One fighter with limited MMA experience thinks he could quickly catch the UFC’s attention.
Joe Rogan raised some concerns about the state of the UFC heavyweight division earlier this year, pointing out a lack of depth.
What was once a cornerstone division doesn’t have many stars or rising contenders that fans are eager to see step into the cage.
Francis Ngannou recently addressed whether he might return to the UFC, something Rogan noted would help reignite interest in the division.
Alex Simon hopes his GLORY debut will be a fresh start
Alex Simon, who previously held the title of Australia’s strongest man, turned 33 on December 11, as noted by EverybodyWiki.
After stepping away from powerlifting, where he had established himself as the strongest man in Australian history, Simon shifted his focus to combat sports.
He’s now preparing for his GLORY Kickboxing debut against Errol Zimmerman at GLORY Collision 8 this Saturday. It’ll be his first bout since a boxing match in 2023.
Speaking to Home of Fight recently, the Australian admitted that even though things haven’t gone to plan in recent years he still has hopes of fighting inside the UFC one day.
Simon is right in that if he was in any other weight class, the idea of him making it to the UFC at this age with only two MMA fights on his record would seem highly unlikely.
The division lacks contenders and that creates an opportunity for fighters to enter the conversation with just a few impressive wins under their belt.
Knock on wood that I have a good run from this fight [into] next year and I can get active and [get] a couple of big wins. I’m big, I’m exciting and I’m very marketable with how I look etc. So all I’ve got to do is get active knock a few people out and I’m sure doors would open.
Alex Simon has been training with a UFC heavyweight mainstay for over a decade
Tai Tuivasa is set to make his return to the Octagon next month at UFC 325 in Sydney, where he’ll face Tallison Teixeira after taking all of 2025 off.
Simon told Home of Fight that he’s not just rooting for Tuivasa because they’re both Aussies; he’s also backed him as someone who’s trained with him for over a decade.
“We started training together in 2014… He beats me up all the time.”
The UFC has had a steady Australian presence in the heavyweight division, and Simon is hoping to add his name to that group soon.
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