Brandon Girtz (born March 6, 1985) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2008, Girtz has fought in

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Archaeological site of Sbeitla, Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * Bellator (fish), ''Bellator'' (fish), a fis ...

and

King of the Cage King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...

Background

Girtz was born and raised in Forest Lake, Minnesota. Girtz competed hockey until his sophomore year of high school, when he began competing in

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

, having been persuaded by the school's head coach. However, Girtz did not find a wealth of success during his high school career, qualifying for the state tournament only once during his senior year and losing his first match. Girtz then attended

Minnesota State University Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU, MSU, or Minnesota State) is a public university in Mankato, Minnesota, United States. It is Minnesota's second-largest university and has over 123,000 living alumni worldwide. Founded in 1868, it is t ...

, where he continued wrestling as a walk-on. At Minnesota State, however, Girtz excelled, receiving NCAA Division II All-American honors.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Girtz started his professional career in 2008. He fought mainly for local promotions such as ''Brutaal Fight Night'' and ''Cage Fighting Xtreme''. With a record of eight victories and only two losses against

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

veterans

Alvin Robinson Alvin Leavon Robinson (born July 16, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently fighting as a lightweight for the Bellator Fighting Championships. He is a former Ring of Fire lightweight champion. He holds a professional re ...

and

Eric Wisely Eric Wisely (born July 25, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor since 2006, Wisely has also fought for the Bellator and Strikeforce. Mixed ...

respectively, Girtz signed with

Bellator MMA

Girtz made his promotional debut against Michel Quinones on November 9, 2012, at

Bellator 80 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so ...

. He won via unanimous decision (29-28, 29–28, 29–28). Girtz was expected to face Treston Thomison on June 19, 2013, at Bellator 96. However, Thomison was replaced by Derek Campos due to undisclosed reasons. He lost via unanimous decision. Girtz faced

Poppies Martinez Poppies Martinez (born August 19, 1983) is a Native American professional mixed martial artist of the Tachi Yokuts tribe currently competing in the Lightweight division of Bellator. A professional competitor since 2003, he has also formerly co ...

on October 4, 2013, at

Bellator 102 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight cha ...

. He won via submission due to an armbar early in the first round. Just two weeks after his last fight, Girtz replaced Cole Williams against Mike Estus on October 18, 2013, at

Bellator 104 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

. Once again he won via submission due to an armbar in the first round. Girtz was expected to rematch Derek Campos in the quarterfinal match of Bellator season ten lightweight tournament on March 21, 2014, at Bellator 113. However, his opponent was changed and he faced Derek Anderson. He lost the fight via knockout due to a knee in the second round. Girtz faced Benny Madrid at Bellator 126 on September 26, 2014. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. Girtz faced Melvin Guillard at

Bellator 141 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company. ...

on August 28, 2015. Girtz won the fight via split decision. Girtz finally rematched Derek Campos at

Bellator 146 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company. ...

on November 20, 2015. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. Girtz faced

Adam Piccolotti Adam Piccolotti (born August 23, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Lightweight division. Background Born and raised in Half Moon Bay, California, Piccolotti competed in wrestling, baseball, and track a ...

at Bellator 165 on November 19, 2016. He lost the bout by unanimous decision. Girtz moved up in weight to face

Fernando Gonzalez Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...

at Bellator 174 on March 3, 2017. He lost via unanimous decision. Girtz faced Derek Campos in a third fight at Bellator 181 on July 14, 2017. He lost the rubber match by TKO via doctor stoppage at the end of the second round due to cut on Girtz's forehead caused by a Campos knee. Girtz was supposed to face UFC veteran Jon Tuck at Bellator 227 but Girtz was forced to pull out due to injury. Girtz next faced

Myles Jury Myles Madison Jury (born October 31, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed with Bellator MMA, competing in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division. He is a Black Belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. B ...

at Bellator 239. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Girtz faced

Henry Corrales Henry Corrales (born August 11, 1986), is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional since 2011, he has also competed for King of the Cage, where he is the former Featherweig ...

at Bellator 250. He lost the fight via split decision. On April 19, 2021, it was announced that Girtz was released by Bellator.

Championships and accomplishments

Amateur wrestling

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

All-American out of

(2007) **

157 lb: 7th place out of

(2007) *Reno Tournament of Champions **College Tournament 157 lb: 5th place out of

(2006) *

MMAJunkie.com MMA Junkie is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It was founded in 2006, and is owned by Gannett Company since 2011. The site and its content have been featured in ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine'', ''ESPN The Ma ...

**2019 March Fight of the Month vs. Saad Awad

Mixed martial arts record

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Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...

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Temecula, California Temecula (; es, Temécula, ; Luiseño: ''Temeekunga'') is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The city had a population of 110,003 as of the 2020 census and was incorporated on December 1, 1989. The city is a t ...

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Michael Chandler Michael Chandler (born April 24, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2009, Chandler first gained n ...

, Technical Submission (arm triangle choke) , Bellator 197 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:00 ,

St. Charles, Missouri Saint Charles (commonly abbreviated St. Charles) is a city in, and the county seat of, St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. The population was 65,794 at the 2010 census, making St. Charles the ninth-largest city in Missouri. Situated on t ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–7 , Luka Jelčić , KO (punches) , Bellator 190 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:57 ,

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

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, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 165 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 , Derek Campos , KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:37 , Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 , Melvin Guillard , Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4 , Benny Madrid , TKO (punches) , Bellator 126 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:57 ,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–4 , Derek Anderson , KO (knee) , Bellator 113 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:23 , Mulvane, Kansas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 , Mike Estus , Submission (armbar) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:25 ,

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa, Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River, north of Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City and north ...

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Visalia, California Visalia ( ) is a city in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California. The population was 141,384 as per the 2020 census. Visalia is the fifth-largest city in the San Joaquin Valley, the 42nd most populous in California, and 192nd in ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–3 , Derek Campos , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 96 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Michel Quiñones , Decision (unanimous) ,

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Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

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, TKO (arm injury) , Driller Promotions / SEG: Downtown Showdown 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:26 ,

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Mike Plazola , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Seconds Out / Vivid MMA: Showdown at the Sheraton 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:43 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Bobby Ferrier , Submission (keylock) , KOTC: Mainstream , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:02 ,

Morton, Minnesota Morton is a city in Renville County, Minnesota, United States. This city is ninety-five miles southwest of Minneapolis. It is the administrative headquarters of the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation. The population was 411 at the 2010 census. Hist ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Bobby Ferrier , Submission , Fight Fest 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:45 , Somerset, Wisconsin, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–1 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , Cage Fighting Xtreme , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:37 ,

Red Lake, Minnesota Red Lake ( oj, Ogaakaaning) is a census-designated place (CDP) within the Lower Red Lake unorganized territory located in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, Red Lake had a total population of 1,786. The Red Lak ...

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Drew Dober Andrew Martin Dober (born October 19, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2009, he has also formerly competed for Bella ...

, Decision (unanimous) , VFC 29: The Rising , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Dan Merth , Decision (unanimous) , Brutaal Fight Night: This Brutaal's For You , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Maplewood, Minnesota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Bruce Johnson , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Brutaal Fight Night , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:00 , Maplewood, Minnesota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Robbie Kriesel , Submission (guillotine choke) , Brutaal Fight Night , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:30 ,

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Girtz, Brandon 1985 births Living people People from Forest Lake, Minnesota American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Minnesota Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers Minnesota State University, Mankato alumni Minnesota State Mavericks wrestlers