will debut against Jafel Filho on July 22 in London

2023-06-27 18:51:12

And Daniel Bárez Martínez (Valencia, 1988) had to be a phrase, there is no doubt in his choice: «He who follows her, gets it». Although “hard work pays off” or “never throw in the towel” would also be valid. And it is that Spain is in luck. As ABC has learned, the Valencian mixed martial arts fighter has signed by UFC –the biggest MMA league on the planet– and will debut against Jafel Filho on July 22 at Fight Night in London.

With the incorporation of Bárez, there are now three active Spanish fighters within the company chaired by Dana White, as he will accompany the rising Ilia ‘El Matador’ Topuria and Joel ‘El Fenómeno’ Álvarez from Gijón. The story of this athlete is a story of resilience, of overcoming, of not abandoning his dreams, whatever the cost. Bárez, who holds a professional record of 16-5, comes to the UFC after chaining a streak of four consecutive first-round victories across the pond.

Bárez left Spain aware that opportunities must be pursued, normally nobody comes knocking on your door, much less in this sport. The Valencian had a first ‘chance’ to sneak into the MMA Olympus through the Dana White’s Contender Series (a side event to attract talent, where a good victory helps you sign for the UFC), but fell by split decision against Carlos Hernández in 2021, in what Bárez has sometimes classified as “the worst day of his life.”

A longed for opportunity

But if this discipline embodies any value, it is not giving up, a word that never entered Bárez’s vocabulary and that has now helped him find the opportunity so longed for and desired by this 34-year-old fighter. Of course, he has a lot to say, it is time to show the world the quality he has inside the most famous octagon in the world.

With a very showy style, with a very effective strike, Bárez will come to the UFC with the idea of ​​surprising the division. Level is not lacking. In fact, the current champion, Brandon Moreno, with whom he shared training, has reported on occasion that Bárez had the necessary tools to remain victorious in this league. But the premiere in the American company will not be easy.

He will face a Brazilian fighter, coming precisely from the Contender Series where he defeated Roybert Echevarria by technical KO, who has great skills on the ground, in the fight and a forceful beating. Jafel Filho He comes from losing in his UFC debut against one of the great promises of the category, Muhammad Mokaev, in the third round, but he was close to ending it with a tremendous leg lock. He is an explosive and resourceful fighter, something to keep an eye on.

Of course, hunger will play in favor of the Spaniard, who has been chasing a dream for a long time that comes later than Spain would have liked, but with enough space to consolidate himself in a division where a couple of great victories will it places near the top 15, the place where the important cards are played. Dani Bárez is here to stay, to make a lot of noise and to show that, if you are willing to sacrifice everything necessary, on many occasions, dreams come true.