Lightweight fighter Nick Newell is currently set to headline tonight’s edition of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. July 24, live on UFC Fight Pass, Newell will go toe-to-toe with Alex Munoz in a battle for a UFC contract.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Nick Newell offered his thoughts on the fight and on his position as a fighter suffering from a congenital amputation.
“The thing is: Obviously, you can see, I only have one hand. And people can kind of relate to me, I think – that I’m just like a normal guy. I’m not mean-mugging people, I’m not acting tough. I’m just a guy who loves what he does and works hard.
“I wear my differences on my sleeve, but the thing is everyone is different. Everyone has a struggle that they’re facing. Some you can see, some you can’t see. But you can see mine, so people relate to me. I feel like that’s why people like me and that’s why I get so much support.”
“Being an inspiration, or not being an inspiration, or if people look up to you – that’s not something you can force. That’s not something you can want. You can’t be like, ‘Hey, I’m going to go inspire some people.’ It doesn’t work like that. You just have to be yourself and you just have to do what you do. If people choose to be inspired by what you’re doing or look to you as a role model, then that’s the way it is. If I came out here and I was like, ‘I’m going to prove this, I’m going to prove that,’ that’s corny to me.
“I’m just a regular guy, following his dream, and I happen to be a little different. But I never let it stop me from doing the things I want to do. And if people are inspired by that, then yeah. I don’t think that my hand is what makes me different. I think that my heart is what makes me different. And when I go out there, I show it every time, and I’m going to show it tomorrow night.”
