Michael Waylon Lowe (born October 31, 1980) 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 ...

who most recently 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 boxe ...

division. A professional competitor since 2006, 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 ...

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 ...

, and the

World Series of Fighting The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by Venture capital, venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fight ...

Amateur wrestling career

Lowe was a two-time state finalist and one-time state champion for Jefferson County High School in

Dandridge, Tennessee Dandridge is a town in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States. It had a population of 3,344 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Morristown, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Jefferson, ...

before

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 ...

for the

University of Findlay The University of Findlay (UF) is a private university, private Christianity, Christian university in Findlay, Ohio. It was established in 1882 through a joint partnership between the Churches of God General Conference (Winebrenner), Churches ...

Findlay, Ohio Findlay ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Ohio, United States. The second-largest city in Northwest Ohio, Findlay lies about 40 miles (64 km) south of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. The population was 40,313 at the 2020 United St ...

. Lowe recorded 112 victories during his collegiate career. He was the school's first

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

national champion in any sport when he captured the 149 lbs national title in 2002. He won two other

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

crowns, one at 149 lbs in 2003 and another at 165 lbs in 2004. In 2004, he faced off with Shawn Silvis in the finals who also was a two-time national champion. Lowe won the match 8-6 and also won the Outstanding Wrestling award for the tournament. Lowe ranks 4th in career wins, 1st in season wins, 2nd in career takedowns, and 6th in season takedowns for the University of Findlay. In 2013, he joined the advisory board fo
Wrestler Supply
an online e-commerce site for high-end wrestling gear.

Mixed martial arts career

Lowe's interest in MMA sparked while he was training at the

Olympic Training Center The United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Centers (OPTCs) are two campuses created by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) as training facilities for its Olympic and Paralympic athletes. They are located in Colorado Spri ...

Colorado Springs, Colorado 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 ...

. He was only there to train in wrestling, but he had the opportunity to briefly speak with

Matt Lindland Matthew James Lindland (born May 17, 1970), also known as The Law, is an American retired mixed martial artist, Olympic wrestler, speaker, actor, coach, entrepreneur and politician. He won the Oregon Republican Party's nomination for t ...

. Lindland was so influential that Lowe flew out to

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

to train with Lindland and

Randy Couture Randall Duane Couture (; born June 22, 1963) is an American actor, former United States Army, U.S. Army sergeant, former mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former Collegiate wrestling, collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman ...

. Lowe held only a 1-0 amateur record before his team, Team Gurgel and Team Vision, requested he go pro. Lowe's professional debut was against David Love at a local Hook 'N' Shoot event. Lowe lost the fight after he tapped out from 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 ...

. He bounced back from the loss with two submission wins, improving his record to 2-1. In 2007, he lost to the more experienced

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 ...

via submission from punches in the first round. Lowe racked up three wins before trying out for the ninth season of the

Ultimate Fighter ''Ultimate Fighter'' - known in Japan as , is a 1992 fighting video game developed and published by Culture Brain for the Super NES. An updated version of it titled

reality show. Lowe was selected as one of the contestants and brought in for the show. Before he could move in the TUF house, Lowe had to fight Santino DeFranco. After an impressive first round, which

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

believed should not have gone to a second round because of the beating Lowe delivered to DeFranco, Lowe was defeated by submission early in the second round. Lowe took about five months off after losing on the Ultimate Fighter show, but then returned to fight for

Bellator Fighting Championships Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Global. ...

. At

Bellator 5 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 ...

, Lowe defeated

Frank Caraballo Frank Caraballo (born December 18, 1984) is an Americans, American mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight (MMA), featherweight division. Mixed martial arts career Bellator Fighting Championships Caraballo lost to UFC veteran Wa ...

via unanimous decision. In April 2010, Lowe defeated UFC veteran Steve Berger via KO midway through round one.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Lowe made his UFC debut stepping in for

Thiago Tavares Thiago de Mello Tavares (born November 8, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and politician who most recently competed in the Lightweight division. An 18-fight veteran of the UFC, he has also fought in the Professional Fighters League and ...

against

Melvin Guillard Melvin Paul Guillard, Jr. (born March 30, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division. Guillard most notably competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA a ...

on May 29, 2010, at

UFC 114 ''UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 29, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC Fan Expo took place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Backg ...

. Guillard won the fight via KO due to a knee to the body as Lowe was attempting a takedown in the first round. Lowe fought Steve Lopez on September 25, 2010, at

UFC 119 ''UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 25, 2010, at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The event was the first that the UFC hosted in Indiana. ...

. Lowe defeated Lopez via split decision earning his first UFC victory. On January 22, 2011, at

UFC Fight Night 23 ''UFC: Fight for the Troops 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 23'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 22, 2011 at Fort Hood, near Killeen, Texas. The event was the third that the UFC has hos ...

, Lowe fought former Shooto welterweight champion,

Willamy Freire Willamy Freire (born July 28, 1987) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who has fought for Shooto and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Freire was also the Shooto Welterweight Champion. Mixed martial arts career Early career Fre ...

. Lowe won the fight via unanimous decision after dominating his opponent with superior wrestling and effective ground and pound. Lowe lost to

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 March 26, 2011, at

UFC Fight Night 24 ''UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 24'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 26, 2011 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. Background The event did not lea ...

