Baldwin | 12 UFC fights

Every interview he does during fight week, every news conference and every media scrum, he’ll face the same set of questions. He knows it.

“These are the cards I was dealt,” former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman said. “I went out there to win these fights, I lost.”

Weidman, from Baldwin, will headline UFC’s first trip to his hometown on July 22 when he fights Kelvin Gastelum in Nassau Coliseum at UFC Long Island.

He’ll make his walk to the octagon inside the arena he grew up going to Islanders games at before it was renovated this past year. He’ll do so on a three-fight losing streak. He’ll do so having spent the previous week answering questions about how the once-undefeated and seemingly unstoppable champion could lose to Luke Rockhold, Yoel Romero and Gegard Mousasi.

“It’s something that I gotta move on from and focus on the future. I don’t let a loss or a setback define me,” Weidman said. “I’m not going to let that bother me. The greatest athletes of all time don’t. LeBron James, the Kobe Bryants, all these guys, they have bad games, they have bad weeks, they have bad months. But they find their way back.”

Weidman (13-3, 9-3 UFC) will attempt to do just that against Gastelum, a former “Ultimate Fighter” winner who will fight at middleweight after struggling several times to make the 171-pound limit for welterweight bouts. Gastelum (14-2, 8-2, 1 no contest) has won three fights in a row, the last of which — a first-round TKO of Vitor Belfort — was overturned to a no contest after Gastelum tested positive for marijuana metabolites.

There are things in Weidman’s head that he sees now that he could have done differently, be it in the fight or in camp or elsewhere that maybe would have made a difference. But that’s an alternate reality now. Yes, he threw that spinning back kick against Rockhold at UFC 194 in Las Vegas. Yes, he put his head on the wrong side when he shot in on Romero at UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden. Yes, there was mass confusion about whether Mousasi’s knee strikes were legal and how that whole controversial ending played out at UFC 210 in Buffalo.

“I put a lot of work into this sport, a lot of time,” Weidman said. “I’ve had some setbacks now and I’m very motivated to show my skill set. It looks as if I’m on the downswing of my career if you look at my record. You come watch me train, I’m getting better. It’s not like I’m in here getting my [expletive] kicked in sparring and I’m trying to mentally push myself to think I’m still good. I’m still doing my thing in every element of MMA.

“I just have to make it work on fight night.”

That fight night will occur 15 minutes from where he grew up. It will happen across the street from where he was a two-time All-American wrestler for Nassau Community College. It will take place across the other street from where he was a two-time All-American wrestler for Hofstra. It will unfold a three-minute drive from the gym he spent the past nine years of his life training in mixed martial arts, the gym he now co-owns with Ray Longo, his trainer for his entire career.

“This,” Weidman said, “is going to be one of these things I’ll be able to take with me for the rest of my life.”

CHRIS WEIDMAN’S UFC FIGHT HISTORY
Date	Event	Opponent	Result
March 3, 2011	UFC on Versus	Alessio Sakara	Won by unanimous decision
June 11, 2011	UFC 131	Jesse Bongfeldt	Won by submission, Round 1, 4:54
Nov. 19, 2011	UFC 139	Tom Lawlor	Won by submission, Round 1, 2:07
Jan. 28, 2012	UFC on Fox 2	Demian Maia	Won by unanimous decision
July 11, 2012	UFC on Fuel TV 4	Mark Munoz	Won by KO, Round 2, 1:37
July 6, 2013	UFC 162	Anderson Silva	Won by KO, Round 2, 1:18
Dec. 28, 2013	UFC 168	Anderson Silva	Won by TKO (injury), Round 2, 1:18
July 5, 2014	UFC 175	Lyoto Machida	Won by unanimous decision
May 23, 2015	UFC 187	Vitor Belfort	Won by TKO, Round 1, 2:53
Dec. 12, 2015	UFC 194	Luke Rockhold	Lost by TKO, Round 4, 3:12
Nov. 12, 2016	UFC 205	Yoel Romero	Lost by KO, Round 3, 0:24
April 8, 2017	UFC 210	Gegard Mousasi	Lost by TKO, Round 2, 3:13
July 22, 2017	UFC Long Island	Kelvin Gastelum

Lindenhurst | 7 UFC fights

The notion of competing inside Nassau Coliseum brings a smile to the face of Ryan LaFlare, a 33-year-old UFC fighter with a fully stacked Long Island resume.

