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Tuco Tokkos | Dealing With Imposter Syndrome, Training With The Best
Ever-Present Light Heavyweight Discusses Shift In Confidence After First UFC Win
If you’re a fan of movies or television, you might have heard of the term “That Guy” to describe a familiar face that pops up routinely but isn’t someone whose name immediately comes to mind. For example, veteran supporting actor Joe Pantoliano (a.k.a. “Joey Pants”) became the chief example of a “That Guy” in The Ringer’s Rewatchables podcast. They went so far as to name a category after him, which is handed out each episode to a film’s recognizable, but still somewhat unknown actor or actress.
If the UFC has a “That Guy,” it might be Tuco Tokkos, the ever-present and charismatic light heavyweight frequently seen cornering friends and routinely popping up in training camp photos and videos of some of the sport’s elite. This weekend, however, he is the one venturing into the Octagon for a clash with Ivan Erslan in Las Vegas although folks might have a harder time recognizing him this week now that the British battler has opted to grow out his hair.
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“I messed up my career having a buzz,” he said. “I should have grown the hair out years ago; it’s changed my life… Yesterday at check-ins, everyone on the staff was like, ‘You might be the best-looking dude on the roster,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, me and Paulo Costa need to have a chat.’ They don’t even let me in the PI because they’re like, ‘Is that you?’”
While the change is dramatic and pronounced, it pales in comparison to the different way Tokkos heads into this weekend’s clash with Erslan as for the first time in his brief UFC tenure, he’s entering off a victory.
The 35-year-old landed on the wrong side of the results in his first two outings, losing to light heavyweight prospects Oumar Sy and Navajo Stirling. But last summer, he rolled into Nashville and dominated his matchup with Junior Tafa, taking the Australian powerhouse to the ground routinely before finally submitting him late in the second round.
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“It was a great feeling,” he said. “It was a big relief because you always have a bit of imposter syndrome when you get to the UFC, so it’s like you can get rid of it after you get that first ‘dub.’ Some guys get it in their debut, but I only fought tough guys, so I kept that in mind… When I got the Junior Tafa matchup, I said, ‘Okay, this is a great matchup. I’m gonna go out there and win with confidence.’ Even coming from those two losses, they were tough opponents, so I kept that awareness about it, and it was easier to go into that one with confidence.”
Most people have dealt with some degree of imposter syndrome at one point or another, whether they want to acknowledge it or not, but owning it makes it easier to recognize when it pops up and take steps to address.
One of the things Tokkos has found that helps is being in the gym and on the mats with some of the best in the world, including time spent with Jiří Procházka before traveling to California to help Khamzat Chimaev before UFC 328.
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“These are the best guys in the world and when you’re training with them, hanging with them, it does expedite the growth,” Tokkos said. “It’s like, ‘Oh damn — some of my game is at this level.’ If I’m having good rounds against them or excelling in a particular discipline, it’s like, ‘Oh man, I’m good here.’”
The combined confidence earned by coming off his first win and working with elite competitors has Tokkos eager to return to action this weekend and show that he’s on a different level than Erslan.
“It’s like I’m in the driver’s seat,” he said. “I need to go out there and show we’re different levels. I respect the guy, he’s good, but he hasn’t been able to do what I have… He’s got a lot of power, he’s got a lot of knockouts, but they weren’t in the UFC. This is different. I’ve fought people that hit harder than him, I’ve fought bigger guys than him.
“He might clip me — it can happen — but this ain’t the place where you had any success. I’ve trained with better guys, I’ve been in there with better guys, and I just need to show that. It’s all about me.”
UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Costa took place live from Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 16, 2026. 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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