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Published On 19 Jan 2026
In the three decades since the UFC was founded, few fighters have put together a debut year quite as spectacular as Ateba Gautier.
In 2025 the Cameroonian rose from Dana White’s Contender Series to become one of the middleweight division’s most entertaining prospects as he collected three wins and two performance bonuses.
Yet the 23-year-old tells BBC Sport that one of his most treasured moments of the year actually came away from the octagon.
“It was one of my favourite moments of the year – 100%,” says Gautier of the day he adopted his twin kittens.
Gautier’s affection for his household pets, Mya and Lili, is as surprising as it is wholesome and stands in stark contrast to the typical persona of a 6ft 4in prizefighter.
“I have always liked cats,” he says.
“Back in Cameroon we had seven or eight cats. I think I wanted cats here in England because I couldn’t have a lion or a tiger.
“I love animals. I will always be more comfortable in the jungle, the forest or the wild than in a place like Las Vegas with all the lights. This life is not for me.
“For me, the beauty is not where there are lights, cameras and parties. That is a way to spend money and get into trouble.
At the age of 19 Gautier moved more than 3,500 miles to Manchester from Cameroon.
He left behind six siblings, his mother and the only world he knew to join Manchester Top Team, where UFC featherweight Lerone Murphy also trains.
If the cats – gifted to him by his coach Carl Prince – were supposed to provide Gautier with a sense of comfort after moving, his performances suggest it is a plan that has worked, with three first-round finishes in 2025.
Such success has put him in a position to transform the lives of his family in Cameroon, most notably by allowing his mother to retire later buying her dream home.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan recently praised Gautier’s “terrifying power, super speed and excellent technique” and hailed him as the “future” of the division.
“I always say the sky is my only limit. I haven’t taken off yet. I’m still on the ground, so I need to push myself harder,” says Gautier.
But even after winning nine of his 10 fights since turning professional in 2021, Gautier says he struggles with self-doubt.
“I see myself so low that sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and think, ‘I need to train – I’m not that good’,” he says.
“I look at people like Michael Jackson and wonder how he reached that level, and why can’t I get there too? What’s blocking me?
“It’s the same with Muhammad Ali and Cristiano Ronaldo. How did they get there? It didn’t happen in one day – it took years of hard work.
“They didn’t win all the time, but when they lost it was a lesson. If that’s the mindset, you can never truly lose. Muhammad Ali lost, and after that he became so special.
Gautier’s next bout is against Andrey Pulyaev on Saturday and victory against the Russian could put him in contention for a place in the rankings for the first time.
Gautier, though, has loftier ambitions in the sport and has set his sights on dethroning middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev.
The Russian defeated Dricus du Plessis last year to win the belt and cement his status as one of the most terrifying fighters on the planet – except in the eyes of Gautier.
“Chimaev has a good style, first and foremost. He’s got strong grappling. But I’m not his last opponent or his next opponent – I’m Ateba. When the time comes, it will be my time,” he says.
“If it’s my time to shine, it won’t matter who’s in front of me. I’ll show everyone that it’s my time.
Few fighters have had a debut year that was as spectacular as Ateba Gautier in the three decades since the UFC’s founding.
The Cameroonian won three victories and two performance bonuses as a middleweight contender in 2025, moving from Dana White’s Contender Series to become one of the most entertaining prospects in the middleweight division.
However, the 23-year-old claims that the octagon was the source of one of his most prized moments of the year.
According to Gautier, “It was one of my favorite experiences of the year,” he claims of the day he adopted his twin kittens.
The affection of Gautier for his family pets, Mya and Lili, contrasts starkly with the 6’4″ prizefighter persona, which is both surprising and wholesome.
He claims that he has always enjoyed cats.
“We had seven or eight cats back in Cameroon.” Because I couldn’t have a lion or tiger, I believe I wanted cats here in England.
I adore animals. In a place like Las Vegas, where the lights are everywhere, I’ll always feel more at ease in the jungle, forest, or wild. I’m not interested in this life.
The beauty is not in parties, cameras, and lights, in my opinion. That is a bad way to spend money.
Gautier traveled from Cameroon to Manchester by more than 3,500 miles when he was 19 years old.
His only other world, which he knew, is Manchester Top Team, where UFC featherweight Lerone Murphy also practices, and his mother, who he had six siblings in.
His performances suggest a plan that has worked, with three first-round finishes in 2025, if the cats, which his coach Carl Prince gave him, were intended to give him a sense of comfort after moving.
His family in Cameroon have been impacted by his success, most notably by allowing his mother to retire and purchase her ideal home as a result.
Joe Rogan, a UFC commentator, recently praised Gautier’s “terrifying power, super speed, and excellent technique” and hailed him as the division’s future.
The sky is the only limit, I’ve always said. I haven’t yet started taking off. I need to push myself even more, Gautier says because I’m still on the ground.
Gautier claims he struggles with self-doubt despite having won nine of his ten fights since becoming a professional in 2021.
I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and think, “I need to train because I’m not that good,” he says.
“I look at people like Michael Jackson and wonder how he got there, and why can’t I, too? ” What is preventing me?
Cristiano Ronaldo and Muhammad Ali are similar. What was their route there? Years of diligent effort were required to make it happen, not in a single day.
They didn’t always win, but they learned something when they lost. You can never truly lose if that’s the way of thinking. Muhammad Ali lost, and from there, he developed a special status.
Andrey Pulyaev’s defeat on Saturday will put Gautier in contention for a spot in the rankings for the first time.
However, Gautier has loftier sporting ambitions, including putting his weight behind Khamzat Chimaev, the current world champion.
In Gautier’s eyes, the Russian defeated Dricus du Plessis last year to claim the belt, cementing his place as one of the world’s most terrifying fighters.
First and foremost, Chimaev has a good style. He excels at grappling. However, I’m Ateba, not his current or previous opponent. It will be my time when it arrives, he declares.
It won’t matter who is in front of me if it’s my turn to shine. I’ll let everyone know that this is my time.
In the three decades since the UFC was founded, few fighters have put together a debut year quite as spectacular as Ateba Gautier.
In 2025 the Cameroonian rose from Dana White’s Contender Series to become one of the middleweight division’s most entertaining prospects as he collected three wins and two performance bonuses.
Yet the 23-year-old tells BBC Sport that one of his most treasured moments of the year actually came away from the octagon.
“It was one of my favourite moments of the year – 100%,” says Gautier of the day he adopted his twin kittens.
Gautier’s affection for his household pets, Mya and Lili, is as surprising as it is wholesome and stands in stark contrast to the typical persona of a 6ft 4in prizefighter.
“I have always liked cats,” he says.
“Back in Cameroon we had seven or eight cats. I think I wanted cats here in England because I couldn’t have a lion or a tiger.
“I love animals. I will always be more comfortable in the jungle, the forest or the wild than in a place like Las Vegas with all the lights. This life is not for me.
“For me, the beauty is not where there are lights, cameras and parties. That is a way to spend money and get into trouble.
At the age of 19 Gautier moved more than 3,500 miles to Manchester from Cameroon.
He left behind six siblings, his mother and the only world he knew to join Manchester Top Team, where UFC featherweight Lerone Murphy also trains.
If the cats – gifted to him by his coach Carl Prince – were supposed to provide Gautier with a sense of comfort after moving, his performances suggest it is a plan that has worked, with three first-round finishes in 2025.
Such success has put him in a position to transform the lives of his family in Cameroon, most notably by allowing his mother to retire later buying her dream home.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan recently praised Gautier’s “terrifying power, super speed and excellent technique” and hailed him as the “future” of the division.
“I always say the sky is my only limit. I haven’t taken off yet. I’m still on the ground, so I need to push myself harder,” says Gautier.
But even after winning nine of his 10 fights since turning professional in 2021, Gautier says he struggles with self-doubt.
“I see myself so low that sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and think, ‘I need to train – I’m not that good’,” he says.
“I look at people like Michael Jackson and wonder how he reached that level, and why can’t I get there too? What’s blocking me?
“It’s the same with Muhammad Ali and Cristiano Ronaldo. How did they get there? It didn’t happen in one day – it took years of hard work.
“They didn’t win all the time, but when they lost it was a lesson. If that’s the mindset, you can never truly lose. Muhammad Ali lost, and after that he became so special.
Gautier’s next bout is against Andrey Pulyaev on Saturday and victory against the Russian could put him in contention for a place in the rankings for the first time.
Gautier, though, has loftier ambitions in the sport and has set his sights on dethroning middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev.
The Russian defeated Dricus du Plessis last year to win the belt and cement his status as one of the most terrifying fighters on the planet – except in the eyes of Gautier.
