WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES AUGUST 3, 2017 43
Queens mixed martial artist to fi ght for UFC contract
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@A_GIUDICEREPORT
A talented mixed martial artist
from Bayside has the chance of
a lifetime coming next month
where he will battle it out in the
octagon for an opportunity to earn
an Ultimate Fighting Championship
(UFC) contract.
Julio Arce began training in mixed
martial arts (MMA) 16 years ago when
his mother brought him to the Tiger
Schulmann’s Martial Arts location
in Bayside to get him in better shape
and grow his confidence since he
would oft entimes be bullied for being
overweight.
Over time, under the tutelage of
Shihan (Master) Brian Gotthoffer,
Arce grew to love the martial arts
and worked his way up to earn a second
degree MMA black belt, several
championships, and became a Sensei
as the senior instructor at the Bayside
Tiger Schulmann’s location at 215-15
Northern Blvd.
“It all started as being that little fat
kid who played games, loved reading
comics. I was an overweight kid…then
I was brought here. From day one I
got hooked on it, and here I am today,”
Arce said. “It was a journey for myself.
I was able to evolve from a kid into a
man and just grow. I had to take my
own journey to get to where I am.”
As Arce began competing in the amateur
ranks, he began honing his skills
in multiple martial arts disciplines.
During his amateur career Arce was
the 2011 Golden Gloves Champion with a
7-0 record, a tri-state and world kickboxing
champion with an 11-1 record, and a
Ring of Combat Champion with a 13-0
record fi ghting in that organization.
When Arce turned pro in 2014, he
continued his winning ways, earning
in 5-0 record in kickboxing, and
was the Bantamweight (135 pound)
Champion in Ring of Combat, and
is currently the Featherweight (145
pound) Ring of Combat Champion with
a professional MMA record of 12-2.
Now Arce has his sights set on earning
a contract with the UFC.
Arce was asked to compete on “Dana
White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series,”
a show that is streamed on UFC
Fight pass, where the owner of the
UFC, Dana White, scouts potential
fi ghters to join his organization.
“It’s the big leagues, that’s where everybody
wants to get to, that’s where I
work hard to get to,” Arce said of the
UFC. “Three of my teammates just
made it there, and I know my time is
coming soon.”
So on Aug. 8, Arce will go headto
head against Peter Petties in the
Featherweight division in Las Vegas
to try to impress White and earn his
way into the premier combat sports
organization.
“I don’t care what happens, win, lose,
knock the guy out, get knocked out,
whatever, just get in there and have fun,”
Gotthoff er said he has been telling Arce
leading up to the big fi ght. “Don’t let the
pressure get to you. Don’t worry about
it. Nobody’s opinion is going to change.
Whatever happens, he is still going to be
respected and loved by everyone.”
No matter what happens in the Aug. 8
fi ght, Arce will still be training and teaching
at the Bayside Tiger Schulmann’s.
SPORTS
Photo by Anthony Giudice/Ridgewood Times
Julio Arce (left) trained under Shihan Bryan Gotthoff er (right) at the Bayside Tiger Schulmann's and will compete for a UFC contract.
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