Touted one-handed MMA fighter, Nick Newell, earned an opportunity to compete on a big stage, but despite a well-received performance, lost his fight on Dana White's "Tuesday Night Contender" series against Alex Munoz.

As stated by SB Nation's Bloody Elbow, Newell was born without the lower portion of his left arm but did not let that impact on his dreams. After years of competing in high school and collegiate wrestling, Newell started competing in the MMA, coming into the July 24 bout with a 14-1 record. Newell is a former lightweight champion of Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC), and his only professional loss prior to tonight was a WSOF title shot against Justin Gaethje, who is now a star lightweight in the UFC.

He retired in 2015 before returning to the cage earlier this year. His opponent, Munoz, came in 4-0 as a pro, training at Team Alpha Male under UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber.

Newell's journey

Per USA Today's MMA Junkie, UFC President Dana White previously expressed concerns and unwillingness to give a fighter without both hands a shot in the UFC. Even after granting the opportunity, while praising the young, inspiring athlete, White still expressed concern, fearful of the backlash that would come if anything bad happened to Newell in the Octagon.

Newell responded by stating his journey isn't much different than any other inspiring UFC fighter's — his obstacle is just more obvious.

Nick Newell vs. Mark Munoz

Munoz came out aggressively, throwing several strong punches early on. About 50 seconds in, Newell threw a strong knee but was taken down by Munoz. Newell began to focus on leg kicks. Newell began to apply the pressure, chasing down Munoz, cutting off the Octagon and landing a couple of kicks.

Another flying knee attempt came from Newell as the first round reached the three-minute mark.

With a leg sweep, Munoz was able to land a takedown, though Newell was able to get back up and into a clinch battle with Munoz on his back. Newell then landed a couple of strong front kicks and the two exchanged until the end of the first.

About a minute into the second round, Munoz landed a hard strong left that knocked Newell down before unleashing some ground-and-pound.

Newell survived and got back up, but he was clearly rocked. Newell managed to get back to being the pressuring fighter, but he was knocked down by Munoz once again. Munoz went to the ground again and got into top position, and the former collegiate wrestler rode out the rest of the round in the top game.

The two exchanged right away as the final round began. Minutes into the round, however, Newell attempted a guillotine submission while on the ground. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't secure it and Munoz returned to the top. The two met on the ground once again later in the round, with the former Oklahoma State wrestler outperforming the one-handed fighter. Newell made one last-ditch effort, attempting to secure a rear-naked choke, but Munoz shook him off.

All three of the judges scored the bout in Munoz's favor, 30-27.

Neither Newell or Munoz received a UFC contract. Three of the fight card's winners — Jeff Hughes, Sodiq Yussuf, and Jim Crute — received UFC contracts, while 18-year-old Austin Hooper received a developmental deal.
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