In life, working what was once considered your dream job doesn’t always mean happiness is sure to follow. Such is the story for former UFC women’s bantamweight fighter, Jessica-Rose Clark, who has not been with the promotion since 2023.
After her last fight of her contract with the UFC in May of 2023, Jessica-Rose Clark left MMA as a whole, and began focusing on her Muay Thai career.
Jessica-Rose Clark Back in MMA on Saturday Night
Now, 4-0 and prepared to return against Mariana Ramirez at Fight Night San Jose on December 14, Clark appeared as a guest with the ‘On The Mic’ podcast and said that since leaving the sport of MMA, she’s never been happier in her combat sports career.
Clark would say that while the UFC was the obvious goal, as it is for all MMA fighters beginning their journey, achieving that goal didn’t complete her life, in fighting, or on a personal level.
“Before I got signed to the UFC, I had that goal, we all do when we’re in MMA,” Jessica-Rose Clark began. “We want to get to the UFC, be a world champion, and do all these amazing things. I really had this idea that once I got signed [to the UFC] that my life would be easy, and it wasn’t.”
Jessica-Rose Clark Overcame Injuries Before Turning to Muay Thai
Discussing the amount of injuries she had to endure, as well as the dedication to a sport that she fell out of love with, Clark knew that once her UFC contract was done, she was going to be able to find herself. Finding herself in the sport of Muay Thai, Clark found happiness in combat sports, which has also led to her finding herself at the happiest place of her personal life.
Back into the Muay Thai ring, with a rematch on deck at Fight Night San Jose under former UFC legend Gilbert Melendez‘s promotion, Clark is excited to keep going.
“Honestly, the whole card is going to be a banger,” she said. “There’s a lot of big names, fighters from Bellator, Muay Thai world champions, amateur Muay Thai world champions, amateur MMA champions. I know the Diaz brothers are going to be there, I know Rampage Jackson is going to be there, it’s run by Gilbert Melendez, there’s going to be a lot of names in the crowd. The first one [event] didn’t disappoint, and I know the second one is going to be even better.”
Jessica-Rose Clark Turned Down a Chance to Come Back to MMA
The story and journey of Jessica-Rose Clark is an important one, no matter who a person, or their career path may be. Finding true happiness in her career, has opened doors to building better relationships in her personal life, prioritizing her mental health over all. Even with a recent offer to return to MMA, Clark said she was not willing to put a worthy paycheck above the happiness and well-being of herself to get back into something she didn’t find herself happy in.
“I actually got an offer recently to fight MMA again, for more money than I’m making in Muay Thai,” Jessica-Rose Clark said. “I sat down with my management [First Round] and coaches, and we all agreed the money would be nice, but I don’t think my well-being is worth the money, I don’t think my mental health is worth the money, I don’t think my emotional health is worth the money anymore. I didn’t realize how much pressure I was putting on myself and how much of a toll it was taking on my life.”
Clark Finding a Happy Medium
Combat sports, no matter what avenue, is violent. Speaking on mental health, and a fighter’s personal well-being is not always the headline grabbing the most attention. In the case of Jessica-Rose Clark, who deservingly built quite the following and fanbase, her story and message is one that can resonate with everyone from walks of life.
Happiness isn’t delivered in a knockout or by making an opponent tap, happiness for “Jessy Jess” is loving what she does every single day, being in the hardest parts of training camp, and finding herself still at her happiness.
The happiness also comes from being in the Fight Night promotion led by Melendez and former Bellator President Scott Coker, a team that is focused on bringing back great combat sporting events to the San Jose area, and doing so with elite talent. The Fight Night promotion takes pride in all that they are building, just as Jessica-Rose Clark is finding her happiness each and every day.