He was an All-County wrestler at Lindenhurst High School, wrestled at Nassau Community College and still holds the Farmingdale State men’s lacrosse record with 131 career goals. He’s raising his family in West Islip and co-owns Long Island MMA in Farmingdale.

“To me, fighting in Long Island is the epitome,” LaFlare said. “This is where I grew up. I grew up going to shows at the Coliseum.

“I used to pass it every day and be like, ‘One day I want to be in there.’ Even going to Disney on Ice with my kids there, it’s crazy that I’m going to be able to put on for my city over there.”

That excitement will go away soon. But don’t be offended, Long Islanders, it’s not about you. There’s work to be done on fight night, namely getting by welterweight Alex Oliveira on July 22 on the UFC’s first card ever on Long Island.

“At the end of the day, the octagon has eight sides, there’s still gonna be three people once that cage door shuts: you, your opponent, the referee,” LaFlare said. “It doesn’t really matter where you are once the fight starts. I think the buildup is one thing, but the fight is something totally different.”

LaFlare (13-1, 6-1 UFC) has the traveling resume to back up that point as well. He’s fought for the UFC in Sweden and the United Arab Emirates and twice in Brazil.

He last fought in February at UFC 208 — at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. At the time, it was the closest he’d ever fought to his home in Long Island. Technically, it’s the same body of land. No bridges or tunnels are needed to get from Suffolk to Brooklyn. But that geographic distinction long ago was engulfed by Big Town. In 1898, Brooklyn became one of the five boroughs of New York City.

“They kind of teased me with the Brooklyn card. I’m like, finally I’m home,” LaFlare said. “I’m not saying it wasn’t amazing to fight there. But the Coliseum …”

Yes, the Coliseum. For Long Islanders, that’s the big time. It’s where they watched Islanders games for so many years. It’s where they went to their first concert. The circus, pro wrestling, the Harlem Globetrotters, Ice Capades, expos. Nearly every major artist or band played the Coliseum, from Paul McCartney to Prince, from Led Zeppelin to U2, and, of course, Billy Joel.

LaFlare is one of six local fighters on the UFC Long Island card, the promotion’s first here and fifth in New York since the state legalized mixed martial arts in March 2016. He’ll be joined by Chris Weidman, Dennis Bermudez, Gian Villante, Chris Wade and Brian Kelleher.

“The reason why I fight, it’s something different every fight,” LaFlare said. “Sometimes I wake up, I love being competitive, I love testing myself and seeing how far I can take this. Sometimes I wake up and say, ‘Man, all these people are counting on me, everyone looks up to me, I have to put on a show.’ Another thing is financially for my kids. Every day is something different. You have to keep digging deep and finding different reasons why you’re doing what you’re doing.”

RYAN LAFLARE’S UFC FIGHT HISTORY
Date	Event	Opponent	Result
April 6, 2013	UFC on Fuel TV	Benny Alloway	Won by unanimous decision
Nov. 9, 2013	UFC Goiania	Santiago Ponzinibbio	Won by unanimous decision
Dec. 14, 2013	UFC on Fox 9	Court McGee	Won by unanimous decision
April 11, 2014	UFC Abu Dhabi	John Howard	Won by unanimous decision
May 21, 2015	UFC Rio de Janeiro	Demian Maia	Lost by unanimous decision
Dec. 11, 2015	Ultimate Fighter Finale 22	Mike Pierce	Won by unanimous decision
Feb. 11, 2017	UFC 208	Roan Carneiro	Won by unanimous decision
July 22, 2017	UFC Long Island	Alex Oliveira

Freeport | 4 UFC fights

Eddie “Truck” Gordon hasn’t worked in the finance world since his mixed martial arts career first bloomed, but he’s taken one principle to heart — diversify.

Freeport’s Gordon is plotting his next move in the cage, but the former UFC fighter has enough going on outside the sport these days to keep busy.

“One thing I did learn in college is that those multi-billionaires, they have seven streams of income,” Gordon said. “If one slows down, you still have cash flow coming in.”

Gordon won season 19 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” but a career in MMA never was a thought. He was a star on the football field at Freeport High School and played at Fordham while earning a business degree, but pro football was never the plan either.

