Rolando Dy was informed he was cut from the UFC a matter of weeks ago before being called up to face Wuliji Buren as a short-term replacement
Dy earned his first win inside the Octagon and now looks set to have a career in MMA following the result in Shanghai.
Things could have been so very different, yet when Dy received the call-up, he put in a lot of work to make the fight and capitalize on an unlikely opportunity:
“For me, it’s a miracle,” Dy told MMAjunkie. “I was released. Not officially, but we received an email like three weeks ago that they cut me out of the UFC. I was so depressed because I had no chance to prove myself because after the two unfortunate losses, I was cut. I was so depressed.
“I go out, go out with my girl, play with my dogs – just forgetting that my dream as a UFC fighter was cut short. Then two weeks before this fight, we received an email that the UFC wanted me to fight at UFC-Shanghai. I was overweight. I was so out of shape.”
With a newfound sense of optimism, Dy has some advice for fighters who believe that they are feeling as hopeless as he was prior to his second chance:
“Don’t give up on your dreams so fast,” Dy said. “It’s a rocky road. It’s not easy to get your dreams. If your dream is too easy, you should find another dream. God gave me a rocky a road to get my dream. I’m still there. I’m still far from the finish line, I’m not at the finish line.”
MMAJunkie caught up with Dy following his win in China. You can watch that interview at the top of the page.
