Billy Quarantillo sent shockwaves through the MMA world on his UFC debut. Let me tell you, it was a fight set on short notice, regardless of which, the 36-year-old secured a second-round submission by a triangle choke. He was the Strike Off featherweight champion, and the King of the Cage lightweight champion, as well. But it was his performance against fighters like Alexander Hernandez and Edson Barboza that he got to climb the UFC ladder. 

However, there’s still a cloud of mystery around Quarantillo’s ethnicity and nationality. While he fights out of Tampa, Florida, his last name doesn’t feel all-American. Well, let’s unravel the mystery and learn about the featherweight fighter.

What is Billy Quarantillo’s ethnicity and nationality?

Born in Ransomville, New York, Quarantillo moved to Tampa, Florida, to attend the University of South Florida. Little did he know that he would have to pay an out-of-state tuition fee. To put that off, he needed to become a resident of Florida for at least a year. That was when he stumbled upon martial arts and began his fighting career. 

If we go by his last name, the surname ‘Quarantillo’ first appeared in late 15th century Italy.  This might mean that the featherweight contender has roots lying around in Italy. Nevertheless, Quarantillo can often be seen donning the white, red, and blue on his shoulders to represent his pride as an American mixed martial artist. 

Dubbed ‘Channing Wahlberg’ because of an answer he provided on the fighter questionnaire at TUF 22, Quarantillo also became affiliated with OnlyF–s. During an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s talk show back in 2022, he revealed that the social media company provided him with a sponsorship deal to put out vlogs for his UFC 282 preparation. However, his friends and family weren’t buying that. He said, “It’s funny you mention that, [OnlyF–s] offered me a number and I was like, ‘Listen, I need to explain.’” 

The social media platform has a lewd reputation, and when he shared the news with his family and friends, they had a hard time understanding what exactly the featherweight would be doing. He continued, “I’m like, ‘Listen, you guys got to pay me more money, because I’ve had to have this conversation a thousand times’ – explain to my parents why I’m on OnlyFans and that kind of thing.”

But do you know how Quarantillo found his way to The Ultimate Fighter and ultimately got a contract with the UFC? Let’s take a dive in and learn everything about his journey to the world of mixed martial arts.

How did Billy Quarantillo start fighting? Early life and more

2010 was the year when Quarantillo found his way to Gracie Tampa South and met Matt Arroyo. Arroyo was a contender in The Ultimate Fighter season 6 and became the guiding light for the featherweight fighter’s journey into TUF. But holding an amateur record of 8-2 was the key to kickstarting his career as a professional fighter in 2013. 

Talking to the UFC, Quarantillo revealed, “I started training in 2010 after getting in a pretty bad street fight. I fell in love with all the different aspects of MMA.” Quarantillo won one bout and lost one bout during his time in the Octagon at The Ultimate Fighter Season 22. However, it took him 4 more years to make an appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series 2019 and win a UFC contract. Yes, that was when he recovered from his ACL injury. Since then, Quarantillo has won 6 bouts and lost about 4 fights. 

Currently, on a 1-fight losing streak, Quarantillo is all set to claim one more win. He is pitted against Cub Swanson at UFC on ESPN 63. All we as fans need to do now is wait and watch the story unfold on the 14th of December. 

Have you been following Billy Quarantillo ever since he secured that KO win at DWCS 2019? Do you think he can bring the same level of power against Swanson? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.