On the Doorstep: 10 fighters who could make UFC with August wins

Every champion in MMA history started somewhere.

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey begins long before they strap on UFC, Bellator or PFL gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, few will succeed.

This month, 10 fighters on the verge of achieving major promotion notoriety – one for the second time – return to the cage for what could be their stepping-stone fight. There are dozens of fighters close to making the jump in the coming weeks, but these 10 are particularly exemplary.

Rickson Zenidim

Record: 16-2*Age: 25Height: 5'7"Weight: FlyweightBirthplace: Ponta Grossa, Parana, BrazilNext fight: Aug. 30 vs. Alex Yuma (10-2) via submission at FFC 80 in Lima, Peru (UFC Fight Pass)

The skinny: [autotag]Rickson Zenidim[/autotag] was born a fighter. The son of a Brazilian vale tudo fighter, Zenidim learned to crawl on the mats and walk in the cage. It was love at first fight. He began fighting professionally at 14 years old. Yes, you read that correctly. His career kicked off with a 13-0 run. Eventually, he lost to UFC alum Rodrigo Vera. One win later, he received a shot on Dana White's Contender Series. The fight was a bit tedious and Zenidim lost a decision to Andre Lima. But since then, Zenidim has learned from what went wrong. He's 3-0 with three finishes since and vows he won't stop winning until the UFC comes knocking again.

In his own words: "I'm already a UFC fighter, it just hasn't been made official yet. When they call me, I'll be there, and it will be one of the biggest comebacks. I'll come in kicking down the door and show that I'm here to stay. ... I was raised for the UFC. I'm a complete product for the UFC, and they know that. I was raised for this, not only inside the octagon, but outside as well. Who does the UFC want? Who does the public want to watch? Fighters like me. I bring the attention, I bring the numbers that 98 percent don't. ... Imagine if the UFC called me at the last minute to face Dominick Cruz? Jose Aldo? Henry Cejudo? Wow, it would be crazy, I would simply love that. It could be on the day of the fight and I would accept, of course. That's what I'm here for. To put myself to the test, beat the best, climb the rankings, get the title shot and win the belt."

This interview was conducted through a Portuguese-language translator.

Regivaldo Carvalho

Record: 10-4Age: 30Height: 5'9"Weight: FeatherweightBirthplace: Campinas, Sao Paulo, BrazilNext fight: Aug. 3 def. J.T. Schulte (7-3) via knockout at CES 78 in Ledyard, Conn. (Swerve Combat)

The skinny: [autotag]Regivaldo Carvalho[/autotag] realized at a young age his talent did not align with his dream of being a soccer player. So he ditched that aspiration and began karate. When his parents got divorced, Carvalho needed an outlet and fell in love with MMA. After a 3-0 start as a pro in Brazil, Carvalho began fighting in Idaho for Front Street Fights. With his wrestling lacking, Carvalho decided to stay in the U.S. He moved to Danbury, Conn., which just so happened to be the home of future UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira. The two Brazilians linked up and have been training together since. There were wins and losses and periods of inactivity, but Carvalho has established himself as perhaps the best pound-for-pound fighter in New England. He's won his most recent four fights against opposition with a combined record of 44-17 at the time of their fights. He is the CES MMA featherweight champion and chomping at the bit to finally get his call up.

In his own words: "I want to go through Contender Series or straight to the UFC. That's the goal, to be there. I'm working hard so that I can get the opportunity. I'm hoping this fight is going to be the ticket to that. ... I've sacrificed. I haven't seen my mother for eight years. She's here with me now and is going to live here for five months. It's great to have her here at this time in my life. I hope I can bring her over more times. I've been through a lot. I've had to be away from my family, here in the U.S. I couldn't go to Brazil and they couldn't come over. So having her here for the first time shows me everything is falling in the perfect place. ... I'm sure I can go into the UFC and fight the best. All the work that Alex (Pereira) is doing over there and the work our team is putting together, I'm very confident if I have the chance to get into the UFC, I can be a powerhouse."

This interview was conducted through a Portuguese-language interpreter.

