Bryan Paul BarberenaMixed martial arts show results Date: September 12, 2020
/ref> (born May 3, 1989) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

currently fighting in the Welterweight division in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship 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 ...

. A professional competitor since 2009, he has also competed for

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

Barberena was born in

Montclair, California Montclair is a city in the Pomona Valley, in southwestern San Bernardino County, California. The population was 36,664 in the 2010 United States Census. History The earliest known inhabitants of the area were from the Serrano tribe of Nativ ...

, but grew up in

Rancho Cucamonga Rancho Cucamonga was a Mexican land grant in present-day San Bernardino County, California, given in 1839 to the dedicated soldier, smuggler and politician Tiburcio Tapia by Mexican governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. The grant formed parts of pr ...

, where he moved with his parents at a young age. He later attended Prescott High School, after moving to

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

during his sophomore year where he played football and was a standout as a

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

. His father is originally from Cali, Colombia, and Barberena has stated he feels both American and Colombian. He brings each country's flags to his fights.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Barberena begin his professional mixed martial arts career in late 2009 with an amateur record of 1–0. Over the next five years he trained primarily at the MMA Lab in Arizona and amassed a record of 9–2 for promotions such as Dakota Fighting Championships and

; all but one of his wins came before the final bell.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Barberena made his UFC debut in December 2014 when he faced Joe Ellenberger on December 13, 2014 at

UFC on Fox 13 ''UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 13'') was a mixed martial arts event held at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 13, 2014. Background The event was the first that the organization has hosted in ...

. He won the fight via TKO in the third round. In his second fight for the promotion, Barberena faced

Chad Laprise Chad Laprise (born July 23, 1986) is a retired Canadian professional mixed martial artist who competed for the UFC in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2010, Laprise won '' The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Austra ...

UFC 186 ''UFC 186: Johnson vs. Horiguchi'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 25, 2015, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Background The event was the seventh event that the UFC has hosted in Montreal, Quebec. The event was expec ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Both participants were awarded ''Fight of the Night'' honors. In his third fight for the promotion, Barberena filled in as a short notice replacement for Andrew Holbrook against

Sage Northcutt Sage Northcutt (March 1, 1996) is an American professional mixed martial artist who is currently competing in the Lightweight division of ONE Championship, although he has competed in the Welterweight division as well. He has also previously compe ...

at UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader. With the late change, the matchup was contested at welterweight. Despite being a heavy underdog, Barberena won the bout via choke in the second round. In his fourth fight for the promotion, Barberena faced

Warlley Alves Warlley Alves Andrade (born 4 January 1991), is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2011, Warlley made a name for himself fightin ...

UFC 198 ''UFC 198: Werdum vs. Miocic'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 14, 2016, at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil. Background The event was initially announced as a ''Fight Night'' event with a middleweight bout between former UFC Ligh ...

. Once again a substantial underdog, Barberena won the fight by unanimous decision after withstanding the initial storm. Barberena next faced

Colby Covington Colby Ray Covington (born February 22, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Welterweight Champ ...

on December 17, 2016 at

UFC on Fox 22 ''UFC on Fox: VanZant vs. Waterson'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 22'') was a mixed martial arts event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and held on December 17, 2016, at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Background After pr ...

. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Barberena next faced

Joe Proctor Joseph Edward Proctor (born August 10, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2008, Proctor was also a competitor o ...

on April 23, 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. Barberena faced Leon Edwards on September 2, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 115. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Barberena was expected to face

Jake Ellenberger Jacob Steven "Jake" Ellenberger (born March 28, 1985) is an American retired mixed martial artist and former United States Marine who was known for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor from 2005–2018, ...

on June 1, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 131 ''UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 131'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 1, 2018, at Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. Background ...

. However, on March 23, 2018, Barberena pulled out due to injury. The pairing was rescheduled and took place on August 25, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 135 ''UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs. Vick'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 135'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on August 25, 2018 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, United Stat ...

. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round. After having split his training at MMA Lab and Gym-O before Ellenberger fight, Barberena decided to move his camp entirely to Gym-O in

Gastonia, North Carolina Gastonia is the largest city in and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest satellite city of the Charlotte area, behind Concord. The population was 80,411 at the 2020 census, up from 71,741 in 20 ...

in order to be closer to his residence near Knoxville, Tennessee. Barberena faced

Vicente Luque Vicente Luque (born November 27, 1991) is an American and Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. Luque currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 3, 2022, he is #9 in the UF ...

on February 17, 2019 at UFC on ESPN 1. After a back-and-forth two rounds, he lost the fight via TKO late in the third round. This fight earned him the ''Fight of the Night'' award. Barberena faced Randy Brown on June 22, 2019 at

UFC Fight Night 154 ''UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. The Korean Zombie'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 154'' or ''UFC on ESPN+ 12'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on June 22, 2019, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena i ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the third round. Barberena faced Anthony Ivy on September 12, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 177. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Barberena was expected to face Daniel Rodriguez on November 14, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. dos Anjos. However, Barberena underwent an emergency

laparotomy A laparotomy is a surgical procedure involving a surgical incision through the abdominal wall to gain access into the abdominal cavity. It is also known as a celiotomy. Origins and history The first successful laparotomy was performed without ane ...

a week before the event due to "

internal bleeding Internal bleeding (also called internal hemorrhage) is a loss of blood from a blood vessel that collects inside the body. Internal bleeding is usually not visible from the outside. It is a serious medical emergency but the extent of severity dep ...

from a couple ruptured arteries in his omentum" and was sidelined indefinitely. Barberena faced

Jason Witt Jason Witt (born November 7, 1986) is a retired American mixed martial artist who last competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Witt started training around 2009 with his uncle, who used to be a p ...

on July 31, 2021 at

UFC on ESPN 28 ''UFC on ESPN: Hall vs. Strickland'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 28'' and ''UFC Vegas 33'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 31, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, N ...

