Juan Archuleta (born September 13, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the

Bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class is derived from Ba ...

division of

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 ...

, and he is the former Bellator Bantamweight Champion. A professional MMA competitor since 2013, he has also previously fought 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 ...

and the

World Series of Fighting The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by Venture capital, venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fight ...

. As of July 26, 2022, he is ranked #3 in the Bellator Bantamweight Rankings.

Background

Archuleta was born in

Hesperia, California Hesperia is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is located north of downtown San Bernardino in Victor Valley and surrounded by the Mojave Desert. Because of its relatively high elevation and the unique and moderate we ...

to parents of

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

and

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

descent. Archuleta's background is in

amateur wrestling Amateur wrestling is a variant of wrestling practiced in collegiate, school, or other amateur level competitions. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games: freestyle and Greco-Roman. Both styles are under the ...

. In high school he was a state championship qualifier at Sultana High School. Eventually he moved on to

Sacramento City College Sacramento City College (SCC) is a public community college in Sacramento, California. SCC is part of the Los Rios Community College District and had an enrollment of 25,307 in 2009. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community ...

where he became a junior college All-American, and finally he transferred to

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

where he wrestled at the NCAA Division I level. In January 2021, he was promoted to purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu by his teacher Philipe Furão.

Mixed martial arts career

King of the Cage

After going 12–1 on the regional circuit, Archuleta then began fighting for the

promotion. In his first fight with the promotion, Archuleta claimed the KOTC featherweight title when he finished former UFC fighter Chris Tickle in the second round via technical knockout. Archuleta also went on to become KOTC bantamweight, lightweight, and light welterweight champion.

Bellator MMA

After a successful run in King of the Cage, Archuleta signed with

. He made his promotional debut at Bellator 195 against William Joplin. He won the bout via unanimous decision. His next bout came against

Robbie Peralta Roberto "Robbie" Andres Peralta (born March 14, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he has competed for the UFC, the World Series of Fighting, ...

at Bellator 201 on June 29, 2018. He won the bout via knockout in the third round. Archuleta next faced

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. Sp ...

at Bellator 210 on November 30, 2018. He won via unanimous decision. Archuleta's next bout took place on January 26, 2019 against Ricky Bandejas at Bellator 214. He won via unanimous decision. In his next bout, Archuleta faced former Bellator Bantamweight World Champion

Eduardo Dantas Eduardo Dantas (born 3 February 1989) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Dantas mostly fought for the Bellator MMA where he was the former two-ti ...

at Bellator 222 on June 14, 2019. Archuleta was victorious via knockout at 4:59 of round 2. For his next fight, Archuleta entered the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix and in the opening round, he received a

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 ...

title shot against champion

Patrício Freire Patricio in Spanish, or Patrício in Portuguese, is a male given name equivalent to Patrick in English. The Spanish name is pronounced with the stress on the same first i as Portuguese, but an accent is not needed because this follows normal ru ...

at Bellator 228 on September 28, 2019. He lost via unanimous decision. Archuleta then 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 238 on January 25, 2020. He was victorious via unanimous decision.

Bellator MMA Bantamweight World Champion

Archuleta returned to the bantamweight division to face

Patchy Mix Patrick "Patchy" Mix (born August 16, 1993) is an American professional mixed martial artist, currently signed to Bellator MMA where he competes in the Bantamweight division. As of February 1, 2022, he is #2 in the Bellator Bantamweight Rankings ...

for the vacant

Bellator Bantamweight 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 ...

on September 12, 2020 at Bellator 246. He won the bout via unanimous decision to become Bellator Bantamweight world champion. Archuleta made his first title defense against

Sergio Pettis Sergio Jerome Pettis (born August 18, 1993) is an American mixed martial artist who is currently signed with Bellator MMA, where he is the current Bellator Bantamweight Champion. Prior to signing with Bellator, Pettis competed in the Ultimate Fig ...

Bellator 258 Bellator 258: Archuleta vs. Pettis was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on May 7, 2021 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. This fight card is notable for being Anthony Johnson's final fight before ...

on May 7, 2021. He lost the bout and the title via unanimous decision.

Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix

Archuleta, replacing the injured

, faced

Raufeon Stots Raufeon Stots (born December 16, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist and graduated collegiate wrestler currently competing in the bantamweight division of Bellator MMA, where he is the current Interim Bellator Bantamweight Champion. As a ...

for the

Interim An interim is a period of temporary pause or change in a sequence of events, or a temporary state, and is often applied to transitional political entities. Interim may also refer to: Temporary organizational arrangements (general concept) *Provis ...

on April 23, 2022 at

Bellator 279 ''Bellator 279: Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA held on April 23, 2022, at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Background The main event featured Bellator Women's Fea ...

