Yoislandy Izquierdo is a name you should learn to remember.
The Cuban-born MMA fighter is a lightweight prospect who will be making his debut at UFC on FUEL TV 2 against battle-hardened Swede Reza Madadi.
But Izquierdo is ready.
Hard work is nothing new to the man who pours hours and hours into training daily. He had to leave his home several years ago and work his way up to the best MMA promotion in the world.
“I left Cuba at the age of 23 years under political asylum,” Izquierdo told Bleacher Report through his manager Alfred Munoz, who translated.
“I was working for an export auto company a short time ago, but I am now a full-time fighter,” said Izquierdo. “I realized I wanted to be an MMA fighter for a living when I saw I had a talent in the sport and enjoyed practicing it.”
That talent in the sport is quite considerable. Izquierdo first fought in April 2010 and is now 6-0 in professional MMA, with three wins by TKO and one win by submission to his name.
But fighting isn’t easy.
“The most difficult thing about being a professional MMA fighter is putting forth daily dedication and sacrifice in training,” he said. Nevertheless, Izquierdo isn’t one to back down from a difficult task or to be daunted by a challenge; he looks at the difficulties in a positive light.
“The best thing about being a pro fighter is seeing how all of my sacrifices and hard work are not done in vain when I give my all in the fights. At the same time, the admiration and support I receive from my fans feels great.”
Despite the fame and praise of being a successful MMA fighter, Izquierdo hasn’t forgotten the people who helped him get this far.
“I would like to thank all of my fans, because in some way or another, they have had a huge part in my career. I would like to also thank my family, trainer and manager,” he said.
Yoislandy Izquierdo vs. Reza Madadi is scheduled to air on the Facebook preliminaries for UFC on FUEL TV 2 on April 14th. It will be Izquierdo’s seventh MMA bout, and his first fight in the UFC.
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