Michael Wayne Pyle (born September 18, 1975) is a retired American 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 ...

who competed in the

welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...

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 ...

. A professional competitor since 1999, Pyle is a former WEC Welterweight Champion, and has also competed in

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'', ...

Elite XC Elite Xtreme Combat, also known as EliteXC, was a United States-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization owned and operated by ProElite. It was founded as a partnership between Showtime Networks and ProElite and officially announced on Decembe ...

Affliction Affliction or Afflicted may refer to: Books * ''Affliction'' (novel), a 2013 Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novel by Laurell K. Hamilton * ''Affliction'', a novel by Russell Banks, basis of the 1998 film Film and TV * ''Affliction'' (1997 film), ...

M-1 Global M-1 Global (Mixfight-1) or MMA-1 (Mixed martial arts-1) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in St. Petersburg, Russia which organizes between 10 and 20 competitions per year. It hosted its first major show (rather than co-promoting with othe ...

, and for the Los Angeles Anacondas of the

IFL IFL may refer to: ;American football *Intense Football League, (2004–2008) in the United States, merged into the Indoor Football League *Indoor Football League, (2008–present) in the United States *Intercontinental Football League, a European l ...

Background

Pyle was born and raised in

Dresden, Tennessee Dresden is a town in and the county seat of Weakley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,005 at the 2010 census. Geography Dresden is located at (36.283805, -88.698296). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town ...

until the age of 17 when he moved to

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

. It was there that he began studying

Taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...

. One of his training partners told him, "Man you gotta check out this cage fighter stuff they got going on. There's this guy who lays on the ground and breaks peoples arms ..." The cage fighting they were talking about was the UFC. The man they were talking about was

Royce Gracie Royce Gracie (; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist, a UFC Hall of Famer, and a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. A member of the Gracie family, he is considered to be one of the most influential figures i ...

, the masterful practitioner of the

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 ...

discipline known as

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

who won the tournaments at

UFC 1 ''The Ultimate Fighting Championship'' (later renamed ''UFC 1: The Beginning'') was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, United States, on November ...

UFC 2 ''The Ultimate Fighting Championship Part II'' (later renamed ''UFC 2: No Way Out'') was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 11, 1994, at Mammoth Gardens in Denver, Colorado, United States. The eve ...

and

UFC 4 ''UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on December 16, 1994, at the Expo Center Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. The event was seen live on pay-per-view, ...

. Pyle created a gym in a 13 x 15-foot shed behind his mother's home in Dresden, searching for any instructional videos for Brazilian jiu-jitsu he could get his hands on as well attending seminars put together by the

Gracie family The Gracie Family () are a prominent martial arts family originally from Belém, state of Pará, Brazil whose ancestors came from Paisley, Scotland. They are known for creating the self-defense martial arts system of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, also kn ...

, whenever they were close enough for him to make the drive. Despite having no formal Brazilian jiu-jitsu training, Pyle would go on to be a successful submission grappler in mixed martial arts, the large majority of his wins coming by submission.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Pyle's first sanctioned amateur MMA fight was in 1999 against future

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion 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 ...

Quinton Jackson Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (born June 20, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler, who most recently fought in the Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and unified the Pride Middlew ...

. The bout was on ISCF MMA & IKF Kickboxing Promoter Jeff Mullen's November 13 event at the New Daisey Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee, (Jackson's hometown). Pyle and Jackson were to be the Main Event and was supposed to be for the ISCF Amateur Mid-South Regional Middleweight Title. However, Jackson weighed in 25 lbs heavy (200 lb.) for the title so technically, Pyle (175 lb.) won by forfeit. But this could not keep these two from going for it in the ring. The young Pyle, who tried various different submissions during the fight, was thrown and slammed several times, at one point being actually throw out of the ring by the future

PRIDE Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

veteran. In the end, Jackson won by unanimous decision but Pyle, who had also fought with two broken fingers, felt that he had won and was quick to ask for a rematch. From this fight, Pyle learned that "just jiu-jitsu wasn't going to be able to cut it."

