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Congenital amputee fighter Nick Newell is 9-0 as a pro, and wants to get some fights against former UFC fighters to prove he can compete. Do you believe the UFC would ever give him a shot? Why or why not?
RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
I highly doubt he's going to get a shot in the UFC, because the PR hit they would take from him getting the piss beaten out of him far surpasses the buzz he would generate. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that he necessarily would get the piss beaten out of him as a matter of course. I'm just saying that if he gets destroyed, the media jackals will be all over Zuffa for allowing it. After all, if there's one thing the mainstream media is good at it would be deciding on a narrative ahead of time and then cherry-picking events to help build that narrative. Yes, the UFC went out on a bit of a limb by opening a women's division. And yes, there are plenty of people who are close-minded to the idea of a woman beating on a woman (three years ago I was incorrectly in that camp). But the negative heat the UFC catches for woman on woman violence is a trifle compared to the heat they would receive from an able-bodied world-class fighter beating on a poor helpless handicapped kid who didn't know what he was in for (media narrative, NOT my own description).
C.J. TUTTLE, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I think the issue of Fallon Fox must be brought up in the same sentence when talking about Newell. Both are not the norm and would bring scrutiny to the sport, along with praise. I do believe they would give him a shot to show his worth, but would face backlash if he were to be destroyed. I think we see this happen sooner than later.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I think they would, but only after he had made it abundantly clear that he belongs. It's an uphill battle for him, but he'll have to basically force the UFC to sign him by being so good they can't look the other way. They will want to avoid signing him looking like a P.R. move.
BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
I have spoken with countless managers, promoters, and fighters about Nick in the past, and I can tell you all of them had the same sentiment: he has the ability to be the best even with one arm, but no one wants to fight against a guy with one arm. Let me explain; If you fight a guy with one arm and lose, you lost to a guy with one arm. If you fight a guy with one arm and win, you just beat a guy with one arm. It's lose/lose for his opponents which is unfortunate because Newell has all the talent necessary to become a great fighter, even in the UFC. His heel hooks are fantastic and he even has relatively good power on his feet. Sadly, I don't know how far he will be able to get, but he's someone I have been rooting for since I first saw him fight long ago in XFC. This kid can do it, people just need to stop worrying about his arm and worry about the fact that he's a damn talented fighter.
ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I believed Dana White as late as 2012, when he said women would never fight in the UFC. He is a business man and is only interested in making money. If Zuffa feels like they can make money off this kid, they will. I have seen a few of his fights and he is not a bad fighter, but he is fighting only average opponents at best. I think he will make his way to the UFC and he will not do well. Newell will fight a time or two and then be sent back to the regional circuit.
CAMERON LYMAN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Nick's story is extremely touching and motivating and it blows me away that he is continuing to push himself. While it might be very marketable, it is also very risky, as MMA detractors could claim the UFC was exploiting Newell. As well, could you imagine Newell being finished in devastating fashion, and what that would do to the image of the sport? My crystal ball says not likely.
DAN MOORE, MMATORCH UK COLUMNIST
It’s extremely rare that you'll see a disabled athlete compete against world-class able-bodied opponents across all major sports. Oscar Pistorius managed to achieve it in the biggest sporting event of all, but he wasn't successful, despite being equipped with the best prosthetic technology money can buy. Success only came when he competed in the London 2012 Paralympics against other disabled competitors.
For Newell to achieve what he has so far should only be viewed as a great accomplishment. Even if he goes on to possess a 50-0 record, though - in my humble opinion - there is no way the UFC will ever employ him. MMA is already viewed as barbaric by the uneducated, so to sign someone like Newell would be akin to loading up the bullets for every doubter out there.
We're all familiar with the phrase, "There's no such thing as bad publicity," but that's utter garbage if the UFC ever signed him. I understand what XFC get out of employing Newell, because the phrase stands true as far as they're concerned. They also embrace it. UFC don't need it and (most of) their roster probably won't want to fight him. None of them would stand to gain anything from fighting Newell. It sounds harsh but it's a reality this guy will already be accustomed to.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
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