“Chimaev has a good style, first and foremost. He’s got strong grappling. But I’m not his last opponent or his next opponent – I’m Ateba. When the time comes, it will be my time,” he says.
“If it’s my time to shine, it won’t matter who’s in front of me. I’ll show everyone that it’s my time.
Lyall Cameron admits he arrived in Aberdeen expecting “a reaction” from the Pittodrie support, knowing full well that rivalry between the clubs meant his loan signing from Rangers would be met with hostility.
That sentiment was underlined with a banner that was unfurled before Aberdeen’s Scottish Cup tie against Raith Rovers on Sunday that read “No Old Firm loans”.
Just 83 minutes later, Cameron was being substituted to warm applause from the Pittodrie faithful, having set up the only goal of the game and put in a performance that would have him named as player of the match.
It was from the 23-year-old’s corner that Jack Milne had bundled in the only goal of the game and sent the holders into the last 16.
But, as well as delivering dangerous set pieces, Cameron was an energetic presence in midfield with an eye for a forward pass and a willingness to get involved and try to make a difference.
Cameron moved to Ibrox in the summer after impressing for Dundee but only made 10 appearances in the first half of the season.
When signing for Aberdeen, he had spoken about “reminding people” of what he can do – and he made a good start against Raith Rovers.
Interim manager Peter Leven said Cameron had demonstrated real quality straight away in an “excellent” performance and believes “he will get better”, while the midfielder himself said he still had to “dust off the cobwebs”.
BBC Scotland pundit James McFadden believes the deal looks to be a good one for both club and player and says Cameron’s determination to make the move, knowing he would get flak, is a good sign.
“The fact he’s opted to make that move knowing fine well what comes with it tells you a lot about his character,” McFadden said.
“You know he’s a quality player, we know he’s got a good attitude and he’s reinforcing that with the decision he’s made to go and join Aberdeen.
“He’s got great timing in his runs into the box and he is a goal threat, he’s shown that before. He’s brave and he will take the ball and try the difficult thing.
“If you’re struggling as a team then a freshness, a good player who is going to be brave and demand that he gets the ball and create and bring his team-mates into play… I think he’s a brilliant signing for Aberdeen.”
All parties are hoping that Cameron can show the form that earned him a move to Ibrox in the first place.
His 14 goals and nine assists in the league last season show what a benefit that level of performance would be to Aberdeen as they look to climb the table.
Lyall Cameron acknowledges that he arrived in Aberdeen anticipating “a reaction” from the Pittodrie supporters, knowing for a fact that rivalries between the clubs would likely cause hostility for his Rangers loan signing.
A banner that was unveiled before Aberdeen’s Scottish Cup match against Raith Rovers on Sunday that read “No Old Firm loans” served to reinforce that sentiment.
After scoring the only goal of the game and producing a performance that would earn him the Player of the Match award, Cameron was being replaced just 83 minutes later to warm applause from the Pittodrie faithful.
Jack Milne scored the only goal of the game from the 23-year-old’s corner, sending the hosts into the final 16.
Cameron was an energetic midfielder with an eye for a forward pass and a desire to get involved and try to make a difference, in addition to delivering dangerous set pieces.
After impressing for Dundee, Cameron moved to Ibrox in the summer, but he only made 10 starts.
He had previously mentioned how important it was to “remind people” of what they could do when he signed for Aberdeen, and he did so in the game against Raith Rovers.
Cameron’s manager, Peter Leven, said he immediately showed real quality in an “excellent” performance, and that he will “get better.” The midfielder himself claimed he still needed to “dust off the cobwebs.”
The deal appears to be a good one for both the club and the player, according to BBC Scotland pundit James McFadden, who believes Cameron’s determination to make the move knowing he would face criticism as a result.
You can learn a lot about his character from the fact that he chose to make that choice knowing exactly what comes with it, McFadden said.
You can tell that he’s a good player, that he has a good attitude, and that he’s strengthening that with his decision to join Aberdeen.
He has shown that he is a goal threat before and that he has excellent timing when he runs into the box. He is courageous, and he will try anything.
A freshmen, a good player who is going to be brave and demand that he gets the ball, creates, and brings his team-mates into play, is what I think makes a fantastic signing for Aberdeen.
All parties are hoping that Cameron will exhibit the form that initially led to his arrival at Ibrox.
His 14 goals and nine assists last season in the league demonstrate how much Aberdeen would benefit from that sort of performance as they continue to climb the table.