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On the Doorstep: 5 fighters who could make UFC with April wins

Every champion in MMA history started somewhere.

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey begins long before they strap on UFC, Bellator or PFL gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, few will succeed.

This month, five fighters on the verge of achieving major promotion notoriety – one for the second time – return to the cage for what could be their stepping-stone fight. There are dozens of fighters close to making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.

  • An undefeated homegrown Tiger Schulmann’s product emulates his teammate Shane Burgos and hopes the UFC takes a liking.
  • A relative newcomer to MMA, a Factory X flyweight hopes his improbably quick ascent toward the top takes its next step to the UFC with another impressive win.
  • An experienced Brazilian fighter who struggles to find willing opponents aims to show the UFC he’s ready now that someone has finally signed on the dotted line.
  • A slick submission ace packed up his life and moved to Las Vegas to get proper MMA training for the first time in his life. He wants to make his sacrifices worth it with a UFC contract.
  • There has never been a Costa Rica-born fighter in the UFC, but one bantamweight up-and-comer aims to change that.

Robert Varricchio

Record: 5-0
Age: 28
Weight class: Lightweight
Height: 5’9″
Birthplace: New York
Next Fight: Friday vs. Morquez Forest (4-0) at CFFC 131 in Atlantic City, N.J. (UFC Fight Pass)

Background: Robert Varricchio entered MMA with the hope of building self confidence as a kid bullied for his speech impediment and stutter, yet somehow it became much more than that. Varricchio strolled by Tiger Schulmann’s one day on a trip to Boston Market and met sensei John Delaney outside. He’s been at the gym five to six times a week ever since. The knowledge obtained working under the coaching staff and alongside fighters like Shane Burgos, Julio Arce, and Lyman Good has done Varricchio’s career wonders. Inspired by his brother to take the jump into MMA competition, Varricchio went 3-0 as amateur and turned pro in late 2021. He’s 5-0 as a professional with a 100 percent knockout rate as it stands. He’ll have the opportunity to capture CFFC interim gold this month.

The skinny: If you like watching his pal Burgos compete (and who doesn’t?), you’ll also get hooked on Varricchio’s battles. A finisher who constantly puts on exciting fights, Varricchio is exactly the sort of fighter that would please UFC audiences and the promotion’s brass. Really, all that is holding him back right now is experience. If he beats fellow promising newcomer Morquez Forest, he’ll sit at 6-0 – just enough experience for a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series, which would be the perfect next step.

In his own words: “I feel like I’ve improved leaps and bounds over the past couple months. I’ve improved everywhere. I feel it. It’s incredible. We have a new coach in the building. He’s been there for about a year-and-a-half now, Bobby Casale. He was a cornerman for Amanda Nunes. He’s shown us so many tricks of wall-work and wall wrestling that has made me feel like I’m ready to take it to the next level.

“… I’m not gonna lie to you. I watch some of the cards these and I’m like, ‘This guy f*cking sucks. Put me in. Call me up, please.’ That’s literally how I feel sometimes. Everyone trains different and looks different, but I watch some of these fights and I’m kind of embarrassed.”

“… If you’ve ever seen a Shane Burgos fight, you’ll want to see a Rob Varricchio fight. Me and Shane are boys and we have wars in the gym. We laugh and smile about it. We’re basically the same person. I’m just a little younger. He’s a little more handsome and he has a family. That’s all it is. … We both were just born to entertain. Plain and simple.”

Maike Linhares

Record: 18-3
Age: 30
Weight class: Featherweight
Height: 5’8″
Birthplace: Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil
Next Fight: April 20 vs. Ty-wan Claxton (6-3) at Peak Fighting 35 (Peak Fighting App)

Background: Born and raised in Brazil, Maike Linhares’ first combat sports venture was karate. He began at age 11 and eventually turned to mixed martial arts at age 17. In 2012, Linhares turned pro. After a 9-0 start in Brazil, he took his talents international and debuted in RIZIN. Over the course of the next handful of fights, Linhares also had multiple appearances in ACB. In late 2022, Linhares moved to the United States to join friend Renato Moicano at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla. He’s since 2-0 with both wins against notable names. He defeated former PFL standout Andre Harrison by split decision before he defeated Marcelo Rojo by unanimous decision on eight days’ notice. Since then, it’s been a struggle to find fights given his record and abilities, but he finally has found a dance partner in returning former Bellator standout Ty-wan Claxton.

The skinny: How is this guy not signed? That’s an unanswerable question at this point. Ranked by Tapology as one of the best unsigned pound-for-pound fighters in any U.S. regional scene, Linhares has walked the walk for years. It’s almost an unfortunate situation at this point. The UFC has apparently needed to see more. That’s tough when Linhares struggles to find willing opponents, according to his manager Oren Hodak, of KO Reps. Now with another notable name in front of him, Linhares should solidify his spot on Dana White’s Contender Series – at minimum – if not directly on the UFC roster.

