Andres Quintana is a name that makes you question exactly why he hasn’t yet received a shot in the UFC. With an exciting win on November 6, he could finally get his opportunity.
Quintana (19-4) returns to action for the second time in 2022 this Sunday when he faces Nate Richardson in the main event of Fury FC 71. It is his second consecutive main event since signing with Texas-based Fury FC.
For the last three years, he has been locked into a Combate Americas, now known as Combate Global, contract. In that time, he went on an eight-fight win streak with four highlight knockouts and a win over current UFC fighter Erick Gonzalez.
Quintana revealed that he got a call to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series, but because of that Combate contract, he was unable to fight.
“I don’t know [why I never got called by the UFC]. They did call me for the Contender Series, but, you know, I thought I would be going straight in, and I was in a contract with Combate as well, so I didn’t really push too much,” Quintana told Cageside Press in an exclusive interview. “Of course, I’d love to be in the UFC and everything, but it’s always about timing. And it just hasn’t lined up for me yet.”
The 31-year-old has always been a fun and exciting fighter but on the outside looking in. He even fought in front of Dana White in 2021 for White’s YouTube show Lookin For A Fight but missed out on a contract. He believes he could finally get that UFC call with a win at Fury FC 71.
“I hope [I get the call]. I’m hoping and praying,” Quintana said. “Of course, I gotta win impressively, like when I fought for Lookin For A Fight, I couldn’t get the finish; that guy was tough. And he was kind of just trying to hang on. But yeah, if I get a finish, I would love to be considered for the UFC. That’s exactly what we’re looking for… I have a better record than most of the featherweights on the damn roster right now. So let’s get it going.”
Watch the rest of our interview with Andres Quintana above. Quintana fights Nate Richardson in the main event of Fury FC 71, exclusively on UFC Fight Pass this Sunday.
