Athletes
Alonzo Menifield | Back At Home
Light Heavyweight Powerhouse Talks Returning To Fortis MMA, Welcoming Julius Walker On Saturday
On the mats in an undisclosed large gym, Alonzo Menifield had an “a-ha” moment that led to him shifting his training back to Fortis MMA in Dallas.
“I was at a training facility — I won’t name names — but I was in this big old gym and I realized, ‘They do this at Fortis, grind hard like this. Why won’t I just go home, be with my family, and train?’” Menifield said on Wednesday afternoon at Media Day in Seattle, where he’s set to make his 2025 debut on Saturday against promotional newcomer Julius Walker. “So I’m back at Fortis. Appreciate you, Fortis.
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“It was crazy because I was in pain, I hurt myself, and I realized we’re grinding here and we’re at this facility where no one really cares about you. I realized, ‘Ah crap — I can do this at home, where at least I’ve got my wife, my kids, and my coach, who made it personal.’ Sayif (Saud) made it personal to try to look after you.”
Menifield was one of the standout camp’s crop of homegrown talents that graduated to the UFC through the initial seasons of Dana White’s Contender Series, following up his win over Daniel Jolly in the first season with a pair of wins under the LFA banner and a first-round stoppage win over Dashawn Boatright on the opening bout of Season 2.
He logged a number of appearances inside the UFC banner with Saud and the Fortis team in his corner before opting to relocate to Colorado and work with Pat Barry for his last couple fights. He continued traveling to different locations, getting different looks, and following his moment of clarity, made the decision to return home.
“Me and Sayif have always been good,” he said of the reunion with his old team. “I never left on bad terms; I just told him I needed to expand, and that’s what I did, traveling around, finding out what I can add to me.
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“It wasn’t anything sour, so I was like, ‘I’ll just go home.’”
Reflecting on the changes, the veteran light heavyweight admitted that returning home has been an incredible feeling.
“It’s been a blessing because I remember that two years being in Colorado, just being uncomfortable; traveling from Colorado to Florida, being uncomfortable,” he explained. “I know they say uncomfortable is what you need to grow, but just to be uncomfortable at Fortis, developing all my skills, and just focusing on being a better martial artist, a better fighter, and being in the presence of my family, it’s been a blessing, for real.”
This weekend’s short-notice pairing with Walker has been a blessing, as well.
Originally scheduled to debut next month in London against unbeaten prospect Oumar Sy, Menifield found himself without a dance partner when Sy suffered a leg injury and was forced out of the March 22nd date at The O2 Arena.
“I think they wanted to extend it out five more weeks,” Menifield said of the fight with Sy. “So that would have been like 10 weeks, waiting, and this opportunity came up and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it.’
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“I was ready to compete. I’ve been training since September. Y’all don’t know, but I had a cast — last fight, I broke my hand — and after that came off, I have just been training. They had me waiting until March, and (so when) this opportunity came up, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll take it.’”
While the fight location and nationality of his opponent that changed, the general tenor of the fight remains the same, as he’ll still make the walk this weekend to share the cage with an undefeated prospect, one with skills Menifield believes are similar to those he would have had to deal with in facing Sy in London.
“I feel like it’s similar to the opponent I was gonna fight in London, maybe he’s a little flashier, but we’ll see,” he said, offering an assessment of the Walker, who arrives with a 6-0 record that includes wins over TUF alum Nyle Bartling, UFC vet Bevon Lewis, and regional fixture Myron Dennis. “I think this is an exciting fight as far as the opportunity for both of us, but for him especially.
“He’s a young guy, looking to make a statement, and I look forward to shutting that all down.”
For Menifield, who currently sits at No. 15 in the light heavyweight rankings, Saturday’s main card fixture is an opportunity to leverage his 21 professional appearances and 14 previous trips into the Octagon against the promotional newcomer, knowing what it’s like to touch down on the big stage with a ton of hype and expectations.
“Yeah, I know the hype of coming in, feeling like you’ve got to live up to this name or responsibility for him,” he said of Walker. “For me, I think about me coming up, it was all just go.
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“I know I’ve been having a problem with just go, but I realized to settle down, so maybe I’ll teach him that.”
As the veteran in this twosome, Menifield will be looking to find the balance between “just go” and “settle down,” doing whatever it takes to get himself back in the win column.
“Exactly,” he said when asked about finding that middle ground. “Wherever the fight goes, I’ll be as smart as I can.
And then, he’ll go home, back to his family, and back to the familiar, caring environment at Fortis MMA.
UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs Song took place live from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington on February 22, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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