The first trip to Dana White’s Contender Series did not go as planned for Alik Lorenz. He was paired with mega-prospect Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev, who is now 3-0 with three first round finishes in the UFC. After dropping the bout, Lorenz was prepared for a long road back to the top. However, a quick finish in LFA was all he needed to get that call again – and that’s just fine by him.
“It’s a prestigious thing to be on Dana White’s Contender Series. So I was willing to claw my way back if I needed to be,” Lorenz explained. “Because I know what it takes to get there and everything. I know it’s not easy to get there. And I was hoping to be there [this year]. I got there, luckily, after the quick KO. So I can’t complain.”
Although the fight was short and didn’t allow him to show what he’s made of, he did feel like he walked away with something. Because the Contender Series experience is so different from fights on the regional scene, having that experience takes a load off from the second effort.
“Just the experience alone. I will say like the whole experience is different from just any other fight in general. Forget about the pressure and everything that – all the stakes that are riding on it – just as far as the walkouts, you coming out, there’s no music,” he said. “There’s not really any fans. It’s basically dead quiet. You hear the commentators. You hear [Daniel Cormier] giving you a little rundown about yourself. You hear him talk about your opponent. Then you just get out there and fight right away. There’s no introductions or nothing.”
Now with all the weird vibes that came with the first experience, he can just focus on making this another fight – another chance to show what he’s made of.
“Knowing in the back of my mind, we’ve already done this. This is nothing new because it is so different than any other fight,” Lorenz said. “It is going to be nice having that experience already.”
His second chance will come against another hot prospect in Mahamed Aly. He’s set on showing all of his skills and coming away with that contract.
“It’s definitely going to end in a finish. I’m not letting it go to the decision,” he said. “And I’m actually going to be able to showcase my skills and abilities this time, and I’m excited to do so.”
You can catch Lorenz’s second chance at a UFC contract this Tuesday. The fight card begins at 7pm EST and airs on Paramount+.
