George Mangos Returns Thursday in Road To Ufc Against Yuito Yanagawa
George Mangos returns to road to ufc on Thursday in Season 5 against Yuito Yanagawa, getting another shot at UFC attention after a decision loss on Dana White’s Contender Series last season. The Australian featherweight chose this route after weighing a return to Las Vegas, and the move gives him three fights booked in this year.
Mangos walked away from his Season 9 appearance worried the result had hurt his chances on the biggest stage. Radley Da Silva wrestled for most of the contest and took the decision, and Dana White had little positive to say at the close of the show before calling Mangos into his office.
White’s office talk
White’s message was simple: “We’ll see you soon, but you’re young, so don’t rush it. We’ll definitely see you again.” Mangos said that conversation changed how he processed the defeat, because it left him believing the loss did not close the door after all.
After returning home, he responded with a first-round stoppage of Justin Van Heerden in a rematch. He was then offered a chance to get on Road to UFC last year as well, but he initially wanted to go back to the Contender Series because, in his words, that path offered “a bit more hype and things like that.”
Mangos and Tim Simpson
The shift came after another win, when Mangos raised the idea with manager Tim Simpson and pointed to the tournament schedule. He said, “We were gonna do Contender Series again after another win, but then I sort of was thinking about it and I put it to my manager Tim (Simpson) and I said, ‘What do you think about Road to UFC? We get three fights booked in this year.’”
That was the draw: more fights, more international experience, and a chance to keep building without waiting for a single shot to reset everything. Mangos said he needs “more experience, international experience,” adding that extra bouts would not hinder him and that “the Road to UFC opportunity was presented to me and I think it’s the right move and we’re happy about it.”
Yanagawa awaits Thursday
At 22, Mangos already has nine professional fights and 15 total appearances when his unbeaten amateur run is included. He has gone the distance just once in his career and owns nine first-round finishes, a record that fits the fast-start style he brings into Thursday’s bout.
He enters with momentum from the Van Heerden rematch and with the confidence that White’s post-fight message left the door open. Mangos said, “Now it’s only a couple days away and I’m definitely even more excited,” and added, “I’m keen to show how much I’ve improved.”
