Mark Hulme
Record: 11-3
Age: 29
Weight class: Welterweight
Height: 6’2″
Birthplace: South Africa
Next Fight: Friday vs. Zackery Powell (6-1) at Unified MMA 55 in Toronto (
UFC Fight Pass)
Background:
Mark Hulme’s road toward a UFC opportunity has been far from run-of-the-mill. A rough-and-tough kid growing up, Hulme struggled to like and succeed in school. He discovered the UFC and immediately felt he’d found a direction – but his father made him finish school before he permitted him to pursue professional fighting. He found success during his amateur career early on, and eventually turned professional. Rather than pursue the UFC right away through the regional scene, Hulme pivoted toward promotions like ACA, M-1 Global, and Brave CF. He trained in Russia, where he came to an important realization that any fighter is capable of mental toughness. The highs were fun, but the lows were most important. Hulme credits a 100-plus kilometer trek through South African mountains as a mental refresher during which he found purpose and rejuvenated his career. He also credits Team CIT and teammate Dricus Du Plessis for putting him on the straight path – which has led to a current three-fight winning streak.
The skinny: Hulme trains day in and day out with one of the best middleweights in the world. He’s a thoughtful guy who is not afraid to learn a lesson even if it means failing. From Day 1, it seems Hulme has tried to take the toughest tests available – and has benefited long-term from his short-term shortcomings. With a strong life compass, Hulme thinks it’s not a coincidence a UFC opportunity has fallen into his lap. With “Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight” scheduled for Unified MMA in Toronto, on the eve of UFC 297, the promotion needed a replacement fighter – and Hulme happened to be in town to support Du Plessis. The stars do seem to be aligning for Hulme, who expects to impress the UFC brass in his ultra-short-notice bout against one of Canada’s best.
In his own words: “To play a small part in Dricus’ journey to become the UFC middleweight champion is the biggest honor of my life. As we landed, he went, ‘Did coach tell you you have a fight?’ I said, ‘No, what do you mean?’ He said, ‘You didn’t get the message?’ I’m like, ‘No.’ I went and checked and I saw the message from my coach. … I just replied, ‘I’ve got this coach.’ This is my life, dude. This week I came to realize while I was water-loading… No sane human being is going to do this unless they f*cking love it.
“I don’t (just) like this sport. I didn’t get into this sport because I wanted a way to make millions fighting. I just f*cking love this sport. I’ve dedicated my whole life to it. I’ve lived in the gym for like three years when I was 18-21. I’ve sacrificed my whole life, my whole being, everything so that I can get the opportunities to get to the UFC. Here we find ourselves now. Basically, the statement goes: Many people do MMA, but I f*cking love it.”
“… I’ve worked so much on myself. I’ve worked so much on my mindset. I’ve worked so much on my skill set. I’ve got men behind me, men of stature. … I’m going to perform. I’m performing in front of Dana White. I’m performing in front of all the fans who are coming from South Africa, not only for Dricus Du Plessis but also for me. That brings a genuine excitement for me. That is something that I can look forward to. I love this.”
Mateo Vogel
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 29: (L-R) Mateo Vogel of Canada punches Timothy Cuamba in their featherweight fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season seven, week four at UFC APEX on August 29, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Record: 8-3
Age: 27
Weight class: Featherweight
Height: 5’8″
Birthplace: Canada
Next Fight: Friday vs. John Nguyen (6-3) at Unified MMA 55 in Toronto (
UFC Fight Pass)
Background: A lifelong athlete,
Mateo Vogel played hockey growing up. Somewhere along the way, jiu-jitsu entered his life and became his first martial arts. Grappling tournaments were his first form of competition, but his UFC fandom pivoted him into fighting. Without an amateur fight, Vogel hopped into the professional ranks and debuted in 2018. He won his first three fights by submission and the fire inside him grew even bigger. In 2023, he won the BFL featherweight title, then had his first international break – an opportunity on Dana White’s Contender Series. Vogel lost to Timmy Cuamba by unanimous decision in a competitive affair. It’s evident the defeat on the biggest stage to date has bugged Vogel.
The skinny: Vogel has wins over current UFC fighters Garrett Armfield and Serhiy Sidey. He’s always aimed to take on the best competition available. Even when it results in a loss, Vogel grows from the experience. He isn’t afraid to fail, which is a positive character trait for any fighter. Even though he disagrees with the decision, Vogel doesn’t think he was himself – largely because of mental lapses and not finishing the fight. Vogel said he tried to be “too perfect” rather than shoot for the stoppage. With a fire lit under him like never before, Vogel vows to show his true self against Dana White on what many are calling one of the most high-profile events in Canadian MMA history. If contracts are handed out (which they likely will be) look for the winner of Vogel vs. Nguyen to walk home with the paperwork.
In his own words: “People like to ask all these questions on fight week like, ‘How do you feel about Dana being there? How do you feel about this thing that’s different or this thing that’s different?’ A good friend of mine gave me some good advice. There is no difference. There is no difference between any fight. Every fight is the same as any other fight. The only thing that’s different is the eyeballs looking at it. I just really got to fixate on bringing my game and doing my thing. That’s what I’m best at. That’s when I belong with the best of the world.”
“… I bring big balls in terms of the way I fight. I come in there and I don’t usually hold anything back. I go for the kill. I have an exciting style. It’s very rare you’ll ever see a dull fight of mine. I think that’s been evident in most of my outings. It’s just I go out there with a different kind of intention. Very quickly, I became a fan favorite because I bring the action every time. A lot of guys say that, but in my case, I really do. How many fights have you seen me where I’m dripping in blood or came back from almost being knocked out? I go in there and I really make it a war.”
“… I know that I can compete with the best in the world and I’ve known for a while. I train with guys in the UFC like Charles Jourdain. Look what he’s done recently. Him and I talk about it all the time. I belong at the UFC level. I think I can hit the ground running as soon as I get a contract. It’s not a matter of if, it’s when.”
MMA Junkie
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