Michael Robert McDonald (born January 15, 1991 in Modesto, California, United States) 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 ...

. McDonald competed 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 MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class is derived from bantam chickens. B ...

division 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 ...

, where he challenged for the interim

UFC Bantamweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

at 22 years of age. He also competed in the Bantamweight division of Bellator MMA before retiring following another hand injury. A professional fighter since 2007, McDonald fought mostly in regional promotions in his home state of

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

before signing with

Zuffa Zuffa, LLC () is an American sports promotion company specializing in mixed martial arts. It was founded in January 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Station Casinos executives Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta to be the parent entity of the ...

in 2010.

Career

Background

McDonald started training in kickboxing at the age of ten, turned to mixed martial arts at 13, started his amateur career at 14, and turned professional at 16 in 2007. He also has two brothers who have professional careers in mixed martial arts. His older brother Justin Smitely is currently signed with Bellator MMA. He trains at Oakdale Mixed Martial Arts with the Last Stand Fight Team. McDonald graduated in 2009 from

Grace M. Davis High School Grace M. Davis High School, commonly referred to as Davis High School, is a public high school located in Modesto, California, United States. Established in 1961, the school serves students in grades 9-12. Davis High was recognized as a Califo ...

where he was voted Best Athlete and Most Likely to Succeed.

Early career

He gained notable wins on the regional circuit defeating WEC veteran

Manny Tapia Manuel Alcaraz Tapia (born March 14, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter currently competing in the Bantamweight division. He has formerly competed for the WEC, King of the Cage, and Tachi Palace Fights. He is the forme ...

and former WEC Featherweight Champion,

Cole Escovedo Coleman Ruben Escovedo (born August 30, 1981) is an American former mixed martial artist from Fresno, California. He was the inaugural WEC Featherweight Champion. Mixed martial arts career Health issues Escovedo was forced into a well documen ...

. Against the latter, McDonald later avenged his only professional defeat, which also earned him the Tachi Palace Fights Bantamweight title with a second-round KO. In the summer of 2010, he was listed as one of the top rising stars under the age of 25.

World Extreme Cagefighting

In September 2010, at age 19, McDonald became the youngest fighter on the

roster when he signed with the WEC. He defeated Clint Godfrey via first round submission in his promotional debut on November 11, 2010 at

WEC 52 ''WEC 52: Faber vs. Mizugaki'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on November 11, 2010 at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas. Background Urijah Faber made his bantamweight debut against Japanese striker Takeya Mi ...

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On October 28, 2010,

World Extreme Cagefighting World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was mad ...

merged with 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 ...

. As part of the merger, all WEC fighters were transferred to the UFC. McDonald was expected to face

Nick Pace Nick Pace (born April 17, 1987) is a former American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the bantamweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Pace mostly fought in the Ring of Combat promotion where he was the reignin ...

on March 26, 2011 at

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 ...

. However, Pace was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by promotional newcomer

Edwin Figueroa Edwin Richard Figueroa (born July 31, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the bantamweight division of the UFC. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Figueroa fought in regional promotions in his home stat ...

. McDonald won the fight via unanimous decision. The fight was highly entertaining with both fighters exchanging strikes and submission attempts throughout the entire fight and earned ''Fight of the Night'' honors. McDonald faced

Chris Cariaso Chris Vincent Cariaso (born May 27, 1981) is a retired Filipino-American mixed martial artist who competed as a Flyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Personal Cariaso is of Filipino descent. Mixed martial arts career Since turning p ...

on May 30, 2011 at

UFC 130 ''UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 28, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background This event was to be the third meeting between Frankie Edgar ...

, replacing an injured

Norifumi Yamamoto was a Japanese mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competed in the bantamweight division of the UFC. He quickly gained popularity in the Shooto organization due to his aggressive, well-rounded style and controversial persona. He moved on to ...

. He won the fight via split decision. McDonald was expected to face

Johnny Eduardo Johnny Eduardo (born August 3, 1978) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently fighting in the bantamweight division. He has formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Early career Eduardo made his p ...

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 ...

. However, Eduardo was forced from the card with an injury and replaced by promotional newcomer Alex Soto. McDonald defeated Soto via first-round KO, earning ''Knockout of the Night'' honors. McDonald clipped Soto with a counter right hand and then swarmed Soto with a flurry of punches against the fence, forcing the referee to stop the bout just 59 seconds into the first round. McDonald fought former WEC Bantamweight Champion

Miguel Angel Torres Miguel Angel Torres Quintana (born 17 January 1982) is a Peruvian former footballer who played, as a winger. Career Torres started out with Universitario and played for two years. He then went to Coronel Bolognesi for a year. He then played tw ...

on April 21, 2012 at

UFC 145 ''UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It was the 9th UFC event of the year, and took place on April 21, 2012 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Background The headline fight ...

. He won the fight via first round Knockout. On December 4, 2012, UFC President

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

announced that the UFC Bantamweight Champion

Dominick Cruz Dominick Cruz (born March 9, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion. Cruz ha ...

had reinjured his ACL requiring surgery and would be out for 6–9 months. McDonald faced the UFC Interim Bantamweight Champion

Renan Barão Renan Mota do Nascimento Pegado (born 31 January 1987), better known as Renan Barão, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and the former UFC Bantamweight Champion. He held one of the longest unbeaten streaks in MMA history - follo ...

on February 16, 2013 at UFC on Fuel TV: Barão vs. McDonald. McDonald was competitive with capable take-down defense and crisp boxing - particularly in the first two rounds - but ultimately succumbed to Barão's more diverse skillset as he mixed in knees and kicks standing together with take-downs. Barão secured an arm-triangle choke at 3:57 of the fourth round, forcing the tap from McDonald. McDonald faced

Brad Pickett Brad Pickett (born 24 September 1978) is an English former mixed martial artist. He is a former Cage Rage British Featherweight Champion. He competed as a bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship; Dana White stated that Pickett was ...

on August 17, 2013 at

UFC Fight Night 26 ''UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 26'') was a mixed martial arts event held on August 17, 2013, at the TD Garden in Boston. Background The event was the first UFC event broadcast on Fox Sports 1. The main e ...

