Ryan Roberts (born July 16, 1978) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

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 ...

. Roberts competes 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, but has also competed at

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxe ...

and

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

. He is the current VFC featherweight champion, and is also known for his short stints in

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 ...

and

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 ...

Mixed martial arts career

Roberts began his mixed martial arts career in 2006 for the AFC promotion, and made local competitor Nick Wright tap out from strikes early in the first round for his first victory. Four fights into his career, Roberts faced future WEC and

fighter

Donald Cerrone Donald Cerrone (born March 29, 1983), known professionally by his nickname "Cowboy", is an American retired mixed martial artist, actor, and former professional kickboxer. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight division for the Ultimat ...

, and was submitted with an armbar in the first round. He would continue fighting local competitors in various smaller promotions in

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

, and

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

, and compiled a professional record of 10–2 before being signed by 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 ...

in early 2008.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In his one and only appearance for the UFC, Roberts faced submission specialist and

Pride FC PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...

standout

Marcus Aurelio Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl� ...

at UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon on April 2, 2008. Roberts was submitted with an armbar in just thirteen seconds, and was subsequently released from the promotion shortly after.

Post-UFC career

Following his UFC release, Roberts would go on a career worst six-fight losing streak against opponents of varying fighting status. On April 2, 2010, Roberts faced Chris Mickle at Midtown Promotions, and won the fight when Roberts knocked out Mickle with a slam in the first round. He won two more fights and was then signed by

Bellator Fighting Championship

Roberts faced Eric Marriott in a rematch at

Bellator 32 2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and ...

on October 14, 2010. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. He returned to Bellator after an undefeated run on the regional circuit and faced

Zach Makovsky Zachary Paul "Zach" Makovsky (born April 19, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the flyweight division of the Brave Combat Federation. He has competed in EliteXC, ShoXC, Bellator, and Ultimate Fighting Championship ...

Bellator 54 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...

on October 15, 2011. Roberts lost the fight by north-south choke and was released from Bellator.

Victory Fighting Championship

Since his release from Bellator, Roberts has made an unexpected career resurgence, successfully capturing the VFC featherweight championship against Josh Arocho on December 15, 2012. For his first title defense, Roberts faced WEC veteran L.C. Davis at VFC 41 on December 14, 2013. Roberts won the back-and-forth fight by split decision. Roberts then faced

Chase Beebe Chase Beebe (born March 29, 1985) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist from Chicago, Illinois. He most recently fought for the World Extreme Cagefighting organization, where he was the Bantamweight Champion. He lost that belt ...

at VFC 42 on March 15, 2014, winning the fight by a dominant unanimous decision. Roberts faced

Jeremy Spoon Jeremy Spoon (born April 1, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Spoon has made a name for himself fighting in various promotions, including King of the Cage and Bellator Fighting Championships. Spo ...

at VFC: Fight Night Harrahs 1 on September 12, 2014. He won the fight by a razor-thin split decision, marking his third straight successful title defense. In his latest fight, Roberts faced

veteran Ramiro Hernandez at VFC 46 on July 25, 2015, winning the fight by first round knockout.

Resurrection Fighting Alliance

Roberts signed with Resurrection Fighting Alliance in mid-2015, and is expected to face prospect Adam Townsend in his debut at RFA 30 on September 18, 2015.

Championships and accomplishments

*Victory Fighting Championship **VFC Featherweight Championship (One time) **Four successful title defenses () *Fury Fights **FF Lightweight Championship (One time) *The Cage Incorporated **TCI Featherweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 21–12–1 (1) , Robert Emerson , TKO (knee injury) , VFC 54: Pitolo vs. Kayne 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:34 ,

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–11–1 (1) , Adam Townsend , Decision (unanimous) , RFA 30: Smith vs. Jardine , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–10–1 (1) ,

, Technical Decision (split) , VFC: Fight Night Harrahs 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, Submission (north-south choke) , Bellator LIV , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:48 ,

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, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 16–9–1 (1) , Rick Glenn , Draw , MCC 35: Brawl at the Hall , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–9 (1) ,

Nick Mamalis Nick Mamalis (born 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Bantamweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he has competed for Bellator and Absolute Championship Berkut. Background Born and raise ...

