Angel Pacheco will be out to prove Dana White right at UFC Atlantic City

UFC bantamweight Angel Pacheco is out to prove that the unique decision to sign him was the right call. Pacheco will debut at UFC Atlantic City against Caolán Loughran on March 30. He'll make his UFC debut after appearing on Dana White's Contender Series in September and becoming one of the few contract winners in the show's history to get a contract despite suffering defeat.

Pacheco's loss to Danny Silva was the second of his professional career and has somewhat clouded his unique skillset. He's proven to be a headache for his opponents on the feet and ground with all seven of his career wins coming by stoppage. Pacheco made his professional debut in April 2019 after a 13-fight amateur career. He won his first three professional fights before his first career loss to Nate Williams in Dec. 2020.

Pacheco bounced back in a big way after the loss to Williams with four consecutive stoppage victories. This included a 47-second ground-and-pound knockout at CES 68. Pacheco's four-fight winning streak attracted the attention of the UFC brass. The result was one of the greatest brawls in DWCS history.

Pacheco and Silva fought in a back-and-forth battle with White sitting cage side. Despite getting knocked down early in the fight, Pacheco rallied late to nearly squeak out the win on the judges' scorecards. Silva earned a unanimous decision victory, but Pacheco also got a contract offer from White for his incredible efforts.

Pacheco's unique route to the UFC leads him to a matchup with another prospect in Loughran. After losing his UFC debut in September, Loughran is looking to get back on track in his second UFC outing. Pacheco vs. Loughran could be an under-the-radar 'Fight of the Night' contender at UFC Atlantic City. The card is headlined by a flyweight matchup between Erin Blanchfield and Manon Fiorot. Pacheco's path to the UFC spotlight has been anything but easy, and he'll look to make a statement and assert himself as a top bantamweight prospect.

Angel Pacheco highlights

Pacheco and Silva had one of the best fights in DWCS history in September. The two prospects went to war in all facets of the fight, and the bout was so good that White offered both fighters UFC contracts. It was one of the few times in DWCS lore that a fight's loser was still offered a contract from White.

Pacheco took just over a minute to smother Zach Schroeder with vicious ground-and-pound at CES 68. The two fighters would then rematch at Bud Brawl 2, with Pacheco earning another quick finish. Pacheco's wins over Schroeder were a significant factor in the UFC's decision to give him a shot on DWCS.