Nick Newell returned to mixed martial arts following a 2 1/2-year retirement with a submission victory over Sonny Luque in the featured bout of a Legacy Fighting Alliance event Friday.
The popular lightweight was attempting to lock in a rear-naked choke after taking down his opponent early in the opening round but settled for a neck crank that forced the tap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bRh7_EoZoc
Newell, who turns 32 later this month, was born with a congenital amputation of his left arm but despite this has amassed a 14-1 record as a professional with all but three of his wins coming by way of first-round stoppage.
After defeating Luque, Newell gave an impassioned speech and called for his shot in the UFC.
“Life is a cold hard place,” Newell said. “It will chew you up and spit you out, but if you make it your [expletive], you can do anything. You can either become a victim of circumstances or you can create your own. I’m out here, I’m creating my own circumstances. I’m one of the best fighters in the world and I belong in the UFC. That’s it. That’s final. I gave you 14 reasons why I belong in the UFC. I’m one of the best fighters in the world and I proved it 14 times.”
Newell’s lone loss was a technical knockout courtesy of current UFC lightweight star Justin Gaethje back in 2014 when the two 155-pounders competed in the World Series of Fighting.
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