Daniel Mason-Straus (born July 27, 1984), is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

division. He previously competed in

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

, where he is the former two-time Bellator Featherweight Champion. A professional competitor since 2009, Straus has also formerly competed for Shark Fights.

Background

Straus was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Sycamore Township. Straus came from a troubled household and by the time he was a junior in high school he was living on his own and supporting himself, which included involvement in criminal activities. Straus was a highly successful (and highly controversial) high school wrestler at Sycamore High School. As a freshman in the (112 lbs.) weight class, Straus was an alternate for the state tournament and in his sophomore season he went 2-2 in the state tournament. In his junior season, Straus finished third in the state in Division I (135 lbs.) and in his senior year he was ruled academically ineligible and missed the second half of the season (including the state tournament). However, he was given a wild card berth into the NHSCA Senior Nationals (high school senior national championship) and won the tournament. Straus is considered by some in the Ohio wrestling media to be one of the best Ohio wrestlers of the decade (2001–2010) and one of the greatest Ohio high school wrestlers to never win a state title. In addition to wrestling, Straus also played soccer and ran for the track and field team in high school. After graduating, Straus moved to Florida and worked in maintenance, but was arrested on robbery charges and was incarcerated from 2004-2007.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Straus returned to Cincinnati after his release from prison and was introduced to mixed martial arts by a friend who was a former high school wrestling opponent. He invited Straus to come train with him at Team Vision and Straus made his professional debut in February 2009.

Shark Fights

Straus was a late replacement for

Marcus Hicks Marcus Dewayne Hicks (born November 25, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist who last competed in 2014. A professional since 2002, he is perhaps best remembered for his six-fight stint in the WEC, but also competed for Legacy FC. Mixed mar ...

at Shark Fights 13: Jardine vs. Prangley where he beat WEC veteran

Karen Darabedyan Karen Darabedyan ( hy, Կարեն Դարաբեդյան, born December 18, 1986) is an Armenian-American professional mixed martial artist and the founder of KD MMA Training Center in Glendale, CA. He is best known for fighting in WEC's lightwei ...

via unanimous decision.

Bellator MMA

Straus made his Bellator debut on June 24, 2010, at Bellator 23 where he defeated Chad Hinton via unanimous decision. In January 2011, Bellator announced that Straus would be part of the Bellator Season Four Featherweight Tournament. In the quarter finals, Straus fought

Nazareno Malegarie Nazareno Malegarie (born May 16, 1986) is an Argentine mixed martial artist, and a two-time BJJ World Champion currently competing in the Featherweight division of the Professional Fighters League. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, he has ...

. Straus defeated Malegarie via unanimous decision to move on to the semifinals and give Malegarie the first loss of his career. The fight won Fight of the Night honors. At Bellator 41, Straus competed in the semifinals of the Season Four Tournament against

Kenny Foster Kenny Foster (born June 16, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist. A professional mixed martial artist since 2009, Foster has competed for Bellator, holding a record of 3–6 with the promotion. Mixed martial arts career Foster made his prof ...

. Straus controlled the fight for the first two rounds before he finished Foster via guillotine choke submission and moved on to the finals of the tournament. Straus met Patricio Freire in the Season Four Tournament Final at

Bellator 45 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feather ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Straus returned in the Bellator Season Six Featherweight Tournament that started on March 9, 2012. He defeated

Jeremy Spoon Jeremy Spoon (born April 1, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Spoon has made a name for himself fighting in various promotions, including King of the Cage and Bellator Fighting Championships. Spo ...

via unanimous decision in the opening round at

Bellator 60 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 ...

. In the semifinal round, Straus faced Mike Corey at

Bellator 65 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 i ...

and again won by unanimous decision. In the finals, Straus faced Marlon Sandro at

Bellator 68 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 i ...

and won via unanimous decision. This win earned him a title shot and rematch against Featherweight Champion Pat Curran, who had previous beaten Straus in 2009. At Bellator 78, Straus took a fight to keep himself busy while waiting for his title shot. He fought Royce Gracie black belt, Alvin Robinson, defeating him via submission in the second round. Straus was scheduled to face Pat Curran on April 4, 2013 for the Featherweight Title at Bellator 95. However, on February 26, it was announced that Straus had broken his hand and had to pull out of the fight. The Featherweight Championship fight between Curran and Straus took place on November 2, 2013 at Bellator 106. Straus won the fight by unanimous decision to become the new Bellator Featherweight Champion. Straus is scheduled to face Pat Curran for the third time at Bellator 112 on March 14, 2014. Straus publicly expressed his displeasure in having to face Curran again so soon after beating him, going so far as to say he believes Bellator wants Curran as champion. However, he also stated it is his job to fight and he welcomed the bout. At the weigh ins for Bellator 112, Straus had to cut his hair to make weight. He lost the bout via rear naked choke in the fifth round. Straus faced Justin Wilcox in the main event at

