Willie Gates (born January 21, 1987) is an American

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 ...

currently competing in the

Flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of bo ...

division. A professional competitor since 2008, he has competed for 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 ...

King of the Cage King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...

Tachi Palace Fights Tachi Palace Fights (TPF) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which hosted events at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. Matchmaker for TPF was former fighter Richard Goodman. Regarded as a regional promotion, T ...

, and

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 ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Born and raised in the

Inland Empire The Inland Empire (IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County to the west. It includes the cities o ...

region of Southern California, Gates began training in mixed martial arts in 2004. He made his professional debut as a lightweight in October 2008 where he competed in several regional promotions. Gates fought predominantly in his native state of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

where he amassed a record of 11–4, competing primarily in the bantamweight division before joining 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 ...

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Gates made his promotional debut as a short notice replacement for an injured

Jussier Formiga Jussier da Silva Viera Formiga (born April 14, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, Formiga most notably competed in the UFC and is the former Shooto South Ameri ...

against

John Moraga John Anthony Moraga (born March 20, 1984) is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who competes as a flyweight and featherweight in MMA and boxing, respectively. He is best known for his lengthy career Ultimate Fighting Champio ...

on December 13, 2014, at

UFC on Fox 13 ''UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 13'') was a mixed martial arts event held at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 13, 2014. Background The event was the first that the organization has hosted in ...

. He lost the back-and-forth fight via submission in the third round. Gates faced

Darrell Montague Darrell Montague (born November 3, 1987) is an American Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Montague, originally from Chino, California, grew ...

on July 12, 2015, at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale. Gates won the one-sided fight via TKO in the first round. In a quick turnaround, Gates faced

Dustin Ortiz Dustin Ortiz (born December 25, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division and is currently signed to the Brave CF. A professional competitor since 2010, Ortiz has also formerly competed for the UFC, RFA, T ...

on August 8, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 73 ''UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 73'') was a mixed martial arts event held on August 8, 2015, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Background The event was headlined by a light heavyweight bo ...

, filling in for an injured Ian McCall. He lost the fight via TKO in the third round. Gates was expected to face

Patrick Holohan Patrick Holohan (born 3 May 1988) is an Irish politician and retired mixed martial artist who notably competed in the flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor from 2007 until his retirement in 2016, ...

on May 8, 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 87 ''UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Arlovski'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 87'') was a mixed martial arts event held on May 8, 2016, at the Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Background The event was the first that the organization hosted ...

. However, on April 25, Holohan abruptly announced his retirement, citing a rare blood disorder. He was replaced on the card by

Ulka Sasaki Ulka may refer to: * Ulka Gupta (born 1997), Indian film and television actress * Ulka Sasaki (born 1989), Japanese mixed martial artist * DRDO Ulka, Indian air-launched expendable target drone * BNS Ulka, establishment of the Bangladeshi Navy * U ...

. Gates lost the fight via submission in the second round. On June 3 Willie Gates was released from the promotion.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 12–12 , Musa Toliver , Decision (split) , LXF 8: The Return , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Commerce, California Commerce is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 12,823 at the 2010 census, up from 12,568 at the 2000 census. It is usually referred to as the City of Commerce to distinguish it from the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–11 , Ryan MacDonald , TKO (punches) , Art of Scrap 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:56 ,

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–10 , Marvin Garcia , Decision (unanimous) , KOTC: Sin Rival , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–9 , George Garcia , Submission (rear-naked choke) , CXF 15: Rage in the Cage , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:33 ,

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–8 ,

Andre Ewell Andre Eugene Ewell (born January 21, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist. He competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He also competed for Classic Entertainment and Sports (CES MMA) and is a former ...

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , KOTC: Never Quit , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:47 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–7 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Arlovski , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:30 ,

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

, Netherlands , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–6 ,

, TKO (elbows and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:58 ,

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–5 ,

, TKO (knees to the body and elbows) , The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians Finale , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:36 ,

Las Vegas 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 ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–5 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:06 ,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–4 ,

Hector Sandoval Hector Sandoval (born July 19, 1986) is Mexican-American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He currently competes in the flyweight division. Background Born in Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico ...

, TKO (punches) , TPF 21: All or Nothing , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:23 ,

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, 10–4 , Jimmy Marquez , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Gladiator Challenge: Glove Up , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:36 ,

San Jacinto, California San Jacinto ( ; ; Spanish for " St. Hyacinth") is a city in Riverside County, California. It is located at the north end of the San Jacinto Valley, with Hemet to its south and Beaumont, California, to its north. The mountains associated with the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–4 , Chris Chavez , KO (knee) , Gladiator Challenge: Battle Ready , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:10 ,

El Cajon, California El Cajon ( , ; Spanish: El Cajón, meaning "the box") is a city in San Diego County, California, United States, east of downtown San Diego. The city takes its name from Rancho El Cajón, which was in turn named for the box-like shape of the va ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–4 , Eddy Gonzalez , Submission (armbar) , Gladiator Challenge: Night of the Champions , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:20 ,

Rancho Mirage, California Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal (part-time) population can exceed 20,000. Incorporated in 1973 and located ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–4 , Mario Casares , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Gladiator Challenge: Nitro , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:59 ,

, United States , Won vacant Gladiator Challenge Bantamweight Championship. , - , Loss , align=center, 6–4 , Anthony Perales , Submission (armbar) , SCMMA 2: Inland Empire Strikes Again , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:43 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–3 , Justin Santistevan , Submission , Gladiator Challenge: Battleground , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:28 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–3 , Gary Franklin , TKO (punches) , Gladiator Challenge: Heat Returns , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:15 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–3 , Federico Lopez , Decision (unanimous) , MEZ Sports: Pandemonium 7 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Jason Carbajal , Decision (unanimous) , FCOC: Fight Club OC , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Costa Mesa, California Costa Mesa (; Spanish for "Table Coast") is a city in Orange County, California. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wa ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 , Keenan Lewis , Decision (split) , National Fight Alliance: Valley Invasion 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–2 , Thomas Casarez , Decision (unanimous) , LBFN 13: Long Beach Fight Night 13 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–2 , Skylar Reider , TKO (punches) , LBFN 11: Long Beach Fight Night 11 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:14 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–2 ,

Jimmie Rivera Jimmie Ernesto Rivera (born June 29, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist and bare-knuckle boxer, currently signed to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). Prior to signing with BKFC, Rivera competed in the UFC's Bantamweig ...

, Submission (triangle choke) ,

Bellator 2 2009 in Bellator MMA was the first installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started broadcasting April 3, 2009, through an exclusive television agreement with ESPN Deportes. The episodes had a one-day ...

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:17 ,

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...

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

Robbie Peralta Roberto "Robbie" Andres Peralta (born March 14, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he has competed for the UFC, the World Series of Fighting, S ...

, TKO (punches) , GC 85: Cross Fire , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:50 ,

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

, United States ,

References

External links