Mikel "Mike" Bronzoulis (born January 5, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Lightweight division of

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Archaeological site of Sbeitla, Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * Bellator (fish), ''Bellator'' (fish), a fis ...

. A professional competitor since 2007, Bronzoulis has competed for

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

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 ...

, Titan FC, Shark Fights, and was a finalist on

Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles. The channel was o ...

's Bellator: Fight Master reality show.

Background

Bronzolis began practicing

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

when he was around seven years old, when his father, a martial artist himself, brought the young Bronzoulis to a

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 ...

school. From the beginning, Bronzoulis had found his passion, eventually learning Tae Kwon Do, Tang Shu Do, Shotokan, Shotoru, American Freestyle, and

kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...

. When he turned 16, Bronzoulis spent most of his time at the Fairtex Thai kickboxing camp and also watched Jean-Claude Van Damme movies. Bronzoulis is a lifetime registered sex offender, having been convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in 1997.

Mixed martial arts career

Bronzoulis made his professional debut in 2007. On April 25, 2009, he fought UFC veteran Kamal Shalorus to a majority draw.

Shark Fights

Bronzoulis made his Shark Fights debut in 2010 at Shark Fights 12 where he defeated Anselmo Martinez via disqualification. His next fight under the organization was at Shark Fights 14: Horwich vs. Villefort against

Lucas Lopes Lucas Lopes de Freitas (born October 5, 1979) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. A professional since 1999, he has competed for Strikeforce, Shooto, and Titan FC. , - , Loss , align=center, 29-20 , DeWayne Diggs , TKO (punches) , S ...

where he won via unanimous decision.

Legacy Fighting Championship

On March 20, 2010, Bronzoulis was defeated by Levi Forrest via unanimous decision at Legacy FC 2 for the Legacy Welterweight Title. On November 5, 2010, Bronzoulis defeated Jonathan Harris at Legacy FC 4 via

TKO TKO may refer to: Sports * Technical knockout, a professional fighting term * Total Knock Out, a professional wrestling move Music Artists * TKO (band), a rock band from Seattle, Washington * TKO, a pop group led by Katie White Albums * ''TKO ...

due to punches in round one to win the Legacy FC Welterweight Championship. On January 29, 2011, Bronzoulis defeated Joe Christoper at Legacy FC 5 via TKO due to punches in round three to retain the Legacy FC Welterweight Championship, he later vacated the title when he signed with Strikeforce. On December 16, 2011, Bronzoulis returned to Legacy FC against Jorge Patino at Legacy FC 9 losing via unanimous decision. On May 11, 2012, Bronzoulis lost to UFC vet

Gerald Harris Gerald Harris (born November 19, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist and current high school science teacher, who most recently fought in Bellator. He was a cast member of Spike TV's ''The Ultimate Fighter 7'' and has also compet ...

at Legacy FC 11 via split decision. On November 16, 2012, Bronzoulis defeated Robert Shawn Machado at Legacy FC 15 via unanimous decision.

Strikeforce

On May 25, 2011, it was announced that Bronzoulis had signed a four-fight deal with Strikeforce. Bronzoulis made his debut for the promotion on June 18, 2011, against WEC veteran Todd Moore at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum. He lost the fight via unanimous decision (29-28, 29–28, 29–28). Bronzoulis rebounded from this loss just two months later when he defeated Chad Leonhardt via TKO in the third round on the undercard of Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Duarte.

Bellator MMA

On May 6, 2013, it was announced that Bronzoulis would be featured as a participant on

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 ...

's reality TV show Fight Master: Bellator MMA. In his preliminary fight to get on the show, Bronzoulis defeated Gareth Joseph by unanimous decision. During the team selection, he chose Randy Couture to be his coach. In his second fight, Bronzoulis defeated Jason Norwood by knockout in the third round. In the quarter-finals, Bronzoulis faced friend Chris Lozano and won via unanimous decision. In the semifinals, he fought Eric Bradley and, despite being controlled for most of two rounds, mounted a comeback and won via TKO in the second round. He was set to face Joe Riggs in the tournament final scheduled to take place at Bellator 98, but the bout was canceled after Riggs suffered an eye injury. The bout eventually took place on November 2, 2013, at Bellator 106 and Bronzoulis lost via unanimous decision.

Post-Bellator

Bronzoulis faced Brandon Farran at Triple A MMA 4: Caged Hostility on January 16, 2014. Bronzoulis lost the fight via TKO (punches) in the first round, marking the first KO/TKO loss of his career. Bronzoulis faced Keith Johnson at Titan FC 29 on August 22, 2014. He lost via rear naked choke submission in the third round.