“I knew I wanted to get a good education,” Gordon said. “I’m a numbers guy, that’s why I was in finance. In football, the numbers are not in your favor. Do you want to sit there and go to Arena leagues, Canadian league, kind of hope to go the NFL one day? I didn’t want to live that life.” After college, Gordon said he worked at JP Morgan before moving to a private publishing company as a financial adviser. An outing with his co-workers brought him to Philadelphia for UFC 101 in 2009. A former wrestler, Gordon fell in love with MMA watching legend Anderson Silva knock out Forrest Griffin.

“I told them, ‘I could do this,’ and they all laughed at me,” Gordon said.

Gordon put together a respectable MMA career, going 8-4 with a 1-3 mark in the UFC, the lone victory clinching his “TUF” title. He returned to the show for a “redemption” season this year but lost in the first round. At a career crossroads, Gordon isn’t taking much for granted.

“Most athletes don’t realize that you are a brand and you can only fight for so long,” Gordon said. “At times we feel like we’re invincible, but that’s the furthest thing from the truth. We don’t know when it’s going to be our last fight.”

Gordon still lives in Freeport with his four young boys and is engaged to be married later this year.

The uncertainty of MMA has Gordon planning for the future. Even before his fighting career, Gordon had a custom cabinet business with his father that they still manage. He started a health beverage line that he dubs “weight-loss coffee” that he said has been profitable.

Gordon’s newest work as a motivational speaker is the venture he’s most passionate about.

As part of a sponsorship deal, Gordon gave a speech to employees at the company. A business partner of his sponsor then asked if Gordon could speak to their company. From there, Gordon started offering his services for workshops and graduations.

“I’m passionate about it. I went to a couple of schools and I got that same adrenaline rush talking to these kids,” Gordon said. “I thought, if I had someone come talk to me, I would probably have believed in myself a little more, who knows, maybe started a little earlier. So talking to kids, I love it. I got more opportunities to talk to companies and some other things, and it pays well, so to do something I love that doesn’t really feel like work, that’s awesome.”

Speaking to children inspired him to start the Eddie Truck Gordon Foundation, the purpose of which is to reach out to underprivileged kids and help battle drug addiction.

“I want to show them that it doesn’t matter where you came from, as long as you believe in yourself there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” Gordon said.

Gordon, who turns 34 later this month, also is turning his experience into a book.

“I never thought in my life that I would be writing a book, but after doing all this speaking, people kept saying they wanted something to walk away with,” Gordon said. “I thought it would be a lot easier, I have to give authors and writers a lot of credit.”

Despite the full plate, Gordon isn’t relaxing his training. He last fought for CFFC in August 2016, defeating Chris Lozano in a split decision.

With “TUF” behind him, Gordon has been training for the inaugural RISE Submission Invitational, a grappling event at The Space at Westbury on July 29, where he’ll face former UFC fighter Chris Cope.

“It’s my first grappling tournament, and I’m using it to work on my weaknesses. That’s only going to make me a better fighter,” Gordon said. “There’s no pressure for me. I get to grapple with some of the best guys in the world every single day for free. Not taking anything away from Chris Cope, but he’s not Matt Serra.”

Gordon said he’s received multiple fight offers since “TUF Redemption,” some better than those he got after winning the show in 2014. A UFC return would be nice, but in a changing MMA landscape, Gordon believes it’s not a requirement to continue growing as a fighter and brand.

“I think right now, it’s probably the best I’ve been mentally for fighting,” Gordon said. “I’m stable, I don’t have to take fights for the money. Now I can actually pick and choose when I’m going to fight, who I’m going to fight, and it gives me so much freedom.”

EDDIE GORDON’S UFC FIGHT HISTORY
Date	Event	Opponent	Result
July 6, 2014	Ultimate Fighter Finale 19	Dhiego Lima	Won by KO, Round 1, 1:11
Dec. 6, 2014	UFC 181	Josh Samman	Lost by KO, Round 2, 3:07
April 18, 2015	UFC on Fox 15	Chris Dempsey	Lost by split decision, Round 3, 5:00
June 27, 2015	UFC Florida	Antonio Carlos Junior	Lost by submission, Round 3, 4:37

North Bellmore | 4 UFC fights

At the front desk of Longo and Weidman MMA in Garden City sits a near-empty box of authentic pistachio-filled Turkish delights.

The sugar-covered sweets were a fitting treat from the world travels of Alp Ozkilic, a Turkish mixed martial artist who has once again made Long Island home.

“Take one,” Ozkilic insisted. “Hey, it is my nickname — the Turkish Delight.”

Ozkilic is back in the U.S. after his mixed martial arts career took him overseas for the better part of two years. He became the first Turkish-born fighter to compete in the UFC when he won his promotional debut in 2013 but was released in 2015 after three straight losses.

Now, Ozkilic returns to Long Island looking to make another run at MMA’s top promotion.

“I always considered this place home, and I wanted to come home,” Ozkilic said.

Ozkilic first came here from Turkey in 2004 to wrestle at Nassau CC in Garden City, where he was a two-time NJCAA All-American. After transferring to Lindenwood University in Missouri to finish his collegiate career, Ozkilic stayed in the St. Louis area to become a professional fighter. He believes he had the skill to compete with the best in the UFC’s flyweight division and become a marketable star in his home country, but he said the circumstances of his time with the company kept him from succeeding.

After an 8-1 start on the regional circuit, he debuted in the UFC with a split decision win over Darren Uyenoyama. Ozkilic said he then was encouraged by his manangement to take a fight with contender Louis Smolka a month later. He ran out of energy early in the fight.

“Fighting twice in a month, cutting 20 pounds twice in a month, my body couldn’t handle it,” Ozkilic said.

After losing to Smolka, Ozkilic returned to Long Island — both to work with trainer Keith Trimble of Bellmore Kickboxing Academy and to get back to a life he could enjoy after a few too many years in the heartland. Ozkilic was living in North Bellmore at the time. He also trained with Ray Longo at Longo and Weidman MMA in Garden City.

“After college I got into fighting, the only reason that I stayed there was my coach and my team,” Ozkilic said. “My coach out there, he knew I never fit in the culture there, I always live in big cities. I’ve never been country.”

Ozkilic lost a “Fight of the Night” against top contender John Lineker, then suffered a first-round knockout against Ben Nguyen. All three losses came against currently ranked fighters.

Once cut, he considered options in the U.S. but instead took a payday to join Chinese promotion Kunlun Fight. Ozkilic spent about a year and half in China, working as a coach and fight commentator while training, receiving a regular salary, free housing and food. He was supposed to be able to fight as often as he wanted, but Ozkilic said the promotion had a hard time finding matchups all sides could agree on.

He eventually received a bantamweight title fight in a co-promoted event with Korean company Top FC, but lost to Kwan Ho Kwak in a unanimous decision last May. Ozkilic claims the judges and officials in Korea gave Kwak an unfair advantage throughout the fight.

“They did everything they could to make me lose. They would stop the fight to look at my cut, but they would give him water,” Ozkilic said. “It was very frustrating, but that’s how it was over there, that’s what I learned.”

Ozkilic took some time off and eventually decided to address a nagging injury by traveling to his native Turkey last December to have surgery on a torn hip flexor. After months of rehab, Ozkilic decided his time in China was up. He technically still is under contract with Kunlun, and he said he hasn’t informed his bosses he won’t be fighting again, but he doesn’t see himself heading back any time soon.

Now healthy, Ozkilic is hoping to revive his career by doing it the right way. He no longer has a manager, saying he’ll rely on Longo and other coaches to help him find fights when the time is right.

Since returning to the U.S. in early June, he’s been at the gym twice a day training and getting back to sparring. He also started a business flipping houses with a few friends, but he says his focus remains on a return to fighting this year and, eventually, the UFC.

“I know better this time, I’ve learned the business,” said Ozkilic, who now lives in Seaford. “Now I’m in a better place, better condition, everything’s in my favor this time, so why not?”

ALPTEKIN OZKILIC’S UFC FIGHT HISTORY
Date	Event	Opponent	Result
Dec. 14, 2013	UFC on Fox 9	Darren Uyenoyama	Won by split decision
Jan. 15, 2014	UFC Duluth	Louis Smolka	Lost by unanimous decision
July 16, 2014	UFC Atlantic City	John Lineker	Lost by TKO, Round 3, 4:51
May 9, 2015	UFC Adelaide	Ben Nguyen	Lost by KO, Round 1, 4:59

East Meadow | 14 UFC fights

One day, he may ride a bull or cruise through Sturgis in a sidecar. Another day, he may trade kimuras and wrestling techniques with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson right in the middle of his podcast.

