According to a Jan. 16 report from MMA Mania, one-handed XFC fighter Nick Newell pleaded for a shot at UFC glory during a recent interview with MMA Fighting reporter Ariel Helwani.
"No matter how much I accomplish in this sport, it's always going to be something that gets brought up," Newell said of having one hand. "I've come to terms with that. People will always look at me as being the guy with one hand. As much as I would like to be known and looked at for my fighting skill, it will always be an issue like with the whole Dana White interview. It's always going to be something that gets brought up. [The UFC] is where you can test yourself against the best guys in the world. I want to see where I stand among the world's elite fighters and I feel like I've earned my shot."
Newell, who is missing a portion of his left arm after a congenital amputation as a child, is an undefeated 9-0 in his MMA career.
"Anyone else with my track record would be getting looked at, but it's due to outside circumstances," Newell said. "I don't get discouraged too much about things like that. I'm not going anywhere in this sport. I'm good. A lot of those guys in the UFC, just because they're in the UFC doesn't mean they can beat me. I think I match up really well with a lot of people in there. [White] wants to talk about how he wants to give people equal opportunity - to women, to gay fighters and stuff like that. Well, I'd like my equal opportunity as well."
Newell's career is peppered with victories over legitimate contenders, including a recent submission win over Bellator veteran Eric Reynolds.
Earlier in Newell's career, MMA fighters were hesitant to fight him because they felt it was a no-win situation.
Now that they know Newell is a true contender, it's become less of a taboo to step into the cage with him. Time will tell if Newell will ever receive his UFC shot, but it would definitely be a good public relations move for the promotion to give him a chance.
The UFC saw some great story-lines come out of underdog stories in the past, much like Matt Hamill's deafness. If Newell keeps racking up wins against top-notch competitors, there's no way the UFC will continue to overlook him.
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