21-year-old HEX FC champ George Mangos relishing pressure of UFC path

George Mangos arguably is the strongest MMA prospect ever to come out of Australia, and if things go as planned, it won’t be much longer before can prove it on the UFC stage.

Mangos (6-0) will attempt to solidify his opportunity to gain entry to the UFC roster Saturday when he looks to defend his HEX Fight Series featherweight title against Ethan Thomas (4-2) at HEX FC 34, which take place in Melbourne.

With an undefeated record and two title defenses already on his resume, the 21-year-old Mangos is at the crucial experience-building stage of his career. With another win, he expects to get a chance to compete on this summer’s season of Dana White’s Contender Series, on which he would be able to vie for a UFC contract.

“I’m looking forward to defending my belt for the third time consecutively. It’s my fourth title fight in a row against only the best in Australia,” Mangos told MMA Junkie. “I’m going to go out there and do what I always do. I’m going put on a show, find the finish, and it’s only inevitable that the UFC will be soon.

“It looks like that’s where the UFC likes putting people like myself, the up-and-coming prospects and undefeated people. They’ll put them through Contender Series. I’m guessing that’s how I’m going to get into the UFC. I wouldn’t mind getting directly signed, but the chances are I’m going go through there, which I can’t complain with. I look forward to making my international debut overseas and fighting in the UFC Apex.”

Mangos said he’s been training MMA for 13 years and started his martial arts path before he even knew what the UFC was. He has built up every element of his skillset at once, and said being “well rounded everywhere” is what has set him apart from the competition so far.

Having finished all of his amateur and professional opponents inside the distance for a combined 11 record, Mangos has gained attention from prospect scouters in the sport as a fighter with a very high ceiling.

Mangos embraces those expectations, and carries the belief he will, in time, become a top UFC contender and potential champion.

“I love that pressure,” Mangos said. “That’s what I thrive off. The more people that talk about me, whether it’s good or bad – it’s mostly good now like people saying I’m going to do good things and be a contender and I’m a prospect – I love to hear that. It’s in the back of my mind. I’ve got to prove everyone right. I’ve got to prove myself right, and that’s when I perform best, when the most pressure is on me.

“I’m looking forward to (DWCS), to be honest. It is high pressure, even how it’s so quiet in there. No walkout music. It’s very intense, how it feels watching it on a screen. I’m looking forward to it. Those are the type of occasions I arise to, and I think when the situation comes, I’m going to put on the best performance I’ve ever had. I’ve been dreaming about moments like that for many years and when the time comes, it’s going to feel familiar. I’ve visualized it many times, and I’m sure I’m going to get the job done and make sure Dana is standing and clapping and give me a UFC contract.”

In order to get where he wants to go, Mangos knows he must maintain focus on the task at hand. He thinks he has the tools to deal with what Thomas has to offer at HEX FC 34, and he expects a big performance to kick off what he expects to be an instrumental year for his career.

“Ethan’s very dangerous,” Mangos said. “He hasn’t fought for a year, but he’s a national wrestling champion, a very good wrestler. He made the ADCC trials. He’s a skilled jiu-jitsu black belt, he’s a heavy wrestler, so his game plan is no secret. He’s going to try to take me down and ground-and-pound and submit me. It’s nothing I haven’t faced before.”