When last we checked in with Nick Newell, he was just a 6-0 dude who had stopped all of his opponents inside the first round. Also, he had one arm. Today, Newell is still that same undefeated, one-armed fighter. The only difference is that now he owns a really big belt. Last night Newell defeated Eric Reynolds to capture the XFC lightweight championship. Here’s what Newell told MMA Fighting way back when he was just a 6-0 dude.

“My goal is to prove that people with disabilities can go out and win,” he said. “It’s more of a message I’d like to send, that if you have a goal, go out and do it. Try it, whether it’s fighting or something else. Whether you want to be the best at your job, or at sports, just do your best. Give it everything you have. Winning is very important to me, but at the end of the day, even if I lose, as long as I know I gave it everything I had, there’s no shame in that.”

As far as stories about overcoming adversity, I’d say this can be considered pretty damn inspiring.

[via Middle Easy, @NotoriousNewell]

Related: Tonight Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz fight for the UFC lightweight title