A near 40-fight veteran who has made his mark in Bellator and Rizin is looking for a UFC run before he wraps up his career.

Juan Archuleta has mixed it up with the likes of Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Patchy Mix, Sergio Pettis, and Kai Asakura. While Archuleta has been in the trenches as a pro MMA fighter since 2013, “The Spaniard” has never competed under the UFC banner.

Archuleta doesn’t want his prizefighting career to end without stepping inside the Octagon. During an interview with MMAFighting.com, Archuleta said he hopes he can provide something that the UFC brass is looking for.

Former Bellator & RIZIN Champ Juan Archuleta training with former UFC Champ Aljamain Sterling at UFC PI.

Archuleta wants to make it to the UFC with a win over ex-UFC fighter Jose Johnson this weekend at #XFC53 pic.twitter.com/nCcJaAu0gh

— Christopher De Santiago (@Chris_DSantiago) September 17, 2025

“Ideal scenario to walk away with storybook ending,” Archuleta told MMA Fighting about his desire to sign with UFC. “That’s definitely the ideal situation. Finish off the last three or four years of opportunity I have right now and just ride off into the sunset.

“Obviously, I have to bring something of value to the UFC for them to sign me and right now it’s like they want to see people that want to fight and people that want to end fights.”

Archuleta is fresh off a second-round submission victory over Jose Johnson at XFC 53. It was a successful title defense for Archuleta, who is the Borroka Featherweight Champion.

While the 38-year-old would like his next fight to be under the UFC banner, Archuleta has an idea of what direction he’d go in if it isn’t meant to be.

“If this doesn’t happen, signing up with RIZIN on New Year’s to make one more run at the featherweight title there.”

Archuleta has amassed a pro MMA record of 31-7. He has 12 knockout victories and two submission wins. After finding himself in a three-fight skid, “The Spaniard” has rebounded with two straight victories. Whether or not he’ll finally get the call to join the UFC roster remains to be seen.