. After Lowe won the first and second rounds convincingly, Lentz came back in the third and scored an impressive come-from-behind submission win. Following his loss to Lentz, Lowe was subsequently released from the promotion.

Pro Elite

Lowe signed with

ProElite ProElite, Inc. is an American entertainment and media company involved in the promotion of mixed martial arts (MMA). First incarnation Founded by boxing promoter Gary Shaw and his son Jared in 2006 in partnership with Showtime Networks Inc. (a C ...

in October 2011. He made his Pro Elite debut against Floyd Hodges at ProElite: Big Guns. Lowe won via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of the second round.

World Series of Fighting

Lowe made his WSOF debut at World Series of Fighting 2 where he defeated Cameron Dollar by knockout. For his second fight with the promotion, Lowe appeared on the main card in a fight against

Georgi Karakhanyan Georgi Karakhanyan is a Russian-born Armenian-American professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Lightweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2006, Karakhanyan has also formerly competed for the ...

at World Series of Fighting 5 on September 14, 2013. He lost the fight via submission in the first round.

XFC Brazil

Lowe made his XFC Brazil debut, when he faced Marcos dos Santos at XFC International 4 on April 26, 2014. After three close rounds, Lowe would lose via split decision. However, following the fight, the result would later be turned to a no contest. In his next fight in the organization, Lowe faced Deivison Ribeiro for the XFC Featherweight Championship at XFC International 6 on September 27, 2014. He lost the fight via TKO in the fourth round.

Return to Bellator

Lowe faced

Ryan Quinn Ryan Quinn (born January 22, 1987) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2008 until 2017, he competed for Bellator MMA, Titan FC, and CES MMA. Mixed martial arts career Early career Quinn began his MMA care ...

Bellator 140 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company. ...

on July 17, 2015. He lost the fight by submission in the second round.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , NC , align=center, 16–7 (2) , Ashleigh Grimshaw , No Contest , Art of War 17 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:23 ,

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 16–7 (1) , Vaso Bakočević , Decision (unanimous) , Abu Dhabi Warriors 3 , , 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 , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–7 (1) ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:47 ,

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 , , - , Win , align=center, 15–6 (1) , Mateusz Teodorczuk , Decision (unanimous) , Abu Dhabi Warriors 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–6 (1) , Deivison Ribeiro , TKO (head kick and punches) , XFC International 6 , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 0:11 ,

Araraquara Araraquara ( or ) is a city in the state of São Paulo (state), São Paulo in Brazil. The population is 250.314 (2022 est.) in an area of . It is also known as "the abode of the sun," because of its impressive sunset and because of its hot atmosphe ...

, Brazil , , - , NC , align=center, 14–5 (1) , Marcos dos Santos , No Contest , XFC International 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–5 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , World Series of Fighting 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:37 ,

Atlantic City 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 (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 ,

Cameron Dollar Cameron Dollar (born December 9, 1975) is an American college basketball coach who was most recently an assistant coach for the Washington Huskies. He was previously an assistant coach at Washington before serving as the head coach for the Seattl ...

, KO (punch) , World Series of Fighting 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:58 ,

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, 13–4 , Mike Diggs , TKO (punches) , Pure MMA 2: Next Episode , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:13 ,

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in th ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4 , Tim Wadsworth , KO (punch) , Instinct MMA: Instinct Fighting 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:51 ,

Quebec City, Quebec Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is th ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 11–4 , Floyd Hodges , TKO (doctor stoppage) , ProElite: Big Guns , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline, Illinois, East M ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–4 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:24 ,

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC: Fight For The Troops 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Fort Hood, Texas Fort Hood is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. Named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarter ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–3 , Steve Lopez , Decision (split) ,

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

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–3 ,

, TKO (knee to the body) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:28 ,

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 , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 , Steve Berger , KO (punches) , KOTC: Bad Boys II , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:18 ,

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2 , Chris Barnes , TKO (punches) , 5150 Combat League/XFL: New Year's Revolution , , 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, 6–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 , Jay Ellis , Decision (unanimous) , Extreme Challenge 109 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Alex Carter , Submission (rear-naked choke) , International Combat Event 32 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:06 ,

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 , Andrew Hoogeboom , TKO (punches) , Xtreme Fighting Organization 22 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:43 ,

Crystal Lake, Illinois Crystal Lake is a city in McHenry County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Named after a lake southwest of the city's downtown, Crystal Lake is 45 miles northwest of Chicago. The population is 40,269 as of the 2020 Census, a 1.2% decrease from 201 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–2 , Alonzo Martinez , TKO (submission to punches) , Fightfest: Season 1 Finale , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:07 ,

Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, Ohio. It is located approximately south of Cleveland and south of Akron in Northeast Ohio. The city lies on the edge of Ohio's extensive Amish country, particularly in Holmes and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Nick Sorg , TKO (submission to punches) , Fightfest 10 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:59 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Cody Shipp , Submission (kimura) , Fightfest 7: Battle of the Titans , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:23 ,

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , David Love , Submission (guillotine choke) , HOOKnSHOOT: Midwest , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:00 ,

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...

, United States ,

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lowe, Waylon 1980 births Living people American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Tennessee Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling People from Coconut Creek, Florida People from Jefferson City, Tennessee Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American male sport wrestlers Findlay Oilers College wrestlers in the United States People from Dandridge, Tennessee