Eli Aronov:”I Will Finish My Opponent And Get The UFC Contract”
Known as a fighting nation, but not necessarily in the MMA cage, Israel’s Eli Aronov will look to change that. Looking to carry a nation into the forefront of emerging MMA world powers. In actuality, Judo is the country’s most successful Olympic sport with five of their nation’s nine medals won. With MMA experience around the world in organizations such as Bellator and Unified MMA, Aronov has earned his chance for a UFC contract. Aronov will face off against Zachary Reese in August 2023 on Dana White Contender Series.
Early Life and Introduction to MMA
Born in an area of Israel established nearly 6,000 years ago, Aronov was born in 1996 in the city of Arad, formally established in 1962. “I’ve been training my whole life. I started Jodo then wrestling. Since the first training I have done, I just fell in love with it. I dreamed big and took my MMA career to chase the big dream. When I started training as a professional athlete, I wanted to dream big,” Aronedov told MyMMANews. Aronov began training Jodo at the age of six and Greco-Roman wrestling at the age of 12.
At the age of 19, Aronov joined the Israeli Army, which would forever change his life for the better. He would go on to receive elite training from one of the most powerful nations in the world. According to the Global Firepower (GFP) Index, Israel ranks 18th among 145 considered nations on a list of the world’s mightiest powers in 2023.
“The army definitely helped me a lot to be tougher. The army takes you to the edge so many times. It pushes you to the limit of the unknown, like taking risks with your life. The army made me a grown, tougher, and more knowledgeable man. It is a big part of my life. I am so happy I served in the army and served my country to defend it. It definitely made me a better fighter and more durable,” stated Aronov.
Debut and Rise to the Contender Series
Aronov’s MMA debut would come at the age of 22, where he would be victorious via first-round knockout. During the first nine months of his career, Aronov would win his first three bouts, all by the finish. In November 2019, Bellator would make the trip overseas to Israel. In just his fourth professional bout, Aronov would make the walk under big lights and earn the unanimous decision. In the 16 matchups that contained Israeli fighters, only three of them saw the native Israel fighter on the losing end. Fellow Israeli fighter Aviv Gozali, would also earn a victory on the card.
After a victory at Israel Fight Nights, Aronov would earn the biggest victory of his career to date. In May 2022, Aronov would earn a victory over Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz at Unified MMA 45. Ksiazkiewicz was a previous participant on the Contender Series and a victory over him would only aid in dream of entering the UFC. There is much more to Aronov’s dream than simply appearing in the UFC, representing his nation of Israel.
“I’m very excited to fight on DWCTS. I’ll achieve my goal to be a UFC fighter. It’s just the beginning of course, my goal is to be a UFC champion. I feel like I have a lot of experience. I fought in front of about 10,000 people at Bellator and for Unified in front of 3,000 with so much pressure on me in that fight,” said Aronov.
Representing a Nation
There is a lot of national pride in Aronov, who will carry the weight of a nation on his back into his Contender Series bout. “Representing Israel is everything to me. It’s one of my main reasons that I decided to fight. There are Israeli fighters and Jewish fighters. I always hear Jews aren’t fighters, but Israel is full of fighters. I’m here to represent my country and show we are not only fighters but have the best fighters. I will show it.”
Aronov said it best in his closing statement. “I know how to handle pressure and pressure makes diamonds. I’m going to show again I have the fighter, winner, and champion mentality. I will finish my opponent and get the UFC contract.”
