Dana White Seemingly Closes the Door on Nick Newell Fighting in the UFC
Nick Newell wanted nothing more than to compete in the UFC but he fell short several weeks ago when he was given an opportunity to fight on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series.
Newell, a congenital amputee whose left arm only extends down just past the elbow, lost a unanimous decision to Team Alpha Male fighter Alex Munoz in his bid to earn a UFC contract.
Afterwards, Newell said he wasn’t giving up on his dream to one day compete inside the Octagon but UFC president Dana White has seemingly moved on from extended the offer on another opportunity.
According to White, he has nothing but respect for Newell but he doesn’t seem to believe he’s made to compete in the UFC.
“I respect that kid very much,” White said about Newell on Tuesday night. “Obviously that’s why I gave him an opportunity. I just always believed that the UFC was a tough place for Nick. This is a tough place with two arms and two legs. This is the real deal.
“I put him in the Contender Series to see if he could make it to the UFC. He didn’t make it.”
Newell, who had previously retired from competition before returning to fight again earlier this year, holds a 14-2 record overall with his only losses coming to Munoz and current UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje.
Newell has promised to continue with his fighting career but there’s no telling if he’ll eventually convince White to give him another shot to make it in the UFC.
