Newell: Fight will be biggest win or worst loss in DWTNCS history

Nick Newell’s 10-year fight to get into the UFC comes to a climax in the main event Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series on Tuesday. Long good enough to earn a contract in the world’s dominant league, the congenital amputation of his left arm, not skill, has been the sticking point. His opponent will be undefeated lightweight prospect Alex Munoz. During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Newell said he’s facing either the biggest win or worst loss in DWTNCS history.

I know where I stand in this sport, and I know that there’s going to be a lot of eyes on me, said Newell during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, as transcribed by Shaun Al-Shatti for MMA Fighting. And if I win, it’s going to be bigger than anyone else that’s ever won on the show, and if I lose, it’s going to be worse than anyone that has ever gotten it on the show. And I know that. And I knew that going into camp, and I knew that when I accepted the fight. So, for me, that was extra motivation to make sure that everything goes right and I’m on point for this fight. And I’m telling you, it’s going to be something else next Tuesday. It’s really going to be something else.

I had a full camp, all 100-percent focused around me, everything that I did was watched and looked over and revised or corrected, and I just feel the best I’ve ever felt going into a fight and the most confident I’ve ever felt going into a fight.

[Munoz] is a good wrestler. I think he won a national championship, maybe in high school, and he was a D-1 wrestler. So, obviously wrestlers are always the toughest fight for anyone, everyone tries to always avoid them, but for me, I welcome challenges and I welcome tough fights.”

I’d never even really looked at myself as being that different until I became popular from fighting and people are telling me what I can’t do while I’m already doing it. And when I lost to Justin Gaethje, that was a good fight, but he won and the world kept going and kept turning. My next fight for WSOF, I was the co-main event and the place was going absolutely insane. That’s a testament to the kind of crowd I bring in and the people that want to see me, and my draw value. And I don’t think it goes down any more with a loss for challenging myself.”

I’ve lost so many times in wrestling and life that I’ve learned, it’s made me appreciate winning that much more, and it’s made me learn how to do everything right to make sure you do win, and it’s helped me keep a level head. And the better man is going to win. … People say this all the time, this is the most cliché thing that anyone ever says, ever — you’ve never fought anyone like me. You can’t train for someone like me. Every fighter says that, but how many fighters is that true for?