NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 11: Jamall Emmers celebrates defeating Dennis Buzukja in a featherweight fight during the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
“It took a long time to get here – a very long time. I had to sacrifice a decade away from my family, but I get to fight in Madison Square Garden. It’s just a lot. I feel like I’m living a dream, and I get to do it with people I respect and I love, so that’s amazing, too. I’m on Cloud 9. I’m a part of history. I’m just happy to be here.
“I’m still in shock. Coming from where I come from, I remember telling people my dream and they laughed in my face. I got ridiculed because I wanted to do something different from what everybody else was doing. Growing up in Miami, nobody did martial arts. Nobody wrestled. They played football or ran track. I remember when I first started to wrestle, nobody would show up to the meets. Now I’m in Madison Square Garden and I’ve got people from all over the world looking at me. It’s just amazing. It took a while, but it finally happened where I can show the world my art.”
This story originally appeared on MMA Junkie
