Daniel Lamar Roberts (born August 5, 1980) 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, incorp ...

who last competed in 2015. A professional since 2007, he is a veteran of the

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 ...

Pancrase Pancrase Inc. is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. The name was based on pankration, a fighting sport in the Ancient Olympic Games. Suzuki and Funaki pr ...

Titan FC Titan Fighting Championship (Titan FC) is an American mixed martial arts promotion based out of Pompano Beach, Florida. Their shows were originally run in and near Kansas City and have since expanded to include venues all over North America and e ...

, and

Legacy FC In law, a legacy is something held and transferred to someone as their inheritance, as by will and testament. Personal effects, family property, marriage property or collective property gained by will of real property. Legacy or legacies may refer ...

Background

Roberts is a graduate of

Bacone College Bacone College, formerly Bacone Indian University, is a private tribal college in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Founded in 1880 as the Indian University by missionary Almon C. Bacone, it was originally affiliated with the mission arm of what is now Americ ...

Muskogee, Oklahoma Muskogee () is the thirteenth-largest city in Oklahoma and the county seat of Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of the 2020 census, a 6.0 percent decrease ...

, where he majored in

Business Administration Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...

. At Bacone College, Roberts was a standout athlete and an NAIA All-American wrestler. Roberts also has 12 years of jiu-jitsu experience and is proficient in

Karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

Judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

and

Boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

. He recently moved out to California to train with Gilbert Melendez and his team, the Skrap Pack. He also trains at Fairtex Muay Thai in San Francisco.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Roberts made his professional debut in 2007, and moved to 9-0 before being signed by the

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Roberts signed a four-fight deal with the UFC in March 2010. He made his debut on short notice, filling in for an injured Anthony Johnson to fight

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the s ...

at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones. After an exciting grappling affair in the first two minutes, Howard delivered a punch that knocked Roberts unconscious. Roberts was expected to fight Julio Paulino at

UFC 116 ''UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 3, 2010, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show was voted as the Best Major Show in the 2010 Wrestling Observer ...

, but Paulino was forced from the card with an injury. Roberts instead fought veteran

Forrest Petz Forrest Leonard Petz (born September 22, 1975) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2002 until 2013, he is perhaps best known for his two stints in the UFC, but also fought for King of the Cage and Adrenaline MMA. Ba ...

. Roberts won the fight via split decision. Roberts fought and quickly defeated

Mike Guymon Michael Kevin Guymon (born September 17, 1974) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who formerly competed in Bellator's Lightweight division. He has also competed for the UFC, as an alternate for the Tucson Scorpions in the IF ...

on October 23, 2010 at

UFC 121 ''UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 23, 2010 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States. The event was the fourth time the UFC has hosted at the Hon ...

. The fight barely passed the minute mark in the first round before Roberts applied an anaconda choke, and earned the submission win. His submission win also earned him the 'Submission of the Night' honors. On January 1, 2011 at

UFC 125 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 ...

, Roberts fought

Greg Soto Gregory Francis Soto (born June 3, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist. Soto is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Mixed martial arts record , - , Loss , align=center, 9–3 , George Sullivan , KO (punch) , CFFC 14 , , align=center, 1 ...

and after some early back-and-forth grappling, Roberts grabbed Soto's arm in a kimura, took top position and forced the tapout with just over a minute left in the opening round. Roberts then faced fellow up-and-comer,

Claude Patrick Claude Patrick (born June 14, 1980) is a Canadian retired mixed martial artist. Patrick most recently competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), fighting in their Welterweight division. Early life Claude Patrick was born and raised in ...

, on April 30, 2011 at

UFC 129 ''UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Background The event was the sixth that the UFC has hosted in ...

. On the judges scorecards, Roberts lost two of the three rounds, ultimately losing the fight via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28). When injuries caused shuffling at

UFC on Versus 4 ''UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry'' (also known as ''UFC on Versus 4'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 26, 2011, at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The event was broadcast on Versus ...

, taking place June 26, 2011, Roberts stepped in on very short notice to fight

Rich Attonito Rich Attonito (born June 16, 1977) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2004 until 2011, he fought in the UFC, Cage Warriors, King of the Cage, and was contestant on the 11th season of ''The Ultimate Fighter''. Ba ...

. Roberts lost the fight via unanimous decision (29–27, 30–27, 29–28). Roberts was expected to face

TJ Waldburger Anthony "TJ" Waldburger Jr. (born April 25, 1988) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, he competed for the UFC, Shark Fights, and HDNet Fights. Background ...

on September 17, 2011 at

UFC Fight Night 25 ''UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 25'' or ''UFC Fight Night: Battle on the Bayou'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 17, 2011 at the Ernest N. Moria ...

