Fresh Ink: Meet the 23 fighters the UFC signed in September 2022

The UFC added 32 fighters to its roster last month. Find out who joined and learn more about them here.

The UFC roster is bigger than ever – and it continues to expand.

Fresh faces appear on nearly every card, whether onboarded as short-notice opening fillers, Dana White’s Contender Series signees, or the increasingly rare straight-up additions. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep track of the hustle and bustle of the mixed martial arts news beat, but here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.

“Fresh Ink” is your list of fighters added to the UFC roster the previous month and provides background on who they are and where they came from.

 

DWCS 56 winner Rafael Estevam: ‘With me, you’re gonna need an extra tank of gas’

Rafael Estevam lays out what UFC fighters can expect when they face him.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Rafael Ramos Estevam[/autotag] had no problem matching Joao Elias’ early intensity at Dana White’s Contender Series 56.

In a scrappy back-and-forth battle, Estevam (11-0) finished Elias by TKO in the second round, wearing him out with some ground-and-pound.

Elias threatened with a lot of aggressive submission attempts early, but Estevam said he never once felt in danger.

“In no point I felt that any of those positions were compromising at all,” Estevam told reporters, including MMA Junkie, through an interpreter. “I felt that I was a step ahead of him throughout the fight. I did not feel anything at risk at any time. Then obviously not forgetting to hit him, so impose that ground and pound when I was there, because I wanted to impress for the contract. So when I was on top of him, just making sure I never stopped hitting him.”

He continued, “I’m gonna come out with the stamina. That’s an alley that someone’s gonna die on if they’re gonna come fight me. You need to be prepared. I’m gonna go all the way and with me, you’re gonna need an extra tank of gas.”

Watch the video of Estevam’s complete post-fight media availability above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 56.

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Dana White’s Contender Series 56: Best photos

Check out these photos from Dana White’s Contender Series 56 in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos from Dana White’s Contender Series 56 which took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. (Photos courtesy of Joshua Hedges, UFC)