Valesca Machado

Record: 13-4Age: 29Height: 5'4"Weight: StrawweightBirthplace: BrazilNext fight: Aug. 9 vs. Yulia Ostroverkhova (9-2-1) at Invicta FC 56 in Denver (CBS Sports Network)

The skinny: [autotag]Valesca Machado[/autotag] was skeptical of martial arts the first time she stepped foot inside a gym. Quite frankly, she didn’t want to be there at all. But through her training, Machado discovered a lot about herself. Through fighting, she learned how to channel her mental, physical, and emotional well-being and progress in the right direction. After an 8-2 start to her professional career, Machado had a big break: a shot on “Dana White’s Contender Series” in 2021. She lost a unanimous decision to Piera Rodriguez. Since then, she's gone 5-1 with her lone loss to Danni McCormack. In February, she landed an eye-popping head kick of Taylor Mauldin that instantly went viral.

In her own words: "Hopefully (in this fight) they will get to see something similar to what they saw on my last fight. ... I believe I evolved a lot (since my loss to McCormack). I wasn't able to show it in my last fight but the difference is clear in my training sessions. ... (If I win) I believe I have done more than enough to get an opportunity. ... I believe that I am ready to face top competition in the UFC. It would certainly take some time and a few fights to get someone ranked, but I believe I am ready to face most ranked girls."

This interview was conducted through a Portuguese-language translator.

Harry Webb

Record: 4-0Age: 24Height: 5'10"Weight: LightweightBirthplace: AustraliaNext fight: Aug. 17 vs. David Martinez (12-6) at Eternal MMA 87 in Perth, Australia (UFC Fight Pass)

The skinny: Like a lot of children, [autotag]Harry Webb[/autotag] was put in a karate class at age 5. Unlike a lot of kids, Webb is 19 years later absolutely wrecking an entire region's local MMA scene. Webb went 7-0 as an amateur from late 2019 to early 2023 – with six knockouts. He turned professional in May 2023. Three straight pro finishes landed him a massive (and somewhat expedited, compared to the norm) opportunity against the region's best lightweight, Abdalla Biayda, who was 9-1 at the time. Webb knocked him out in the first round and claimed HEX Fight Series gold. UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby had his eyes on Biayda and relayed to Webb's manager Tim Simpson the promotion will be interested in Webb with a few more fights. If he wins his upcoming bout, Infinite MMA's Webb will hold lightweight titles in the region's two major promotions. What else will there be to prove there? With the UFC in town the night after his fight, perhaps Sean Shelby or Hunter Campbell will attend and scoop him up a la Steve Erceg in 2023.

In his own words: "We literally could not get a matchup (before this). We accepted every single offer that we sent or name that they threw us. We threw out pretty much every single name in the lightweight division in Australia. They were even looking internationally in Australia. They just couldn't find me a match. It got to three or four weeks out. ... My management reached out and spoke to Sean Shelby. He obviously watched my last fight because they were looking at Abdalla. He said he went back and looked at all my fights. The UFC has my eye on me, but they just said they'd like to see me get a couple more pro wins. The goal is to keep winning. ... If I win this bout, I'll have both the major titles in Australia at 5-0 with five finishes, I'm hopeful I get the call up to Contender Series, or if the UFC brass is in attendance, maybe there's a possibility I get signed on the night."

Javier Reyes

Record: 18-3Age: 30Height: 5'7"Weight: FeatherweightBirthplace: Bogota, ColombiaNext fight: Aug. 23 vs. Lerryan Douglas (10-5) at LFA 190 in Commerce, Calif. (UFC Fight Pass)

The skinny: Dragon Ball Z was the inspiration for [autotag]Javier Reyes[/autotag], who began his MMA journey at 16 years old. He took his first fight at 20 years old and won. Eventually, Reyes worked his way from Colombia to Mexico, and from Mexico to the United States. After back-to-back losses in 2018, he began training under Javier Torres, who steered the ship back around. Since then, Reyes has gone 9-1. He exited his exclusive Combate Gobal contract in 2023 and made his LFA debut in style in May when he finished gritty Dana White's Contender Series alum Chase Gibson. With an interim LFA title fight on the horizon, Reyes could really set himself up nicely for a DWCS call or short notice opportunity next. If not, Reyes plans to keep crushing it – and raising awareness about the sport in Colombia and other Latin American markets.

In his own words: "I feel like if the UFC called me to fight today, I'm ready tomorrow. I'm always on weight. I'm always in shape. Right now, I've been helping Sean O'Malley. We sparred with Sean O'Malley and other guys. I do three, four, five rounds with him? Then, I can do it with anybody, easy. I'm really ready to fight anybody in the UFC. ... An LFA title tells a lot. I'm the No. 1 Colombian. I'm the one who moves the crowds in Colombia and Latin America. People know me. ... When I'm in Colombia, I don't have a gym. I give free classes and training to people in parks. It's for free because I want this sport to grow all over Colombia and all over the world. People that don't know about it and don't have the access to pay for stuff like this, I give it for free. I just want to share the love I have for MMA to them as well."

