Matt Grice

Last updated
Matt Grice
BornDonald Matthew Grice
(1981-07-29) July 29, 1981 (age 40)
Midwest City, Oklahoma, United States
Other namesThe Real One
Residence Harrah, Oklahoma, United States
Nationality American
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st)
Division Lightweight
Featherweight
Reach70 in (180 cm) [1]
Stance Orthodox
Fighting out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
TeamR-1 MMA Training Center
RankNCAA Division I Wrestling Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Years active2005–2013
Mixed martial arts record
Total20
Wins15
By knockout6
By submission4
By decision5
Losses5
By knockout2
By submission2
By decision1
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Donald Matthew Grice (born July 29, 1981) is an American police officer and retired mixed martial artist. He was in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fighting in the featherweight division before suffering a traumatic brain injury in a traffic accident in Shawnee, Oklahoma on September 8, 2013. Grice returned to his old job with the Oklahoma City Police Department in October 2014. [2] [3]

Contents

Wrestling

At Harrah High school, Grice was a 4-time Oklahoma State Wrestling Champion, winning Outstanding Wrestler 3 times, a feat which has never been accomplished by any other competitor. After his senior season, Grice was the most highly recruited wrestler in the nation at his weight. He chose the University of Oklahoma to attend college. The 2000-2001 season Grice was redshirted after suffering an elbow injury that required surgery, keeping him out of action for the season. Grice again was redshirted in the 2001-2002 season after a serious auto accident, during which he went through a windshield and required 12 surgeries. Grice graduated from Oklahoma with a bachelor's degree in sociology.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

After graduating from college and giving up on his wrestling career, Grice decided to start in MMA. Grice started his professional career in 2005, winning nine straight fights between 2005 and 2007 before getting a call to compete in the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Grice made his UFC debut at UFC 70 on April 21, 2007 against Terry Etim. The card took place in Manchester, England. Grice lost the fight via submission (guillotine choke) in the first round.

He had his second UFC outing at UFC 77 on October 20, 2007 against Jason Black. Grice won the fight via split decision. After his win over Black, Grice took two years to attend and graduate from the Oklahoma City Police Department Academy where he is currently an officer.

On February 7, 2009 Grice returned to fighting to fight Matt Veach at UFC Fight Night 17 in Tampa, Florida. Grice lost the fight via TKO in the first round.

Grice competed on the UFC's 100th PPV show, UFC 100, that took place July 11, 2009. He fought Shannon Gugerty and lost via first round submission. After a 1-3 record in the UFC, he was released from the promotion.

Return to the UFC

After going 4-0 outside the UFC, Grice dropped to featherweight in his return fight against Ricardo Lamas on June 26, 2011 at UFC on Versus 4. [4] He lost via first round TKO to Lamas with a head kick and punches.

Grice was scheduled to face Josh Grispi on October 6, 2011 at UFC 136. [5] However, Grispi was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Nam Phan. [6] Then Grice himself was forced out with an injury and replaced by Leonard Garcia. [7] [8]

Grice next faced Leonard Garcia on June 8, 2012 at UFC on FX 3, who he defeated via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). [9]

Grice faced Dennis Bermudez on February 23, 2013 at UFC 157. [10] Grice lost to Bermudez by split decision. The back and forth action earned both fighters Fight of the Night honors and much praise from MMA observers. [11]

Grice was expected to face Jeremy Larsen on October 19, 2013 at UFC 166. [12] However, Grice was forced out of the bout after sustaining serious injuries in a September 8 car accident in his home state of Oklahoma. [13]

Championships & accomplishments

Personal life

Matt is married and has two daughters. [14]

On April 4 Matt's home town, Harrah, Oklahoma, celebrates the annual Matt Grice Day.