. He dominated the first round, almost finishing Pickett with strikes before gaining a second round submission victory with a triangle choke. The win also earned McDonald his first ''Submission of the Night'' award, and he and Pickett earned the ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award as well. McDonald faced

Urijah Faber Urijah Faber (born May 14, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist and actor who is signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He competed as a bantamweight and formerly competed as a featherweight. He is also the founder of Team Alpha Male ...

on December 14, 2013 at

UFC on Fox 9 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 ...

. After a back and forth first round, Faber stunned McDonald in the second with a flurry of punches, McDonald went to the canvas and Faber jumped on him and finished the fight by submission due to a guillotine choke. After being sidelined for all of 2014 and 2015 nursing a litany of injuries, including hand and wrist surgeries, McDonald returned to face

Masanori Kanehara Masanori Kanehara (born November 18, 1982) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing the Bantamweight division in DEEP and Rizin FF. A professional competitor since 2003, Kanehara has formerly competed for World Victory Road, K-1 ...

on January 2, 2016 at

UFC 195 ''UFC 195: Lawler vs. Condit'' was a mixed martial arts event held on January 2, 2016, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was expected to feature a UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship bout between then-und ...

. He won the fight via submission in the second round, after nearly being submitted himself by an arm-triangle choke in the preceding sequence of the fight. The win also earned McDonald his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. McDonald next faced

John Lineker John Lineker (born June 12, 1990), is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently signed to ONE Championship, where he is the former ONE Bantamweight World Champion. Lineker formerly competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting ...

on July 13, 2016 at

UFC Fight Night 91 ''UFC Fight Night: McDonald vs. Lineker'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 91'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 13, 2016, at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Ba ...

. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.

Bellator MMA

On March 16, 2017, McDonald announced that he was parting ways with the UFC due to their dealing with him "very dishonestly and disrespectfully." On March 24, 2017, McDonald announced he signed a deal with Bellator MMA. McDonald made his promotional debut on December 15, 2017 at Bellator 191 against Peter Ligier. He won the fight by unanimous decision. McDonald next faced former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Eduardo Dantas on July 13, 2018 at Bellator 202. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. McDonald suffered a broken hand in the bout, leaving McDonald questioning whether his career would continue. McDonald announced his retirement from professional MMA competition on September 27, 2018.

Championships and accomplishments

Tachi Palace Fights Tachi Palace Fights (TPF) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which hosted events at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. Matchmaker for TPF was former fighter Richard Goodman. Regarded as a regional promotion, ...

** TPF Bantamweight Championship (One time) *

** Fight of the Night (Two times) vs.

** Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Alex Soto ** Submission of the Night (Two times) vs.

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

**Youngest fighter to compete for a UFC championship (22 years, 32 days)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 19–4 , Eduardo Dantas , KO (punches) , Bellator 202 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:58 ,

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, 18–4 , Peter Ligier , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 191 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–4 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: McDonald vs. Lineker , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:43 ,

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–3 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:09 ,

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 , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–3 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:22 ,

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–2 ,

, Submission (triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:43 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–2 ,

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) , UFC on Fuel TV: Barão vs. McDonald , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 3:57 ,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 15–1 , Miguel Torres , KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:18 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 , Alex Soto , KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:56 ,

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 , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 ,

, Decision (split) ,

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

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 state in the 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. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

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

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Clint Godfrey , Submission (armbar) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:42 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 ,

, KO (punches) , TPF 5: Stars and Strikes , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:12 , Lemoore, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , TPF 3: Champions Collide , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:31 , Lemoore, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Carlos Garces , TKO (punches) , TPF 1: Tachi Palace Fights 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:01 , Lemoore, California, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , PFC 13: Validation , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:25 , Lemoore, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Jason Georgianna , TKO (punches) , PFC 12: High Stakes , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:38 , Lemoore, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Randy Rodoni , KO (punch) , Gladiator Challenge 86: Day of the Dead , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:47 ,

Porterville, California Porterville is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Tulare County, California, United States. It is part of the Visalia-Porterville metropolitan statistical area. Since its incorporation in 1902, the city's population has grown as it annexed n ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Fernando Arreola , Submission (D'Arce choke) , Gladiator Challenge 84: Bad Blood , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:49 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Javier Vargas , TKO (punches) , Gladiator Challenge 81: Lights Out , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:38 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Steve Frano , TKO (punches) , Gladiator Challenge 78: No Limits , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:17 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Dominic Pena , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Gladiator Challenge 76: Alpha Dog Challenge , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:12 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Joe Corona , Submission (triangle choke) , Gladiator Challenge 71: Lock-N-Load , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:17 ,

, United States ,

References

External links

*
Official UFC Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Michael American male mixed martial artists American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Bantamweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists from California Living people Sportspeople from Modesto, California 1991 births Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters