A bump in the road hasn’t deterred Nick Newell.
Last night (July 24), Newell headlined the 14th edition of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. He went one-on-one with Alex Munoz. The bout went the distance, but in the end it was Munoz who emerged victorious via unanimous decision. Newell fought hard, but he was bloodied and couldn’t find the home run submission he was looking for all night.
There was a lot of talk surrounding “Notorious” Newell leading up to the fight. Newell asked UFC president Dana White for an opportunity in the UFC. White agreed to allow Newell to compete on the Contender Series. What makes Newell’s situation different is that he’s a congenital amputee.
After the fight, Newell spoke to media members and remained positive despite the defeat (via MMAJunkie.com):
“He was the better man. I don’t make excuses. It’s a fight, and it wasn’t my day. It was his day, and he deserves it. I worked 17 years for this. A lot of people take breaks and are doing other things all week, partying and stuff like that. I’m always focused, always training, and this is a lifestyle choice for me. I’m just going to get better from here. I am who I am because I’m never content. Nothing’s ever good enough for me. I’m a guy who lost his first 17 wrestling matches and went on to be all-state, went on to win a world title in MMA. (I was) 14-1, and now I’m 14-2. It sucks, but this is the game we play. There are winners, and there are losers. Today wasn’t my day.”
Do you think Nick Newell will get another chance to earn his spot on the UFC roster?