. He lost the fight via majority decision. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award. Barberena was scheduled to face Matt Brown on December 4, 2021 at

UFC on ESPN 31 ''UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Aldo'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 31'' and ''UFC Vegas 44'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 4, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevad ...

. However, Brown forced out of the bout due to testing positive for

Covid-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

, and he was replaced by Darian Weeks. Barberena won the fight via unanimous decision. The bout against Brown was rescheduled and eventually took place on March 26, 2022 at

UFC on ESPN 33 ''UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Daukaus'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 33'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 26, 2022 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, United States. Ba ...

. Barberena won the back-and-forth bout via split decision. The fight was awarded the '' Fight of the Night'' award. Barberena faced

Robbie Lawler Robert Lawler (born March 20, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist who has been competing since 2001. He is the former UFC Welterweight Champion, former EliteXC Middleweight Champion, and has formerly competed in Strikeforc ...

on July 2, 2022, at

UFC 276 ''UFC 276: Adesanya vs. Cannonier'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 2, 2022, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. ...

. He won the back-and-forth bout by TKO in the second round. This fight earned him a '' Fight of the Night'' award. Barberena faced

Rafael dos Anjos Rafael Souza dos Anjos (; born October 26, 1984) is a Brazilian American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC Light ...

on December 3, 2022 at

UFC on ESPN 42 ''UFC on ESPN: Thompson vs. Holland'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 42'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 3, 2022, at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, United States. Backg ...

. He lost via neck crank in the second round. is scheduled to face Gunnar Nelson on March 18, 2023, at

UFC 286 ''UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3'' is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on March 18, 2023, at The O2 Arena in London, England. Background A UFC Welterweight Championsh ...

. However, Rodriguez withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons and he was replaced by

Bryan Barberena Bryan Paul Barberena (born May 3, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2009, he has also competed for King of the Cage. B ...

Personal life

Barberena and his wife Diana have three children.

Championships and awards

** Fight of the Night (Five times) * MMAJunkie.com ** 2019 February Fight of the Month vs.

Mixed martial arts record

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–7 , Randy Brown , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. The Korean Zombie , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:54 , Greenville, South Carolina, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–6 ,

, TKO (knees and punches) , UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Velasquez , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:54 ,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

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, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs. Vick , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:26 ,

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–5 , Leon Edwards , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Struve , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...

, Netherlands , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 ,

, TKO (knees and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:30 ,

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

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, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: VanZant vs. Waterson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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Curitiba Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in Brazil's South Region. The Curitiba Metropolitan area ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 ,

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:06 ,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Chad Laprise Chad Laprise (born July 23, 1986) is a retired Canadian professional mixed martial artist who competed for the UFC in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2010, Laprise won '' The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Austra ...

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Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 , Joe Ellenberger , TKO (punches) , UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:24 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Eric Moon , TKO (punches) , KOTC: Radar Lock , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:07 ,

Scottsdale, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Winfield Scott , image_skyline = , image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg , image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg , nick ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 , Damien Hill , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Dakota FC 17: Winter Brawl 2014 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:17 , Fargo, North Dakota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2 , Marcos Marquez , TKO (punches) , Dakota FC 16: Fall Brawl 2013 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:43 , Fargo, North Dakota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2 , Dane Sayers , Decision (unanimous) , Dakota FC 13: Coming Home , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 , Vernon Harrison , TKO (punches) , Crowbar MMA: Rumble at the Fair , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:00 , Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Garrett Olson , TKO (punches) , KOTC: Mainstream , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:24 ,

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. His ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–2 , Tyler Klejeski , Decision (unanimous) , Cage Fighting Xtreme , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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 L ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , David Barnett , KO (punches) , KOTC: Uppercut , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:25 ,

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United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 , Derek Smith , Submission (armbar) , KOTC: Offensive Strategy , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:55 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Dave Alvarez , TKO (punches) , The Cage Inc.: Battle at the Border 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:41 ,

Hankinson, North Dakota Hankinson is a city in Richland County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 921 at the 2020 census. Hankinson was founded in 1886. It is part of the Wahpeton, ND– MN Micropolitan Statistical Area. History A post office has been ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Dirk Thiedeman , KO (punches) , Dakota FC 12 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:20 , Fargo, North Dakota, United States ,

Amateur mixed martial arts record

, Win , align=center, 1–0 , Brandon Rossbach , Decision (unanimous) , KOTC: Turmoil , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barberena, Bryan 1989 births Living people American male mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American sportspeople of Colombian descent People from Montclair, California Sportspeople from San Bernardino County, California Sportspeople from Glendale, Arizona Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters