Michael Grundy (born 1 March 1987) is an English professional

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 ...

and retired

freestyle wrestler Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling i ...

who also competed in the

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 ...

division of 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 ...

(UFC). During his wrestling career, Grundy most notably claimed a bronze medal from the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Background

Grundy started wrestling at a young age under the guidance of his father. He has four siblings who all have wrestled to some extent.

Freestyle wrestling career

During his

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

career, Grundy represented both

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

. He made two Junior World Teams and one Senior World Team while wrestling for England. Grundy wrestled for Great Britain in the men's freestyle 74 kg division at the

2009 World Wrestling Championships The 2009 World Wrestling Championships were held at the Messecenter Herning in Herning, Denmark. The event took place from September 21 to September 27, 2009. Medal table Team ranking Medal summary Men's freestyle Men's Greco-Roman Women' ...

, where he went 1–1. Competing for England, he competed in the men's freestyle 74 kg event at the

2010 Commonwealth Games The 2010 Commonwealth Games (Hindi: 2010 राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल), officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Delhi, India, f ...

, where he finished 5th overall. In his last international wrestling event, Grundy also competed for England in the men's freestyle 74 kg event at the

2014 Commonwealth Games The 2014 Commonwealth Games ( gd, Geamannan a' Cho-fhlaitheis 2014), officially known as the XX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Glasgow 2014, ( sco, Glesca 2014 or Glesga 2014; gd, Glaschu 2014), was an international multi-sport ev ...

where he won a bronze medal, being the best achievement of his career.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

His initial contact with mixed martial arts was when he helped

Terry Etim Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Am ...

during his fight camp in 2007. Gradually he picked up various disciplines and ultimately made his amateur mixed martial arts debut in 2011, followed by professional debut in September 2014. Over the next three years, Grundy competed for various promotions including

Shooto Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the ''Shooto Association'' and the ''International Shooto Commission''. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 198 ...

BAMMA BAMMA (British Association of Mixed Martial Arts) was a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United Kingdom. It premiered on June 27, 2009, and was shown on the television channel Bravo. BAMMA events were shown live on ITV4 in the UK and Ire ...

, and

Absolute Championship Berkut Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA), formerly known as Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB), is a Russian mixed martial arts, kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu organization and one of the leading promotions in Europe. To date, most events have been ...

. He amassed a record of 11 wins against 1 loss before joining the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Grundy made his debut on 16 March 2019 at UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal against

Nad Narimani Nad Narimani (born April 14, 1987) is an English mixed martial artist. He was the formal Cage Warriors Fighting Championship featherweight champion and he competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed mart ...

. He won the fight via technical knockout in the second round. Grundy was scheduled to face

Movsar Evloev Movsar Evloev (born February 11, 1994) is a Russian mixed martial artist, who is currently competing in the featherweight division of the UFC. A professional since 2014, he has also competed at M-1 Global, where he is the former bantamweight ch ...

on 31 August 2019 at

UFC on ESPN+ 15 ''UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang'' (also known as'' UFC Fight Night 157'' or ''UFC on ESPN+ 15'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 31, 2019 at Shenzhen Universiade Sports ...

. However, on 19 August it was reported that Grundy had pulled out from the event, citing injury. Grundy was scheduled to face

Makwan Amirkhani Makwan Amirkhani ( fa, ماکوان امیرخوانی; born November 8, 1988) is an Iranian-born Finnish mixed martial artist

on 21 March 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Edwards. However, the event was eventually postponed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. Grundy faced

on 26 July 2020 at

UFC on ESPN 14 ''UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 14'' and ''UFC Fight Island 3'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 26, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Grundy was expected to face

Nik Lentz Nik Lentz (born August 13, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He most notably fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fighting in the lightweight division. Background Lentz was born in El Paso, Texas but grew up in Twin C ...

on 16 January 2021 at

UFC on ABC 1 ''UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar'' (also known as ''UFC on ABC 1'' and ''UFC Fight Island 7'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 16, 2021, at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island ...

