Indonesian standout fighter, Jeka Asparido Saragih, is set to make his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on November 18, 2023. The talented fighter, known by his record of 13-3, was originally scheduled to have his first promotion against rising lightweight newcomer, Jesse Butler. Butler (12-5), unfortunately, suffered from a first-round knockout loss to Jim Miller in his UFC debut in June. However, due to an injury, Butler had to withdraw, leaving Saragih in need of a new opponent.
While there were preliminary discussions about Saragih potentially facing Charlie Campbell, this idea fell through as well. However, after two weeks of uncertainty, Saragih has finally found an opponent for his scheduled debut. The announcement came from Dutch MMA journalist Marcel Dorff who confirmed that Saragih will be facing Brazilian newcomer, Lucas Alexander.
Reportedly, no damage has been done to Saragih’s credibility despite losing to India’s Anshul Jubli in the finals of “Road to UFC” in February. Saragih has been reported to have signed a five-fight UFC contract. Showing his resilience before the tournament, the 28-year-old champion won three consecutive matches, before making his way into the ultimate qualifier tournament where he managed back-to-back knockouts. On the other hand, Lucas Alexander also bounced back from his debut loss to fellow Brazilian Joanderson Brito with a win over Steven Peterson.