RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesTAMPA, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 14: Billy Quarantillo prepares to face Cub Swanson in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Amalie Arena on December 14, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Billy Q is back!
Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight Billy Quarantillo returns to action — in a new weight class — against Brazilian veteran Diego Ferreira in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 120 this weekend (Sat., Aug. 8, 2026) inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Quarantillo last competed at UFC Tampa in 2024, where UFC legend Cub Swanson knocked him out cold in the third round ( watch highlights ).
Then, poof! Billy Q disappeared
So, where did he go?
Well, we finally got the answer: a gnarly knee injury and a long-overdue move up to Lightweight.
“I had knee surgery last year, which took a lot of time away, and then I focused on rehab — doing everything right,” Quarantillo told MMAmania.com. “Then I decided to move up a weight class because I’m older, but I’m big and stronger than ever before. So yeah, it’s been a long layoff, and I’m just happy to be here.”
This is by far the longest layoff of Quarantillo’s UFC career, so he is more than ready to get going again. He turns 38 years old in December, but he believes moving up to Lightweight will allow him to stay active for the rest of his career.
“It’s been building up the last couple of fights,” Quarantillo said about the move to Lightweight. “Before the Youssef Zalal fight, I made weight, but I was puking pretty much all night before, and looking back at it, it was rough.
“And in the Cub Swanson fight — my last fight — it was a long process to make the weight, and I just never felt normal again,” Quarantillo continued. “Even going over to the venue, I felt drained. After that, the decision had to be made because I couldn’t keep doing this to my body.”
The 37-year-old revealed that he was cutting from around 175 pounds in some fight camps, which is a brutal drop to Featherweight.
Quarantillo enters UFC Vegas 120 riding a two-fight losing streak, with both losses coming by stoppage. But now he is healthy, fighting in a new weight class and no longer killing himself to make 145 pounds.
That alone could make a major difference.
And Quarantillo has a willing dance partner in Ferreira, who is also rarely involved in boring fights.
So, after 19 months away, a knee surgery and a weight-class change, “Billy Q” finally gets to remind everyone why he has long been one of the most fun action fighters on the UFC roster.
For the rest of the UFC Vegas 120 fight card and Paramount+ lineup click here .
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