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Tom Pagliarulo’s career aspirations are finally coming to fruition.
Pagliarulo (11-2) took on Ananias Mulumba in a featherweight clash on Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026. “The Phenom” left it all in the cage, finishing Mulumba with ground-and-pound in the final seconds of the fight, earning an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract for his efforts.
Pagliarulo admits that he was very nervous throughout fight week. However, his coaches and teammate, UFC bantamweight Cory Sandhagen, helped him stay dialed in. The 29-year-old is glad to have finally made it to the biggest stage in MMA, even if it came a little later than he expected.
“This is the most afraid I’ve ever been in my life, all week,” Pagliarulo said in his post-fight interview. “My coaches and Cory Sandhagen back home kept me locked in. Just reminded me to go be me, and that will always be enough. I’m like a cockroach; you got to kill me if you want to put me away… I was never the most talented or naturally gifted kid. Growing up, doing all these sports, I fell short of all my goals. I was never the starter in all of those team sports. But I was always the hardest worker in the room; I kept showing up. My coaches back home told me, ‘You’ve always had that fire.’”
UFC CEO Dana White later commended Pagliarulo’s performance before awarding him a contract.
“Thomas, you were in a dog fight, turned it on in the third round, and finished a really tough kid,” White said. “Congratulations, you’re in.”
Continue reading...
Pagliarulo (11-2) took on Ananias Mulumba in a featherweight clash on Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2026. “The Phenom” left it all in the cage, finishing Mulumba with ground-and-pound in the final seconds of the fight, earning an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract for his efforts.
‘Most afraid I’ve ever been’: Tom Pagliarulo details how his team helped him stay focused ahead of DWCS Week 1
Pagliarulo admits that he was very nervous throughout fight week. However, his coaches and teammate, UFC bantamweight Cory Sandhagen, helped him stay dialed in. The 29-year-old is glad to have finally made it to the biggest stage in MMA, even if it came a little later than he expected.
“This is the most afraid I’ve ever been in my life, all week,” Pagliarulo said in his post-fight interview. “My coaches and Cory Sandhagen back home kept me locked in. Just reminded me to go be me, and that will always be enough. I’m like a cockroach; you got to kill me if you want to put me away… I was never the most talented or naturally gifted kid. Growing up, doing all these sports, I fell short of all my goals. I was never the starter in all of those team sports. But I was always the hardest worker in the room; I kept showing up. My coaches back home told me, ‘You’ve always had that fire.’”
UFC CEO Dana White later commended Pagliarulo’s performance before awarding him a contract.
“Thomas, you were in a dog fight, turned it on in the third round, and finished a really tough kid,” White said. “Congratulations, you’re in.”
Continue reading...
