A Tenerife fighter, 18, storms the IMMAF World Championship in pursuit of his UFC dream.

Alberto Cruz Mena from Tenerife is doing everything he can to get into the UFC, the coolest mixed martial arts organization in the world. It's where Ilia Topuria once shone, and recently another fighter from the Canary Islands, Echeher Sosa, joined.

Alberto is 18 years old and from the town of El Rosario. His older brother, Goyo Domínguez, is a world kickboxing champion. He was the one who brought Alberto to The Fighter's Club (Taco) at the age of 13. That's where the young man grew up as a fighter. In 2024, he became the Spanish grappling champion (grappling is wrestling where you have to grab and take down your opponent) and took bronze in grappling gi (which is when they wrestle in a kimono).

These awards showed how quickly this modest young man is growing. But when he steps onto the tatami, he becomes very ambitious. In Gijón in 2024, Alberto proved himself to be one of the most promising fighters in Spain. And since then, he hasn't stopped: a bronze medal at the World Championships in Kazakhstan in 2024, two silver medals at the Spanish Championships in 2025 (in the under-20 category, even though he is only 18), victories in K1 (which is kickboxing, karate, Muay Thai, and taekwondo) at the Fighting From The Sea tournament, and also the Canary Islands junior MMA championship on May 18. By the way, in the final, Alberto knocked out his opponent in less than 30 seconds.

He is very talented and knows how to do many things, but this does not prevent him from focusing on the main thing. "I love competing in different sports, but MMA is the most important thing for me," he says.

The young man from Tenerife is currently preparing for the World Championships of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), which will be held next week in Tbilisi, Georgia. There will be over 600 athletes, making it the largest event in MMA history. "This is the most important championship in the world, not only in MMA but in all martial arts. That's why there are so many participants this year, and I think it will be the same next year. The federation is developing very quickly," Alberto explains.

He said that he will compete with guys up to 21 years old in the weight category up to 79.4 kg. He had to work hard to get into this weight, but it was worth it. "The tournament is sponsored by the UFC, and they even show it online. Many people have won this championship and become professionals. After a few fights, they are signed by the UFC. This is a great chance to show yourself," says the young man.

The weigh-in will be every day, and there will be many fights (starting from the 1/32 finals to the final, if he's lucky). So it will be very difficult. The bracket is not yet known, but Alberto already knows some of his potential opponents. "I have already fought some of them at the World Grappling Championships. I am optimistic and feel good physically. I have everything to be in the top three. That's my goal," the young man says confidently.

In addition to being very talented in sports, Alberto is also doing well in his studies. He even entered medical school in Seville. There he trains at Sutemi, one of the best gyms in Spain.