, Decision (unanimous) , The Cage Inc.: Battle at the Border 9 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Hankinson, North Dakota Hankinson is a city in Richland County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 921 at the 2020 census. Hankinson was founded in 1886. It is part of the Wahpeton, ND– MN Micropolitan Statistical Area. History A post office has been ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–9 (1) , Dennis Davis , Decision (unanimous) , EB: Beatdown at 4 Bears 8 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–9 (1) , Jeff Lentz , Decision (unanimous) , Extreme Challenge: Bad Blood , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–9 (1) , Eric Marriott , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator XXXII , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–8 (1) , Eric Marriott , Decision (unanimous) , VFC 32: Dober vs. Seipel 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–8 (1) , Chaz Haag , TKO (punches) , CFX / XKL: Mayhem in Minneapolis , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:20 ,

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–8 (1) , Chris Mickle , KO (slam) , Midtown Productions: Mayhem at Mancuso , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:50 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–8 (1) ,

Duane Ludwig Duane Paul Ludwig (born August 4, 1978) is an American mixed martial arts coach, retired professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist. Ludwig formerly held the unofficial fastest knockout record in the UFC after his win against Jonathan Goul ...

, TKO (submission to punches) , ROF 36: Demolition , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:05 ,

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–7 (1) , Eric Marriott , Decision (unanimous) , TFC 14: Titan Fighting Championship 14 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–6 (1) , Jonathan Murphy , TKO (punches) , XFO: Xtreme Fighting Organization 28 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:24 ,

Lakemoor, Illinois Lakemoor is a village in Lake County, Illinois, Lake and McHenry County, Illinois, McHenry counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Per the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 6,182. Geography Lakemoor is located at (42.3401 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–5 (1) , Joe Wilk , Submission (guillotine choke) , VFC 26: Onslaught , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:06 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–4 (1) , John Mahlow , Submission , AE: Atomic Enterprizes , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:10 ,

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, Submission (armbar) , UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:16 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 (1) , Joe Doherty , Decision (unanimous) , VFC 22: Ascension , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 (1) , Zach Wolff , TKO (punches) , VFC 22: Ascension , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:23 , , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–2 (1) ,

Alonzo Martinez Alonzo Martinez (born April 22, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. Alonzo has fought twice for Bellator Fighting Championships as a lightweight and once with Strikeforce as a welterweight (though it was contested at a ...

, Submission , VFC 20: Aces , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 (1) , Rocky Johnson , Decision (split) , Battlequest 6: Shootout , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 7–1 (1) , Zac George , No Contest , IFO: Eastman vs. Kimmons , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:09 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Eugene Crisler , TKO (punches) , XFO: Xtreme Fighting Organization 18 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:37 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Alex Rutter , KO (punches) , VFC 19: Inferno , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:22 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Jake Burriola , Submission (keylock) , GFC 1: Genesis , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:19 ,

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

, Submission (armbar) , ROF 28: Evolution , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:49 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Josh Smidt , Submission (rear-naked choke) , RFN 2: Royalty Fight Night 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:37 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Ryan Heckert , TKO (punches) , VFC 17: Predators , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:15 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Tony Hawkins , TKO (punches) , Fury Fights: Battle in Brookings 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:18 , South Dakota, United States, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Nick Wright , TKO (submission to punches) , AFC 9: Fresh Meat , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States ,

Bare knuckle boxing record

, - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Jorge Gonzalez , KO (punch) , BKFC 21 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:29 ,

, United States

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Ryan 1978 births American male mixed martial artists Bantamweight mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Living people Mixed martial artists from Nebraska Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters