Luke Sanders

Luke Sanders
Born	Luke Daniel Sanders [1] (1985-12-12) December 12, 1985 (age 38) Brenham, Texas, United States
Other names	Cool Hand
Residence	Scottsdale, Arizona, United States [2]
Nationality	American
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight	145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb)
Division	Featherweight Bantamweight
Reach	71 in (180 cm) [3]
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Scottsdale, Arizona, United States [2]
Team	Nashville MMA The MMA Lab (2010–2019) [4] Fight Ready (2019–2021)
Years active	2011–2021
Mixed martial arts record
Total	18
Wins	13
By knockout	7
By submission	2
By decision	4
Losses	5
By knockout	1
By submission	3
By decision	1
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Luke Daniel Sanders (born December 12, 1985) ^[1] is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the Bantamweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, he also competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Strikeforce and the RFA.

Background

Born in Brenham, Texas and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Sanders was athletic from a young age; he won national titles in BMX and finished fourth at the grand nationals event in 1992 at the age of seven. ^[5] He started wrestling in the second grade, winning a state championship for Montgomery Central High School in 2004 at 145 lbs. ^{[5] [6]} Sanders also played hockey, winning two state championships in 2001 and 2002. He began competing in Toughman contests at the age of 17, winning several tournaments, and holds an amateur boxing record of 9–0. ^[5]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Sanders compiled an amateur record of 4-0 before making his professional debut for Strikeforce in 2011. Sanders won via TKO in the first round. He then continued his unbeaten streak, compiling a record of 10-0 before being signed by the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Sanders made his promotional debut as a short notice injury replacement on January 17, 2016, against Maximo Blanco at UFC Fight Night 81. ^[7] He won the fight via submission in the first round and was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus. ^{[8] [9]}

Sanders next faced Iuri Alcântara on March 4, 2017, at UFC 209. ^[10] He was handed his first professional loss via submission (kneebar) in the second round. ^[11]

Sanders was scheduled to face Felipe Arantes on September 16, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 116. ^[12] However, the fight was scrapped after Arantes fell sick on September 14 from an undisclosed illness. ^[13]

Sanders was expected to face Bryan Caraway on December 9, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 123. ^[14] However, on November 20, Caraway pulled out from the fight with undisclosed reason ^[15] and he was replaced by Andre Soukhamthath. ^[16] Sanders lost the fight via TKO in the second round. ^[17] California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) flagged Sanders, after the event, of gaining more than 10% of weight from weight-in weight against on fight day weight, from 135.6 Ibs to 154.5 Ibs, which well over the commission regulation contracted weight of staying within 10% body weight gain for CSAC would not license to Sanders to fight in bantamweight bout in California. ^[18]

Sanders faced Patrick Williams on April 14, 2018, at UFC on Fox 29. ^[19] Despite knocking Williams down in the first round, Sanders went on to win the fight via unanimous decision. ^[20] The bout marked the last of Sanders' prevailing contract and after entertaining other offers, he opted to re-sign with the UFC. ^[21]

Sanders faced Rani Yahya on August 25, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 135. ^[22] He lost the fight via heel hook submission in the first round. ^[23]

Sanders faced Renan Barão on February 17, 2018, at UFC on ESPN 1. ^[24] At the weigh-ins, Barão weighed in at 138 pounds, 2 pounds over the Bantamweight non-title fight upper limit of 136 lbs. As a result, the bout proceeded at catchweight and Barão was fined 20% of his purse which went to Sanders. ^[25] Sanders won the fight via knockout in the second round. ^[26] This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award. ^[27]

Sanders was scheduled to face Chris Gutiérrez on August 1, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan. ^[28] However, Sanders was removed from the bout in mid-July for undisclosed reasons and replaced by promotional newcomer Cody Durden. ^[29]

Sanders faced Nate Maness on November 28, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Lewis. ^[30] He lost the fight via second round submission. ^[31]

Sanders was initially scheduled to face Damon Jackson on May 1, 2021, at UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka. ^[32] However, Jackson withdrew from the bout and was replaced by Felipe Colares – whose opponent also withdrew from the event – in a featherweight bout. ^[33] Despite knocking Colares down multiple times in the first round, Sanders lost the bout via unanimous decision. ^[34] The bout was the last of his prevailing contract and it was not renewed, making Sanders a free agent. ^{[35] [36]}

On May 8, 2021, It was announced that Sanders has retired from mixed martial arts. ^[37]

Personal life

Sanders has a daughter Riley from his previous relationship and a son Jagger (born 2020). He is married. ^{[2] [4]}