This interview was conducted through a Spanish-language interpreter.

Jeff Creighton

Record: 10-2-1Age: 28Height: 5'11"Weight: WelterweightBirthplace: Jacksonville, N.C.Next fight: Aug. 24 vs. James Nakashima (13-3) at Melee 3 in Austin, Texas (Twitch)

The skinny: [autotag]Jeff Creighton[/autotag] began wrestling in middle school on the advice of a soccer coach. He instantly fell in love. Soccer went by the wayside and wrestling became life. He moved from North Carolina to California mid-high school and considered the pursuit of Division II or III wrestling, but it didn't pan out. At 18, still as a high schooler, Creighton had his first fight. He had 10 amateur fights and went 7-3. In 2018, Creighton turned pro. After a 6-2-1 start, Creighton was platformed in his biggest opportunity to date: a Bellator fight vs. highly-touted wrestler Joey Davis. As a near 9-to-1 underdog, Creighton defeated Davis by unanimous decision in one of 2023's biggest upsets. One fight later, Creighton won the Urijah Faber's A1 Combat title. He defended it once, won his LFA debut, and now faces a ONE Championship veteran in an attempt to make it six wins in a row.

In his own words: "I felt like from the beginning the tougher fights I'd take, the more I'd grow from the experience. Now that you are seeing this generation of fighters that you see fighting nobodies, up until they fight in the UFC, yeah they get the opportunity. On paper, they look great because they have a bunch of finishes over nobodies. Then, they get in the UFC and go two-and-out and you never see them again. I just took the complete opposite approach. ... In my case and what I'm capable of, it's the right path for me. That's the path of being undeniable. ... I could go in the UFC and I could 100 percent, I'm not going to say dominate, but I could definitely win fights. That's just what I believe. ... I can compete with the best in the world and compete with the best in the world. If the UFC called me tomorrow... I'll show up and fight and more than likely win."

Keweny Lopes

Record: 10-1-1Age: 29Height: 5'7"Weight: LightweightBirthplace: Hortolandia, Sao Paulo, BrazilNext fight: Aug. 30 vs. Wellington Prado (14-3) at LFA 191 in Cajamar, Sao Paulo, Brazil (UFC Fight Pass)

The skinny: [autotag]Keweny Lopes[/autotag] began jiu-jitsu at a young age and before long headed down the MMA path with the intent of changing his family's life. Nine years after his professional debut, Lopes is on the cusp of doing just that. After an 0-1-1 start, he's won 10-straight fights with eight finishes including seven knockouts/TKOs and one submission. Lopes won the Jungle Strike Championship welterweight title in January with a fourth-round TKO of previously unbeaten Mathias Poiron. The win sets up him up nicely for his mainstream debut vs. Wellington Prado this month.

In his own words: "(What makes me different is) the way I fight. I am a real fighter. I am aggressive, I search for the win at all times. I fight like a real fighter should. ... I have the potential to fight any featherweight in the division; my numbers don't lie. I train at the place where Jose Aldo was built. I know where I can get and that’s where I’m aiming. ... My presence will certainly always be noticeable. I am sure I will be a fan favorite. ... I am grateful for those who follow my work and happy to provide true MMA. And I love doing it."

This interview was conducted through a Portuguese-language translator.

Mandel Nallo

Record: 12-3Age: 35Height: 5'11"Weight: WelterweightBirthplace: Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaNext fight: Aug. 30 vs. Robert Seres (8-4) at Samourai MMA 11 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (UFC Fight Pass)

The skinny: Fight fans might remember Mandel Nallo from his time in Bellator, when he proved to be an exciting fan favorite – on the occasions viewers would get to see him. A member of Tristar, training under Firas Zahabi, Nallo was quietly the gym's dark horse. After he signed with Bellator in 2017, he went 4-3 with one no contest for the promotion. Following a loss to Adam Piccolotti in March 2023, Nallo was released. He's since gone 3-0 with three finishes, though the finish part should come as no surprise. He's never seen the decision in 15 pro fights. Nallo is 35, but doesn't have many fight years on him. He prefers lightweight but is open to welterweight. Given his versatility both his body and mind, Nallo hopes the UFC gives him a look for the upcoming Edmonton show. But until that time, Nallo will continue fighting frequently – and designing products for his own brand, Rat Garbage.

