UFC Inks Italian Light Heavyweight Prospect Ivan Serati

By Thomas Gerbasi

The UFC’s richest division just got richer with the signing of Italian light heavyweight standout Ivan Serati, an aggressive banger whose ten professional wins include nine victories by submission or knockout.

“It has always been my dream to fight for the best promotion in the world and now it has become a reality,” said Serati. “I feel very excited to bring my skills to the UFC. This means everything to me and everything to my country.”

A native of Milan, the 35-year old Serati (10-2) is a former boxer who later turned to mixed martial arts and made his pro debut in 2006 with a 26 second demolition of Alfredo Achilli. In fact, none of ‘Il Terribile’s first five opponents made it out of the first minute of the first round. This string of knockouts garnered Serati a significant fan following in the budding MMA community in Italy.

“The MMA scene is growing, even though it is not in the same league as the States,” said Serati of MMA in Italy. “The people in Italy love the fact that I am passionate about my roots when I fight, and I always come out to the Italian National anthem.”

Serati’s winning streak would end in April of 2007 at the hands of former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, but the 6-1, 205-pounder bounced back quickly, and in four fights since December of 2007, he is 4-0 with 3 KOs and one submission. In his last bout, on August 30th, he knocked out Claudio da Silva in just 2:15. Now he will get his shot in the big show against the best fighters in the world.

“I see the light heavyweight division as the most stacked one, with some outstanding fighters,” said Serati. “I feel that I can stand with the best of them.”

In fact, Serati promises UFC fans that when he steps into the Octagon for the first time, it’s going to be a fight to remember.

“I like to stand and bang, so the fans should expect fireworks,” he said.

A date, venue, and opponent for Serati’s UFC debut will be announced in the future.