Wichita MMA fighter Steven Nguyen wins in return to Dana White’s Contender Series
It was a bittersweet night for Wichita native Steven Nguyen back in the spotlight of the mixed martial arts world on Tuesday, fighting on the card of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Nguyen thoroughly picked apart his opponent, Theo Rlayang, and scored a unanimous victory (29-27, 29-27, 30-26) in a three-round featherweight fight in front of the UFC boss in Las Vegas. It was a triumphant return for Nguyen, who suffered the only loss of his professional career in front of White in a Contender Series match in the July 2019.
“Two years ago, I was here and I lost,” Nguyen said after his fight on the ESPN+ broadcast. “It was hard for me to bounce back, but it’s crazy to think now I’m here and I’m in the same arena, but I won. It’s a little emotional for me. It’s a great night for me. I’m very, very happy right now.”
But the night ended in heartbreak, as White ultimately decided against offering Nguyen, who would have been the organization’s first Vietnamese fighter, a contract to fight in the UFC.
Even though a fighter wins, it is up to the discretion of White to pick who he awards UFC contracts to. Nguyen was the only winner on the five-fight card who was not offered a contract.
“I think both of these guys are very talented and I think both guys are tough, but I also think both guys aren’t ready for the UFC yet,” White said when discussing the Nguyen-Rlayang fight. “There’s no doubt in my mind you’ll see both of these guys soon.”
After losing back in the summer of 2019, Nguyen moved to Dallas to train full-time and has been dominant in his two fights in a return to the octagon this year. Back in February, Nguyen caught Jorge Juarez with a vicious punch that earned him a 30-second knockout, then followed that up with a technical victory over a previously-undefeated Rlayang on Tuesday.
The Wichita Heights graduate turned professional in 2016, while he was busy earning a degree in marketing and management from Wichita State, and has since compiled an 8-1 record.
While Tuesday’s victory didn’t have Nguyen’s usual highlight-worthy knockdown, his technical ability and thoroughness have put the 28-year-old firmly on White’s radar for a potential UFC contract in the near future.
“I hit him with a couple of good right hands I felt like I wobbled him a little bit, but he was throwing those overhands hard,” Nguyen said. “He actually clipped me hard, but I had a good game face. I didn’t want to overextend too much and pick my shots. But my coach is right, I should have done a little more volume. I’m going to keep getting better from here.”
This story was originally published September 21, 2021 at 11:00 PM.
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