Joe Giannetti once stood on the cusp of a full UFC contract, just one victory away at The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale in July 2018. However, defeat in that fight cost him not only a UFC spot but also, by his own admission, his hope.
Now 29, Giannetti is adopting a focused, fight-by-fight approach, much like Bill Belichick`s philosophy in football. He is preparing to compete at LFA 204 this Saturday at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, with the event streaming live on UFC Fight Pass.
Throughout his career, Giannetti consistently believed that each upcoming win would be the one to earn him a call back to the UFC. Yet, as disappointments accumulated, he spiraled downwards. Today, this former multiple-time Cage Titans champion is confronting his past as he aims for a more promising future.
“I had a five-fight win streak, and multiple Cage Titans championships, but still wasn`t back in the UFC, not even in discussions for a short-notice opportunity,” Giannetti stated. “It makes you question yourself, wondering what more you need to do.”
“Perhaps I am the biggest underachiever in MMA history,” he mused. Recalling his experience co-main eventing for Israel Adesanya during UFC International Fight Week, Giannetti recounted, “I won the first round, then my body failed me, leading to a terrible performance. I predicted my release to everyone the next day, despite disbelief. I was indeed cut weeks later. Then followed a period of wins, losses, and draws, including instances of missing weight. I made mistakes.”
“Maybe being the biggest screw-up in the sport is my story right now, but it’ll be an incredible narrative if I can turn it around.”
2024 was a mixed year for Giannetti. He secured a swift 27-second ninja choke victory at Cage Titans 65 in May, then suffered a split decision loss in a Fight of the Year contender against UFC veteran Peter Barrett less than two months later. He rebounded with a highlight-reel knockout in his Karate Combat debut in October, just weeks before his wedding.
Having won seven of his last nine fights, Giannetti`s ambition to return to the UFC and compete in the octagon beyond Boston remains strong. He understands that achieving this goal requires consistent effort and doing things correctly, trusting that if it`s meant to be, the UFC call will eventually come.
“It’s funny, I remember joking with friends before The Ultimate Fighter, telling my roommate, ‘I’m going on The Ultimate Fighter, dominate everyone, win the finale, chase the title, and retire by 30,’” Giannetti recalled. “That was always the plan – title, a couple of defenses, and out by 29 or 30.”
“Obviously, reality has been quite different. When things deviated from that path, I think I lost hope. I felt like, ‘The vision failed, I’m doomed.’ But I`ve dedicated myself to training, made sacrifices in every way – physically, financially, everything. I believe it was more about losing hope and needing to accept the grind – realizing it’s going to be as challenging as you expect, and even more so.”
“I recently saw a video that asked, ‘Would you run if you didn’t know the distance?’ If you were told to reach your goal, would you run until you were told to stop? It sounds simple – yes, I’ll run towards my goal. But what if you don’t know if it’s one mile or twenty? I think I was expecting a 10-mile journey, but perhaps it`s 30. That’s where I am now. I’ve regained that hope and I’m ready to go as far as necessary to achieve my goals.”