World Extreme Cagefighting

On October 14, 2005, Pyle became the WEC Welterweight Champion by defeating

Bret Bergmark Bret Bergmark (born November 24, 1973) is an American professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2002, Bergmark has formerly competed for the WEC, Strikeforce, and P ...

. He successfully defended the title against veteran

Shonie Carter Mearion Shonie Bickhem III (born May 3, 1972), better known as Shonie Carter, is an American mixed martial artist. He is a former WEC Welterweight Champion, a UFC veteran, and a contestant on ''The Ultimate Fighter 4'' reality show. He has also ...

on January 13, 2006. He defeated Carter by triangle choke submission in the first round. Pyle then left the WEC for the IFL and was stripped of the title in December 2006.

The IFL and Affliction

Pyle fought three times in the IFL fights as a member of

Bas Rutten Sebastiaan "Bas" Rutten (; born 24 February 1965) is a Dutch-American actor, former mixed martial artist, kickboxer and professional wrestler. He was a UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three-time King of Pancrase world champion, and finished his car ...

’s Los Angeles Anacondas. He also fought for

, and he was featured on the preliminary card of the first event co-promoted by

Affliction Clothing Affliction Clothing is an American clothing manufacturer and retailer based in Seal Beach, California. It was launched in 2005 by Courtney Dubar and partners, and is now owned by Affliction Holdings LLC. The company offers a wide range of produc ...

and

Adrenaline MMA Adrenaline MMA was a mixed martial arts organization that operated primarily in North America. It was formerly part of M-1 Global but became independent in October 2007 with Monte Cox as its head. History Foundation In October 2007, Sibling E ...

: Affliction: Banned.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Pyle then signed with the UFC as a replacement for Chris Wilson, fighting

Brock Larson Brock Orville Larson (born August 23, 1977) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions. A professional competitor from 2002 until 2016, Larson has formerly competed for the U ...

UFC 98 ''UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on May 23, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background A title unification match between the Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir and U ...

. Pyle took the fight on just one week's notice. Pyle lost in the first round via arm-triangle choke. Next, he fought and defeated Wilson at UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard by submission due to a

guillotine choke The guillotine choke, also known as Mae Hadaka Jime (前裸絞, "front naked choke"; compare to a rear naked choke) in judo, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from in front of the opponent, often on the ground but can also be done while stan ...

in the third round. Pyle was defeated by

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, ...

via second round TKO on January 2, 2010 at

UFC 108 ''UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 2, 2010, in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Background The card for UFC 108 was plagued with numerous injuries ...

. Pyle defeated Jesse Lennox at

UFC 115 ''UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 12, 2010 at General Motors Place (now Rogers Arena) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Background This was the fourth UFC ev ...

on June 12, 2010. Pyle largely controlled the bout and won via technical submission, when his opponent passed out in a triangle choke late in the third round. Pyle gave

John Hathaway John Lawrence Hathaway (born 1 July 1987) is an English mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division. Mixed martial arts career Background and early career Formerly an open-side flanker for local rugby team Hove RFC, Hatha ...

his first professional MMA loss via unanimous decision on October 16, 2010 at

UFC 120 ''UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 16, 2010, at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. The card featured six televised MMA bouts, as well as four un-aired preli ...

, replacing an injured

Dong Hyun Kim Kim Dong-hyun ( ko, 김동현, 金東炫; born November 17, 1981), anglicized as Dong Hyun Kim, is a retired South Korean mixed martial artist who most notably fought in the UFC's welterweight division. He was signed by the UFC after fighting ...

. He controlled the fight for all three rounds, out-striking and out-grappling Hathaway, even going as far as putting Hathaway in a modified crucifix-triangle choke hold and raining down unanswered strikes. Pyle faced

Ricardo Almeida Ricardo Alves Almeida (; born November 29, 1976) is a Brazilian-American former mixed martial artist and current Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler residing in Bordentown, New Jersey. Almeida is a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRID ...

on March 19, 2011 at

UFC 128 ''UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 19, 2011, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background This event was expected to take place in Abu Dha ...

. Pyle won the fight via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). Pyle next faced Rory MacDonald on August 6, 2011 at

UFC 133 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 ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round. Pyle was expected to face

Paulo Thiago Paulo Thiago Alencar Antunes (; born January 25, 1981) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Middleweight (MMA), Middleweight division of Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki, KSW. A professional competitor since 2005, he ha ...

on January 14, 2012 at

UFC 142 ''UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 14, 2012 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was the first UFC event of the year, and was broadcast live on pay-per-view ...

. However, Thiago was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by

Ricardo Funch Ricardo Funch (born August 14, 1980) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, Funch has formerly competed for the UFC. Mixed martial arts career Ult ...

. Pyle won the bout via TKO in the first round. Pyle faced

Josh Neer Joshua Martin Neer (born March 24, 1983) is an American bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2003, he has competed for the UFC, Bellator, the Quad Cities Silverbacks of the IFL, and Shark Fights. Ne ...

on June 8, 2012 at

UFC on FX 3 The year 2012 was the 20th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. 2012 started with UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes and ended with UFC 155: dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2 ...

. Pyle defeated Neer via first round KO, earning ''Knockout of the Night'' honors. Pyle was then matched up against James Head on December 15, 2012 at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson Finale. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. Pyle was expected to face Gunnar Nelson on May 25, 2013 at

UFC 160 ''UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 25, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event was a rematch between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and Ant� ...

. However, Nelson pulled out of the bout citing an injury and was replaced by

Rick Story Rick Thomas Story (born August 28, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2007-2018, he last competed for the Professional Fighters League, but is better known for his 19-fight tenure with the UFC. Background Story ...

. Although he got knocked down in the end of the first round, Pyle withstood Story's attack and recovered in the second round, coming close to submitting his opponent with a kimura. In the third round Pyle came on strong, landing numerous knees and elbows and hurting Story. Pyle won the fight via split decision. Pyle next faced Matt Brown 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 ev ...

. Brown defeated Pyle via first round knockout. Pyle faced

TJ Waldburger Anthony "TJ" Waldburger Jr. (born April 25, 1988) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, he competed for the UFC, Shark Fights, and HDNet Fights. Background ...

on February 22, 2014 at

UFC 170 ''UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann'' was a mixed martial arts held on February 22, 2014, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was released on DVD on May 27, 2014. The DVD was distributed by ''Anchor Bay Entertainment''. Ba ...

. He won via TKO in the third round, after hurting Waldburger with two elbows and a knee. Pyle was expected to face

Demian Maia Demian Maia (born 6 November 1977) is a Brazilian professional submission grappler and mixed martial artist. He competed in both the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Maia is regarded as one ...

on August 23, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 49 ''UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 49'') was a mixed martial arts event held on August 23, 2014, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Background The event was headlined by Lightweight contenders Benson ...

. However, Maia pulled out of the fight with an injury and was replaced by

Jordan Mein Jordan Taylor Mein (born October 10, 1989) is a Canadian professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Welterweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2006, Mein has also formerly competed for Ultimate F ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round. Pyle was expected to face Sean Spencer on May 23, 2015 at

UFC 187 ''UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 23, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was expected to be headlined by a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship bout between then ...

. However, on April 23, Spencer pulled out of the fight with an undisclosed injury and was replaced by

Colby Covington Colby Ray Covington (born February 22, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Welterweight Champ ...

. Pyle lost the fight via unanimous decision. The bout with Spencer was rescheduled and eventually took place on February 6, 2016 at

UFC Fight Night 82 ''UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 82'') was a mixed martial arts event held on February 6, 2016, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was originally billed as ''UFC 19 ...

. Pyle won the back-and-forth fight via TKO in the third round, after landing a spinning elbow and following up with punches, elbows and knees. Pyle was also awarded his first ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award. Pyle next faced

Alberto Mina Alberto Mina (born May 2, 1982) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Biography A native of Campina Grande in northeast Brazil, Mina began his career at the age of 5, ...

on July 7, 2016 at

UFC Fight Night 90 ''UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Alvarez'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 90'') was a mixed martial arts event held on July 7, 2016 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was the first of three events in as man ...

. He lost the fight via knockout in the second round. Pyle faced Alex Garcia on December 30, 2016 at

UFC 207 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 ...

. He lost the fight by knockout in the first round. Pyle faced

Zak Ottow Zachary Ottow (born ) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2011, he has also competed for King of the Cage. Background ...

on March 3, 2018 at

UFC 222 ''UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on March 3, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Background A UFC ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round. Pyle retired from MMA competition after this fight.

Personal life

Pyle and his girlfriend were married in October 2009. Pyle played the role of Capt. Kevin Burke in the movie '' Universal Soldier: Regeneration'' starring

Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the a ...

Dolph Lundgren Hans Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957), better known as Dolph Lundgren, is a Swedish actor, filmmaker and martial artist. His breakthrough came in 1985, when he starred in ''Rocky IV'' as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Since then, Lu ...

and fellow MMA fighter

Andrei Arlovski Andrei Arlovski (born 4 February 1979) is a Belarusian-American professional mixed martial artist, actor and former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and ho ...

. Pyle played a small part in the 2012 blockbuster '' Men In Black III'' starring

Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his Will Smith filmography, acting career starring as Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), a ...

and

Tommy Lee Jones Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor and film director. He has received four Academy Award nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor for his performance as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard in the 1993 thriller film '' The ...

. After the retirement from competition, Pyle has been working as an assistant coach at his long-time team Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas.

Championships and accomplishments

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 ...

** Fight of the Night (One time) ** Knockout of the Night (One time) *

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

** WEC Welterweight Championship (One time) ***One successful title defense *Viking Fight **Viking Fight Middleweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 27–14–1 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:34 ,

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 Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 27–13–1 , Alex Garcia , KO (punch) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:34 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 27–12–1 ,

, KO (flying knee and punches) , UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Alvarez , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:17 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 27–11–1 , Sean Spencer , TKO (elbows and knees) , UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:25 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 26–11–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:12 ,

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 26–9–1 ,

, TKO (elbows and punches) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:03 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 25–9–1 , Matt Brown , KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:29 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 25–8–1 ,

, Decision (split) ,

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

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 24–8–1 , James Head , TKO (knee and punches) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson Finale , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:55 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–8–1 ,

, KO (punch) , UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:56 ,

Sunrise, Florida Sunrise is a city in central-western Broward County, Florida, United States, and is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 97,335. Sunrise was incorporated in 1961 and founded ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–8–1 ,

, TKO (knee and punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:22 ,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–8–1 , Rory MacDonald , TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:54 ,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–7–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.John Hathaway John Lawrence Hathaway (born 1 July 1987) is an English mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division. Mixed martial arts career Background and early career Formerly an open-side flanker for local rugby team Hove RFC, Hatha ...

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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

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 , , - , Win , align=center, 19–7–1 , Jesse Lennox , Technical Submission (triangle choke) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:44 ,

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7–1 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:22 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–6–1 , Chris Wilson , Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:15 ,

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–6–1 ,

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:06 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–5–1 ,

Brian Gassaway Brian Gassaway (August 7, 1972 – October 17, 2021) was an American mixed martial artist who last competed in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor from 1996 until 2010, he competed for the UFC, Bellator, the WEC, King of ...

, Submission (armbar) , SuperFights MMA: Night of Combat 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:21 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–5–1 , J.J. Ambrose , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Affliction: Banned , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:51 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5–1 ,

Dan Hornbuckle Dan Hornbuckle (born December 26, 1980) is a former American mixed martial artist and a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee tribe. A professional since 2006, Hornbuckle has competed for Bellator, Legacy FC, World Victory Road, and DEEP. ...

, Submission (triangle choke) , World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:52 ,

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, 14–5–1 , Damir Mirenic , Submission (kimura) , HCF: Destiny , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:24 ,

Calgary, Alberta Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,30 ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–5–1 ,

Jake Shields Jake Sequoyah Shields (born January 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist and submission grappler. He was the last Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion, the only Elite XC Welterweight Champion, a former Shooto Welterweight ...

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , EliteXC: Renegade , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:39 ,

Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi (; Ecclesiastical Latin: "'' Body of Christ"'') is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patrici ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4–1 , Aaron Wetherspoon , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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 popul ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4–1 , Ross Ebañez , Submission (rear-naked choke) , EliteXC: Destiny , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:55 ,

Southaven, Mississippi Southaven is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. It is a principal city in Greater Memphis. The 2020 census reported a population of 54,648, making Southaven the third-largest city in Mississippi and the second most populous ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–4–1 ,

Matt Horwich Matthew Peter Horwich (born October 2, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, Horwich has fought in BAMMA, Strikeforce, Bellator, the UFC, and for t ...

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , IFL: World Championship Semifinals , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:02 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3–1 , John Cole , Technical Submission (guillotine choke) , IFL: Portland , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:17 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–3–1 ,

Rory Markham Rory is a given name of Gaelic origin. It is an anglicisation of the ga, Ruairí/''Ruaidhrí'' and gd, Ruairidh and is common to the Irish, Highland Scots and their diasporas. for the given name "Rory". The meaning of the name is "red king", ...

, KO (punch) , IFL: Legends Championship 2006 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:44 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2–1 ,

Gustavo Machado Gustavo Machado da Silva (born May 17, 1975) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who has competed for the International Fight League, Shooto, Deep (mixed martial arts), DEEP, RINGS, Pancrase and King of the Cage promotions. Machado ...

, TKO (punches) , GFC: Team Gracie vs. Team Hammer House , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:20 ,

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2–1 ,

, Submission (triangle choke) ,

WEC 18 The year 2006 is the 6th year in the history of World Extreme Cagefighting, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. In 2006 WEC held 7 events beginning with, ''WEC 18: Unfinished Business''. Title fights Event ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:06 ,

Lemoore, California Lemoore (formerly, La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 2 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2–1 ,

, Submission (triangle choke) ,

WEC 17 WEC 17: Halloween Fury 4 was a mixed martial arts event promoted by World Extreme Cagefighting on October 14, 2005 at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. A light heavyweight tournament was held with the winner being crowned th ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:36 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2–1 , Tony Sanza , Submission (rear-naked choke) , SportFight 12 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:06 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2–1 , Damian Hatch , Submission (rear-naked choke) , SportFight 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:07 ,

Gresham, Oregon Gresham ( ) is a city located in Multnomah County, Oregon, in the United States of America, immediately east of Portland, Oregon. It is considered a suburb within the Greater Portland Metropolitan area. Though it began as a settlement in the mid- ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–2–1 , Patrick Suhl , KO (punches) , Viking Fight 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:31 ,

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, Denmark , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2–1 , Petras Markevicius , Submission (triangle choke) , Viking Fight 5 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:55 ,

, Denmark , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2–1 , Arschak Dahabagian , Submission (triangle choke) , Viking Fight 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:39 ,

, Denmark , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–2–1 , Valdas Pocevicius , Submission (guillotine choke) , Shooto , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:37 ,

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

, Lithuania , , - , Draw , align=center, 2–1–1 , Andrei Semenov , Draw , M-1 MFC: Russia vs. the World 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 10:00 ,

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Daan Kooiman , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Viking Fight 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:49 ,

Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwest ...

, Denmark , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 ,

Jon Fitch Jonathan Parker Fitch (born February 24, 1978) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He has competed in the Welterweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and most recently for ...

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , Revolution Fighting Championship 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:35 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , ISCF: Memphis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, United States ,

References

External links

*
Official UFC Profile
* *
UFC 115 Interview: Mike "Quicksand" Pyle looking to sink Jesse Lennox
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pyle, Mike American male mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing taekwondo Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu World Extreme Cagefighting champions Living people People from Dresden, Tennessee Mixed martial artists from Tennessee 1975 births American male taekwondo practitioners American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters

Background

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

World Extreme Cagefighting

The IFL and Affliction

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Personal life

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

See also

References

External links