Darby earns UFC contract eight years after writing 'UFC or nothing else' in his notes app

Adam Darby turned an eight-year-old note on his phone into a UFC contract, stopping Patrick Rivera (13-5) by third-round TKO in the main event of Dana White’s Contender Series Week 4 on September 1.

Darby (8-1) systematically broke Rivera down with his striking until referee Kerry Hatley summoned the cageside doctor, who halted the fight midway through the third round. The performance was clinical enough to earn Darby a UFC deal on the spot.

The signing carried unusual personal weight. In the days before the fight, Darby had shared an Instagram post showing a screenshot from his notes app — a message he had written to himself as an amateur in 2018: “One life, one chance, UFC or nothing else.”

“This has been in the making for 10 years,” Darby said after the fight. “In my notes app on my phone, I put one life, one chance, UFC or nothing else. That was eight years ago, and I’ve lived with it ever since. So, I’ve been pushing to get here. This is the foot in the door now.”

For Darby, the contract is a milestone rather than a destination. He has stated his ultimate goal is a UFC championship, and he is already pushing to get back inside the cage as quickly as possible.

“I’m not just here to stay here and not fight,” he said. “I’m going to fight as soon as possible. So, I’m gonna ask Dana to get me on as soon as possible… I’m good to go. I love to fight. They want me out next weekend. I’m good to go. Sept. 5, France.”

Darby is targeting UFC Paris on September 5 as his promotional debut, a turnaround of less than a week from his Contender Series appearance.