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Ateba Gautier | Limitless Potential
Cameroon's Ateba Gautier Looks To Prove To Everyone That He Is Ready For The Big Stage As He Makes The Walk To The Octagon At UFC Mexico: Moreno vs Erceg
When we talk about superstar potential, Ateba Gautier has it. UFC CEO Dana White has also shared his comments about Gautier and his potential stardom in the UFC.
The 22-year-old “Silent Assassin” from Cameroon has won five in a row, including his KO victory on Dana White’s Contender Series just six months ago. He has finished five of his six fights by KO.
His latest bout was against Yura Naito, where it was the longest he has gone in the last five fights. Going into that bout, Gautier had finished four opponents within the first round.
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While he was taken down and controlled for the first round, it was in the second round where Gautier showed everyone his power with a slick combination that sent Naito crashing to the canvas. It was not instant, but with some follow-up strikes, Gautier found the finish.
Gautier holds a staggering 1.67 knockdown average over 15 minutes and defends takedowns at a 91% clip. If he can keep fights standing, there is no saying how far Gautier can rise to his potential. A dynamic striker that can mix it up between all three levels is Gautier, and he has showcased that beautifully with his knockouts.
Gautier will step in the cage for his UFC debut against the veteran Jose Daniel Medina. Medina is coming off a loss in his UFC debut so he will also look for his first win. The fighters have 13 combined knockouts, and this has all the signs for a great striking bout.
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With a small sample size, Gautier does hold a 72% striking accuracy rate that could place him in a great spot to look for a finish on the feet when these two meet.
When looking at potential talents in the UFC, it is important to make the distinction on who has that true superstar potential – Gautier does. Dana White believes it too, saying, “I am very interested to see what Gautier can do in the UFC.” He handed Gautier the contract to officially sign him into the UFC during Dana White’s Contender Series Season 8, Week 6.
White also stated that Gautier was “Raw, talented and powerful,” and that is the best description for him.
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In an interesting twist, former heavyweight champion Frank Mir was in Gautier’s corner for his last bout. Mir is known for his slick submissions and if that’s something Gautier implements in his arsenal, he could start living up to that potential. Again, we are talking about a fighter that is still fairly young in his MMA journey at 22 years old.
There are times that he looks over during grappling exchanges to receive the information sent from his team, but I take that as him being willing to always learn and adapt on the fly. Gautier is not ego-driven, which is sometimes an issue with fighters that want to fight their way and not the way to win a fight.
Gautier is not this way and that is why his UFC career will be looked at through a microscope because of how talented he can really be. White agrees, saying, “You’re going to have a bright future in this sport” as he spoke to Gautier after his DWCS bout.
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We can sing praises of what could be, but, at the end of the day, the work must be put in and Gautier must perform. I have no doubt in his abilities, but can he put it all together? Don’t sleep on this fight, because it can be over in the blink of an eye.
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Erceg took place live from Arena CDMX in Mexico City on March 29, 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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