“When I decided to go professional and take it a little more serious, I didn’t know if I was gonna be able to fight in the UFC,” said Quinlan. “I didn’t know if I was gonna make it to this elite level, but I knew I wanted to do my best and see how far I could take it, and this is a step in that direction. I don’t know if I’m gonna take it two years in the UFC or maybe I’ll take it longer and make it to the Top Ten, but I’m going in with the right intentions and not doing anything that would make me regret anything. I’m going all-in on this and see how far I can take it.”
He’s taken it pretty far for just having six pro fights. And if you see the 5-0 record and wonder where the sixth fight is, after a win over Logan Urban last September on Dana White’s Contender Series that earned him a UFC contract, a post-fight drug test saw him test positive for the banned substance drostanolone, overturning the victory to a no contest. Quinlan lost the win and was suspended for nine months, but he kept his new contract and hopes for a fresh start, beginning with the Witt fight.
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“I took responsibility for my mistake and understood that the opportunity could be taken away from you in an instant,” said Quinlan. “I just took it as a learning lesson. It made me see how important the opportunity was and how important this is to me, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. And even though there wasn’t much cash flow or financial stability in the last nine months, God has blessed me and provided for me, and he kept the path open for me. I’m going to continue walking with him and there’s a lot of growth that happened through the nine months and I was able to bond with my coach, Michael Costa, a great mentor to me, and also my other coaches are great role models, so I was able to soak in the knowledge and apply it and broaden my skills as a martial artist, and also mature as a person. And that’s what life’s about.”
