Arkansas’s fighters are having their moment in the sun, and Thomas Gifford is planning to make the most of that shine.
Gifford, 26, officially becomes the latest native son of “The Natural State” to join the UFC roster when he takes on Roosevelt Roberts in the lightweight main card opener of UFC Fort Lauderdale at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida, live on ESPN+ on Saturday. He joins a recent surge of proud Arkansasans to step into the Octagon, a list that includes bantamweight Bryce Mitchell (Cabot) and featherweight Luis Pena (Little Rock), and recent Ultimate Fighter heavyweight finalist Justin Frazier (Batesville).