Fatherhood-fuelled Mickey Gall targets fresh start against Dumas at UFC Fight Night 289

Mickey Gall will end a near two-year absence from competition when he meets Sedriques Dumas at UFC Fight Night 289 on September 26 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, with the 7-7 welterweight crediting fatherhood as the catalyst for a significant shift in mindset.

Gall’s daughter, Sainty, was born shortly before his last UFC appearance, and he says the experience of becoming a parent has pushed him to grow in ways that training alone never could.

“I got an awesome daughter, an awesome wife, so I got to be an awesome dad, an awesome husband,” Gall told Home of Fight. “I’ve been that and I love that; it brings me a lot of purpose. It made me grow up so much. When I came into this, I was a kid. I’m excited to reintroduce myself as a man now; I feel and know the difference now. It’s forced me to level up myself. Not just as a fighter, but as a man.”

Gall first joined the UFC in just his second professional fight back in 2016, but his career has been far from straightforward. He was cut from the roster in 2022 after fighting out his contract, returned in 2024, and then dropped two more bouts before going inactive. His record now sits at 7-7.

Opponent Dumas (10-5) arrives in similarly complicated circumstances. He was briefly released from the UFC in July following a sentencing on felony charges stemming from an incident last year, and he enters this fight on a three-fight losing streak — all three defeats coming by way of finish.

With both men carrying recent setbacks and something to prove, the September 26 matchup shapes up as a pivotal crossroads bout for each fighter’s UFC future.