Dana White indirectly ends the possibility of Nick Newell fighting in the UFC.
Since 2013, lightweight fighter Nick Newell has been calling for his shot at the UFC. It was an idea that company president Dana White has been apprehensive about, but eventually gave in saying he was “doing it for Newell, not for the UFC.”
The 32-year-old fighter did get his chance when he was selected to be part of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. It all ended in disappointment, however, when he lost to Team Alpha Male’s Alex Muñoz in late July.
After the loss, Newell remains adamant to further improve and earn his opportunity to fight in the UFC. But as of this moment, it is an idea that White is not too keen on pursuing.
“I respect that kid very much,” White said after the recent Tuesday Night Contender Series (via MMANYTT). “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 currently holds a record of 14-2 (with 11 wins by stoppage). The other loss on his record was courtesy of Justin Gaethje, who defeated him via second-round TKO in 2014 to win the WSOF lightweight title.