As Zachary Reese earned his first Ultimate Fighting Championship victory on Saturday, he thought back to his late brother, Austin, who helped lead him down this path.
Growing up watching UFC, Reese has dreamed of being a fighter since he was in high school. “Savage” began his professional career with six consecutive first-round wins, including a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series last year, which earned him a UFC contract. However, Reese’s promotional debut ended in disappointment, as he suffered a first-round knockout loss against Cody Brundage at UFC Austin in December 2023.
Reese earned himself a victory on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 57, knocking out Julian Marquez in 20 seconds.
“I feel like a million dollar man,” Reese said. Behind the Scenes Interview At UFC. “I’m like all the fans, when I was in high school I would beg my parents for pay-per-view money, and when I couldn’t save up, I’d go to Buffalo Wild Wings. So yeah, it’s been a dream of mine since I was in high school to go to UFC, and now I’m here, and it feels amazing to finally get my first win after so many years.”
Reese dedicated the win to his older brother, Austin Reese, who inspired him to pursue mixed martial arts as a career while they were both working in the oil fields. Reese died in December 2021 in a hit-and-run accident.
“In that moment, I thought about my brother,” he said. “My brother was a real pusher. We used to watch UFC together, and he always pushed me. We worked in the oil fields together, making decent money, and he was like, ‘Let’s quit our jobs and become a UFC fighter.’ So I did, and here I am. So, Austin, this is for you. I love you. I’ll definitely have a few beers for you tonight.”
Rees was a fan himself, but he doesn’t like boring fighters and has vowed to never become one.
“I hope the fans can relate to my style because I grew up a fan and I don’t like boring fighters,” he said. “And I will never be a boring fighter. I’ll die before I have a boring fight.”