Matt is active coaching today and is the head MMA coach at American Elite MMA in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
20 matches15 wins5 losses
By knockout62
By submission42
By decision51
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Loss15–5 Dennis Bermudez Decision (split) UFC 157 February 23, 201335:00 Anaheim, California, United StatesFight of the Night.
Win15–4 Leonard Garcia Decision (unanimous) UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall June 8, 201235:00 Sunrise, Florida, United States
Loss14–4 Ricardo Lamas TKO (head kick and punches) UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry June 26, 201114:41 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Featherweight debut.
Win14–3David GardnerDecision (unanimous)FCF 46April 9, 201135:00 Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States
Win13–3Thomas SchulteSubmission (punches)FCF 44September 25, 201014:31 Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States
Win12–3Rocky McAnallySubmission (guillotine choke)FCF 43June 12, 201013:01 Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States
Win11–3Steve SchneiderSubmission (punches)Bricktown Brawl 4April 2, 201011:40 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Loss10–3 Shannon Gugerty Technical submission (guillotine choke) UFC 100 July 11, 200912:36 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss10–2 Matt Veach TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens February 7, 200914:34 Tampa, Florida, United States
Win10–1 Jason Black Decision (split) UFC 77 October 20, 200735:00 Columbus, Ohio, United StatesFight of the Night.
Loss9–1 Terry Etim Technical Submission (guillotine choke) UFC 70 April 21, 200714:38 Manchester, England
Win9–0Clint KerleyTKO (punches)Freestyle Cage FightingJanuary 20, 200711:08 Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States
Win8–0Jason AndersonKO (head kick)Freestyle Cage FightingNovember 4, 200610:15 Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States
Win7–0Dan MarksDecision (unanimous)Extreme Wars 3: Bay Area BrawlJune 3, 200635:00 Oakland, California, United States
Win6–0Lee KingSubmissionUltimate Texas Showdown 5April 29, 200611:46 Dallas, Texas, United States
Win5–0Joe DavisTKO (punches)ACF: Showdown at SundownMarch 10, 200610:49 Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States
Win4–0Shervin AlaviDecision (unanimous)Ultimate Texas Showdown 4February 25, 200635:00 Dallas, Texas, United States
Win3–0Rocky LongTKO (punches)Ultimate Texas Showdown 3November 26, 200511:00 Dallas, Texas, United States
Win2–0Marco AdamballiKO (punch)XFC - Xtreme Fight Championship 4November 5, 20051N/A Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States
Win1–0Matt GreyKO (punch)EK: Extreme FightingOctober 1, 200511:21 Norman, Oklahoma, United States

See also

Related Research Articles

Mark Jeffrey Hominick is a Canadian retired mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he was the inaugural Featherweight title challenger, the WEC, and Affliction. He is also a former TKO Featherweight Champion. He was well known for his outstanding boxing skills and very accurate punching techniques, often utilizing the jab.

Nhat Nam Si Phan, better known as Nam Phan, is an American mixed martial artist and professional boxer. A professional in mixed martial arts since 2001, Phan has also competed for the UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, World Victory Road, and was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck. He has competed in Japanese MMA organization Pancrase and won the title of King of Pancrase in the featherweight division in 2015.

Leonard Garcia is a retired American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Featherweight division of the Legacy Fighting Championship, and is the former Legacy FC Featherweight Champion. After making his professional debut in 1999, Garcia competed in WEC and in the UFC.

Mike Brown (fighter) American mixed martial arts fighter

Michael Thomas Brown is an American mixed martial arts trainer and former fighter who is the head MMA coach for American Top Team. As a mixed martial arts fighter, Brown was a former WEC Featherweight Champion and also competed in the Featherweight division of the UFC before retiring in 2014 to become a full-time MMA coach. He is the head coach of Dustin Poirier.

George H. Roop is a retired mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir, winning his preliminary and first round fights. He fought as a bantamweight in the UFC and most recently fought under the Road FC banner. He holds notable victories over former WEC Bantamweight champion Brian Bowles and UFC featherweight contender Chan Sung Jung.

José Aldo Brazilian MMA fighter (born 1986)

José Aldo da Silva Oliveira Júnior, commonly anglicized as Jose Aldo, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the Bantamweight division. He also competed at Featherweight, and was the fourth and final WEC Featherweight Champion. He became the first UFC Featherweight Champion following the UFC/WEC merger,. Aldo is widely considered as one the best mixed martial artists of all-time, and as the greatest featherweight ever. As of 6 December 2021, he is ranked #3 in the UFC bantamweight rankings.

