Athletes
Kyle Prepolec Hopes ‘Perfect’ Circumstances Translate To Success
Canadian Lightweight Kyle Prepolec Hopes To Secure His First UFC Victory In Entertaining Fashion Against Drew Dober At UFC Fight Night: De Ridder vs Allen
Kyle Prepolec made his professional mixed martial arts debut on October 18, 2008, registering a 30-second TKO victory over fellow debutant Justin Potter in a bout that the Windsor, Ontario, resident didn’t even know was a pro bout until someone at the event told him.
“It’s pretty wild because no one really told me it was pro because it was on the reserve,” Prepolec said of his first fight, which took place on Oneida Indian Reserve No. 41, located about 30 minutes outside of London, Ontario. “They were like, ‘You’re getting paid,’ and I was like ‘What? This is sick!’ It wasn’t much, but I was a kid — I was 18 — and I was like, ‘$500 to throw down? Let’s go,’ and it slowly built up from there.”
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Saturday night in Vancouver, Prepolec makes his return to the Octagon against fellow veteran Drew Dober. It’s his second appearance of the year after a short-notice call-up opposite Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 315 in Montreal as well as his fourth trip into the UFC cage across two stints with the promotion, where he’s still looking to secure his first win.
Saturday’s date? October 18.
“That’s sweet,” he said with a smile when reminded of the potential symmetry of his first pro win and first UFC win coming on the same date, 17 years apart. “(Getting that first win) means the world to me. It would be everything that led up to this point — the highest of highs and lowest of lows — and now we get to get back to that high.
“All that hard work, all that time in, being in the game for so long, to finally get that UFC win would be fantastic. It would be one of the greatest moments for sure.”
While he does his best not to show it, the excitement for this opportunity and the chance to compete on a full camp, against someone that is — in all likelihood — going to meet him in the center of the Octagon and happily throw down makes his eyes shimmer as he thinks about that elusive first win.
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It’s easy for fans and observe these athletes and forget that, in addition to competing on the biggest stage in the sport, they’re men and women chasing their dreams and working diligently to capture those indescribable moments that make all the sacrifices worth it.
And the thing that makes competing in the UFC amongst the most difficult sporting assignments you could undertake is that, unlike stick-and-ball sports where there are numerous teams and multiple opportunities to compete every season, fighters like Prepolec are afforded one, maybe two opportunities to stand triumphant inside the Octagon each year. Returning for a second tour of duty after being released is far from a guarantee, which is why he jumped at the opportunity to face Saint Denis earlier this year in Montreal.
“It’s a surreal thing,” Prepolec said of stepping in with the dangerous Frenchman. “The fact that it was short notice was good, but it’s also bad, because you don’t have time to address everything and you’re not really stressed about everything else that’s going on; it’s just you’re there and it’s ‘Alright; let’s do it!’ That’s kind of the good thing. The negative part of it is that there was no preparation.”
Some may hear this and bristle, failing to recognize that there is a gulf between being in the gym and in shape versus going through a 6- to 8-week training camp with a specific opponent and date in mind.
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“It’s a different type of intensity,” explained the 36-year-old Canadian. “Yeah, there are people that are always ready, but being in shape and being in fight shape is totally different. It’s a different mindset. It does different things to your body, mentally and physically.
“So yeah, I was ready to fight, ready to go because that’s what you’ve got to do, but being in fight shape is way different.”
And this time around, Prepolec is in fight shape.
“I had seven weeks, which I was like, ‘Man!’” he said with a laugh. “With (that kind of notice) it’s like ‘We have a camp! We can do things!’ We could do things normally, the way I would when I was on my 3-fight tear with three first-round finishes, and even before that during the pandemic where I had a full camp to fight Michael Dufort and put on a show, did what I had to do to get the win.
“Now it’s like we have the proper structure, doing the things we normally would do like going to other gyms, doing strength and conditioning; all these things that other elite athletes get to do.”
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Included in that was making the trek down the 403 from Windsor to the 401 and on to St. Catharines, where he stepped into the room at Niagara Top Team alongside fellow UFC Vancouver combatants Mike Malott and Jasmine Jasudavicius as well as the rest of the talented cast in the burgeoning Ontario gym.
“Going to those gyms like Niagara Top Team, it’s like when everyone is there for the pro sparring, everyone is there for a purpose and a dream,” said Prepolec. “There is no one that is half-***ing it. Everyone is there for a reason and a purpose, and the level of intensity is way different.
“You can get good levels, good looks where you’re at, but the different scenery, the different pressure or stress, dealing with whoever you may go against will only help you get that much better because you’re having to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Along with getting to go through a full training camp for just the second time in his four UFC appearance — his debut was short-notice as well — Saturday’s pairing with Dober is one that feels more in line with the kind of fight the 27-fight veteran Prepolec prefers though past experiences have made him a little leery.
“I say this every time, and I know it’s true: every time this happens and the engagements start happening, they always wanna wrestle, and it’s like, ‘I thought you were a striker?’” he said with a laugh when asked about matching up with the 36-year-old Nebraska native, who has built his career on being an all-action fighter.
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“Stylistically, I think it’s an amazing fight,” continued Prepolec. “As soon as I heard the name, I was like, ‘This is gonna be sick!’ We’ve got two exciting fighters, both strikers, both well-rounded, but we utilize what we like better because the fans like that better and it’s a little easier to watch.
“As soon as I heard the name, I was like, ‘Perfect!’”
Perfect opponent.
Perfect amount of notice.
Perfect opportunity to bring things full circle.
First pro win on October 18, 2008.
First UFC victory on October 18, 2025.
You couldn’t script it any better.
UFC Fight Night: De Ridder vs Allen took place live from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada on October 18, 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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