Newell wants to be known for skill, not having one hand

• One-handed fighter Nick Newell is 8-0 with seven stoppages in mixed martial arts
• Newell fights Eric Reynolds (16-5) for the Xtreme Fighting Championships on Friday
• XFC President John Prisco has been a fan of Newell's since he first saw him

Nick Newell has never had a problem getting noticed. That's an upside to being a professional mixed martial arts fighter with only one hand — people tend to remember it once they've seen you fight.

The problem, says the undefeated 26-year-old lightweight from Milford, Conn., is getting people to treat you as something other than a novelty act or a feel-good story.

"It's easier for me to get attention, but it's harder to get respect," Newell, who is missing his left hand and most of his left arm below the elbow due to congenital amputation, tells USA TODAY Sports.

But as Newell (8-0) prepares to fight Eric Reynolds (16-5) for the Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) lightweight title in Nashville on Friday (AXS TV, 10 p.m. ET), there's hope that this bout transforms him from curiosity to contender.

It's clearly the biggest fight of Newell's professional career, and one that could go a long way toward determining how far the former college wrestler can go in a sport in which having two fists was once thought to be a prerequisite.

Newell's coach, Jeremy Libiszewski, of Fighting Arts Academy in Springfield, Mass., insists Reynolds will be the first real test Newell has faced since turning pro in 2009.

"They're fighting for a title for a reason," Libiszewski says.

The decision to grant Newell that title shot was an easy one for XFC President John Prisco, who's been a fan since he first saw Newell at a regional tryout two years ago.

"Initially, of course, you noticed that he was missing a hand because of the congenital amputation, but you get past that quickly when you see what a good athlete he is," says Prisco, who added that it was tough to book fights for Newell at first.

Other fighters saw it as a no-win situation. Beating him would seem like a shallow accomplishment in the eyes of skeptical fans. And the only thing worse than beating up on a guy with one hand was losing to him.

"But now it's totally different," Prisco says. "When we mention Nick Newell to fighters, they want to fight him because they know he's good."

What remains to be seen is whether Newell can continue his success against stiffer competition as he rises through the ranks.

It's nice to be an inspirational story just for showing up and trying hard despite a disability, but that's not why Newell got into the sport in the first place.

"My goal when I started was never to be the one-handed fighter," he says. "My goal is to be the best in the world. If you set your goals any lower, you're only cheating yourself."

For most MMA fighters, that means an eventual move to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. And sure, Newell says, he feels he could "absolutely compete with anyone in the UFC."

UFC President Dana White wouldn't rule it out, he says. But at the same time, White notes, "The UFC's tough enough with two arms."

Ben Fowlkes writes for MMAJunkie.com