Denise Gomes partners with Jessica Andrade, Karol Rosa for new all-women’s non-profit MMA team

Denise Gomes | Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC fighters Denise Gomes, Jessica Andrade, and Karol Rosa have joined forces to create a new all-women’s MMA team to ignite change in Brazil.

Gomes, who enters the octagon Saturday to face one-time UFC title contender Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC Vegas 100 in Las Vegas, said that GAEA Project was born in Sao Paulo from a desire to give women better training environment and support, especially after experiencing past situations “no athlete needs to experience.”

Jessica Andrade, Karol Rosa and Denise Gomes

“GAEA Project came to give girls the opportunity to work freely, work the correct way, and give them option in training,” Gomes said in an interview with MMA Fighting. The trio of UFC fighters were part of PRVT, which closed doors after the retirement of coach and manager Gilliard Parana. Andrade said she will file a lawsuit against Parana.

“The truth is, our previous team ended and we kind of had no place else to go,” she continued. “Based on the things we went through there before, we were more selective of what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go. The team ended, but Karol, Jessica and I remained together, so we decided, alongside other great people, to create our own team.”

Gomes said GAEA Project, a non-profit company based on empathy and cooperation to empower women, is a place where female athletes can go and train for upcoming fights without the need to necessarily part ways with their original teams, creating opportunity for women to do their camp and at the same time helping full-time GAEA members.

GAEA Project’s first assignment in the UFC is Gomes’ strawweight clash with Kowalkiewicz this Saturday, with the Brazilian looking to go 4-2 in the company after a June victory over Eduarda Moura. The Polish talent was riding a four-fight winning stream before dropping a decision to Iasmin Lucindo in May.

“It’s a privilege to be here [fighting Kowalkiewicz],” Gomes said. “She has fought so many girls that are role models, and now I’m fighting her. I obviously respect her history, but I want to build my own story. … She’s a striker than can grapple, but I think she will try to take me down instead of trading on the feet. I’m confident in my hands and in the grappling area, and I will be able to use all the weapons I have.”