Invicta FC featherweight Ediane Gomes said she’s no stranger to struggles, but the latest turns of her career have forced her to go hat in hand.

The veteran fighter opened a GoFundMe account to cover costs she needs to pay in order to be licensed for her next bout, a meeting with Amanda Bell (3-3) at Saturday’s Invicta FC 15, which takes place at The Hangar at OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif. The event streams live on UFC Fight Pass.

“I’ve fought in California once before, against Ronda Rousey,” Gomes (10-4) said in an interview with MMAjunkie. “That fight was on very short notice, and I spent an entire day doing medicals. I never forgot how I had to do all those medical tests while still cutting weight.

“I didn’t want to get to this point. I feel I’ve always put my faith on the wrong people. I haven’t had good management.”

Gomes claims she has to pay for 13 medical tests in connection with the event, which is regulated by the California State Athletic Commission. CSAC Executive Director Andy Foster outlined nine requirements to get licensed to fight in California, including a blood test, cardiovascular history, electrocardiogram, MRI and MRI summary and report, neurological report, eye exam and physical.

Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp said it’s standard practice for MMA promotions to cover medical costs for fighters who are struggling with expenses, with the expense then taken out of the final fight purse. She said Invicta was more than happy to help Gomes if she was struggling.

“She could pick up the phone and call me and we would pay,” she said. “Our objective is not to hinder fighters, but to help them.”

Gomes outlined a long struggle with an unnamed manager as a major factor in a two-fight slide for the all-female Invicta FC. Although the Brazilian owns wins over UFC vet Leslie Smith and Strikeforce vet Hiroko Yamanaka, she was submitted by Invicta vet Tonya Evinger in 2014 and outpointed by Raquel Pa’aluhi in her most recent appearance this past April at Invicta FC 12.

“I had people in my life who didn’t help me with my career,” she said. “I believed in those I should have never believed in. I paid the price. That messed with my head. People would make promises, but I was lied to. I don’t want to mention any names, but they know who they are.

“It bothers me. But I have to keep my faith even though people aren’t true to their word. Unfortunately, my career had been full of disappointments. A lot of things happened. I had to find other work to pay the bills. When I faced Tonya, I was working a night job. I had money problems, and problems with my manager. How can I focus on winning a fight? I’m in a country where I struggle to make a living. It’s sad but it’s also the truth.”

Once a resident of a Brazilian favela, Gomes now lives in Florida and works with the famed American Top Team, where she trains alongside a bevy of UFC fighters. She said she aims to create another source of revenue by opening her own studio sometime this year. But until then, fighting is her primary job.

She cited longtime friends as a source of help when she was struggling in Brazil and then relocated to America.

Gomes admits her personality is not always the best for business relations and yet made no apologies about her approach to the MMA industry.

“I have a good heart but I also have a strong personality,” she said. “That’s my reality. I don’t know how to be fake. I don’t want to schmooze up to somebody just because they’re famous. I sometimes wish I was fake, but that’s not me. So maybe my personality has worked against me. Maybe I could have accomplished more things by acting fake. But I say what I think. That, in addition to misplacing my trust, has worked against me in my career.

“I’ve never handpicked my opponents. I’ve never turned down short-notice bookings. Those were my mistakes. And I’m paying for that now. I’m better off putting my trust in a dog than in people. People aren’t true to their word like they used to be. In 2016, I won’t let that repeat itself.”

Gomes cites a 2011 loss to now ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey as a turning point in her career. Prior to every fight, she said she thought about the fight and the lessons she’d learned inside that cage. She won four straight fights.

Against Bell, a bigger opponent with a knockout of former Rousey training partner Marina Shafir on her resume, Gomes hopes she can marshal the same type of focus to turn around her recent skid.

“All my opponents at 145 pounds are taller and bigger, but I like it,” said Gomes. “Somebody like me needs to live in danger. The reason I like fighting at 145 is because my life has always been difficult. I like the feeling of being in danger. I’d rather be in danger, than to have an easy fight.

“When you’re in danger, you’re quicker and more alert. You can see your opponent’s every move. Ultimately she’ll be fighting for what’s hers, and I’ll be fighting for what’s mine. Like always, I’ll keep moving forward, no matter what.”

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