Championships and accomplishments

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Maximo Blanco & Renan Barão ^[27]
• Resurrection Fighting Alliance
  • RFA Bantamweight Championship (One time; former)
    • One successful title defense

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown

18 matches	13 wins	5 losses
By knockout	7	1
By submission	2	3
By decision	4	1

Res.	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
Loss	13–5	Felipe Colares	Decision (unanimous)	UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka	May 1, 2021	3	5:00	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Featherweight bout.
Loss	13–4	Nate Maness	Submission (rear-naked choke)	UFC on ESPN: Smith vs. Clark	November 28, 2020	2	2:29	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Catchweight (140 lb) bout.
Win	13–3	Renan Barão	KO (punches)	UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Velasquez	February 17, 2019	2	1:01	Phoenix, Arizona, United States	Catchweight (138 lb) bout; Barão missed weight. Performance of the Night.
Loss	12–3	Rani Yahya	Submission (heel hook)	UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs. Vick	August 25, 2018	1	1:31	Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
Win	12–2	Patrick Williams	Decision (unanimous)	UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje	April 14, 2018	3	5:00	Glendale, Arizona, United States
Loss	11–2	Andre Soukhamthath	TKO (punches)	UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega	December 9, 2017	2	1:06	Fresno, California, United States
Loss	11–1	Iuri Alcântara	Submission (kneebar)	UFC 209	March 4, 2017	2	3:13	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Sanders was deducted one point in round 1 due to an illegal knee.
Win	11–0	Maximo Blanco	Submission (rear-naked choke)	UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz	January 17, 2016	1	3:38	Boston, Massachusetts, United States	Featherweight bout. Performance of the Night.
Win	10–0	Terrion Ware	Decision (unanimous)	AXS TV Fights: RFA vs. Legacy FC	May 8, 2015	5	5:00	Robinsonville, Mississippi, United States	Defended the RFA Bantamweight Championship.
Win	9–0	Jarred Mercado	TKO (knee and punches)	RFA 20	November 7, 2014	1	1:06	Broomfield, Colorado, United States	Won the vacant RFA Bantamweight Championship.
Win	8–0	Darrick Minner	TKO (punches)	RFA 17	August 22, 2014	2	3:15	Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States	Bantamweight debut.
Win	7–0	Dan Moret	Decision (unanimous)	RFA 13	March 7, 2014	3	5:00	Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
Win	6–0	Zach Underwood	TKO (punches)	XFC 26: Night of Champions 3	October 18, 2013	2	3:38	Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Win	5–0	Javon Wright	Decision (split)	Rhino Fighting Championships 7	July 19, 2013	3	5:00	Spring Hill, Tennessee, United States
Win	4–0	Zachary Sanders	TKO (punches and elbows)	XFC 18: Music City Mayhem	June 22, 2012	1	4:53	Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Win	3–0	J.R. Hines	TKO (punches)	Gameness FC 10	November 19, 2011	1	2:08	Goodlettsville, Tennessee, United States
Win	2–0	Latral Perdue	Submission	Gameness FC 9	April 28, 2011	1	1:07	Goodlettsville, Tennessee, United States
Win	1–0	Josh Jarvis	TKO (punches)	Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Saffiedine	January 7, 2011	1	3:15	Nashville, Tennessee, United States	Featherweight debut.

^[38]

