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 ...
who competed in the
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 b ...
division. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, Bailey has formerly competed for the UFC, Strikeforce,
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 ...
,
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 ...
The son of a devoted pastor father, Shamar Bailey was raised in a strict Christian household which moved him across state lines six times before his 20th birthday. These moves were due to his dad's full-time corporate re-locations. Bailey was homeschooled until his senior year of high school when he elected to attend the local
Greenwood, Indiana
Greenwood is a city in Johnson County, Indiana, United States. The population was 63,830 at the 2020 Census. Greenwood is located between Indiana State Road 37 and Interstate 65. The city shares a border with Indianapolis and is the most pop ...
, public school. During his senior season at Center Grove High School, Bailey excelled on the varsity wrestling team, going undefeated over the course of the year.http://www.ultimatefighter.com/fighter/shamar-bailey After high school, Bailey attended Maranatha Bible College and majored in church-ministry.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Building on his impressive senior year at Center Grove, Bailey entered Division III
Maranatha Baptist Bible College
Maranatha Baptist University is a private Baptist university in Watertown, Wisconsin.
History
The institution was founded in 1968 as Maranatha Baptist Bible College by B. Myron Cedarholm. The college was named for the Aramaic phrase '' Ma ...
in Wisconsin where he continued to thrive on the mats, earning All-Conference three times and being named NCAA National Qualifier. The Church Ministries major returned to Indianapolis after graduation and began to train with Jake O'Brien and Chris Lytle to stay active as he mulled over an offer to move to
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
to train at the Olympic Training Center with the World Team training camp. Bailey began to feel more comfortable in the sport and decided to decline the invitation in order to pursue mixed martial arts and soon after, in 2006, Bailey had his first professional fight, a first-round TKO victory over Jason Cook.
For the past four years, Bailey has trained with Integrated Fighting Academy while also working part-time for the Indianapolis Fire Department with Chris Lytle. During this time, he has earned notable victories over
John Kolosci
John Kolosci (born November 26, 1974) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2003 until 2011, he competed for the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, the XFC, and was a competitor on ''The Ultimate Fighter'', fighting for Tea ...
Bailey made his Strikeforce on November 7, 2009, when he faced
John Kolosci
John Kolosci (born November 26, 1974) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2003 until 2011, he competed for the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, the XFC, and was a competitor on ''The Ultimate Fighter'', fighting for Tea ...
Strikeforce Challengers 7
''ShoMMA: Strikeforce Challengers'' is a mixed martial arts series that was produced by the mixed martial arts organization Strikeforce and the Showtime cable network. Similar to Showtime's earlier ''ShoXC
''ShoXC'' is a mixed martial arts ser ...
on March 26, 2010. He lost via unanimous decision and was subsequently released.
The Ultimate Fighter
In 2011, it was announced that Bailey had signed with the UFC to compete in The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos.
Bailey was picked first on Team dos Santos and second overall. In the first preliminary bout of the season, Bailey was selected to fight Nordin Asrih. Bailey used his wrestling to control Asrih on the ground and win a clear-cut decision.
In the quarterfinals, he fought Chris Cope but lost via unanimous decision after two rounds. After the fight Shamar was visibly upset with the decision, saying numerous times, "he fought well, but not that good".
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Even though he lost in the quarterfinals, Bailey remained signed after the show. He made his official UFC debut June 4, 2011 on The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale card, fighting against fellow quarterfinalist and teammate, Ryan McGillivray. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Bailey dropped to Lightweight in order to face Evan Dunham at UFC Fight Night 25. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Bailey faced Danny Castillo 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 a ...
. During the official weigh ins, Bailey failed to make the weight limit for the Lightweight division. Bailey came in three pounds over, which resulted being fined 20 percent of his earnings, and the bout took place at a Catchweight of 158 lb. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round. After the loss to Castillo, Bailey was released from the promotion.
Post UFC
Bailey was scheduled to face UFC veteran Karo Parisyan at ShoFight 20 on June 16, 2012 for the vacant ShoFight Welterweight Championship. However, due to a medical suspension, Bailey was pulled from the fight and replaced by John Gunderson
Xtreme Fighting Championships
Bailey faced Bellator veteran Luis Santos at XFC 23 on April 19, 2013. He lost the fight via TKO at just over a minute into the first round.
Retirement
On October 7, 2014, Bailey announced his retirement from MMA competition.
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 16–11
, Mark Stoddard
, TKO (punches)
, Pinnacle Combat XVII
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:44
,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city. ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 16–10
, Kevin Nowaczyk
, Decision (unanimous)
, HFC 19
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Valparaiso, Indiana
Valparaiso ( ), colloquially Valpo, is a city and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 34,151 at the 2020 census.
