UFC 260 gave light to many new prospects within the promotion. Join us as we discuss one of those names when we take a closer look at Jamie Mullarkey.
Australia has a new star and he has finally made a statement with the world’s biggest promotion after scoring a knockout win against another dangerous prospect in Khama Worthy. After a rocky road to the win column, Mullarkey will now be looking to start a streak in one of the promotion’s most dangerous divisions.
The Road To Victory in the UFC
To begin this Jamie Mullarkey fighter showcase, we will first talk about his road to victory in the UFC. After fighting in multiple regional promotions around Australia, Mullarkey was finally scouted to the UFC after a four-fight finishing streak. Mullarkey would come up short on two separate occasions against formidable names in the lightweight division. One of these losses was on the world’s biggest stage at UFC 243 against Brad Riddell. Despite two unanimous decision losses, Mullarkey was determined to prove himself to the world. With the promotion becoming more strict with cutting fighters, Mullarkey had to win at UFC 260 to save himself, and he couldn’t have done so in a more impressive fashion.
Jamie Mullarkey Finally Finds Success at UFC 260
Continuing with this showcase, we next need to discuss that amazing performance this past weekend at UFC 260. Worthy was biting hard on Mullarkey’s feints. Every time that Mullarkey raised his guard or slightly extended his lead hand, Worthy would throw a jab. Eventually, the lead hook was thrown and it sent Worthy face-first onto the canvas. We have seen opponents react to Mullarkey’s feints before, but he could never quite find the timing on his advances. The big difference in this fight was that he tightened the guard and improved his footwork.
What Is Next for Jamie Mullarkey?
Next, we will talk about what is to come for Australia’s next star. Jamie Mullarkey will be looking for another relatively big name like Worthy. One name that comes to mind is lightweights’ biggest unranked star, Luis Peña. Although “Violent Bob Ross” does have a loss against Mullarkey’s last opponent, a win against such a popular athlete could give him the inevitable ranked opponent he has been waiting for.
Suffering two losses in a row in the UFC usually means that your name will be swept under the rug, but as this showcase has highlighted, one impressive win is all it takes to jump straight back into prospect contention. Another showcase performance against a moderately big name could just lead Mullarkey to a ranked opponent.
Oceania’s Significant Increase of Talent
Finally, to wrap up this Jamie Mullarkey fighter showcase, we will talk about the rise of Oceania’s MMA talent. We all know the names Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker. But after Mullarkey’s incredible KO finish at UFC 260, it is clear as day that the talent coming from this region of the world could just be the base of MMA’s new era. With two champions coming out of Australian-based gym City Kickboxing, it is almost inevitable that the world’s biggest combat sports promotion will soon be filled with ranked fighters from Oceania, and maybe even more undisputed champions will be on the way.
Australia has already solidified itself as being home to some of the world’s best combat athletes who make regular appearances. And that’s not only in the UFC but also in other promotions such as ONE Championship and Brave FC. The rise of Oceania’s stars will only grow from here and the world is incredibly excited to see what is next for these athletes.
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Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images