See also

• List of male mixed martial artists

References

1. Mixed martial arts show results Date: November 28, 2020
2. Thomas Gerbasi (November 24, 2020). "Luke Sanders Preps Body And Mind For Vegas Return". Ultimate Fighting Championship .
3. "Luke Sanders ("Cool Hand") | MMA Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
4. Matt Quiggins (May 6, 2015). "RFA Champion Luke Sanders: 'This Is My Route and I'm Willing to Fight'". combatpress.com.
5. "Luke Sanders - Official UFC® Profile". Ufc.com. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
6. Jon Gugala (January 16, 2014). "Luke Sanders beats people up for money — and it's making him a rising MMA star". Nashville Scene .
7. Staff (January 4, 2016). "Luke Sanders steps in to fight Maximo Blanco; UFC Fight Night 81 lineup shuffled". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
8. Ben Fowlkes (January 17, 2016). "UFC Fight Night 81 results: Luke Sanders chokes Maximo Blanco in octagon debut". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
9. Tristen Critchfield (January 18, 2016). "UFC Fight Night Bonuses: Cruz, Dillashaw, Herman, Sanders pocket $50K checks". sherdog.com. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
10. Marcelo Barone (December 15, 2016). "Ultimate forwards fight fit between Marajó and Sanders for March" (in Portuguese). sportv.globo.com. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
11. Dave Doyle (March 4, 2017). "UFC 209 results: Iuri Alcantara surprises Luke Sanders with kneebar finish". mmafighting.com. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
12. Craig Meyer (August 8, 2017). "Luke Sanders vs. Felipe Arantes added to Sept. 16 UFC card at PPG Paints Arena". post-gazette.com. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
13. Dave Doyle (September 14, 2017). "Illness forces cancelation of Felipe Arantes vs. Luke Sanders bout at UFC Pittsburgh". mmafighting.com. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
14. Dave Doyle (October 10, 2017). "Bryan Caraway vs. Luke Sanders set for UFC Fresno". mmafighting.com. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
15. "Bryan Caraway out at UFC-Fresno, Luke Sanders needs new opponent". MMAjunkie. November 21, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
16. DNA, MMA (November 22, 2017). "Andre Soukhamthath vervangt Bryan Caraway tegen Luke Sanders tijdens UFC Fresno". mmadna.nl. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
17. "UFC Fight Night 123 results: Andre Soukhamthath TKOs Luke Sanders in second for first UFC win". MMAjunkie. December 10, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
18. "Marlon Moraes among four fighters CSAC recommends move up in weight after UFC Fresno". MMA Fighting. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
19. Greg Moore (February 6, 2018). "Former ASU wrestling star Patrick Williams added to UFC on FOX 29 at Gila River Arena". azcentral.com. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
20. John Morgan (April 14, 2018). "UFC on FOX 29 results: Luke Sanders' left hand pushes him past Patrick Williams". MMAjunkie.com .
21. David Boclair (February 15, 2019). "Sanders fighting to stay in UFC". NashvillePost.com .
22. DNA, MMA (June 2018). "BJJ wizard Rani Yahya treft Luke Sanders tijdens UFC Lincoln". mmadna.nl. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
23. "UFC Fight Night 135 results: Rani Yahya taps Luke Sanders, calls for title shot vs. Dillashaw". MMAjunkie. August 25, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
24. Lee, Alexander K. (December 14, 2018). "Renan Barao vs. Luke Sanders, two other bouts booked for UFC's ESPN premiere". MMA Fighting. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
25. "UFC on ESPN 1 weigh-in results: Three fighters miss, but all fights set". MMAjunkie. February 16, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
26. "UFC on ESPN 1 results: Luke Sanders rallies to stop Renan Barao in second". MMAjunkie. February 17, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
27. Hiergesell, Dan (February 18, 2019). "UFC Phoenix Bonuses! Luque, Barberena Battle it Out For $50K Each". MMAmania.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
28. DNA, MMA (July 5, 2020). "Chris Gutierrez vs. Luke Sanders op 1 augustus tijdens UFC evenement" . Retrieved July 6, 2020.
29. Mike Heck (July 26, 2020). "With Luke Sanders out, Chris Gutierrez welcomes newcomer Cody Durden at UFC event Aug. 1". mmafighting.com. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
30. DNA, MMA (November 14, 2020). "Luke Sanders vs. Nate Maness toegevoegd aan UFC evenement op 28 november in Las Vegas". MMA DNA. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
31. Evanoff, Josh (November 28, 2020). "UFC Vegas 15 Results: Nathan Maness Survives, Finishes Luke Sanders". cagesidepress. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
32. DNA, MMA (April 23, 2021). "Felipe Colares en Luke Sanders verliezen tegenstanders, vechten tegen elkaar op 1 mei". MMA DNA (in Dutch). Retrieved April 23, 2021.
33. Guilherme Cruz (April 26, 2021). "Luke Sanders vs. Felipe Colares now set for UFC Vegas 25 after original opponents pulled". mmafighting.com.
34. "UFC on ESPN 23 results: Felipe Colares rallies from beating, edges Luke Sanders". MMA Junkie. May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
35. Hiergesell, Dan (May 8, 2021). "Sanders Leads Pack Of Recent UFC Cuts". MMAmania.com. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
36. Nolan King (May 10, 2021). "UFC parts ways with Luke Sanders, four other fighters". MMAjunkie.com .
37. Hiergesell, Dan (May 8, 2021). "Sanders Leads Pack Of Recent UFC Cuts". MMAmania.com. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
38. Sherdog.com. "Luke". Sherdog. Retrieved December 14, 2018.

External links

• Luke Sanders at UFC
• Professional MMA record for Luke Sanders from Sherdog