And then there’s everything else as well, from teaching at his two Brazilian Jiujitsu schools to cornering his team at fights around the world to raising his three daughters with his wife, Ann.

So goes life for Matt Serra, the former UFC welterweight champion from East Meadow who last fought in 2010 and remains one of the more prominent personalities in mixed martial arts.

“It’s both funny and amazing how I’m still relevant,” Serra, 43, said.

Serra rose to prominence in UFC 69 by knocking out Georges St-Pierre to win the title on April 7, 2007. It was considered the biggest upset in UFC history at the time. It remains that way 10-plus years later.

Serra, the first American BJJ black belt under Renzo Gracie, became a star that night in Houston. His personality — fun, outgoing, honest, tough guy — carried him far beyond the octagon.

He’s one of the three main stars on the UFC’s reality web series “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight.” Serra joins White, the UFC’s president, and former fighter Din Thomas on excursions across the country to find new fighters to sign and new high jinks to document. From riding live bulls to playing ice hockey, from riding horses on a ranch to riding motorcycles at Sturgis, follies ensue when the cameras roll.

“Whether it’s new fans that have jumped in during the Conor [McGregor] and Ronda [Rousey] era of the sport, or it’s fans that have been following since Day 1, when you’re introduced to Matt Serra, he’s a likable guy,” White said. “He’s a guy’s guy. He’s super funny. He’s a total badass and has his moments, yet, then you see him start crying on camera if he even mentions his daughters. Matt Serra appeals to everyone.”

The show, now in its second season, airs on YouTube. Eight of the nine episodes published so far have eclipsed 1 million views. “I couldn’t imagine doing it without Matt Serra,” White said. “And I say it all the time: Without Matt Serra, there is no ‘Lookin’ for a Fight.’ He is the show.”

Serra’s comedic nature combined with his status among UFC and MMA fans also made him a natural fit to co-host the UFC’s official podcast. Twice a week, Serra and comedian Jim Norton gather in a studio on Manhattan’s West Side to record “UFC Unfiltered.”

“Ten years ago, Matt Serra knocked out Georges St-Pierre, and then obviously, he lost the title, retired,” White said. “And look where he is today. He’s killing it. He just bought a new house for him and his family. He’s got one of the most successful podcasts out of all the podcasts in sports. ‘Lookin’ for a Fight’ is an incredible hit, from the day we launched it. Obviously, things that he’s got going on are very successful right now. God knows what’s next for Matt Serra.”

Serra owns and teaches at BJJ academies in Levittown and Huntington, schools that have produced a handful of UFC fighters, including one champion, and countless jiujitsu practitioners and MMA fighters in other promotions.

“That’s my love, teaching jiujitsu, it’s my passion. It’s just a good time anyway hanging out in my academies with my students,” Serra said. “So, listen, life is good. Life is good. I can’t complain.”

MATT SERRA’S UFC FIGHT HISTORY
Date	Event	Opponent	Result
May 4, 2001	UFC 31	Shonie Carter	Lost by KO, Round 3, 4:51
Sept. 28, 2001	UFC 33	Yves Edwards	Won by majority decision
March 22, 2002	UFC 36	Kelly Dullanty	Won by submission, Round 1, 2:58
Sept. 27, 2002	UFC 39	B.J. Penn	Lost by unanimous decision
Feb. 28, 2003	UFC 41	Din Thomas	Lost by split decision
Jan. 31, 2004	UFC 46	Jeff Curran	Won by unanimous decision
June 19, 2004	UFC 48	Ivan Menjivar	Won by unanimous decision
June 4, 2005	UFC 53	Karo Parisyan	Lost by unanimous decision
Nov. 1, 2006	Ultimate Finale 4	Chris Lytle	Won by split decision
April 7, 2007	UFC 69	Georges St-Pierre	Won by KO, Round 1, 3:25
April 19, 2008	UFC 83	Georges St-Pierre	Lost by TKO, Round 2, 4:45
May 23, 2009	UFC 98	Matt Hughes	Lost by unanimous decision
Feb. 6, 2010	UFC 109	Frank Trigg	Won by KO, Round 1, 2:23
Sept. 25, 2010	UFC 119	Chris Lytle	Lost by unanimous decision

Bay Shore | 7 UFC fights

One night in Las Vegas changed his life.

