Tag: Mitch Raposo

On the Doorstep: 5 fighters who could make UFC with November wins

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey starts long before they strap on UFC gloves.

Every champion in MMA history started out somewhere.

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey begins long before they strap on UFC, Bellator or PFL gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, few will succeed.

This month, five fighters on the verge of achieving major promotion notoriety – one for the second time – return to the cage for what could be their stepping-stone fight. There are dozens of fighters close to making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.

  • Erin Blanchfield’s main training partner continues down a similar path with major UFC aspirations on her mind.
  • A surging Brazilian returns from a two-year hiatus following a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series – and hopes one more win has the UFC CEO circling back.
  • A California-based flyweight aims to make his first LFA title defense a successful one and a UFC ticket-puncher.
  • One of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the Australia-New Zealand regional scene looks to add another name to his resume and generate a UFC call thereafter.
  • A New England-based fighter, who is an alum of both “The Ultimate Fighter” and Dana White’s Contender Series angles to show he’s finally UFC ready.

‘The Ultimate Fighter 29’ rosters announced, season premiere date revealed

Meet the 16 contestants chosen for the relaunch of the UFC reality series.

“The Ultimate Fighter” is officially back.

After years of UFC president Dana White repeatedly stating the reality series would eventually relaunch, the wheels are fully in motion. The 16 selected bantamweights and middleweights have made their way to Las Vegas for pre-season medicals.

With taping set to begin soon, the promotion announced the season’s full roster during the UFC on ESPN 22 broadcast Saturday. The first episode is set to stream June 1 on ESPN+.

TUF 29 will be coached by UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (22-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC) and his next title challenger, [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC). The two will square off following the conclusion of the season, in a rebooking of their canceled UFC 260 matchup.

Scroll below for the full TUF 29 bantamweight and middleweight rosters:

Bantamweights

10 flyweights you can expect to see on Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 4

The return of Dana White’s Contender Series isn’t far off, and here are 10 flyweights who are candidates to appear on the show.

Dana White’s Contender Series has become a focal point for fighters on the regional scene. Since its inception in 2017, the UFC Fight Pass-turned-ESPN+ summer original removed some of the guesswork for up-and-comers trying to make it big.

With UFC president Dana White and matchmakers Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby cageside, the stakes are high. Have an impressive, exciting win on the show, and you’re in.

Rumored for a late-June start date, DWCS Season 4 is almost here. The lineups haven’t been announced quite yet, but advanced planning is underway. While there are hundreds of fighters qualified to compete on the show, we’ll be narrowing each divisional pool to 10 fighters you should expect to see on the show this summer.

Up next, the flyweights…

* * * *

Image via LFA

Jeffrey Molina

Record: 7-2
Age: 22
Height: 5’6″
Birthplace: Lakewood, N.J.

When it comes to in-cage appearances, [autotag]Jeffrey Molina[/autotag] is one of the most experienced 22-year-old fighters in all of MMA. The Glory MMA and Fitness product is one of the gym’s secret weapons, having won six straight fights. With a 100 percent finishing rate, Molina brings a kill-or-be-killed savvy to the flyweight division. In his most recent fight in February, Molina choked out 16-fight veteran Kenny Porter. There aren’t a ton of top flyweights on the regional scene, so true tests will be few and far between. Worst-case scenario, Molina gets on DWCS and loses. There’s no harm in that. It’ll be win or learn. One thing is for sure, though: Someday Molina will be in the UFC. The sky is the limit.

Image via LFA

Richard Palencia

Record: 7-0
Age: 30
Height: 5’7″
Birthplace: Phoenix

It’s been a slow burn for [autotag]Richard Palencia[/autotag], but he’s starting to finally turn some heads. Since his professional debut in 2015, Palencia has competed for LFA, Combate Americas, and RITC, among other promotions. Training under John Crouch and Co. at The MMA Lab in Phoenix, Palencia is consistently getting reps against top-tier training partners. To date, Palencia has passed all tests put in front of him. Now it’s time for a step up in competition on Season 4 of DWCS.

More fighters on the next page:

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