Fernando Padilla has utilized 'the gift of patience' before long-awaited UFC Fight Night 223 debut

LAS VEGAS – More than two years after he was signed to the UFC, Fernando Padilla will finally get the chance to make his debut on Saturday when he meets Julian Erosa at UFC Fight Night 223.

Delays, which were largely centered around visa issues, prevented the Mexican prospect from keeping on the timeline he intended when he signed with the organization. He’s only been able to fight twice since Mach 2019, with no bouts at all since May 2021.

Finally, though, all that is behind Padilla (14-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), and he’ll step into the octagon this weekend for a featherweight showdown with a veteran foe in Erosa (27-10 MMA, 6-6 UFC), which takes place at the UFC Apex and airs on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN2.

“I feel I have that gift, the gift of patience,” Padilla told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 223 media day. “Obviously it’s been hard. I was 21 when I got signed. I got all these messages like, ‘You still cannot fight.’ It was all these emotions.”

At 26, Padilla has lost important time in his career with inactivity. However, he said he chooses to keep a positive mindset. He has been waiting to be unleashed on this UFC stage for a long time, and now that it’s here, he intends to make the most of it.

“I just want to go to there and show what I’m made for,” Padilla said. “I feel fighting is what is made for me. … Tune in because magic is going to happen.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 223.