Top of the Class: Aaron Jeffery has nothing left to prove on regional scene

Aaron Jeffery has proven he is too much to handle on the regional scene, and that he truly is at the Top of the Class. He will be making his second appearance on Contender Series this season during Week 5.

Last time Jeffery was on Contender Series was in 2019, where he suffered his second professional loss to Brendan Allen. Allen has since established himself as a legitimate UFC fighter, proving Jeffery has only fought the best competition possible. Aaron’s second loss came to Sean Brady, who has also made quite the name for himself in the UFC. This fight was back when Jeffery fought at welterweight and today, it’s clear he’s a whole different beast.

Aaron is a cardio machine at middleweight with the tools to drag you to the deepest depths of a fight.

Why was Aaron Jeffery selected for our Top of the Class List?

Since the Contender Series loss, Jeffery has not looked back. Now on a 4-fight win streak, he has been dominating high-level competition on the biggest shows possible. Some fans would argue that he may be ready for an outright call-up instead of another stop on DWCS. Those fans aren’t wrong. In his last fight, Jeffery defeated a fighter who had just earned a contract on Contender Series last season, but turned it down. Jeffery also became the CFFC middleweight champion that night with the win.

In the fight prior, Jeffery finished Andre Petroski, who is now in the UFC after being an early favorite to win The Ultimate Fighter. MMA math is complicated, but technically that means the Jeffery has beaten 2 fighters that were/are considered UFC-level talent. Jeffery finishes his fights, and leaves no question that he is the better fighter on fight night. If it happens to go to the judge’s decision, it’s aways unanimous.

Aaron Jeffery could be a name that continues to generate more hype if all goes well on September 28th. He is an exciting fighter that always looks for finishes, something that fans will gravitate to. Simply put, the Canadian’s contract is long overdue, and if everything above wasn’t enough to convince you—Jeffery has been training in Vegas, working with UFC middleweight, Sean Strickland.

Interview

Though Aaron’s road to the UFC hasn’t been as quick as others, one would think that after main eventing his last 4 fights, he’s just about ready for anything. It may not seem worth it at first, but the experience one is able to get on the regional scene is priceless. Especially when you begin to feel truly prepared for anyone they put in front of you.

“I’m grateful for the experience. Hindsight is 20/20 and looking back I realize the last 2 years since my first Contender Series shot has been great for me as a fighter,” shared Jeffery. “I’m 100x more ready now than I was then. Being active during the pandemic was huge. Many guys weren’t able to do that so I was lucky in that regard. Not only as a fighter, but as a person being able to travel while a lot of people were locked at home.”

Much of those kudos deserve to go to the teams working behind the scenes. Niagara Top Team is an up-and-coming gym building the next generation of Canadian prospects—Jeffery is one of the noticeable standouts they put their backing behind. He has grown into his roll of the gym’s captain. As for Aaron’s management team, Dodge Sports, they kept more Canadian fighters active on the regional scene throughout the pandemic than any other agency.

Needless to say, without Aaron’s impressive 2020 run on the regional scene, this second chance at a UFC contract may not have come so soon. Now he has the chance to become the third UFC fighter to come out of the Dodge Sports roster.

There comes a point in time where a fighter has nothing left to prove on the regional scene. Especially when there really isn’t any additional competition left to face and guys you have beaten get in before you. When you look at the talent in the middleweight division still unsigned to the UFC, it should reassure any fan of where the mullet rocking Canadian belongs. That’s at the top of the crop.

“I don’t keep an eye on the regional scene all that much,” said Jeffery. “I’m sure there are tough guys, and I’m sure guys who deserve to be in the UFC who aren’t. But that’s where I think I should be [at the top of the class].”

After grinding hard and putting in the necessary work since his last appearance on the show, there is no doubt we’ll see a much more well-rounded, mature fighter. No one is more deserving of the opportunity than Aaron Jeffery, and everything can change for the young prospect with a win on Contender Series this season. It’s nice to see that Canada has their next big star in the making; something we at The Scrap never doubted.

Congratulations to Aaron Jeffery on being selected for our inaugural Top of the Class List!

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About Post Author

Connor Rogowsky

Connor “Rags” Rogowsky is a Co-Founder of The Scrap, where he contributes MMA content and occasionally delves into the world of pro wrestling. A former collegiate athlete in football and track, Connor pairs his sports experience with academic expertise to the pieces he writes. He holds a Master of Science in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University.

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