Numbers on Jason Saggo's side for exciting debut at UFC 174

With hundreds of fighters to follow, it’s pretty tough these days to stick out immediately in the UFC.

Most fighters toil on preliminary cards before fans get the message, although there are exceptions, such as flyweight Louis Smolka, who get attention right off the bat.

Canadian lightweight Jason Saggo hopes to make an impression in his octagon debut at UFC 174, and history appears to be on his side.

“You can see by my record, it’s a 100 percent finish ratio for the fights that I’ve won,” Saggo told MMAjunkie Radio. “So I’m just going to keep that intact; I’m going to do what I’ve always been doing. I go in there to finish the fights.”

Saggo (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets fellow newcomer Josh Shockley (11-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on the UFC Fight Pass-streamed preliminary card of UFC 174, which takes place tonight at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Main-card fights air on pay-per-view.

The 28-year-old Saggo has his work cut out for him in winning over fans. He doesn’t have the advantage of training with a supercamp and instead works out of the unheralded Wulfrun MMA in Bolton, Ontario, Canada.

Saggo also doesn’t have any career wins over UFC vets; in fact, his lone loss comes from a two-time octagon loser, Jesse Ronson. But he is determined to stand out.

“I’m not going in there to mess around or play a game,” Saggo said. “I go in there for the KO or the submission, and that’s what I’m going to do on Saturday night.”

Saggo’s location made him an immediate candidate to be called up when the UFC returned to the country. It’s been three years since the promotion visited Vancouver.

He was training for a bout in late May when he got the call to fight Shockley.

“I was actually in disbelief,” Saggo said. “My girlfriend was super excited, and I was in disbelief. I had another fight coming up, and I was getting ready for that one. I got a call from the UFC, and I was just like, ‘This is awesome.’”

In five years as a professional, Saggo has finished eight of his nine opponents via submission. Shockley, who returns after a yearlong layoff, has twice been tapped with an armbar.

This week, Saggo sat beside a Canadian fighter who announced his UFC presence with authority – top welterweight contender Rory MacDonald. The two used to train together, noted Saggo, but there wasn’t much of an exchange on what to expect from his debut.

“He’s a pretty quiet guy; he was in the zone, so I didn’t want to mess with him too much,” Saggo said. “We trained together a couple of years ago in Montreal. But I didn’t get to talk to him – we were too busy signing 150 posters. Every single fighter on the card signed those posters.”

Right now, there are more than a few signatures on the poster that are worth more than Saggo’s. But that could change soon if he brings it the way he promises.

And for more on UFC 174, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, MMAjunkie lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.