Bellator 127 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweigh ...

on October 3, 2014. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. Straus challenged Patrício Freire for the Bellator Featherweight Championship in a rematch at

Bellator 132 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 January 16, 2015. Freire won the back-and-forth fight in the fourth round via a rear-naked choke submission. Straus faced undefeated prospect

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 138 on June 19, 2015. He won the fight via submission in the second round. Straus had a third fight with Freire on November 6, 2015 at

Bellator 145 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. ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision to reclaim the Bellator Featherweight Championship. Over a year since his last fight, Straus returned to defend his title against Freire in a fourth fight in the main event at Bellator 178 on April 21, 2017. After a back-and-forth first round, Straus lost the bout via a submission due to a guillotine choke early in the second round. Straus faced

Emmanuel Sanchez Emmanuel Sanchez (born August 11, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, Sanchez has also formerly competed for the Resurrection Fighting Alliance ...

Bellator 184 2017 in Bellator MMA was the tenth year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 26 events in 2017. Background This year, Bellator announced their first MMA event to be held in New ...

on October 6, 2017. He lost the fight via triangle choke submission in the third round. After a 17-month long layoff due to severe injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident, Straus returned to the cage on March 29, 2019 at Bellator 219 and faced Shane Krutchen. He was victorious by way of first round submission. Straus next faced Derek Campos in the opening round of the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix at Bellator 226 on September 7, 2019. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. On July 10, 2021, it was announced that he was no longer under contract with Bellator.

Post Bellator

Straus faced Keith Richardson on October 23, 2021 in the co-main event of XMMA 3. He lost the bout via TKO due to ground and pound.

Personal life

Straus has a daughter. On March 1, 2013, Straus was arrested in

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

after his vehicle was pulled over. He faced charges of driving with a suspended license, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, more than three grams of synthetic cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of

MDMA 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly seen in Tablet (pharmacy), tablet form (ecstasy) and crystal form (molly or mandy), is a potent empathogen–entactogen with stimulant properties primarily used for Recreational dru ...

. In the early morning hours of December 17, 2017, Straus was involved in an accident while riding his Suzuki GSX-R1000 motorcycle on State Road 7 in Dade County, Florida. He was unconscious for an unknown amount of time, and was unable to move his extremities upon regaining consciousness. His passenger was able to get help and Straus was transported to hospital. Although no alcohol was involved, it is still unknown what caused the accident. His passenger was unharmed. It would take eight months and extreme physical therapy before Straus could walk again on his own. Once able to move again without assistance, Daniel Straus made the decision to get back into physical shape and continue his professional MMA career. His long journey back culminated with his comeback fight at Bellator 219 on March 29, 2019, a bout which he won via submission. On February 6, 2021, Straus was arrested in Broward County, Florida and was charged with one count of aggravated battery with a weapon after he allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend with a sharp object. According to the affidavit, Straus showed up to the alleged victim's place of work after the two argued over text message. Once he arrived, the two allegedly got into a verbal dispute. Straus followed the alleged victim as she walked to her car, at which point the victim claims the incident turned violent. According to the victims statement to police, she alleges Straus pushed her and she pushed back, claiming that when she attempted to get into her vehicle to leave, Straus struck her in the left side of her face and knocked her to the ground. She further states that after he struck her, Straus got in his vehicle and left the scene. She stated that Straus called her and said he was at her apartment, and fearing Straus would destroy her property, she drove to his apartment to destroy his property. When Straus arrived at his apartment, he allegedly attacked the victim with a sharp object. The victim fled the scene as quickly as she could and went to a neighbor's home, and from there she was taken to a nearby hospital for examination. The alleged victim then pressed charges, after which an arrest warrant for Straus was issued, and he was picked up and booked into the Broward County jail on the aggravated battery with a weapon charge, a

felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resu ...

, with his bail being set at $100,000.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Bellator Featherweight World Championship Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded B ...

(Two times) ** Bellator Season Four Featherweight Tournament Runner-up ** Bellator Season Six Featherweight Tournament Winner *North American Allied Fight Series **NAAFS Undisputed Pro Series Lightweight Championship (One time) **NAAFS Interim Pro Series Lightweight Championship (One time) * MMA Junkie **November 2015 Fight of the Month vs. Patricio Freire on November 6

Amateur Wrestling

*National High School Coaches Association **NHSCA Senior High School National Championship (2003) **NHSCA Senior All-American (2003) *

Ohio High School Athletic Association The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio. The OHSAA governs eligibility of student athletes, resolves disputes, organizes levels of compe ...

