Daniel Barez is determined to achieve his dream to sign with the UFC.
The Spanish standout had his opportunity in late 2021 when he competed for a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, but Barez (15-5) came up short in a split decision loss to Carlos Hernandez, who went on to join the promotion’s roster.
It was a tough pill to swallow for Barez, who was on a six-fight winning streak with wins for respectable promotions like Combate Global and BAMMA.
“That was a hard hit for me,” Barez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I was coming off six international wins, and I was already envisioning myself with the contract.
“I wasn’t able to take the win. Carlos Hernandez beat me. It was a close split decision. If I had done a bit more, I would’ve won. But that day that’s all I could do. I was also coming off 20 months without fighting, but that’s no excuse. After the fight, I was in a bad place psychologically, but now that’s helping me to stay motivated, keep chasing my dream and above all, keep improving.”
Barez licked his wounds and got back to work. He returned to action in 2022 and picked up three first-round stoppage wins with two TKOs and a submission. Two other fights fell through.
The 34-year-old returns Friday to take on Soslenis Carvalho at Ultimate Warrior Challenge 41 in Tijuana, Mexico. The card will stream on UFC Fight Pass.
Barez isn’t sure if a 4-0 run after his DWCS loss will do the trick. But in his mind, he’s going to keep fighting as long as it’s necessary to get the UFC call.
“I don’t want to build any castles in the sky because then I create false expectations,” Barez said. “I’m going to keep winning fights. If it comes, great, and I’m going to work hard for that to happen. But if it doesn’t come, then at least I tried it. I don’t want to think that I’m getting the call after this one because if I don’t get the call, then I don’t want to be disappointed. I’m just going to fight a lot, be as active as I can, and continue to make my name known.”
Barez currently is 9-1 in his past 10 fights. He’s considered by many as one of the best Spanish fighters outside the UFC. The Valencia native has been fighting professionally for more than a decade and has been yearning for many years for a chance to shine in the octagon.
“That’s my dream,” Barez said. “That would complete my dream. I’m very happy with my sporting career, but that would be the cherry on top.
“That’s my biggest dream right now, getting to UFC. It would be to complete a dream. I’ve been doing this for so long. Getting to UFC wouldn’t be a relief, but maybe like, ‘Sigh – I’ve done it.’ It would be like winning the lottery.”
