Sosa signs with UFC after his father’s death: An example of resilience

Hecher Sosa signs with UFC after an emotional victory

The Spanish bantamweight fighter, Hecher Sosa, secured a contract with the UFC after his outstanding performance on “Dana White’s Contender Series” on Tuesday, an even more significant achievement considering the personal circumstances he faced. Sosa (14-1) defeated Mackson Lee (9-1) by unanimous decision in the main event of the series in Las Vegas. The victory came less than 72 hours after the death of his father, who died of cancer. Sosa, 30, also lost his sister to the same disease a year ago.

“Today I can’t speak with my father, but he is the reason why I am here. He is the reason why I am the man I am, and I will continue to represent him,” Sosa declared through an interpreter.

Hecher Sosa

Sosa, originally from Arrecife, Spain, revealed that he learned of his father’s death while in the process of cutting weight for the 135-pound fight. In an Instagram post, he shared that he struggled with the idea that his father would not see him compete, but ultimately remembered his father’s words: “Son, don’t worry, we started this together and we will finish it together.”

Hecher Sosa said he found out about his father’s death on Sunday while he was cutting weight for his 135-pound Contender Series fight against Mackson Lee. Sosa dominated the three-round fight against Lee, and White immediately offered him a contract with the UFC.

“I respect your determination, your resilience, everything you’ve been through in your life. I’m going to give you the opportunity to keep your promises to your family,” White expressed.

Dana White

Sosa has not known defeat since May 2022. Nine of his fourteen professional victories have been by knockout or submission.