Daniel Barez has been chasing the UFC dream for a long time. So long that he was starting to grapple with the idea that it may never come true.
For many years, Barez (16-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has been one of the main standout fighters to come out of Spain. After a decade of professional fighting with many ups and downs over the span of 21 bouts, Barez finally got the call to fight in the UFC. He’ll be making his debut in the octagon this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 224 in London against Jafel Filho (14-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), and he’s almost in disbelief that it’s finally happening.
“Yes, yes, of course, I remember like it was yesterday,” Barez told MMA Junkie in Spanish when asked about the moment he got the news that he was in the UFC. “I was in Phuket with my girlfriend, totally on vacation. We had been there for 10 days, and we were already about to go back. I was on my phone around 1 a.m., and I don’t know why I was up so late because I go to sleep early. So my manager called, and I was like, what does he want now? What’s he going to tell me? He’s going to play once again with my feelings? Because I was called twice before to fight (in the UFC) but we weren’t able to make it happen.
