Bantamweight, Demarte Pena (11-0, 2 NC)
Fighting at: Ares FC 5 on April 16, 2022.
Pena has been in martial arts ever since a young age. He trained Shaolin Kung Fu and Muay Thai as an amateur going 6-0 before transitioning to MMA. He also competed in Judo and Karate as well as grappling, collecting several amateur titles. He’s a former EFC bantamweight and featherweight champion. Pena tested positive for testosterone and signs of anabolic steroid use earlier in his career. After his second offense in December 2017, Pena would be banned for four years and would later relinquish his title. He’s finally back and hopefully still competing at the same level.
Over time Pena has steadily improved and with this time off he may have really put in the work and could be even more of a beast than what he was. Since Pena moved down to bantamweight he is faster, stronger, and holds more power. The wrestling of Pena is his best weapon by far. While he’s getting more comfortable on the feet the wrestling is always a natural fallback he has. Pena is really good at exploding forward with the double leg. Almost always completing the first shot, he’s always there to chain-wrestle which he does so well.
Pena is getting a huge test in his comeback fighting for the Ares FC title. He will be challenged against former UFC fighter Taylor Lapilus. Lapilus went 3-1 in the UFC and is 6-1 since his departure from the promotion. If Pena wins this he’s got nothing but big things ahead of him.
