Image Credit: Tapology
Billy Quarantillo looking to solidify he belongs at UFC Washington
Billy Quarantillo will make the walk to the Octagon for the first time as a UFC fighter on Saturday at UFC Washington. There, he is set to take on short-notice replacement, Jacob Kilburn.
Although he is no longer fighting Chris Fishgold, Quarantillo is just eager to be a UFC fighter after an impressive win on the Contender Series. Which he knew solidified his spot in the UFC.
“I was pretty confident. It was an exciting fight but you never know what Dana is looking for,” Quarantillo said to MyMMANews. “I think it was an exciting enough fight and the first featherweight to get that contract. I battled back and landed that good shot.”
Quarantillo is also a former TUF contestant where he competed on Season 22 back in 2015 and was surprised it took this long to earn another shot in the UFC.
“No, I didn’t. That is just how it goes. Right when I was on The Ultimate Fighter they made a lot of cuts after because the UFC was selling,” he said. “I wasn’t a huge rush to get back to the UFC because I knew I had to get better. I knew I would get this opportunity again.”
Although he wanted to fight earlier, Billy Quarantillo is excited to make his UFC debut on Saturday. He knows he is the better fighter and is confident he will get his hand raised.
“If we go to the ground I do have a lot of weapons. Striking is what I do. But I can push the pace and I’m going to bring this fight to the deep water,” he said.
In the end, although a win over Fishgold would have done more for his career, he says this win just proves he belongs in the IFC.
“It just solidifies that I deserve to be here. It puts me into contention to break into the top-30, top-20. Just keep climbing the ladder,” he concluded.
