Ex-UFC security guard Everett wins contract with first-round KO — SkimNews
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- Sal Everett knocked out Ozzy Martin in the first round on Dana White's Contender Series, earning a UFC contract at age 29
- Dana White walked out of the room after the win to contain his excitement, calling Everett "one of the greatest kids ever" and saying the contract means he "doesn't have to work at the office"
- Everett had worked as a UFC security guard for about three years before becoming White's personal runner, and only recently left that job to focus on fighting full-time
- Everett entered the Contender Series with a perfect 4-0 professional record, having trained in MMA while working his day job at the promotion
- The signing comes one week after George Staines also won a UFC contract via the Contender Series, giving Dana White back-to-back Cinderella-story signings
- Everett delivered a post-fight message aimed at the division: "The whole division, you know my name. I'm not backing down from any challenges."
Why it matters: For Everett, a UFC support-staff salary is replaced by a professional fighting contract — a concrete, life-changing upgrade White himself flagged by saying the deal means Everett no longer has to work "at the office." For the UFC, two successive Contender Series signings with built-in underdog narratives (Staines, then Everett) within seven days reinforce the show's pitch as a direct pipeline from obscurity to the roster.
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