Jordan Vucenic: UFC fighter out of Northampton gym speaks about making his long-awaited debut, his next fight, and his hometown of Corby

Jordan Vucenic, the 27-year-old UFC fighter from Corby, is gearing up for his second fight in the world's biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.

After years of dreaming about making it to the UFC, Jordan, nicknamed ‘The Epidemic’, finally received the call-up in July 2024.

Talking about that phone call, he said: “I’d just finished my Cage Warriors fight, was straight back into the gym, helping the lads out, and then I get a phone call. They asked me, ‘Are you ready to make your UFC debut?’ It was crazy. I went out to the gym and said, ‘Guess what?’ Everyone looked at me, and I said, ‘I’m in the UFC.’ They went crazy, cheering. But it didn’t hit me until a couple of hours later when I sat down and thought, ‘This is real.’ It felt natural, like, ‘Ok, I’m finally here,’ not ‘I’ve made it,’ but ‘Now the work begins.’”

With just eight days’ notice, he was told he would be facing the “absolute monster” that is Guram Kutateladze – one of his idols – at UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi in August 2024.

He said: “I’d been watching him for years. It’s like they say, idols become rivals. It was in Abu Dhabi, 42 degrees, and it was crazy. All these people I’d been watching on TV – Daniel Cormier, Bruce Buffer – were just walking around me like it was nothing. But I didn’t feel out of place. It felt natural, like I was meant to be there.”

Vucenic delivered a solid performance, knocking Kutateladze down in the first round, but ultimately lost by decision after three tough rounds.

Reflecting on the fight, he said: “It was one of those things. It was short notice, against one of the top guys in the division. I truly believe, with a full camp, I would have finished him. Coming in on just eight days, I had to pace myself, knowing I had the second and third rounds to go. But now I’m in the UFC, and I’ve got a full camp for the next one, so let’s go.”

He added: “What I realised from my debut is that I had all the UFC guys on a pedestal. It’s not that they’re not as good as I thought; it’s that I’m up there with them.”

Talking about the behind-the-scenes experience on his UFC debut, Jordan said: “You go down for breakfast and Shara Bullet walks past you with one eye. It’s like, that is mental. Or, at the pool, just chilling, Bruce Buffer is lying there sunbathing. As a fan, how mad is it to see Bruce Buffer just lying there in the sun? Then there were media duties with Cormier, Felder, and John Gooden. Mad.”

Looking ahead, Vucenic will face Scottish fighter Chris Duncan on March 22, with his training camp now in full swing for the O2 Arena showdown in front of 17,000 fight fans.

He said: “I’m always improving, and you’re going to see it. People are going to watch and think, ‘This guy’s gotten even better.’ I’m always in the gym working to improve. I’ve levelled up since my last fight, and I think this next one will prove it. People were hyped about my debut – wait until the next one, you’ll see.”

As always, he says he expects the support from his hometown Corby will be “unreal”.

He said: “The support I get from Corby is crazy. When I’m out in town, people are surprised to see I’m still around. They say, ‘It’s mad you still shop in Asda!’ And I’m like, ‘Of course I am.’ When I fight, everyone in Corby watches, and all the pubs have it on the TV. After my fights, I get tagged in videos on Facebook with people going absolutely mad. The support is unreal.”

Vucenic trains at BST Gym in Sixfields, Northampton, where he says his teammates are like a second family. He said: “It’s like a family. I’m with them every day, multiple hours a day. We push each other. We all want to win, and we all want to make each other better.”

Speaking on balancing life as a father and a professional athlete, Jordan said: “It’s hard but rewarding. Being a dad and a professional athlete is tough because you miss out on a lot of things, but I’m grateful. I get to see them during the day. It’s a tricky balance between training and spending time with the kids, but I feel I’m doing it justice. They’re my biggest motivation to be a good role model.”

He added: “I’m really grateful to my missus. I’m always away training, and she’s looking after the kids – a one-year-old, a two-year-old that are just 10 months apart, and a six-year-old. They’re full-on, keeping her busy. She holds the fort at home, and I couldn’t do it without her.”

Asked how he would describe himself, Jordan said: “I would describe myself as humble but confident. Definitely. I believe I can be the best, but I’m humble with it.”

Describing himself as a fighter, he added: “As a fighter: Entertaining and willing to die every time. I’m willing to put it all on the line because I believe in myself so much. I believe I can finish anyone in the world at any point. Ready to die at all times.”

Asked when he accepted that "willing to die" mindset, he said: “You don’t ever know truly until you’re in that position. I’ve been in that position, the Paul Hughes 2 fight, it’s just something inside of me, I’m willing to put it all on the line. I really want it. I genuinely want it with my whole being. Growing up in Corby, I realised nothing’s given and everything is earned. It’s the same with fighting.”

Looking to the future, Jordan says he is determined to go as far as possible in the UFC. He said: “I want to go all the way. I truly believe I can be a UFC world champion. I want to be one of the best from the UK, and that’s my goal. I want to go down in UK MMA history. I just have to keep beating the next guy in front of me, and eventually, I’ll get there.”

He added: “I was told I was a dreamer and a joker when I said I wanted to be Cage Warriors world champion, and I did it. I’m going to do the same in the UFC.”

Sponsors for Jordan include: CARTEL UK, IY Commissioning, That Prize Guy, and Harry’s Bar in East Runton, Cromer.

He said: “After the fight, the bar will be open – I’ll be celebrating, taking the kids to Cromer and seeing the new bar.”