Ricardo Alejandro Lamas is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who competed in Featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

The Korean Zombie South Korean mixed martial artist

Jung "The Korean Zombie" Chan-sung is a South Korean professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He currently competes in the Featherweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2007, Jung has also formerly competed for the WEC, Pancrase, World Victory Road, and DEEP. His nickname, "The Korean Zombie" comes from his zombie-like ability to continue to move forward and fight aggressively, even after taking heavy blows. As of April 26, 2021, he is #4 in the UFC featherweight rankings.

Josh Richard Grispi is an American former professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2006 until 2014, he has competed for the UFC and WEC.

Chad Mendes American mixed martial arts fighter

Chad Edward Mendes is an American professional bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist and collegiate wrestler who is currently signed to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). Mendes gained notoriety competing in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was a three-time UFC championship challenger. Competing as a Cal Poly Mustang, he was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American and a Pac-10 Conference champion in folkstyle wrestling.

Erik Koch American mixed martial arts fighter

Erik Jon Koch is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2007, he formerly competed for the WEC.

Darren Elkins American mixed martial arts fighter

Darren Keith Elkins is an American mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights in the Featherweight division. Elkins is known for his toughness and comeback victories.

Cody Steven McKenzie is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Welterweight division of World Series of Fighting. A professional competitor since 2007, McKenzie mostly competed in his regional circuit, before signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship to appear on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck, and has also competed for M-1 Global. He is well known for submitting opponents with a modified guillotine choke nicknamed the McKenzietine.

Dustin Poirier American mixed martial artist

Dustin Glenn Poirier is an American professional mixed martial artist and philanthropist. He is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. As of December 13, 2021, he is #2 in the UFC lightweight rankings and #8 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

UFC 136 UFC mixed martial arts event in 2011

UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 8, 2011, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event coincided with a two-day UFC Fan Expo held at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Dennis Bermudez American mixed martial arts fighter

Dennis Ross Bermudez is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the UFC. Bermudez has been a professional MMA competitor since 2009. He has made a name for himself mainly fighting on the east coast. He was a competitor on Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller.

Jimy Hettes American martial artist

James Michael Hettes is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Max Holloway American MMA fighter

Jerome Max Keli'i Holloway is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2010, Holloway became the UFC Featherweight Champion when he defeated José Aldo on June 3, 2017, before defending the title three times. As of March 29, 2021, he is #1 in UFC featherweight rankings and as of February 14, 2022, he is #6 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

Jeremy Larsen is an American mixed martial artist, who formerly competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Manny Bermudez is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. A professional mixed martial artist since 2015, Bermudez has also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

References

  1. ↑ "Matt "The Real One" Grice Tapology Profile". tapology.com. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  2. ↑ "OKC Police Officer Back On Duty After Year-Long Recovery From Ca - News9.com". m.news9.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06.
  3. ↑ "Grice returns to job with Oklahoma City police". 2 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "Featherweights Ricardo Lamas vs. Matt Grice added to UFC on Versus 4". MMAJunkie.com. April 14, 2011.
  5. ↑ "UFC 136: Josh Grispi vs Matt Grice possible for Oct. 8 in Houston, Texas". mmamania.com. 2011-07-14.
  6. ↑ Pennick, Jamie (August 11, 2011). "Josh Grispi out of UFC 136, Nam Phan steps up to face Matt Grice in Houston". MMATorch.com. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Injured Matt Grice out, Nam Phan awaits new UFC 136 opponent". MMAjunkie.com. September 7, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  8. ↑ "UFC 136 Fight Card: The Rematch That Never Was, Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia". MMAWeekly.com. September 7, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Leonard Garcia vs. Matt Grice set for UFC on FX 3". mmajunkie.com. March 29, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Matt Grice meets Dennis Bermudez at UFC 157". MMAjunkie. December 20, 2012.
  11. ↑ Brian Mazique (February 24, 2013). "Matt Grice and Dennis Bermudez Put on Classic Battle". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
  12. ↑ Staff (August 7, 2013). "UFC 166 Adds Featherweight Bout Between Matt Grice and Jeremy Larsen". mmaweekly.com. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  13. ↑ Staff (2013-09-09). "UFC's Matt Grice hospitalized after overnight car accident". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 2013-09-09.
  14. ↑ "Matt Grice-Picking the Perfect Setting to get back in the Win Column". UFC.com. 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.