In his own words: "I want to be back in the majors. I know the UFC is putting on a show sometime in the fall (in Canada). I would like to put myself in the best standing to be a valuable asset for them. ... I feel crazy. I feel way more skilled than I was when I was younger. I'm just as spry. There's no question in my mind as to whether I should be thinking about retiring. This is still fun. I still train every day and it's not like I'm like, 'Oh, my back is so sore. I can't do this for a job.' I feel fresh as a daisy. I feel like 'Wonderboy' like when he was coming up in the UFC. They were like, 'Oh, this kid is really talented but he's 37.' I could be like that. ... So far, it's only gone one of two ways and it's usually in my favor. I'm not like camping on a potential win. I don't like the idea of going to the judges. I've seen friends get swept. It's just in my nature and the way I fight. It should play to my benefit."

Canaan Kawaihae

Record: 9-2Age: 26Height: 6'0"Weight: FeatherweightBirthplace: Kailua, HawaiiNext fight: Aug. 30 vs. Sheymon Moraes (15-6) at United Fight League 5 in Chandler, Ariz. (Kick)

The skinny: Who inspired [autotag]Canaan Kawaihae[/autotag] to get into combat sports? Was it Bruce Lee? Was it Anderson Silva? Was it Muhammad Ali? It was none of the above. Shoutout, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Shoutout, Batman. Kawaihae wanted to do karate or taekwondo, but Mom was against the idea of hitting and being hit, so he had to settle for jiu-jitsu at seven years old. Wrestling, kickboxing, and the likes continued. In 2016, Kawaihae turned professional. Two years later, he fought on Dana White's Contender Series and lost to a fellow youngster, Chase Hooper, by unanimous decision. Two fights and two wins later, Kawaihae returned to DWCS but came up short again when he was knocked out by a Jonas Bilharinho kick. That setback did not deter Kawaihae either. He's 3-0 since with wins over fighters with 6-0, 9-2, and 6-1 records. His most recent two fights have lasted a combined 85 seconds.

In his own words: "Even though I lost those two fights and I have two losses, both times I didn't let that break me down. My first thoughts were, 'I'm better than them. They just got lucky.' Both losses, that's the first thing that popped into my head. They got lucky this time. Run it back, I'll beat them up. It wasn't my time. It was their day. It is what it is. ... I feel like a UFC opportunity has been knocking for a little bit but this might seal the deal. I'm not going to hold my breath on anything, but if this is the one, that'd be great. ... If I get a short notice call, I'll be ready for it. I'm going to be expecting something like that anyway. After this fight, if I win, I'm going to have to stay ready, because I believe an opportunity is going to strike pretty quick."

Vince Morales

Record: 15-7Age: 33Height: 5'7"Weight: BantamweightBirthplace: Ontario, Oreg.Next fight: Aug. 30 vs. Hunter Azure (11-3) at United Fight League 5 in Chandler, Ariz. (Kick)

The skinny: [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag] should be a familiar name to fight fans for his eight-fight stint with the UFC. Those his roots were in wrestling, Morales gravitated toward his boxing, which made him a fun fighter to spectate. Morales appeared on DWCS in 2018 and lost an insane back-and-forth war with Domingo Pilarte. Despite the defeat, the UFC kept a close eye on Morales and inked him one win later. His wins came against Aiemann Zahabi, Drako Rodriguez, and Louis Smolka. Back after back-to-back losses in 2022, Morales was released. Since then, he’s 4-0, however, with wins in XMMA, Front Street Fights, RIZIN, and most recently, Tuff-N-Uff. If anyone deserves a second chance, it's Vince Morales.

In his own words: "Me and Merab Dvalishvili got tit-for-tat on a lot of things. We're kind of always in each other's face. We both know we can push each other. I think that's why we both gravitate toward each other for sparring days. Just knowing that the best guys in the world look to me to get good work, I think that speaks for itself. I'm just kind of trusting that process and buying into my own hype and being confident with that. ... This will be a big win, another step in the right direction and eventually, whether it's this one, or the next one, or whatever, I'm going to be back where I need to be."

Fighters worth watching who didn’t crack the list, yet are on the verge of something big:

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: On the Doorstep: 10 fighters who could make UFC with August wins