Growth can sometimes be painful, and that’s certainly been the case for UFC lightweight Claudio Puelles.
Not long ago, the Peruvian fighter was carrying plenty of hype, with many in MMA keeping tabs on his rise through what historically has been one of the toughest divisions in the sport. That all came to a halt, however, when Puelles (12-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) was stopped by long-time veteran Dan Hooker at UFC 281 in November 2022.
Puelles, at the time 26, saw his five-fight winning streak snapped by the man he had called out. It was a tough loss to process, but one that Puelles said sparked positive change.
