For every undefeated fighter that rolls into the UFC, there are dozens that had to deal with losses, injuries, and a lack of structure around them in order to maximize their skills.
When he was sitting at 8-5 and coming off that loss to Thomson, plenty would have suggested that Douglas would never reach this level, but he’d primarily lost to quality competition such as regional standout-turned-UFC truth machine Chepe Mariscal. Just a couple years later, he’s ready to start making waves in the UFC’s 145-pound weight class.
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“It was a long journey, ups and downs, like most champions go through,” Douglas said. “I think it’s kind of weird to say, but it’s necessary — it’s gonna build you as a fighter and I think that’s what build me into who I am today. I’m really grateful for my journey as well… It was a tough road — it’s still tough — but it’s just the beginning in the UFC, and I’m looking forward to having a long career (here), having some great fights that can be (remembered in UFC history).”
He has a solid chance to start his career with such an effort this weekend as he steps in with Erosa, a tenured veteran who has his own unique journey to finding a stable place on the roster with finishes over Sean Woodson, Nate Landwehr, Charles Jourdain and Christian Rodriguez.