LAS VEGAS – Marquel Mederos wants a fellow Dana White’s Contender Series graduate in his UFC debut.
Mederos (8-1) extended his winning streak to six when he knocked out Issa Isakov (10-3) to earn a UFC contract Tuesday at Dana White’s Contender Series 66.
Mederos would love to share the UFC 296 card with Factory X teammate Brandon Royval, who challenges flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in the co-main event. Mederos thinks DWCS 62 contract winner James Llontop(14-2) would be a good fight.
“I do want to fight on that same card as Brandon (Royval), that Dec. 16 card, that’s a big card for us,” Mederos told MMA Junkie and other reporters during the DWCS 66 post-fight press conference. “If I can get one of the Contender guys like James Llontop, I’d love to fight him on that card. That would be perfect.”
Mederos was happy to prove any doubters wrong about his takedown defense, where he showed great balance to stay on his feet against Isakov.
“It’s cute to me and it’s amusing when people say that I can’t wrestle,” Mederos said. “Because that’s all I heard from media all camp, ‘This guy can’t wrestle, this guy can’t wrestle.’ If that was the case, he would held had me down and held me down for that whole round, but to answer your question, yes that was the game plan for this camp. Defend the takedowns, knock his ass out.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 66.
DWCS 66 winner Marquel Mederos’ perfect debut would be vs. James Llontop at UFC 296