Foster earns UFC contract at 34 as hospitalised mother watches on her birthday

Gregory Foster secured a UFC contract with a unanimous decision victory over Jason Asher at Dana White’s Contender Series Season 10, Week 10 on Tuesday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, with all three judges scoring the fight 29-28 in his favour.

The 34-year-old lightweight, now 9-1, and Asher (5-1) traded knockdowns in a dramatic opening round. Foster dropped Asher with a right hand early, only for Asher to respond with a spinning backfist that put Foster on the canvas. The second round was closely contested before Asher took Foster down in the third, landing ground strikes that opened a cut above Foster’s right eye.

Despite the adversity in the final round, Foster was emphatic in his post-fight interview. “Super happy, very proud of myself, very proud of my team,” he said. “And I knew I was gonna come here and put on a f*cking show.”

Foster then revealed that his mother, Barbara, was watching from a hospital room after being involved in what he described as a “really bad” car accident — and that it happened to be her birthday.

UFC CEO Dana White, visibly moved, addressed Barbara directly while handing Foster his contract. “Greg, happy birthday to Barbara and hope she gets well soon,” White said. “The pace you set tonight, the shots you landed, the shots you took, you opened the show the way I love the show to be opened. And I’ve never been this excited to see a 34-year-old come into the UFC. Congratulations.”

Foster’s path to the UFC has been a patient one, but his performance on Tuesday — absorbing a knockdown, weathering a difficult third round, and still winning every judge’s scorecard — suggested he arrives with both the resilience and the experience to make an immediate impression.