TAMPA, Fla. – Billy Quarantillo recalls jogging around Amalie Arena as an 0-1 amateur fighter, chuckling under his breath at his pipe dream of maybe fighting there one day.
The far-fetched goal is now a reality. Buffalo-born, Quarantillo (18-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has called Tampa his home for nearly 15 years and Saturday at UFC on ESPN 63, he’ll face the legendary Cub Swanson (29-14 MMA, 14-10 UFC) in that very building.
“It was something that I was dreaming of, but I knew I had so many obstacles in the meantime,” Quarantillo told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “When I first moved here in 2010, I was an 0-1 amateur fighter. I would literally run around Amalie. I’d go to the Sabres-Lightning games. I’d be like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to fight here one day.’ But that was deep in the back of my head. It was almost like a joke. Sure enough, the universe has a funny way of showing you what’s possible. I’ve said it all week long. I’m grateful to be here and it is really a dream come true.”
