UFC: Julieta approaches the big leagues; Bo Nickal on the rise

“God’s timing is perfect.”

This was the caption posted by 20-year-old MMA phenom Julieta Martinez following a hard-fought split decision victory over Mexico’s Leslie Hernandez on the Dana White Contender Series (DWCS). The DWCS is a mixed martial arts promotion, similar to *Road to UFC*, that serves as a stepping stone into the UFC.

Martinez had a shaky start to her strawweight fight against Hernandez. However, the Argentine overcame her nerves before the start of the second round, continued to apply pressure and completely overwhelmed her opponent in the final 10 minutes.

Typically, fighters receive a UFC contract after such a performance. However, things were different for Martinez, as she was the only grappler among the five winners who did not receive an award.

“Julieta, let me just say this: I cannot express how much we like you, and there is no doubt that you are incredibly talented, but you are just too young right now. “You just turned 20 and you’re undersized for the division,” UFC CEO Dana White declared during a media interaction as a disappointed Martinez watched from the sidelines.

Still, White was so impressed with their performance that he suggested the UFC might consider creating a new atomweight class (105 pounds), especially now that the promotion is attracting more talent from South America and East Asia, regions that are predominantly smaller Female athletes are represented. Currently, the lowest weight class for women in the UFC is strawweight (115 pounds).

Other side of the spectrum

After showcasing his skills at the NCAA Division 1 National Wrestling Championships with an impressive 120-3 record, American Bo Nickal switched gears and pursued a career in professional MMA.

His remarkable debut with the iKON Fighting Championship propelled him onto the global stage and secured him a spot in DWCS Season 6 in 2022.

Since then, Nickal has been successful every time he steps into the Octagon. At UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane, he defeated Jamie Pickett in under three minutes in his UFC debut, earning his first Performance of the Night bonus.

At UFC 300, the 28-year-old extended his undefeated record to 6-0 by defeating Val Woodburn via a first-round TKO followed by a submission win over Cody Brundage.

UFC stars like Sean O’Malley and Jamahal Hill emerged from DWCS. Nickal, who has similar potential, faces Paul Craig at UFC 309 in November and looks to continue his impressive rise.