AFLLEJE MAKES BIG MMA MOVE, WINS FIRST STATESIDE

By Patrick Lujan

When you know, you gotta go.

Twenty-year-old Ethan Aflleje knew he had to make a move. Still very young in life, Aflleje decided to take his MMA game to Houston in April and has just won his first stateside fight via first round TKO in Fury FC 106, moving his amateur record to 4-0 – all four wins coming in the first rounds.

“I was back home watching Fury and saying to myself, ‘I can be there. I can fight these people and I can make it to the UFC from here’,” Aflleje said.

With the MMA fight scene not as bright on Guam as it once was, Aflleje hopes to keep the fire burning.

Upon arriving in Houston, he searched for gyms, settling in with Next Level Training Center and MMA.

“The first day I walked in and left that day, I had a fight.”

Fighting is in the blood, growing up the youngest of the Benavente family boxing and fighting since they were practically crawling.

Aflleje knew he was going to be a MMA fighter since he was 13. His first amateur fight occurred just two years later.

He’s off to a great start after a first round win on Saturday in Houston and he’s looking forward to making a mark with the Fury promotion.

“I’m here to stay in Fury,” he said. ” My goal is to take the amateurs flyweight belt, and it’s not impossible. Mark my words, I will be the amateur flyweight champion here in Fury. Until then, I will keep winning my fights and putting on a show for Guam.”

It will be a quick turn for the youngster as he’s already aiming for a July 27 return into the Fury cage.

NOTE: Guam rooted Micah White is also part of the Fury FC promotion