace

The UFC Fight Night card in Houston, Texas throws up some interesting comparisons between some of the athletes competing.

Headliner Dennis Bermudez has been tested 8 times while his opponent on Saturday night, Chan Sung Jung, has been tested just twice since coming back from military service.

Interestingly and perhaps a little controversially, both UFC newcomers Volkan Oezdemir and Marcel Fortuna have yet to be tested by USADA and will enter the UFC Octagon on Saturday night having not been tested prior to facing their respective opponents Ovince Saint Preux and Anthony Hamilton.

The most tested athlete in Houston this weekend is strawweight Tecia Torres who has been tested 11 times since the program began. Ovince Saint Preux and Abel Trujilo follow closely behind having provided 10 samples each.