When the UFC decided to create a special version of the Contender Series dedicated to Brazilian fighters in 2018, many saw that as the perfect platform to impress Dana White and earn a contract with the promotion.
When that dream became a nightmare for multiple fighters, Wellington Turman refused to quit.
The middleweight, who hails from Curitiba, was one of the many fighters removed from the show due to visa issues last August. Afterwards, he wondered if he would ever have that chance again.
“They called me two weeks before the fight saying my visa was denied because it was a one-fight deal and they thought I would just live there and not come back to Brazil,” Turman told MMA Fighting.