Return to Legacy FC

Bronzoulis returned to the promotion as he faced Justin Reiswerg at Legacy FC 37 on November 14, 2014. He won the fight by submission in the second round, ending his three-fight losing streak over the past year. In his next fight for the promotion, Bronzoulis faced Jonathan Harris at Legacy FC 39 on February 27, 2015. He won the fight via TKO in the first round.

Championships and accomplishments

** Fight Master: Bellator MMA Season 1 Runner Up *Legacy Fighting Championship **Legacy FC Welterweight Championship (One time) ** One successful title defense ** Legacy FC Lightweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, , Zane Kamaka , TKO (arm injury) , X-1 49 - Lightweight Grand Prix , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 , Honolulu, Hawaii, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–9–1 , Josh Thomson , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Bellator 142: Dynamite 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:39 , San Jose, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–8–1 , Dave Burrow , Decision (unanimous) , Legacy FC vs. RFA Superfight Card , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Robinsonville, Mississippi, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–8–1 , Jonathan Harris , TKO (punches) , Legacy FC 39 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:43 ,

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–8–1 , Justin Reiswerg , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Legacy FC 37 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:51 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–8–1 , Keith Johnson , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Titan FC 29: Ricci vs. Sotiropoulos , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:31 ,

Fayetteville, North Carolina Fayetteville () is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city. Fayetteville has received the All-America C ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–7–1 , Brandon Farran , TKO (punches) , Triple A MMA 4: Caged Hostility , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:43 , Fort Worth, Texas, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–6–1 , Joe Riggs , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 106 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Long Beach, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5–1 , Robert Shawn Machado , Decision (unanimous) , Legacy FC 15 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5–1 , Danny Salinas , KO (head kick) , UWF: Tournament of Warriors Round 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:47 , Laredo, Texas, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–5–1 ,

, Decision (split) , Legacy FC 11 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–4–1 , Jorge Patino , Decision (unanimous) , Legacy FC 9 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–3–1 , Chad Leonhardt , TKO (leg kick and punches) , Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Duarte , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:30 , Las Vegas, Nevada, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–3–1 , Todd Moore , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Dallas, Texas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Shark Fights 14: Horwich vs. Villefort , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2–1 , Joe Christopher , TKO (punches) , Legacy FC 5 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:33 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, , Jonathan Harris , TKO (punches) , Legacy FC 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:43 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2–1 , Anselmo Martinez , DQ (unintentional knee to downed opponent) , Shark Fights 12: Unfinished Business , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:54 , Amarillo, Texas, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–2–1 , Levi Forrest , Decision (unanimous) , Legacy FC 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1–1 , Cleburn Walker , TKO (punches) , Steele Cage 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:39 , Frisco, Texas, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 7–1–1 , Kamal Shalorus , Draw (majority) , KOK 6: Fists of Fury , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Austin, Texas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Joshua Lee , TKO (punches) , Urban Rumble Championships 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:59 ,

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Keith Schneider , TKO (punches) , Renaissance MMA 10 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:42 , New Orleans, Louisiana, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Mark Ortiz , KO (punches) , Katana Cagefighting: Conquest , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:56 , Robstown, Texas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , George Sweeney , Submission , STFL 3: War Zone , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:22 , McAllen, Texas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Edwynn Jones , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Xp3: The Proving Ground , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:23 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Paul Hansen , TKO (punches) , SCP: South Coast Promotions , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:57 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Robert Larson , TKO , STFL 2: Aftershock , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:41 ,

Edinburg, Texas Edinburg ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. Its population was 74,569 as of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, and in 2019, its estimated population was 101,170, making it the second-largest city ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Matt Rangel , Submission (armbar) , Renegades Extreme Fighting , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:18 ,

, United States , , -

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

, - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Eric Bradley , TKO (punches) , Fight Master: Bellator MMA , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A , New Orleans, Louisiana, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Chris Lozano , Decision (unanimous) , Fight Master: Bellator MMA , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , New Orleans, Louisiana, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Jason Norwood , KO (punch) , Fight Master: Bellator MMA , , align=center, 3 , align=center, N/A , New Orleans, Louisiana, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Gareth Joseph , Decision (unanimous) , Fight Master: Bellator MMA , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , New Orleans, Louisiana, United States ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bronzoulis, Mikel 1979 births Living people American male mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing taekwondo Mixed martial artists utilizing Tang Soo Do Mixed martial artists utilizing Shotokan Mixed martial artists from Texas American male taekwondo practitioners American male karateka American people of Greek descent