Not like the party capital’s nicknames and clever marketing would suggest.

For Pete “Drago” Sell, his “Sin City” rush came inside the UFC’s octagon on Feb. 5, 2005. That night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Sell, from Bay Shore, made his UFC debut against Phil Baroni from Massapequa.

“It was my shot,” Sell said recently inside his new home in West Islip.

That fight at UFC 51 was the first and only time in UFC history two fighters from Long Island faced one another inside the octagon. Sell, 22 years old and 5-0 at the time, had three weeks to prepare for Baroni, who originally was scheduled to fight Robbie Lawler. Baroni had lost three fights in a row but had a reputation for knockouts.

But it was Sell who won the fight with a submission via guillotine choke in the final minute of the fight.

“I became a believer,” Sell said about that night. “You gotta chase your dreams. Go for it. You live once. You got one ticket, go for it.”

He did just that for the next 10 years. He went 4-7 over that time span, with fights in the UFC and Ring of Combat. Sell wound up on the wrong side of several highlight-reel finishes, most notably against Scott Smith and Matt Brown. He last fought in September 2015 after three years off. Major knee surgery contributed to the long layoff.

“Where I’m at in life right now, obviously, for so many years I chased the fighting,” said Sell, now 34. “I loved it so much, it was the highest of the highs. And now I’m working my ass off.”

Sell works for Lifetime Chimney Supply, a steel chimney lining company based in Plainview. He does metal fabrication and custom metal work. It was something he did during his fighting career as a way to make money and have a career to fall back on after fighting.

But he’s not entirely out of the fight world. A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Matt Serra, Sell continues to teach the sport at Serra’s academies in Levittown and Huntington as well as at Longo and Weidman MMA in Garden City.

“It’s nice being able to have that other means come in to make money besides fighting,” Sell said.

He has a family and a home to provide for now, with his girlfriend, Ashley, and their son, Jack.

“I love having the little guy,” Sell said. “It’s just fun. Holding pads for him a little bit, he’s throwing football, hitting baseballs, he’s 2 years old.” But . . .

“Honestly, what I really wish is that I could just be sitting, relaxed and fight for the rest of my life,” Sell said. “Obviously, there’s a life in fighting and I wish it didn’t end. Because fighting, there’s nothing better.”

Many professional athletes find it hard to walk away from their sport and stay away. Sell spent more than half of his life learning and practicing jiu-jitsu. He first began training with Serra at age 17.

Sell said he thinks about fighting again and believes he’ll compete again. When that may be, who knows?

“I know it’s a young man’s sport not only because of age and because of your body, but because of your time,” Sell said. “When you’re young, you’re 21, you got nothing to do. ‘You know what I’m doing today? I’m freakin’ training all day, I don’t care, I got nothing else to do. It’s the best.'”

He’s not 21 now. He has things to do. A job. A family. A mortgage.

“You want the best for your family,” Sell said of Ashley and Jack. “I want to be able to give them the world.”

PETE SELL’S UFC FIGHT HISTORY
Date	Event	Opponent	Result
Feb. 5, 2005	UFC 51	Phil Baroni	Won by submission, Round 3, 4:19
Aug. 6, 2005	UFC Fight Night 1	Nate Quarry	Lost by KO, Round 1, 0:42
Nov. 11, 2006	Ultimate Finale 4	Scott Smith	Lost by KO, Round 2, 3:25
April 7, 2007	UFC 69	Thales Leites	Lost by unanimous decision
Sept. 19, 2007	UFC Fight Night 11	Nate Quarry	Lost by KO, Round 3, 0:44
Oct. 25, 2008	UFC 90	Joshua Burkman	Won by unanimous decision
March 7, 2009	UFC 96	Matt Brown	Lost by KO, Round 1, 1:32

For a small piece of land assigned to a state that deemed mixed martial arts illegal from 1997 to 2016, Long Island has produced its fair share of professional fighters in the UFC.

No less than 18 fighters with Long Island roots — either where they grew up or where they settled in after college — have stepped inside the UFC’s octagon and competed in more than 125 fights.

