'Dana, call me!': Omran Chaaban ready for UFC after 46-second TKO win at UAE Warriors 61
Chaaban (9-1) has won three-straight fights since appearing on Season 32 of "The Ultimate Fighter," needing just 46 seconds to take out Wellington Madeira (7-2) with brutal calf kicks at UAE Warriors 61 on Wednesday.
As he celebrated his quick finish, Chaaban put up the phone sign, sending a message to Dana White and the UFC matchmakers.
"Uncle Dana, Sean Shelby, where you guys at?," Chaaban told MMA Junkie. "Mick Maynard, call me. I'm in Abu Dhabi, I'm 24 years old, I've fought very high-level guys. I'm from Finland, we don't have any UFC fighters. I'm from Lebanon, I don't think we have any Lebanese – a couple of Lebanese fighters maybe? Or one. So yeah, you guys need someone from Finland and from Lebanon so, I'm here. I'm young, welterweight."
Chaaban is back to his natural weight class after taking part in "TUF 32" as a middleweight. In his first fight, he upset current LFA champion Shamidkhan Magomedov by submitting him, but then lost a unanimous decision to the eventual season winner Ryan Loder. The 24-year-old is confident he's ready to make the UFC leap, and is even willing to fill in for a short-notice fight.
"Of course I would," Chaaban said. "My aim is to become the best welterweight and even my coach believes that. So, that's what I'm looking for. I'm looking to be the best, and UFC is the best promotion in the world, we all know it. And yeah, uncle Dana, call me!"
Only one Arab fighter competes on Saturday's return card to the Middle East in Abu Dhabi, when UAE's own Mohammed Yahya meets Steven Nguyen in a lightweight bout on the UFC on ABC 9 prelims. Chaaban thinks there's an opening for him to debut in the promotion's first card in Qatar on Nov. 22.
"They're coming to Qatar so that's perfect for me," Chaaban said. "I'm the UAE Warriors welterweight champion, I'm Lebanese, Arab. I think there's loads of Lebanese people everywhere or Arabs – we are everywhere so, yeah, that would be great to fight in the Middle East. And they're coming to Paris as well. They're doing lots with Saudi, here (UAE), Qatar so, it fits perfectly."
Chaaban left a final message to the UFC brass.
"Dana White, I'm 24 years old, I'm Finnish-Lebanese, I finish people," Chaaban said. "I've finished everyone in my welterweight fights. Call me brother, call me."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Omran Chaaban ready for UFC call after TKO win at UAE Warriors 61
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