The faces of MMA fighter Sean O’Connell

Trent Nelson  |  The Salt Lake Tribune
Sean O'Connell works out at Jeremy Horn's Elite Performance MMA in Sandy, Wednesday June 8, 2016. O'Connell was a walk-on linebacker at the University of Utah, too slow and undersized, who continued to pursue his dream of being a professional athlete through mixed martial arts. He likewise became a sports radio personality, working on a show in the Bay Area on which UFC President Dana White. O'Connell asked White, on air, if he could have a contract. White didn't give him one. So O'Connell worked his way into a UFC contract the hard way, plowing ahead with a tough chin and hard strikes, while gaining a cult following on the Internet for his colorful weigh-in antics. Next week, in Ottawa, is a must-win fight for O'Connell as he vies to stay alive in the UFC.