Long Island’s presence in the UFC’s history goes far beyond an accent unique to this little part of the world. Matt Serra of East Meadow pulled off the biggest upset in the promotion’s history on April 7, 2007, when he knocked out Georges St-Pierre to win the welterweight title. Ten years later, it still shows up in all the Top 10 countdown shows and lists. Six years later, Baldwin’s Chris Weidman hoisted gold for Long Island once more, knocking out Anderson Silva to win the middleweight title.

As the UFC brings its first card to Long Island and Nassau Coliseum on Saturday, July 22, Newsday takes a look at the nine active fighters from here, including, in alphabetical order, Dennis Bermudez, Gregor Gillespie, Al Iaquinta, Brian Kelleher, Ryan LaFlare, Aljamain Sterling, Chris Wade, Chris Weidman and Gian Villante. Newsday also interviewed six former local fighters to see what they are doing now.

Freeport | 4 UFC fights

Underground, in a basement gym in the desert, Jay Hieron’s UFC career began.

Hieron was helping Massapequa’s Phil Baroni train for an upcoming bout when he caught the eye of Dana White in that gym inside of the UFC’s old headquarters on Sahara Avenue in Las Vegas in 2004.

Hieron, from Freeport, was just barely into his career as a mixed martial arts fighter, one that eventually would take him to multiple countries and the world’s biggest fight promotions.

“I didn’t even have a manager then, that’s how green I was,” Hieron said recently while back on Long Island at Bellmore Kickboxing Academy, where he first started training in MMA.

Still, one year and four fights into his professional career in a relatively new sport, there Hieron was — on UFC president White’s short list of who to call when he needed a fighter quickly.

“I was 4-0, I’m pretty green and took a short-notice fight versus a guy you might have heard of — Georges St-Pierre,” Hieron said. “It didn’t go my way, but it was a great learning experience. I was young in my career. I could have went in two different directions. I could have said, ‘Nah, this isn’t really for me’ or ‘All right, I gotta train harder.'”

He chose the latter.

“It made me who I was in my career,” Hieron said of his fight against St-Pierre, who later became the UFC welterweight champion and one of the greatest fighters in MMA history.

That career included 30 professional fights — 23 of them wins — the welterweight world title in the International Fight League, the Bellator Season 4 tournament win and one of those oversized checks that looks cool in the photo but doesn’t fit in the overhead compartment of the plane for the flight home. (A minor detail when the actual check includes three digits on each side of the comma.) It included four fights in the UFC, all losses.

It also led to Hieron’s post-fighting career: acting and stunt work.

Hieron moved to Las Vegas in 2004 as his fighting career began to take shape. He trained at Xtreme Couture and befriended Randy Couture, a five-time UFC champion. Couture, who since has transitioned into acting as well, introduced Hieron to John Cenatiempo, a noted Hollywood stunt man from New York.

“I didn’t think I could turn it into a career at first until a few years being in it,” Hieron said. “Thank God it’s going well.”

Well enough where Hieron has appeared in more than 50 movies and TV shows.

Going from a professional fighter to someone who fights on camera may seem like a natural jump. In theory, sure. In reality, it’s a bit more nuanced.

“I had to learn how to fight for film. It’s totally the opposite of real fighting. The punches that work in real life, they don’t translate well on camera,” said Hieron, 40. “Even though I was a real fighter, I had to transition and make you believe that I could do a film fight because the camera don’t lie.”

No, it does not, which works out nicely for the former national champion wrestler at Nassau Community College who recently acted opposite Method Man. Not too shabby for a kid who grew up listening to the Method Man and his rap group, the Wu-Tang Clan, in the early 1990s.

“I’ve done a car chase with a police car 100 miles an hour down Madison Avenue in New York City,” Hieron said. “I mean, it’s pretty cool. With the lights on and I’m dressed as a full cop. I’m a kid from Freeport, you know what I mean.”

Jay Hieron’s UFC fight history
Date	Event	Opponent	Result
June 19, 2004	UFC 48	Georges St-Pierre	Lost by TKO, Round 1, 1:42
Oct. 3, 2005	UFC Fight Night 2	Jonathan Goulet	Lost by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 3, 1:03
Oct. 5, 2012	UFC on FX 5	Jake Ellenberger	Lost by unanimous decision
Feb. 2, 2013	UFC 156	Tyron Woodley	Lost by KO, Round 1, 0:36