In his own words: “It’s very difficult to get fights here. My record is 18 and only three losses. My opponents, some give up on fighting me. … I’m hoping for the UFC. My record is very good. I’m a good fighter. Eighteen wins… 18 wins… 18 wins! I’m ready for the UFC call. I’m training every day. I just need opportunities. After this fight on April 20, I’m hoping I get the call from the UFC. Hey UFC, I’m ready. UFC, I’m ready. In my last fight for Fury FC, I took on eight days. So I’m ready for a call whenever. … At featherweight in the UFC, I believe I could beat several fighters already. I’m progressing a lot at American Top Team. I’m training with the best including Renato Moicano. You’ll see. The folks will see Maike Linhares, ‘The Viking.’ I’m going to put on a show.”

This interview was edited for spelling and grammar.

Luis Gurule

Record: 7-0
Age: 30
Weight class: Flyweight
Height: 5’5″
Birthplace: U.S.
Next Fight: April 21 vs. Alberto Trujillo (9-3) at Fury FC 89 in Houston (UFC Fight Pass)

Background: After his wrestling career at Adams State University (Colo.) concluded, Luis Gurule worked as a geologist, but the athletic void was uncomfortably open. Gurule looked into jiu-jitsu and stumbled across Factory X. Fast-forming friendships kept him going back. Before long, he was beating some of the fighters in the room in jiu-jitsu. Fighting had been on his mind since the early days of “The Ultimate Fighter” and Gurule realized it was time to give it a shot. In mid-2021, Gurule began full-on MMA training. In September 2021, he debuted as an amateur. After a 2-0 amateur career, Gurule turned professional in June 2022. In his first 16 months as a pro, Gurule went 7-0.

The skinny: It’s incredible what Gurule has done over such a short period of time. It’s been a little over two years since he began his MMA pursuit and here he is, starting to be considered one of the United States’ top bantamweight prospects. It makes you wonder just how high Gurule’s ceiling is. He entered with a collegiate wrestling background, which is great. But for him to throw on MMA gloves for the first time at age 26 or 27 and finish all eight of his bouts (six pro and two amateur) is essentially unheard of. In the new age of MMA, Gurule is going against guys who have trained since youth. Factory X has played a massive part in this as Gurule gets rounds in with the likes of upcoming UFC flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval. A major promotion should jump on him soon, as who knows what he’ll be doing with one or two more years of training and competition under his belt.

In his own words: “I started off hot with five TKOs off the bat and then I had a couple decisions after that. So I’m trying to clean everything up. I think my technique has only gotten better and better. I think something a lot of people forget is I’ve only been striking and fighting for like 2.5 years now. I’m still learning every day and every week. I feel like I’m getting better and better and better.”

“… I definitely have UFC champion as my main focus and main goal every day when I wake up and go to practice. This is why we’re doing it. This is where my focus is. I definitely think the sky is the limit. I don’t think I’m anywhere near my potential, especially where I’m still learning every day in practice.”

“… It’s really been cool to be part of my Factory X teammates’ camps. I was helping Gutierrez with his camp for Song Yadong. I helped Brandon (Royval) for these last few fights that he’s had. Yeah, it’s just been really f*cking cool, seeing these guys support me. I can’t wait to get out there and put on a performance of my own.”

Kody Steele

Record: 5-0
Age: 28
Weight class: Lightweight
Height: 5’9″
Birthplace: Port Angeles, Wash.
Next Fight: April 21 vs. Adam Smith (11-11) at Fury FC 89 in Houston (UFC Fight Pass)

Background: Google search Kody Steele and you’ll see his grappling credentials. That’s where it all began. Born in Washington, Steele spent over a decade in Austin, Texas as he made a name for himself and showed his black belt prowess on the national and international stages. Grappling was fruitful, but it was never supposed to be an exclusive challenge. Since high school, Steele wanted to be an MMA fighter. After two fights an amateur, Steele was undefeated but not totally happy with his progression. Austin, Texas’s combat sports landscape was somewhat limited, so he took a break to travel around and pick up pointers from various coaches. Eventually, Steele moved to Las Vegas where he trains at Syndicate MMA and 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu with occasional sessions at the UFC Performance Institute. In early 2022, Steele turned pro and is 5-0 with all appearances under the Fury FC banner.

The skinny: Steele’s grappling resume is quite impressive and if you watch him on the ground in an MMA fight, he looks like a wizard. Steele is one of the highest-touted prospects in the Texas regional scene, if not the highest-touted. He’ll be a focal point for Fury FC for however long he lasts in the promotion. While he’ll be the first one to tell you there’s much more room for him to grow and improve, Steele is a case of a guy who could probably defeat several members of the UFC roster on an off-night. It’s just a matter of how much improvement he feels comfortable to jump-start his UFC tenure and propel him as far as possible.

In his own words: “(The recent move to Las Vegas) was honestly one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I left my family, my friends, my job my life – everything. I left it all back home. I didn’t leave it forever, because it’s always going to be there for me. But it was really hard for me emotionally to make that decision. But all I thought it my head was that one day I’m going to be fighting in a cage and I’ll be fighting these guys who train MMA every single day. For me, being in Texas, not training any MMA at all or being able to drill it properly, I just had to think about that. I think if you want big things in life and you’re chasing goals, part of reaching your goals is that you need to make sacrifices.

“… I’ve done seven MMA fights now. To be honest, I’ve done seven MMA fights but no proper MMA training. I was living in Austin, where there was no MMA training. I was only doing jiu-jitsu, only doing muay Thai. I was studying and punching the bag and trying to drill on the side as much as I could. It got me this far, but even then I didn’t have an MMA coach. I didn’t have much. So here, being in Vegas, I’ve been living out here for three months now. I have a coach now. I have training partners. I have boxing, kickboxing, striking, MMA, all that. I have jiu-jitsu coaches for MMA.

“I’ve learned a lot and I’ve put myself in a position now where I’m constantly learning. I’m still growing, but I think I’m going to look a lot different. I’m going to look a lot lighter on my feet. I’ll be chaining takedowns with punches. I’ll have systems and I think it’s going to be a big difference. That’s why I’m so excited for this fight. I’ll go out there and test all my new tools and see where I’m at from there.”

Andre Barquero

Record: 9-2
Age: 28
Weight class: Bantamweight
Height: 5’8″
Birthplace: Costa Rica
Next Fight: April 26 vs. Juan Diaz (11-1-1) at Lux Fight League 42 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico (UFC Fight Pass)

Background: Andre Barquero first laid eyes on MMA shortly before his 15th birthday. Professional wrestling had just been spoiled for him by his parents who informed him it was not real. So he was pleasantly surprised when he came across the UFC 2009 video game and found out that MMA was “as real as it gets.” Mind blown. Barquero found a small local academy in Costa Rica and began to train. At 16, he moved to the country’s capital, San Jose, and joined a larger academy. He fell deeply in love with gi jiu-jitsu and before long fought amateur. Barquero turned professional in 2015 and eventually earned his black belt under Daniel Gracie. After a 6-1 start, he fought for the vacant CFFC title in 2019 and lost to Sean Santella. Visa issues emerged, so Barquero took to the Mexican regional scene where he’s 3-0 since.

The skinny: With paperwork resolved and a successful tryout for the UFC Performance Institute Mexico City’s inaugural athlete class, Barquero is full-steam ahead in mid-2024. His grappling has always been his strong suit, with the rest of his game being rounded out over time. Now with the financial and resource backing of a state-of-the-art facility like the UFC PI behind him, Barquero is ready to level up even further. Inactivity has hindered his growth, but Barquero sounds confident as ever he could succeed in the UFC as is – and the tape backs that up. He’s shown glimpses of brilliance is near being just flat-out too good for the Mexican regional scene. One more win should get him where he needs to be – and have his country represented for the first time.

In his own words: “Everyone in Costa Rica asked me, ‘How are you going to make a living off this?’ I was still figuring it out but at least now with the UFC PI here in Mexico, the openings for Latin American fighters are getting a little bit easier. MMA was not so big in Costa Rica back then. Now, it’ll be bigger with a couple of Latin American organizations being broadcast on cable TV. But back when I started, it was hard even watching events. We’d have to go to very specific sports bars to watch the fights.”

“… To be el primero, to the first one from Costa, it would mean a lot because of all the work I put in. My coach was actually on ‘TUF’ when it was Georges St-Pierre and (Josh) Koscheck. He had to fight to get into the house. Sadly, he lost. There was another Costa Rican who went onto ‘TUF’ when (Stipe) Miocic and (Daniel) Cormier were coaching, but he didn’t get a contract in the UFC. We will get there. We’ve been close. Me being the first one would mean the world to me. I don’t just want to be the first one to go in there and have a couple fights, though. I want to be the first UFC champion from Central America.”

“… I’d love to get a debut in the Sphere. I’d love to debut on Mexican Independence Day. Being the first Costa Rican, it would bring a lot of attention to not only Latin America but to my country. I’m hoping to fight once more and then debut in the Sphere. It would be my dream. It would be the best scenario in my mind. What that event represents for hispanic culture and that date, is in my country as well, Independence Day. We share that. So for me, that’ll be the ideal scenario.”

Fighters worth watching who didn’t crack the list, yet are on the verge of something big:

  • Paul Hughes (11-1) – Saturday def. Fabiano Silva (34-16-1) via TKO in Round 1 at Cage Warriors 170 in Dublin (UFC Fight Pass)

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