Jason Brilz (born July 7, 1975) is a retired 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 ...

who most recently fought in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2000, he has competed for 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 ...

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

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 ...

Wrestling career

Brilz won the Nebraska Class A wrestling state championship in 1993 for

Omaha Central High School Omaha Central High School, originally known as Omaha High School, is a fully accredited public high school located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It is one of many public high schools located in Omaha. As of the 2015-16 academic year ...

. Along with his state title, Brilz was an Academic All-American in 1993. Brilz wrestled collegiately at the

University of Nebraska-Omaha The University of Nebraska Omaha (Omaha or UNO) is a public research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1908 by faculty from the Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary as a private non-sectarian college, the university was originally kno ...

, where he was a three time Academic All-American, a four-year letter winner, and compiled a 63–34 career record.

Mixed martial arts career

Brilz made his MMA debut in 2000. He went on to achieve an 11-win streak and has entered into various talks with the UFC throughout the years with the aim of joining the organization. Brilz finally secured his debut deal to fight in his native Omaha, Nebraska, at the UFC Fight Night 15 event.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Brilz defeated

Brad Morris Brad Morris (born August 16, 1975) is an American actor and television writer. He starred in ''Playing House'' and had recurring roles on ''Cougar Town'' as Jerry from 2013 to 2015, for which he also wrote five episodes, ''Great News'' from 201 ...

in his UFC debut via TKO (punches) midway through the second round. Brilz then returned six months later to fight Tim Boetsch and won via unanimous decision at

UFC 96 ''UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). It was held in Columbus, Ohio on March 7, 2009 at Nationwide Arena. Background The card was headlined by a Light Heavyweight bout be ...

. Brilz' first loss in the UFC (and second in his career) came at the hands of ''The Ultimate Fighter 8'' veteran

Eliot Marshall Eliot Andrew Marshall (born July 7, 1980) is a retired American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member on SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir. Background Marshall grew up in the Franklinville section of Franklin To ...

, as Brilz lost via split decision, which was regarded as a controversial decision. Brilz bounced back against

Eric Schafer Eric John Schafer (born September 20, 1977) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 1997 until 2016, he competed for the UFC. Background Schafer attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. Schafer is a black belt i ...

at UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones, defeating him via unanimous decision. At

UFC 114 ''UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 29, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC Fan Expo took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Backg ...

Antônio Rogério Nogueira Antônio Rogério Nogueira (; born 2 June 1976), also known as Minotouro or Lil Nog, is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the UFC. He is the twin brother of Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, the "Minotauro ...

was scheduled to fight

Forrest Griffin Forrest Griffin (born July 1, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013 and currently serves as the Vice President of Athlete Development at the ...

. However, Griffin had to pull out of the bout due to a shoulder injury, which left his slot open. With less than a month before the fight, Brilz stepped in to fight Nogueira. In a controversial split decision in which Brilz seemed to control the duration of the fight, Nogueira was declared the winner. The bout won ''Fight of the Night'' honors. Brilz was expected to face former IFL Light Heavyweight Champion

Vladimir Matyushenko Vladimir Vladimirovich Matyushenko ( be, Уладзімір Уладзіміравіч Мацюшэнка, ''Uladzimir Uladzimiravič Maciušenka''; born 4 January 1971) is a Belarusian retired mixed martial artist. A professional from 1997 u ...

on November 13, 2010, at

UFC 122 ''UFC 122: Marquardt vs. Okami'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 13, 2010 at König Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the ...

. However, Brilz was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Alexandre Ferreira. Brilz was expected to face undefeated Phil Davis 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 ...

, but Davis pulled from that bout and fought Brilz'

opponent

UFC Fight Night 24 ''UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 24'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 26, 2011 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. Background The event did not lea ...

, replacing an injured

Tito Ortiz Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz (; born January 23, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist and politician. He is currently signed to the Combate Americas promotion. Ortiz is best known for his stints with the Ultimate Fighting Championship ...

. Brilz instead faced

at the event and lost via KO 20 seconds into the first round. Brilz faced

Ryan Bader Arizona State Sun Devils Ryan DuWayne Bader (born June 7, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to Bellator MMA where he is the current Bellator Heavyweight Champion, the former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, an ...

on November 19, 2011 at

UFC 139 ''UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 19, 2011 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. It was the first UFC event in San Jose, the longtime home and base ar ...

. In the opening round, Bader caught Brilz with a straight right above the ear that knocked him out. Subsequently, Brilz was released from the promotion.

Titan Fighting Championships

On November 16, 2012, Brilz then won against Will Dicke by KO 19 seconds into the second round. Brilz was expected to face

Vinny Magalhaes Vinny or Vinnie is a masculine given name, usually a shortened version of Vincent, Vincenzo, or Vicente, which may refer to: Vincents * Vinnie Anderson (born 1979), New Zealand rugby league footballer * Vinny Appice (born 1957), American rock dr ...

at Titan FC 28 on April 25, 2014, however, Magalhaes was forced out of the bout due to injury, and was replaced by

Raphael Davis Raphael Davis (born September 1, 1976) is an American mixed martial artist who has fought for Bellator FC and M-1 Global. MMA career Early career and M-1 Challenge Davis started his career in 2006, fighting mainly for Californian organizations ...

