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UFC on ESPN 3: After difficult upbringing, Journey Newson wants to inspire foster kids

After 10 fights on the regional scene, Journey Newson finally can call himself a UFC fighter.

On Saturday, Newson (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will make his promotional debut against four-fight UFC veteran Ricardo Ramos (12-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 3 from Target Center in Minneapolis.

The newest member of the UFC’s bantamweight roster, Newson doesn’t believe he reached the highest level of the sport by accident. It’s all been part of a bigger plan, which was mapped out long ago.

“I’m definitely a spiritual person,” Newson told MMA Junkie. “Some things went one way, and some things went the other. I just believed it would come. Life is already predetermined, and I feel like I got here exactly at the right time. The time I needed to get here.”

It hasn’t always been easy for the 30-year-old Californian to maintain such a positive attitude. Newson experienced difficulties in his home life growing up. As a result, he and his siblings landed in foster care.

Despite growing up in a difficult situation at times, Newson doesn’t resent either of his biological parents. In fact, they still have a good relationship to this day. His main motivation is the thought of making them proud.

“As far as I know, (the foster system) is good. But at the same time, you’re taking kids away from their parents, and that’s always a bad call – depending on whether the parents are good parents or not,” Newson said. “My dad was a really good parent, and my mom was, as well. But drugs got into the mix with my mother, and she wasn’t a good parent when she was on drugs, which I assume is the case with most parents who have that same problem.

“… It sucks, but I still love both my parents. I still talk to them regularly on a daily basis. But right now, I’m just trying to find my own way. My dad was actually a boxer, and he used to tell us stories of his boxing days. That’s another reason (I fight). You kind of always want to impress your parents and show them they gave birth to you for a reason. That’s what I’m trying to do here, as well. I am trying to reach out to kids and let them know not to quit. If you put in the work and you put in the time, you’ll get what you want. But also I want to honor my dad and show him he could have gone just as far as I went.”

Through his upcoming UFC journey, Newson hopes to inspire foster children and show where hard work can lead them.

“I can see how that can turn a good kid bad and to honestly make bad decisions,” Newson said. “They get into rough crowds and get misguided and misdirected with other people. It was tough. I just feel like you need to keep pushing forward. I keep hearing all the time, ‘Keep pushing forward’ and ‘I’m not special.’

“All of these superstar athletes are saying they’re not special and that they kept trying and kept trying and kept trying. That’s basically all I’ve been doing. The hard work is what everybody talks about, but the time isn’t what people concentrate on. If kids or just regular adults see what I’ve been through, they’ll know I’m just a regular guy who did not quit.”

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