UFC 302: Mitch Raposo ready to fulfil dream as he looks for debut win on Israel Makhachev undercard

Raposo stepped up as a late replacement for Nyamjargal Tumendemberel who withdrew from UFC 302 after facing visa issues.

The event, which is headlined by a lightweight championship fight between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier, will now open with a Raposo against Lima.

The fight will mark a special moment for Raposo who will finally fulfil his dream of becoming a UFC fighter.

The 25-year-old was previously given the chance to fight for a UFC contract back in 2021 when he compered on Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter. Unfortunately for the American, he came up short.

Just six-months later, Raposo went on Dana White’s Contender Series but also suffered a defeat.

The American, who has been a champion with Cage Titans and CES MMA, never threw in the towel and continues to pursue his dreams.

After losing to Hadley on the Contender Series, Raposo went on a four-fight winning streak – beating Justin Valentin by stoppage in his last outing back in January.

Raposo was rewarded for his persistent attitude when he received a call to step in for the unavailable Tumendemberel.

The flyweight faces a tough challenge in Lima – a Brazilian fighter with a perfect 8-0 record.

Mascote heads into the bout having picked up a win over Igor Severino back in March – a bout which saw Severino disqualified for biting.