Douglas Reveals Two Ranked Featherweights Rejected UFC Fight

Lerryan Douglas wanted a ranked opponent for his second UFC fight. Two turned him down.

The featherweight prospect, who knocked out Julian Erosa in under four minutes at UFC Seattle, told Full Send MMA this week that the promotion pitched him two ranked fighters before settling on Jamall Emmers for Saturday's UFC Sacramento card. "I was trying to fight basically three weeks after my last fight," Douglas said, per MMA Mania. "They tried three opponents, but we finally got this one done. One guy was ranked, and the other one just got ranked, so there's a tip for you. I can't say."

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Which Ranked Fighters Passed on Douglas

Douglas would not name the fighters who declined. Pat Sabatini recently entered the Meta UFC Rankings and fights out of Philadelphia, making him a potential candidate for UFC 330 last weekend. Other newly ranked names include Nathaniel Wood, Aaron Pico, and Joanderson Brito, all of whom would have been compelling stylistic puzzles for the Brazilian knockout artist.

The 31-year-old Douglas earned his UFC contract by stopping Cam Teague in 36 seconds on Contender Series, then stretched his finishing streak to six straight when he demolished Erosa in Seattle. He reportedly pushed to return within three weeks of that win, but the promotion struggled to secure an opponent. Nearly five months passed before Emmers, a 37-year-old veteran with a 5-4 UFC record, agreed to the matchup.

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Emmers has won two straight and brings 22 career victories into the Golden 1 Center prelims. Another violent finish from Douglas on Saturday could force UFC matchmakers to revisit those ranked conversations whether anyone wants to take the fight or not.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — UFC Sacramento’s Lerryan Douglas reveals two ranked fighters turned him down