Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series came to a stunning conclusion last night; after 10 weeks of intense and often brutal MMA action, we got one final finish to close out the show.
The athlete who delivered that final stoppage of DWCS’ eighth season is looking to get back in the octagon as soon as possible – even demanding that the UFC make him the backup fighter for this weekend’s Fight Night main event.
Middleweight Nick Klein earns UFC contract with slick first-round submission
In the main event of Dana White’s Contender Series last night, American Nick Klein put on a show-stopping performance as he secured the rear-naked choke just 37 seconds into his middleweight fight against Heraldo Souza.
“This is all larger than life, it’s so surreal for me right now,” an emotional Klein told Laura Sanko as images of his family celebrating his UFC contract were shown on screen: “Man, I love them more than anything, this is just too much.
“I’m just so happy that all of the work I’ve put into this is finally coming to fruition and being a middleweight in the UFC, it really merits all the work I’ve put in… But now the real work starts, the skill levels are tripled and the work’s going to have to as well, but I’d like to fight as soon as possible man.”
Nick Klein wants to be the backup fighter for this weekend’s UFC main event
Whilst the vast majority of DWCS winners wish to take some time away off to celebrate becoming a UFC fighter, Klein would demand that his first full bout in the promotion arrives in just a few days’ time.
“I know that Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira are fighting this weekend, if someone falls out then put me in man,” he demanded in conversation with Sanko, adding how “I’m in shape, I’m ready and I want to fight before the end of the year in the UFC.”
Klein would double down on his desire to be made the official backup fighter for this weekend’s Fight Night main event at the post-fight press conference, explaining that he’ll be back in the gym either way.
“I’ll be back in the gym Saturday, but like I said to Laura earlier, Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira are fighting this Saturday in Denver; dude, I’ll take a flight from Vegas to Denver right now… I’ll fill in the second they need me, I’m in shape now so just put me in coach.”
This weekend’s Fight Night card is actually set to be held at The Apex in Las Vegas: “Oh really? I thought it was a Denver card – shoot, I’ll stay in Vegas if I got to man, this city is fun.”
Whilst Michel Pereira has missed weight multiple times in the UFC, and Anthony Hernandez has pulled out of several fights at the last minute with injury or illness, it’s unlikely that the UFC will push Klein into that backup spot.
Luckily, the 6-1 middleweight hopeful acknowledged that he’d be willing to travel almost anywhere in the world for his chance to compete on the UFC stage.
“I don’t really care [when or where], I’ll go anywhere man, traveling for this sport is one of the reasons why I got into it, it’s super cool to be able to do what you love and get to see the world why you do it.
“It’s not just a love for fighting, it’s all of the experiences that come with it and I will happily oblige for any travel [plans] – if I’ve got to jump on a plane to Abu Dhabi, I’ve flown to Thailand already, so I know what it’s like.”
Nick Klein is now 6-1 as a pro, with two wins via KO/TKO, three via submission and one via the judges’ scorecards.
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