. Archuleta lost the bout after getting knocked out by a head kick and then finished on the ground with elbows at the beginning of the third round.

Post Grand Prix

Archuleta faced

Enrique Barzola Enrique Johnatan Barzola Acosta (born 28 April 1989) is a Peruvian mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of Bellator MMA. He was the lightweight winner on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 2. and he competed in the ...

on October 1, 2022 at

Bellator 286 ''Bellator 286: Pitbull vs. Borics'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on October 1, 2022, at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California, United States. Background In his first bout since reclaiming t ...

. At weigh ins, the bout was moved to a catchweight of 141 pounds. In a fast paced bout, Archuleta won the bout via unanimous decision. Archuleta faced former

Road FC Road Fighting Championship (Road FC; ) is a South Korean-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which was officially launched in 2010. Prior to December 2016, Road FC had held 52 events in three countries - South Korea, Japan, and China. Abou ...

and ONE Championship Bantamweight Champion Soo Chul Kim at

Bellator MMA vs. Rizin ''Bellator MMA vs. Rizin FF'' and ''Rizin 40'' was a mixed martial arts event being co-promoted by Bellator MMA and the Rizin Fighting Federation that took place on December 31, 2022, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Background Th ...

on December 31, 2022. In a close back and forth bout, Archuleta came out of it with a split decision victory.

Personal life

After being deemed academically ineligible to continue wrestling at

, Archuleta succumbed to alcohol addiction and crime. He eventually served a prison stint prior to becoming a mixed martial artist.

Championships and awards

(One time) *

** KOTC Lightweight Championship (One time) ** KOTC Featherweight Championship (One time) ***Three successful title defenses ** KOTC Bantamweight Championship (One time) ** KOTC Light Welterweight Championship (One time) *California Fight League **CFL Featherweight Championship (One time) *Tru-Form Entertainment **TFE Featherweight Championship (One time) *Gladiator Challenge **GC Bantamweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

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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 ...

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Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 210 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma. It is located in South Central Oklahoma. The population was 445 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Thackerville is located at (33. ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–1 ,

, KO (punches) , Bellator 201 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:14 ,

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 , , - , Win , align=center, 19–1 , William Joplin , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 195 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–1 , Mark Dickman , TKO (retirement) , KOTC: Conquistadores , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–1 , Adel Altamimi , TKO (punches) , KOTC: Never Quit , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:23 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–1 , Vytautas Sadauskas , Decision (unanimous) , KOTC: Baltic Tour , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...

, Lithuania , , - , Win , align=center, 15–1 , Brandon Hastings , TKO (punches) , KOTC: Supernova , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:24 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 , Derrick Mandell , Decision (unanimous) , KOTC: Warranted Aggression , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 , Jay Bogan , TKO (retirement) , California Fight League 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 ,

Jordan Griffin Jordan Griffin (born February 23, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, he has competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Legacy Fighting Alliance and Ki ...

, Decision (unanimous) , KOTC: Destructive Intent , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Washington, Pennsylvania Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Pennsylvania. A part of the Greater Pittsburgh area in the southwestern part of the state, the city is home to Washington & Jefferson College and Pony League baseball. The populat ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Chris Tickle , TKO (punches) , KOTC: Firefight , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:41 ,

San Jacinto, California San Jacinto ( ; ; Spanish for " St. Hyacinth") is a city in Riverside County, California. It is located at the north end of the San Jacinto Valley, with Hemet to its south and Beaumont, California, to its north. The mountains associated with the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Emilio Chavez , Decision (unanimous) , SMASH Global 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Luis Guerra , TKO (punches) , Tru-Form Entertainment: No Fear , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:39 , Sullivan, Indiana, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Andrew Natividiad , Decision (unanimous) , California Fight League 5 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Fort Irwin, California Fort Irwin National Training Center (Fort Irwin NTC) is a major training area for the United States military in the Mojave Desert in northern San Bernardino County, California. Fort Irwin is at an average elevation of . It is located northeast o ...

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WSOF 19 World Series of Fighting 19: Gaethje vs. Palomino was a mixed martial arts event held in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. This event aired on NBCSN in the U.S and on Fight Network in Canada. Background The main event was for the WSOF Lightweig ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Valentino Beatty , TKO (punches) , Gladiator Challenge: Carnage , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:30 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Casey Doyle , TKO (punches) , Gladiator Challenge: Payback , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:46 ,

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Archuleta, Juan 1987 births Living people American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American male mixed martial artists American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent American people of Spanish descent Bellator MMA champions Bantamweight mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu People from Tulare County, California Mixed martial artists from California Bellator male fighters American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers