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Fighter To Watch Label Puts Pressure On Ghadiali

Even After Putting In The Work To Earn Himself A Top 10 Ranking And FIGHT PASS Fighter To Watch Honors, Taye Ghadiali Sees 2024 As Potential For A Breakout Year 
By Walker Van Wey • Feb. 2, 2024

It’s the first time a wrestler has been named a FIGHT PASS Fighter to Watch, and Taye Ghadiali is beyond eager to continue building his name among the MMA community.

FIGHT PASS has seen its share of elite wrestlers make their way onto the platform. David Carr, Keegan O’Toole, Dean Hamiti, just to name a few, but as far as consistent dominance, nobody has run through the CFFC Matchday events with quite the same ferocity of Campbell’s Ghadiali.

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With six matches on UFC FIGHT PASS already, and bonus points in nearly all of them, Ghadiali has become the unofficial face of FIGHT PASS wrestling.

Being named FIGHT PASS Fighter to Watch, alongside past names such as Gordon Ryan, Morgan Charriere, Bo Nickal and more, to UFC FIGHT PASS, Ghadiali isn’t just a celebrated wrestler, he’s a standout combat athlete with superstar upside.



Of course, the status benefits Ghadiali’s collegiate career in the short term, but it’s the long-term implications that bring Ghadiali the most satisfaction.



“That’s crazy,” Ghadiali said. “Seeing that I could be up there with all these people is eye opening. My dreams of fighting in the UFC are coming closer, and I can see everything fulfilling. I just need to keep working on getting better at grappling, then I can see how my dream of actually being in the UFC is right around the corner.”

For the remainder of his folkstyle career, Ghadiali feels that where some may see the Fighter to Watch label as a target on their back, the Fighting Camel views it as an opportunity to further motivate himself every practice.



“I haven’t actually fought yet so I don’t think people are scouting me or anything,” Ghadiali said. “I think it helps motivate me to see my potential and upside and it allows me to assess where I could be at.”

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What Ghadiali does express concern with is the added pressure to not only go out and win, but to go out and prove, in every match, why he’s one of the most exciting combat athletes you may have never heard of.



The days of being happy with a win are over; it’s bonus points or bust for the top 10 heavyweight.

“I feel like I could put myself as being the best in the country,” Ghadiali said. “You guys consider me one of the best up and coming guys. I feel like putting that extra pressure on myself comes with trying to be the greatest, but you’ve got to live up to that.  So I think it adds extra pressure.”



The Detroit native has already put himself in “dark horse” conversations at 285 pounds, but Ghadiali himself will be the first to admit that when taking on higher ranked opponents, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. Maybe not just on the mat, but between the ears, as well.



“I always used to regret in my earlier years leaving stuff on the mat, not giving my 100%,” Ghadiali said. “Those matches help me see that ‘oh, I had more in the gas tank,’ but I was just too scared to pull the trigger. I just know I’m one of the best in the country, I’ve just got to prove it to myself.”



The next step towards Nationals comes Friday, February 2, against Appalachian State, ONLY on UFC FIGHT PASS!

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