Mohamed Ado is more motivated than ever after UFC contract snub

Jan 23, 2024

TORONTO – Unified 55 in Toronto was a bittersweet experience for Mohamed Ado.

On the one hand, the 23-year-old Ottawa fighter improved his record to 4-0 with a fourth straight stoppage victory over his toughest opponent yet, Chris Chapman. On the other hand, Ado wasn’t awarded a life-changing UFC contract by UFC President Dana White, who was cageside at the sold-out Rebel Entertainment Complex filming an upcoming episode of “Lookin’ for a Fight,” his hit reality TV program on UFC Fight Pass.

“My biggest takeaway is that I need a few more fights to get to where I want to be, which is the UFC,” the fast-rising Ado says. “I need more experience to compete at the level that I want to compete at. I’m very grateful for the opportunity, because it also showed me that I can achieve what I want to achieve, I just have to keep on working.”

Luckily, Ado has an iron-strong work ethic. He has established himself as one of the top undefeated prospects in Canada while balancing a full course load at the University of Ottawa and another full-time job. Ado isn’t dejected – he’s motivated.

“This experience showed me the path to the UFC,” he says. “I now know what it takes to compete at that level, I know what they’re looking for, and I know exactly what I have to do to get to that level.”

Ado would like to return to action in the Unified MMA cage in April. He’ll be seeking his fifth straight victory and, more importantly, looking to make a statement.

“I’m going to show more aggression,” he says. “Getting control isn’t enough; now I’m going to try to hurt my opponents.”

ABOUT UNIFIED MMA

Unified MMA is Canada’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, showcasing the country’s top-ranked fighters, LIVE on UFC Fight Pass. The organization has successfully promoted 55 events across Canada since it was founded in 2009, and has propelled several athletes to the UFC’s Octagon.