History
The site of present-day Valparaiso was included in the purchase of land from the ...
McCook, Illinois
McCook is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and is an industrial suburb of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the village population was 249, which is the lowest population of all municipalities in the county.
History
McCook was na ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 15–9
, Luis Santos
, TKO (head kick and punches)
, XFC 23: Louisville Slugfest
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:02
,
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana borde ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 15–8
, Gideon Ray
, Decision (unanimous)
, Flawless FC 2: Hated
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 14–8
, David Overfield
, TKO (punches)
, Colosseum Combat 22
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 0:18
,
Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo ( ) is a city in Indiana and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard County, the Kokomo-Peru CSA, which includ ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 13–8
, Joshua Williams
, Submission (armbar)
, Warfare 6 - Fight Night
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 2:25
,
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina, Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as Grand Strand, "The Grand Strand" i ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 13–7
, Lucas Pimenta Borges
, TKO (punches)
, Ultimate Warrior Fighting: Tournament of Warriors
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 2:30
, Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 13–6
,
Josh Shockley
Josh Shockley (born November 15, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2007, Shockley has also previously competed for the UFC and Bellator.
Mixed martial arts ...
Hammond, Indiana
Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, Lake County, Indiana. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern L ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 13–5
, Darrell Smith
, Submission (D'arce choke)
, Colosseum Combat XIX
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 3:53
,
Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo ( ) is a city in Indiana and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard County, the Kokomo-Peru CSA, which includ ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 12–5
, Danny Castillo
, TKO (punches)
,
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 a ...
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:52
,
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 ...
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, 11–3
, Kurt Kinser
, TKO (cut)
, LOF 41: Damage Incorporated
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 5:00
,
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of U.S. state and territorial capitals, state capital and List of U.S. states' largest cities by population, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat, seat of ...
Fresno, California
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 11–1
,
John Kolosci
John Kolosci (born November 26, 1974) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2003 until 2011, he competed for the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, the XFC, and was a competitor on ''The Ultimate Fighter'', fighting for Tea ...
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Hoffman Estates is a village in Illinois, United States. The village is located primarily in Cook County, with a small section in Kane County. It is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 52,530.
The village now serves ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 10–1
, Raymond Jarman
, TKO (punches)
, M-1 Challenge 18: Netherlands Day Two
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 3:15
,
Hilversum
Hilversum () is a city and municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. Located in the heart of the Gooi, it is the largest urban centre in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller towns. Hil ...
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of U.S. state and territorial capitals, state capital and List of U.S. states' largest cities by population, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat, seat of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 8–1
, James George
, Submission (guillotine choke)
, UFL: Fight Night at The Murat
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 2:04
,
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of U.S. state and territorial capitals, state capital and List of U.S. states' largest cities by population, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat, seat of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 7–1
, Roger Bowling
, TKO (punches)
, RFL: Hostile Takeover
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 0:28
,
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana borde ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 7–0
, Gabriel Miranda
, DQ
, Warriors Collide 2
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 3:30
,
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo () is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 111,876 at the 2020 United States Census, making Pueblo the ninth most popu ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 6–0
, Waachiim Spiritwolf
, Decision (unanimous)
, Revolution Fight League 1
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana borde ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 5–0
, Matt Delanoit
, Decision (unanimous)
, UFL: Fight Night at Conseco Fieldhouse
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of U.S. state and territorial capitals, state capital and List of U.S. states' largest cities by population, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat, seat of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 4–0
, Mike Firari
, TKO (punches)
, Madtown Throwdown 10
,
, align=center, N/A
, align=center, N/A
,
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the county seat of Dane County, Wisconsin, Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin b ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–0
, Salazar Sanchez
, TKO (punches)
, LOF 12: Black Tie Battles
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 2:39
,
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of U.S. state and territorial capitals, state capital and List of U.S. states' largest cities by population, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat, seat of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–0
, Courtney Ray
, Submission
, United Fight League 3
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, N/A
,
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of U.S. state and territorial capitals, state capital and List of U.S. states' largest cities by population, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat, seat of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, Jason Cook
, TKO (punches)
, United Fight League 2
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, N/A
,
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of U.S. state and territorial capitals, state capital and List of U.S. states' largest cities by population, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat, seat of ...
, United States
,
Amateur mixed martial arts record
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, Rod Montoya
, Decision (unanimous)
, United Fight League 1
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of U.S. state and territorial capitals, state capital and List of U.S. states' largest cities by population, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat, seat of ...