. However, he had to pull out due to injury and was replaced by Mike Stumpf. Roberts next faced

Charlie Brenneman Charles Brenneman (born February 9, 1981) is a former American mixed martial artist and currently is a motivational speaker. A professional from 2007 until 2014, he competed for the UFC, ShoXC, and was the winner of the first season of the televi ...

on January 20, 2012 at UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. He was later released from the promotion following three consecutive losses.

Post-UFC career

In his first fight after his UFC release, Roberts would face Nuri Shakir at Freedom Fight MMA on October 27, 2012. He won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the second round. Roberts would then get his second straight submission win, when he submitted UFC veteran Brian Foster via rear-naked choke at Combat MMA on May 18, 2013. He then faced Justin Baesman at War MMA 1 on June 22, 2013. He lost the fight via split decision. After a near one-year hiatus, Roberts faced Brock Jardine at Titan FC 28: Brilz vs. Davis on May 16, 2014. He won the fight via split decision.

Personal life

A week before his win at

, Roberts found out he was a father to a daughter named Gabrielle.

Championships and accomplishments

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 ...

** Submission of the Night (One time) vs.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 15–7 ,

Akihiro Murayama is a Japanese mixed martial artist who has competed mainly for Pancrase, Shooto and Greatest Common Multiple. Mixed martial arts career Early career Murayama started his professional career in 2003. In his first years, he fought mainly for ' ...

, Decision (split) , Pancrase: 266 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–6 ,

Derrick Krantz Derrick Krantz (born January 13, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2008, he has also compete ...

, Submission (

Von Flue choke A chokehold, choke, stranglehold or, in Judo, shime-waza ( ja, 絞技, translation=constriction technique) is a general term for a grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air (choking)''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' ( ...

) , Legacy FC 35 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:49 ,

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5 , Brock Jardine , Decision (split) , Titan FC 28: Brilz vs. Davis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Newkirk, Oklahoma Newkirk is a city and county seat of Kay County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,172 at the 2020 census. History Newkirk is on land known as the Cherokee Outlet (popularly called the "Cherokee Strip"), which belonged to the Chero ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–5 , Justin Baesman , Decision (split) , War MMA 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. Stockton was founded by Carlos Maria Weber in 1849 after he acquir ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 , Brian Foster , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Combat MMA , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:29 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 , Nuri Shakir , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Freedom Fight MMA , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:55 ,

Sudbury, Ontario Sudbury, officially the City of Greater Sudbury is the largest city in Northern Ontario by population, with a population of 166,004 at the 2021 Canadian Census. By land area, it is the largest in Ontario and the fifth largest in Canada. It is a ...

, Canada , Catchweight (180 lbs) bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 12–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

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, Decision (unanimous) ,

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Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 ,

, Submission (kimura) ,

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Las Vegas 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 Vegas ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 ,

, Submission (anaconda choke) ,

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Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

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Broomfield, Colorado Broomfield is a consolidated city and county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. Broomfield has a consolidated government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The Broomfield populatio ...

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Anthony Macias Anthony Macias (born February 9, 1971) is an American mixed martial artist, who last competed in the middleweight division. Macias was introduced to MMA in a fight against Dan Severn at UFC 4, which Macias lost by submission. His nickname, "Mad D ...

, TKO (submission to punches) , XFL: New Year's Revolution , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:00 ,

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Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Jeff Lindsay , TKO (submission to punches) , Bricktown Brawl 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:14 ,

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Clinton, Oklahoma Clinton is a city in Custer County, Oklahoma, Custer and Washita County, Oklahoma, Washita counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 9,033 at the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census. History The community began in 1899 when ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Levi Avera , Submission (kimura) , Freestyle Cage Fighting , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:45 ,

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Miami, Oklahoma Miami ( ) is a city in and county seat of Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States, founded in 1891. Lead and zinc mining were established by 1918, causing the area's economy to boom. This area was part of Indian Territory. Miami is the capital of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Jeremy Michael , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Extreme Fighting League , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:20 ,

Catoosa, Oklahoma Catoosa is a city in Rogers and Wagoner counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 7,159 at the 2010 census compared to 5,449 at the 2000 census. This was a 31.2 percent increase during the decade.Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

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References

External links

*
Official UFC Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Daniel 1980 births Living people Sportspeople from Rockford, Illinois American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists utilizing karate Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American male judoka American male karateka Bacone College alumni Bacone Warriors wrestlers Sportspeople from the San Francisco Bay Area Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters