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I almost put this in the 316 thread, but then I thought about Nico has a specific thread for his boxing/bareknuckle career so why not give Steven his own?
Eagle - '316 stand up': Wichita MMA fighter Steven Nguyen wins UFC contract from Dana White
Hopefully we have a lot of future success to follow.
Eagle - '316 stand up': Wichita MMA fighter Steven Nguyen wins UFC contract from Dana White
After winning in front of the Ultimate Fighting Championship boss in Las Vegas in 2021, but not convincingly enough to earn a contract offer, Nguyen was determined to make Tuesday’s fight in front of White much more memorable.
The Ninja, as he’s known in mixed martial arts, did exactly that, pummeling A.J. Cunningham with punches to earn a standing technical knockout with 54 seconds remaining in the second round.
And this time, at the end of the night, White had good news for the 30-year-old who graduated from Heights High School and Wichita State University and now trains in Dallas, Texas.
“Incredible fight, absolute war,” White said on the ESPN+ broadcast. “It should have been over at the end of the first round. You came out in the second round and finished it. So yeah, Steven, get over here.”
“Steven Nguyen, you are in the UFC,” ESPN+ announcer Laura Sanko announced.
It was an emotional moment for Nguyen, a featherweight prospect who improved to 9-1 in his first MMA fight in nearly two years — since the last time he won on the Contender Series but was not offered a contract.
The Ninja, as he’s known in mixed martial arts, did exactly that, pummeling A.J. Cunningham with punches to earn a standing technical knockout with 54 seconds remaining in the second round.
And this time, at the end of the night, White had good news for the 30-year-old who graduated from Heights High School and Wichita State University and now trains in Dallas, Texas.
“Incredible fight, absolute war,” White said on the ESPN+ broadcast. “It should have been over at the end of the first round. You came out in the second round and finished it. So yeah, Steven, get over here.”
“Steven Nguyen, you are in the UFC,” ESPN+ announcer Laura Sanko announced.
It was an emotional moment for Nguyen, a featherweight prospect who improved to 9-1 in his first MMA fight in nearly two years — since the last time he won on the Contender Series but was not offered a contract.