Athletes
Billy Quarantillo | New Weight Class, Same ‘Billy Q’
After Campaigning At Featherweight For His First 11 UFC Bouts, “Billy Q” Has Moved Up To 155 Pounds For A Vet-Versus-Vet Battle At Meta Apex.
Twenty-five fights into his professional fighting career, Billy Quarantillo is now into the veteran stage of his development as a mixed martial artist. Now, with six UFC victories to his name, Quarantillo is set to make the walk for UFC bout number 12, and he’ll do so as a lightweight after making the decision to move up a weight class for the first time in his UFC career.
It will be the first time he’s fought at the 155-pound weight class since he boxed professionally back in 2018. Speaking to UFC.com, Quarantillo said that the decision was a no-brainer to eliminate the pain and stress of having to make the featherweight limit on weigh-in day.
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“Yeah, [it’s] just a comfort thing,” he said. “The last couple of training camps I had, the weight cut was just brutal. Fight week, all I was worried about was what I was eating, where my weight was, and this just gives me an opportunity to focus more on the actual fight than the actual weight cut.”
Quarantillo’s path to the UFC was far from straightforward. After a stint in The Ultimate Fighter house back in 2015 didn’t end with a UFC deal, “Billy Q” went back to the regional scene and added more wins to his record to earn a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series. His third-round victory over Kamuela Kirk at the Meta APEX saw him finally earn his shot on the big stage, and since then, he’s been taking on anyone and everyone the UFC could throw at him across 11 hard-fought battles in the Octagon.
The four-year gap between TUF and the Contender Series was a real test of Quarantillo’s mental fortitude as he kept his belief and refused to give up on his dream. Eventually, he got his chance, and took it with both hands,
“Yeah, that was definitely a brutal, very challenging point in my life,” he reflected. “There's a couple of things. One, I just still had a belief in myself. I knew what I was able to do from The Ultimate Fighter, training with all those guys, and then the next one, which I don't know if a lot of people will follow, but I just really never had a backup plan, so I didn't really have another choice. It was either pursue my goal of getting to the UFC or, you know, work as a server somewhere.
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“So I basically put all my eggs in this basket, and that's a scary thing. But, at the end of the day, it gave me that extra push to really pursue this, and that's probably why I'm here now.”
A lot has happened since Quarantillo was scrapping his way into the UFC. Now a husband with a family, “Billy Q” fights for more than just himself, and he admitted that his motivations now are markedly different from those that powered him in his early days.
“The reason why I do this and my goals have obviously changed quite a bit,” he explained. “Being a father, my wife and my kids are my number one priority. Every single thing I do is for them, you know, making the money to put towards their future, for my family’s future… It's changed a lot from when I first started, and it was just go out there, have fun, get some highlight reels, you know, try to beat people up. So yeah, I'm very fortunate to have made a career out of this, and I'm not done yet. I'm excited to get a few more really big wins and some more special moments, and to help my family grow with that.”
As well as providing for his family, Quarantillo is also building a lasting legacy of a different kind, through his gym Gracie PAC in Tampa, Florida.
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“We got a bunch of young, up-and-coming guys,” he said. “My teammate Will Rentz, you'll see him in the UFC really soon. David Macias, Ali Abouzalam, Blake Smith. Those are my four guys that are ready for the UFC, and we just have a really good culture there in Tampa at Gracie PAC… Something that I strive for is to have the best team, to get guys that are able to get to the UFC, make a lot of money, and get out before they get too badly hurt and take any serious damage. And then coaching jobs, all that good stuff.
“Obviously, the weather's beautiful, the beaches, but we got some really good training there now, too. That I think a lot of people will hear about it in the next few years.”
Quarantillo said starting up the gym was “just to give me something to do after my career,” but it carries much more relevance than that now, with the UFC vet able to pass along his experience to the next generation of up-and-coming talent that passes through his doors.
“I love martial arts, and I know that I'm more qualified to give people the opportunity to get to the UFC,” he said. “I’m a great example of someone who I’d never really… I don’t really consider myself naturally talented. It was just a lot of hard work, and I always tell people if I'm able to do this, if I'm able to get to the UFC – 11-plus fights in the UFC – I can show them exactly what I did to get there, and if they do that, they know they can do the same thing.”
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Quarantillo’s motivations may be different, and he may be about to embark on a new chapter in a new weight class, but he plans on showing that he’s still the same “Billy Q” that entertained his way into the UFC and put on a host of fan-friendly battles as a featherweight.
Saturday night will see Quarantillo step out under the bright lights of the Octagon at UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs Salkilld as he takes on fellow vet Diego Ferreira in the co-main event of the evening. It’s a lightweight matchup between two seasoned pros who have the ability to take the fight in just about any direction, and it’s a bout that has Quarantillo genuinely excited for the challenge.
Billy Quarantillo: "We're Both Just Two Dogs" | UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs Salkilld
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Billy Quarantillo: "We're Both Just Two Dogs" | UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs Salkilld
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“It's a high-level IQ fight, [and] co-main event for a reason,” he said “I think we're both just two dogs. Both of us are screaming for a win right now. Me coming off that layoff and him coming off some unfortunate losses, as well. Man, it's just exciting… I like it when they message me, and they say, ‘Hey, do you want to fight this guy?’ and I know who he is right away. And this is one of those fights – both of us have built our names up, and it's a very exciting fight for a reason.”
It’s the latest chance for Quarantillo to get in the Octagon and do what he loves, and he said those watching will be in for an exciting, fast-paced battle between two fighters who have paid their dues in the Octagon over the years.
“Don't blink for it, for sure. It's going to be a high-intensity fight,” said Quarantillo. “There's going to be, I think, a lot of different positions. I think both of us are very capable on the feet and on the ground… But, at the end of the day, whatever I have to do to get a finish, go out there, get a win, get a finish. That's what I came here for, and that's what I'm planning on doing.”
UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs Salkilld took place live from Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 8, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!