Deaf MMA fighter Thomas Paull competes in UFC’s “Contender” series
Renca Dunn, Daily Moth Reporter: Last month we interviewed a Deaf MMA fighter named Thomas Paull aka “The Juggernaut” from the U.K. who was set to come to Las Vegas to compete in UFC’s “Contender” series after getting the UFC’s president Dana White’s attention on social media.
Thomas Paull, to Renca Dunn: “…This means if you want to be in the UFC then you need to fight to show what your abilities are and to see if you win then they will offer you a contract with the UFC. If you struggle then maybe you can get another chance or can be eliminated.”
The goal of competing in the “Contender” series was to hope to win a contract with UFC. On Tuesday night on ESPN+, Paull fought in the main event of the show against Esteban Ribovics aka “The Gringo” from Argentina.
(Full Screen Images of fight)
The fight lasted 1 minute and 30 seconds and ended with Ribovics knocking out Paull.
(Full Screen Images of fight)
In the first 15 seconds, Ribovics made an accidental move that threw Paull off guard. He kicked Paull in the private area and sent Paull down to the floor. The referee paused the match to allow Paull to recover.
(Full Screen Images of fight)
Both fighters were aggressive towards each other, standing up and throwing hard punches. Paull got a few cuts on his face and was bleeding. He was knocked out when he got hit in the chin after he missed a punch.
The referee stopped the match, giving Ribovics the victory. Paull looked disappointed at his loss. At the end of the show, Dana White gave Ribovics a contract to fight in the UFC. We reached out to Paull for a follow-up interview on how he feels and what his next step is.
Thomas Paull: Right now, I feel OK, pretty good actually. But of course, I did not feel great right after losing the fight. No one likes to lose. Everyone wants to win. Sometimes, you have to lose. I am lucky that I have a good team with me and they have been supporting me, telling me not to worry, and have been encouraging me. They helped me as well as other people who have been messaging me telling me not to worry, telling me that I am a champ, and have been inspiring people. So, if I made an impact then I am happy with that. I just have to accept this.
What can I improve? Honestly, nothing because in general, fighting is a hard sport. It is one man versus one man. They both fight against each other and only one can win. We cannot have both winners. Me and the other fighter have knock-out power in us. Only one of us will go down. And hey, it was me this time. Next time, it will be him. And oh yeah, when he kicked me in the balls, it really hurt. However, I still fought back. Well, my next plan is that I have a different fight match soon, but nothing is confirmed. Right now, I am just going to enjoy my time in Las Vegas. When I get back home, my coach, my manager, and I will discuss what to do. We will wait and see, but what I have in mind is that I will go back to try again for UFC soon. Why? The UFC does like me. They told me that I was good. So, we will see. Right now, it is not my day. No worries though! I will not give up! Never. I will stop when I reach the top.
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Renca: After what happened on Tuesday night, Paull received an outpouring of support from the UFC and boxing community. Various professional fighters were speaking out of their support for Paull and told him to not give up.
One example is from an American professional boxer, Deontay Wilder aka “Bronze Bomber,” who is a top-five heavyweight boxer and has a Deaf sister. He made a video clip with a message for Paull about not giving up.
Deontay Wilder: Hey this is Deontay the Bronze Bomber Wilder and this is a message to Thomas Paull. Keep your head up brother. You did a wonderful job. I mean you did an amazing job and don’t let nobody take your pride and your heart away from you. You showed up. That was the hardest part. You trained hard for this. So, go show all the Deaf people in the world what Deaf power is all about. My sister is Deaf and so my family is very fluent with sign language and you did an amazing job. Don’t hold your head down. We all have greatness in us for greatness is only determined by service my brother. So, continue your journey and providing your service and your greatness into the world and one day you shall be a champion. Bomb squaaaaad.
Renca: We can see that Paull made an impact in the sports world. So, that’s the recap of the fight. Thank you Paull for sending in comments.