** OHSAA Division I High School State Championship Third Place (2002) ** OHSAA Division I All-State (2002) **Sycamore High School Record for Best Season Record (42-1; 2003)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 26–10 , Keith Richardson , TKO (punches) , XMMA 3: Vice City , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:54 ,

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 26–9 , Derek Campos , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 226 , , 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, 26–8 , Shane Kruchten , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Bellator 219 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:53 ,

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 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 25–8 ,

, Submission (triangle choke) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:56 , Thackerville, Oklahoma,

, , - , Loss , align=center, 25–7 , Patricio Freire , Submission (guillotine choke) , Bellator 178 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:37 ,

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 ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 25–6 , Patricio Freire , Decision (unanimous) ,

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

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 24–6 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , Bellator 138 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:47 ,

, , - , Loss , align=center, 23–6 , Patricio Freire , Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 4 , align=center, 4:49 ,

, , - , Win , align=center, 23–5 , Justin Wilcox , KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:50 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–5 , Pat Curran , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Bellator 112 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 4:46 ,

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County. As of the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–4 , Pat Curran , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 106 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–4 , Alvin Robinson , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Bellator 78 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:51 ,

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–4 , Marlon Sandro , Decision (unanimous) ,

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

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–4 ,

Mike Corey Mike Corey (born March 8, 1984) is an American former mixed martial artist. A professional from 2005 until 2014, he fought in the IFL and the World Series of Fighting. Biography A high-school wrestler, Corey joined the Marines and started MMA tr ...

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4 , Jason Dent , Decision (unanimous) , NAAFS: Caged Fury 15 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–4 , Patricio Freire , Decision (unanimous) ,

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

Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles (French: ''Lac Charles'') is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–3 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , Bellator 41 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:48 ,

Yuma, Arizona Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, M ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

Bellator 37 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feather ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Concho, Oklahoma, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Shark Fights 13: Jardine vs Prangley , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Amarillo, Texas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–3 , Joe Pearson , TKO (punches) , XFO 36: Outdoor War 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:04 , Island Lake, Illinois, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3 , Chad Hinton , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 23 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 , Travis Perzynski , Decision (unanimous) , ICE: International Combat Events 45 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Forest Park, Ohio Forest Park is the second most populous city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Cincinnati. The population was 18,720 at the 2010 census. Geography Forest Park is located at (39.286408, -84.520363). According to the Un ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–3 ,

Frank Caraballo Frank Caraballo (born December 18, 1984) is an Americans, American mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight (MMA), featherweight division. Mixed martial arts career Bellator Fighting Championships Caraballo lost to UFC veteran Wa ...

, TKO (punches) , NAAFS: Caged Fury 9 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 3:57 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3 , Gideon Ray , Decision (unanimous) , XFO 33 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Chicago, Illinois, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 , Joe Heiland , Decision (unanimous) , NAAFS: Night of Champions 2009 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Akron, Ohio, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–3 , Patrick Ferm , TKO (punches) , XFO 32 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:50 ,

New Munster, Wisconsin New Munster is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in the town of Wheatland, in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) o ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–3 , Tim Troxell , TKO (elbows and punches) , Xtreme Caged Combat: Cops vs. Cons , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:51 ,

Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–3 , Mitch Lyons , TKO (punches) , Indiana Xtreme Fighting 1: Wildcard , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:13 , Rising Sun, Indiana, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–3 , Pat Curran , KO (punches) , XFO 29 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:31 , Lakemoor, Illinois, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Mike Baskis , Decision (unanimous) , ICF: Breakout , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Cincinnati, Ohio, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 ,

Lester Caslow Lester Caslow (born July 10, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division. Mixed martial arts career Early career Before making his professional debut, Caslow held an amateur record of 1-0. In a sp ...

, Decision (split) , Extreme Challenge: Mayhem at the Marina , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–2 , Tim Cook , TKO (punches) , ICF: Turfwar , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:11 ,

Florence, Kentucky Florence is a home rule-class city in Boone County, Kentucky, United States. Florence is the second largest city located in Northern Kentucky, after Covington, and part of the Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan Area. The population was 31,946 at ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–2 , Scott Bickerstaff , TKO (punches) , MMA Big Show: Retribution , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A , Switzerland County, Indiana, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , David Silva , Decision (unanimous) , XFO 28 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Lakemoor, Illinois, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Jay Ellis , Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) , XFO: New Blood , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:46 , Delray Beach, Florida, United States ,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Straus, Daniel Living people 1984 births American male mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling African-American mixed martial artists American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers Bellator MMA champions 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people

Background

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Shark Fights

Bellator MMA

Post Bellator

Personal life

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Amateur Wrestling

Mixed martial arts record

See also

References

External links