. However, a member of Grundy's team tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, hence Grundy was pulled from the fight. Grundy faced

Lando Vannata Landon Anthony Vannata (born March 14, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Featherweight (MMA), featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional com ...

UFC 262 ''UFC 262: Oliveira vs. Chandler'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 15, 2021 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States. Background A UFC Lightweight Championship b ...

on May 15, 2021. He lost the fight via split decision. As the last fight of his prevailing contract, Grundy faced

Makwan Amirkhani Makwan Amirkhani ( fa, ماکوان امیرخوانی; born November 8, 1988) is an Iranian-born Finnish mixed martial artist

UFC Fight Night 204 ''UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 204'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 62'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 19, 2022 at The O2 Arena in Lo ...

on March 19, 2022. The bout was originally scheduled to occur at UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Edwards. Grundy lost the fight via technical submission with an Anaconda choke in the first round. In May 2022, it was reported that Grundy was released by UFC.

Personal life

Grundy has three sons, of whom the oldest is also a mixed martial artist.

Championships and accomplishments

Freestyle wrestling

Senior

* United World Wrestling (FILA) **

- Bronze Medal - 74 kg ** 2011 Grand Prix of Spain - 9th place - 74 kg **

- 5th place - 74 kg ** 2010 Great Britain Cup - 7th place - 74 kg ** 2010 European Championship - 16th place - 74 kg ** 2009 World Championship - 12th place - 74 kg ** 2009 European Championship - 23rd place - 74 kg ** 2008 2nd Olympic Qualification - 20th place - 74 kg ** 2008 1st Olympic Qualification - 29th place - 74 kg ** 2007 European Championship - 22nd place - 74 kg

Mixed martial arts

*Aspera Fighting Championship ** Aspera FC Featherweight Championship (One time)

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

* IBJJF European No-Gi Championships **2015 European Championship First placer (lightweight, blue belt)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 12–4 ,

Makwan Amirkhani Makwan Amirkhani ( fa, ماکوان امیرخوانی; born November 8, 1988) is an Iranian-born Finnish mixed martial artist

, Technical Submission (anaconda choke) , UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:57 ,

London London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–3 ,

, Decision (split) ,

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

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 , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:42 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Fernando Bruno , Decision (unanimous) , Aspera FC 58 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Gaspar, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Michael Tobin , Submission (guillotine choke) , ACB 65: Silva vs. Agnaev , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:38 ,

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Yutaka Saito , Decision (unanimous) , Professional Shooto 1/29 , , 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 , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Fouad Mesdari , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Shinobi War 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:39 ,

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Daniel Vasquez , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , ICE Fighting Championships 18 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:15 ,

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Zsolt Fényes , Submission (americana) , ICE Fighting Championships 17 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:55 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Marley Swindells , Decision (unanimous) , BAMMA 25 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Damian Frankiewicz , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , BAMMA 21 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:59 ,

, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–1 ,

Damian Stasiak Damian Stasiak (born February 20, 1990) is a Polish mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division of the Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW). A professional competitor since 2011, he formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting ...

, Submission (triangle choke) , BAMMA 19 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:18 ,

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Mamadou Gueye , Submission (Brabo choke) , BAMMA 18 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:35 ,

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunian ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Mike Cutting , Submission (Brabo choke) , BAMMA 17 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:56 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Ant Phillips , Submission (Brabo choke) , BAMMA 16 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:47 ,

, England , , -

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grundy, Mike 1987 births Living people Sportspeople from Wigan British male sport wrestlers Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England Wrestlers at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games medallists in wrestling Featherweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu English male mixed martial artists English practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters

Background

Freestyle wrestling career

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Personal life

Championships and accomplishments

Freestyle wrestling

Senior

Mixed martial arts

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

Mixed martial arts record

See also

References

External links