Fresh Ink: Meet the 5 fighters the UFC signed in January 2023
The UFC roster is bigger than ever – and it continues to expand.
Fresh faces appear on nearly every card, whether onboarded as short-notice opening fillers, Dana White’s Contender Series signees, or the increasingly rare straight-up additions. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep track of the hustle and bustle of the mixed martial arts news beat, but here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.
“Fresh Ink” is your list of fighters added to the UFC roster the previous month and provides background on who they are and where they came from.
Check out the January 2023 list below.
Rolando Bedoya
Record when signed: 14-1
Signing type: Straight up
Weight class: Welterweight
Age: 26
Debut: May 6 vs. Khaos Williams (13-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) at UFC TBA
The influx of Latin American fighters into the UFC continues with [autotag]Rolando Bedoya[/autotag]. A poster-boy for Fusion FC, the leading MMA promotion in Peru, Bedoya has racked up an impressive record that includes seven finishes in 13 wins. A training partner of Charles Oliveira, Bedoya has gotten in great work in the gym throughout his career and will get a full camp for his first UFC bout.
Elves Brenner
Record when signed: 13-3
Signing type: Short notice
Weight class: Lightweight
Age: 25
Debut: Saturday vs. Zubaira Tukhugov (20-5-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) at UFC 284 in Perth, Western Australia
It’s been a good month for coach Diego Lima and Chute Boxe. Also a training partner of Charles Oliveira, [autotag]Elves Brenner[/autotag] signed on for a short-notice UFC opportunity after back-to-back wins on the regional scene. Though Brenner doesn’t always win, fans should expect to see a fun fight every time he steps into the cage.
Modestas Bukauskas
Record when signed: 13-5
Signing type: Short notice
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Age: 28
Debut: Saturday vs. Tyson Pedro (9-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) at UFC 284 in Perth, Western Australia
[autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag] overcame great adversity to make it back to the UFC. In the fight prior to his UFC release, Bukauskas gruesomly blew out his knee thanks to a Khalil Rountree side-kick. After surgery and recovery, Bukauskas won back-to-back fights and picked up a Cage Warriors title along the way.
Francisco Prado
Image via Lucas Lutkus (All In Sports Management)
Record when signed: 11-0
Signing type: Short notice
Weight class: Lightweight
Age: 20
Debut: Saturday vs. Jamie Mullarkey (15-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) at UFC 284 in Perth, Western Australia
Pegged by many as a potential future superstar, [autotag]Francisco Prado[/autotag] has a tremendous amount of hype as he enters the UFC. Despite his youth, Prado wrecked respectable competition en route to the UFC. With a 100 percent career finishing rate, Prado has recent wins over opponents with 8-2, 21-15, 6-0, and 13-3 records at the time of their bouts.
Junior Tafa
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 15: Junior Tafa punches David Tuliloa during their bout at Nissan Arena on September 15, 2022 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Record when signed: 4-0
Signing type: Straight Up
Weight class: Light heavyweight/heavyweight
Age: 26
Debut: TBA
A brother of UFC heavyweight Justin Tafa, [autotag]Junior Tafa[/autotag] has been spotlighted since his MMA debut in July due to his successful kickboxing background. The GLORY Kickboxing alumnus has four finishes in four MMA fights, including wins in RIZIN and Brave CF. Tafa was scheduled to fight Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 284. However, he withdrew from the bout, so his debut will now happen at a later date.
