Return to Fortis MMA paid dividends at UFC Seattle

SEATTLE – After a grueling 15-minute fight to open the main card at UFC Fight Night 252, Alonzo Menifield said a recent homecoming gets much of the credit.

In a back-and-forth fight that saw both light heavyweights visibly worn out in the second round, Menifield (16-5-1 MMA, 9-5-1 UFC) eked out a win over promotional newcomer Julius Walker (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) by split decision. The scrap got each fighter an additional $50,000 for Fight of the Night at Climate Pledge Arena.

That’s not a bad way to start his new era at Fortis MMA in Texas, where he returned to work with head coach Sayif Saud after spending time training elsewhere, including Colorado with Pat Barry. In 2024, Menifield was knocked out twice by Carlos Ulberg and Azamat Murzakanov, so the win over Walker was crucial.

Menifield was set to fight Oumar Sy next month in London, but he pulled out and Menifield got tasted with the 6-foot-4 Walker on short notice to help a Seattle card that was depleted with cancellations. So stepping up for that with the weight of a two-fight skid might not have worked out the same way absent Fortis.

“Being back in Texas, family all around – gym and my own family – it just felt right to take this on short notice,” Menifield said at his post-fight news conference. “I’m in the right position. I just kept getting signs. God was telling me, and I’m like, This is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Menifield said working with fellow UFC fighter Ryan Spann at Fortis played a big factor in his win against Walker, who presented unique issues given his height and reach.

Menifield said he knew his experience would help win the day against someone with three times less trips to a big cage. But he still needed his crew to help pull him back a bit so he wouldn’t get too overhyped.

“Having Ryan and coach (Saud), it was a blessing,” Menifield said. “They calmed me down. At the weigh-in, I was geeked up. I was going to go out there and throw the sink at him. But they told me, get in that 80 (mph lane). Just cruise. Don’t go all the way to 100 – and that help me out.

“Having Ryan, a big body helping me out – when Julius is grabbing me, I’m (thinking), ‘Oh, Ryan’s a lot heavier.’ That helped out a lot. Big, big, big thanks to my boy Ryan – seriously, that helped.”

One thing Spann couldn’t help, though, was a nasty-looking toe injury Menifield suffered in the fight, which he’ll have to hope his extra $50,000 takes the sting off.

Check out Menifield’s full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 252.