12-0, 18-7, 22-8. This is not some locker combination or Fibonacci code. On paper, these numbers represent the record of Efrain Escudero’s progression through the sport of professional mixed martial arts… Sort of.
At 12-0, Escudero was the lightweight winner of
The Ultimate Fighter Season 8, was 2-0 in the Octagon, had finished all but two of his opponents, and had a very notable first-round TKO of Cole Miller. By the fall of 2009, he was a young, motivated and streaking up-and-comer with a bright future. The next few years had a completely different look.
By May 2013, the native of Sonora, Mexico, aptly nicknamed “Hecho in Mexico,” had been through a turbulent period in his career, bringing his record to 18-7. After his 2-0 start in the UFC, Escudero lost two of his next three UFC fights and was released from the UFC. He bounced back with a 5-1 run, but then dropped four in a row, including his UFC return and re-release. This was a rough time in his career, but it is imp