. Brilz won the fight via split decision. The fight with Magalhaes was re-booked and set to take place on September 26, 2014 at Titan FC 30, for the vacant Titan FC Light Heavyweight Championship. Brilz lost via guillotine choke submission in the fourth round.

Personal life

Brilz was an assistant coach at back to back Division II National Wrestling champs, the University of Nebraska-Omaha prior to cancellation of the University's wrestling program. Along with wrestling at UNO, Brilz also trains at Omaha's new Premier Combat Center with fellow UFC fighters Ryan Jensen and

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, ...

. Despite this relative success in his career, he has stated he is not interested in pursuing fighting full-time. Brilz and his wife Rebecca have two daughters, Evelyn and Gabbi.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 23–6–1 , Scott Hough , Submission (kimura) , DCS 16: Spring Brawl 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:15 ,

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 , Heavyweight bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 22–6–1 ,

Vinny Magalhães Vinicius "Vinny" de Magalhães (; born July 2, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Light heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he was a finalist in '' The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mi ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , Titan FC 30 , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 0:36 ,

Cedar Park, Texas Cedar Park is a city and a major suburb of Austin in the state of Texas, approximately to the north-west of the center of Austin. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the city's population was 77,595. History Before the arrival of European sett ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–5–1 ,

, Decision (split) , Titan FC 28 , , 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 , , - , Win , align=center, 21–5–1 , Dallas Mitchell , Decision (unanimous) , Victory Fighting Championship 41 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Ralston, Nebraska Ralston is a city in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,494 at the 2020 census. A suburb of Omaha, Ralston is surrounded on three sides by the city of Omaha by 84th, 72nd, and L Streets, and by Sarpy County (Harrison S ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–5–1 , Josh Bryant , Decision (majority) , Victory Fighting Championship 39 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–5–1 , Will Dicke , KO (punch) , Disorderly Conduct 13: Legacy , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:19 ,

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–5–1 ,

, KO (punch) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:17 ,

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 popu ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–4–1 ,

, KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:20 ,

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 anch ...

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 C ...

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 ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 18–3–1 ,

, Decision (split) ,

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

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 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–2–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC LIVE: Vera vs. Jones , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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 populati ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–2–1 ,

, Decision (split) ,

UFC 103 ''UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on September 19, 2009 in Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center. The event was broadcast on pay-per-view. Background This ...

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

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–1–1 , Tim Boetsch , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Columbus, Ohio, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–1–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Neer , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:54 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–1–1 , Erik Jenks , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Beatdown: 4 Bears Casino , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:46 ,

New Town, North Dakota New Town is a city in Mountrail County, North Dakota. The population was 2,764 at the time of the 2020 census, making it the 18th largest city in North Dakota. New Town was platted in 1950 as a replacement site for the residents of Sanish and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1–1 , Aaron Praschak , Submission (rear-naked choke) , DFC 7: Revolution , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:55 , Bismarck, North Dakota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1–1 , Rob Wince , TKO (submission to punches) , ACF: Exodus , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:37 , Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1–1 ,

Alex Schoenauer The debut season of The Ultimate Fighter (later designated ''The Ultimate Fighter 1'') premiered on January 17, 2005. Sixteen mixed martial arts fighters (eight light heavyweights weighing from 186 to 205 lb and eight middleweights weighing fro ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , VFC 11: Demolition , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:06 , Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States , Return to Light Heavyweight. , - , Win , align=center, 11–1–1 ,

Jason MacDonald Jason Anthony MacDonald (born June 3, 1975) is a Canadian former mixed martial artist. A professional from 1999 until 2013, he is perhaps best remembered for his two stints in the UFC, but also fought for King of the Cage, and the Maximum Fight ...

, Decision (split) , KOTC: Edmonton , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anch ...

, Canada , Middleweight debut. , - , Win , align=center, 10–1–1 , Jerry Spiegel , KO , VFC: Madness , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:30 , Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1–1 , Kyle Olsen , TKO (punches) , XKK: Des Moines , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:00 ,

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1–1 , Mike Patt , TKO (corner stoppage) , VFC 6: Overload , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States , Light Heavyweight bout. , - , Draw , align=center, 7–1–1 ,

Justin Eilers Justin Mark Eilers (June 28, 1978 – December 25, 2008)Eilers Shot Dead
– Sherdog.com ...

, Draw , VFC 4: Wildcard , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Tony Mendoza , Submission (rear-naked choke) , ROF 7: Meltdown , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:46 ,

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Nate Schroeder , Decision , Victory Fighting Championships 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 15:00 , Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States , Heavyweight debut. , - , Loss , align=center, 5–1 , Vince Fields , Submission (armbar) , UW: Caged Fights , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:45 , St. Paul, Minnesota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Dennis Reed , Submission (armbar) , Iowa Challenge 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:34 , Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Brad Krane , TKO (submission to punches) , Gladiators 14 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , John Herrera , Submission (guillotine choke) , MSF: Night of Thunder , , align=center, 3 , align=center, N/A , Fort Collins, Colorado, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Gary Hicks , TKO (punches) , Extreme Challenge 38 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:29 , Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Mitch Rosland , Submission (kimura) , Gladiators 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, N/A , N/A ,

Notes and references

External links

*
UFC Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brilz, Jason Living people American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Nebraska Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling 1975 births Sportspeople from Bismarck, North Dakota Omaha Central High School alumni Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters