For Jose ‘Chepe’ Mariscal, fighting has always come naturally to him. When he was six years old, his parents enrolled him in a martial arts gym to learn self-defense. Due to the gym having a multi-disciplinary focus, Mariscal was able to build a solid foundation that would serve him well in his MMA career. His UFC.com bio speaks to the well-rounded skillset he possesses as Mariscal was the IMMAF World Champion, Pan-American Kickboxing Champion, and also took part in the NJCAA national qualifiers as a wrestler!

Making a name for himself in promotions like Victory FC and LFA, the UFC came calling and in 2023, Mariscal stepped into the Octagon for the first time. ‘Machine Gun’ quickly announced his arrival with 3-straight wins in the promotion. With his rapid rise in the UFC, many fans are eager to learn more about his background and heritage. Let’s dive into what we know about ‘Chepe’ Mariscal’s roots and journey to the top!

Where is Chepe Mariscal from?  

Chepe Mariscal was born in Cicero, Illinois just outside of Chicago. He proudly displays his Mexican ethnicity on his social media account, and his bio on Instagram reads, “Mex/American 25 years of experience in mixed martial arts.”

In his interview with UFC.com, Mariscal revealed that his mother Maria, who passed away, serves as his inspiration every time he laces up the gloves. His love for fighting is something that he has been carrying with him from a young age. Speaking to Thomas Gerbasi for the UFC’s official website, Mariscal had shared that, “And that’s the thing; growing up, I was a natural fighter. I was like, oh, okay, to make friends you have to beat up all these other guys and everybody thinks you’re cool and you’re the toughest guy in the group.”

This natural instinct to fight led him to fall in love with mixed martial arts when he was just 9 years old! But the story behind it is even more interesting. Mariscal shared that when he was nine, he managed to sneak into an MMA event and saw first-hand what the sport looked like up close.

“There was a guy who won via knockout and when I heard the roar of the crowd, I knew that’s what I wanted to do” and with that memory firmly etched in his mind, he began his journey that has now seen him secure his place in the top MMA organization on the planet.

Now, he’s set to take on Damon Jackson at UFC Vegas 95 at ‘The Apex’ on August 10. But even though this is just his fourth fight in the UFC, Mariscal is confident about his chances even against the featherweight king, Ilia Topuria!

‘Machine Gun’ is aiming for ‘El Matador’s crown 

Chepe Mariscal is ready for anything. Even the possibility of a title shot on short notice! Originally, Mariscal was set to face off against Dan Ige in July. But due to Ige’s heroics in saving the UFC 303 card with barely any time to prepare, Mariscal was paired up against Damon Jackson instead for UFC Vegas 95.

But ‘Machine Gun’ isn’t one to back down from challenges as in a recent conversation with MMA Junkie Radio, he had an interesting perspective on his UFC journey. “If Damon Jackson falls out and Ilia Topuria jumps in, f*ck it – I’m down. Those are guys that I look at all the time”, a supremely confident Mariscal confessed.

For Mariscal, there’s no point in stepping into the Octagon if you’re not aiming for the top as he further stated, “If you’re not in it to be a champion, then I don’t know why you’re in this business. I’m in it to become a UFC champion”. A win over a UFC veteran like Damon Jackson has the potential to boost his profile significantly. The journey has just begun, and for Chepe Mariscal, the sky’s the limit!