Bayside Gym Owner Wins His First UFC Fight Of The Year

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — In a unanimous decision, a Bayside gym owner and mixed martial artist won his first Ultimate Fighting Championship fight of the year at an event this past weekend.

Julio Arce, co-owner of Tiger Schulmann's Martial Arts in Bayside, stepped into the octagon for the first time in 2022 on Saturday at the UFC 273 event in Florida.

After three rounds of fighting against Brazil’s Daniel Santos, Arce claimed the winning title, marking his 18th victory, event data shows.

Arce made his UFC debut in 2018, but his mixed martial arts journey began years before that, when he was a kid looking for an exercise outlet.

"My older sister Cathy, brought me to Tiger Schulmann’s. From there, I just started, and ever since then I fell in love with it because of what it did for me," Arce — who is now a co-owner of the gym's Bayside location — told the New York Post.

Arce, who has won both featherweight and bantamweight championships (different weight classifications, upon which fights are set up), had one victory and one loss in 2021, after returning to bantamweight fighting following a couple of years in a lower weight class.

Saturday's fight, which was a bantamweight event, marked Arce's first victory since last July.

"My coaches were like 'just go out there and be you.' In my fight against Song that wasn't me," Arce said at a post-fight news conference, alluding to a November 2021 fight which he lost against Song Yadong.

"I was able to land my shots crisp. It was all part of the game plan. All part of Julio being Julio," he said.