UFC Employee Sal Everett Used ‘All of His PTO’ to Prepare for DWCS Fight
UFC employee Sal Everett reveals he used all his PTO and sick time to prepare for his DWCS fight before earning a UFC contract.
Sal Everett's journey from UFC employee to UFC fighter was anything but conventional. Before he secured his contract on Dana White's Contender Series, the 29-year-old had to juggle his regular day job while gearing up for the biggest fight of his career.
Everett revealed that he burned through all of his paid time off just to carve out enough time for a proper training camp ahead of his DWCS matchup with Ozzy Martin.
Everett Used All His PTO to Focus on Fighting
Everett dedicated years to working behind the scenes at the UFC, initially starting out in security before eventually becoming Dana White's personal runner. Meanwhile, he was crafting an impressive undefeated MMA resume, entering his DWCS opportunity with a 4-0 record.
To prepare for his fight against Martin, Everett had to put his UFC staff duties on hold temporarily.
#UFC employee Sal Everett admits he used "all of his PTO" to prep for his #DWCS fight https://t.co/W9xUsUme1E
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) October 7, 2026
“I used all my PTO and sick time to get like a month off and just lock in on this fight, and Dana and Nicole fully backed me behind it,” Everett said after the fight.
The time away allowed Everett to dedicate himself fully to training.
“And yeah, it all worked out perfect because I was able to focus on training a few times a day,” he added.
Everett's bold gamble eventually paid off. He stopped Martin with a first-round knockout at the 1:57 mark, improving his professional record to 5-0 and snagging a UFC contract from White.
The Long Road to a UFC Contract
Everett's unique position gave him a front-row seat to the organization he aspired to join as a fighter. He had previously described workihng alongside UFC champions and utilizing the Performance Institute fueled his sense of motivation while he carved out his own path in the sport.
Now, White has suggested that Everett may no longer need to go back to his old office role, mentioning that the life-changing UFC contract should free him up to focus on training at the Performance Institute instead.
For Everett, this journey has transformed him from being behind the scenes to becoming one of the newest fighters on the UFC roster. He made the most of every bit of time he had to seize this incredible opportunity.
