Hello @ufc middleweights. My name is Deron Winn.
Happy to announce I just signed with the big leagues! pic.twitter.com/rELQF7bJsK
— Deron Winn (@DeronWinn) December 20, 2018
Perhaps the best prospect to compete at Golden Boy MMA, Deron Winn just signed with the ultimate proving ground in mixed martial arts, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The 29-year old Winn (5-0) announced on Thursday via social media that he has now signed with the UFC, and put other fighters on notice. He also announced his presence will be at middleweight, a weight class the 5-foot-7 wrestler will drop down to for the first time in his career.
All five of American Kickboxing Academy standout Winn’s previous bouts took place either at light heavyweight or at catchweights around 190 pounds, never taking the plunge lower. A one-time veteran of Bellator MMA, Winn knocked out Ahmed White in May 2018 at Bellator 199 before appearing at Golden Boy MMA: Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 in November.
At that event, Winn faced ex-UFC light heavyweight Tom Lawlor in the co-main event, beating Lawlor by unanimous decision. Prior to defeating Lawlor, all four of his bouts had ended via first-round knockout. His bout with Lawlor, a 15-minute decision, lasted far longer than his entire career up to that point, which totaled only six minutes and 37 seconds of cage time.