LAS VEGAS – Zach Reese only got to show off 74 seconds of skill at Dana White’s Contender Series 59, but he thinks it was enough to prove he’s UFC-ready.
Reese (6-0) secured a UFC contract on Tuesday when he scored a quick armbar submission victory over Eli Aronov (5-1) at the UFC Apex. The finish impressed company president Dana White, who didn’t hesitate to invite the 29-year-old into the middleweight division.
With an 100 perfect finish rate on his record, with all the wins coming in the first round, Reese hasn’t been pushed much or faced a whole lot of adversity to this point in his career. That may not last when joining a roster of the best 185-pound fighters in the world, but he’s ready for the challenge.
“I wish I would’ve stood up a little bit more or the fight would’ve played out a little bit – but I can’t be mad about a (74)-second finish,” Reese told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at DWCS 59. “It feel surreal. I remember being a kid and watching UFC and to be here now today, it’s a lifetime worth of work come true. … I’m ready (for) all comers.”
Now that he’s part of the UFC roster, the work truly begins for Reese. He seems to have a slight edge in notoriety from most promotional newcomers, though, because he said he’s constantly given lookalike comparisons to YouTube/WWE star Logan Paul.
“That is hilarious. I get asked that all the time,” Reese said. “I tell people that I am Great Value Logan Paul.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Dana White’s Contender Series 59.
DWCS 59 winner Zach Reese dubs himself ‘Great Value Logan Paul,’ ready for all comers
