While George Tokkos didn’t get signed to the UFC after his win at Fury FC 53, he was told he is just one win away.
UFC President Dana White attended Fury FC 53 two weeks ago, filming his Youtube show Lookin’ For A Fight. Some good talent has come off that show, and when White is in town, the fighters that are showcased fight for a potential UFC contract. On a night with many decision victories, Tokkos (6-2) stood out.
The Sanford MMA fighter choked his opponent Clayton York unconscious in the first round. It was his first time putting someone to sleep with a choke, and he enjoyed it. With the UFC president watching his win, Tokkos recalled his reaction.
“So yeah, I was pretty hyped up after the choke. I ran straight to the cage and kind of regressed to my London goon roots, and Dana was a bit shocked. I was yelling at him; most guys are trying to appeal to him and pitch themselves. I was like, WHAT! Blah, blah, blah-screaming and shouting. They were like goodness, this guy is crazy,” Tokkos told Cageside Press in an exclusive interview.
Tokkos wasn’t signed by the UFC that night, but hope was not lost. He was told that he is one win away from getting to the UFC, and Fury FC is trying to book him again for their December show in Texas. Tokkos is all for it.
“Tuco” is also a Bellator veteran, fighting for the promotion twice before being cut. But, unfortunately, his time with the promotion wasn’t a very pleasant experience.
“It wasn’t all because of [Bellator]. When I moved to the United States, I got a green card, but the application process was lengthy, and they had to freeze my contract because I wasn’t able to fight in the US for a whole year. They were like, well, let’s book you in Europe, but if I were to do that and leave the States, then my green card application would have been abandoned. So I couldn’t leave, and I couldn’t fight here; it was a nightmare,” Tokkos said. “Some regional shows said they could get me fights off the books, but Bellator wouldn’t approve of it. I was in limbo for a while, but then I finally got my green card. I wanted to fight in the States, but then they shipped me to my home country at Wembley Stadium, and I felt the ring rust in that fight. It was a lousy fight that went to decision.”
“Then the pandemic hit, and they called me again on short notice to fight in Connecticut,” he continued. “I was 231 when they called me, and I made 185 in 20 days. If I sent you the picture, you wouldn’t believe it. I almost died that week; it was crazy.” Tokkos would end up losing to Ty Gwerder via TKO and was cut as a result.
Trying his luck on the regional scene didn’t go his way either because he couldn’t get a fight, which is a huge problem for fighters coming from the more prominent organizations. That won’t be a problem if he gets to the UFC, which could be as soon as next year if being one win away holds true.
Watch the rest of our interview with Fury FC 53’s George Tokkos above.
