William Knight (fighter)

Last updated
William Knight
BornWilliam Knight
(1988-04-03) April 3, 1988 (age 35)
Manchester, Connecticut, United States
Other namesKnightmare
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight245 lb (111 kg; 17 st 7 lb)
Division Heavyweight
Light Heavyweight
Reach73 in (185 cm) [1]
Fighting out of East Hartford, Connecticut, United States
TeamThornton Mixed Martial Arts
Years active2018–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total17
Wins11
By knockout9
By decision2
Losses6
By knockout2
By decision4
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

William Knight (born April 3, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Contents

Background

Knight was bullied during his youth, be it for his small stature or skin color. He was abused by his step-father and when he was 7, the state Department of Children, Youth and Families moved him and his younger brother Eric out of their family’s home and into foster care. He spent the next year with a foster family before moving in with his grandmother. [2]

He was also put on Ritalin for ADHD, which Knight says made him even more of a target of bullying due to the medication turning him into a "zombie" and stunting his growth. His father took him off the medication, along with him starting wrestling in high school, as a turning point in his life. However when he finished high school in 2006, Knight lost direction and he "did nothing" for 10 years while playing video games, sitting on the couch, and eating unhealthily. He was almost 300 pounds with five ruptured discs in his back, when one day he was moving his high school year book and a photo from his wrestling days fell out. Seeing him back then led Knight to realize that he had to get back his 10 years. [3] After the incident, he joined Thornton Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness in August 2015 hoping to train in Jiu-Jitsu, getting convinced to try Muay Thai. [2]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Knight made his amateur debut in early 2016, compiling an 8-1 record before turning professional in 2018. The highlight of his amateur career was a set of bouts against fellow future UFC heavyweight Yorgan De Castro, with Knight winning the amateur MMA fight via unanimous decision, and De Castro winning a Muay Thai bout via unanimous decision shortly before Knight turned professional. [4]

Making his MMA debut at Reality Fighting, he faced Tom Velasquez and went on to defeat him via TKO in the first round, going on to win his next three bouts; Terrance Jean Jacques via TKO in round two at Premier FC 26, Walter Howard via TKO in the first round at Premier FC 27, and culminating with Kevin Haley via TKO in round one in his debut appearance at CES MMA 54. [5]

Knight was invited to Dana White's Contender Series 24 on August 13, 2019 and faced Herdem Alacabek. He won the bout via TKO in the third round, and while he didn't obtain a UFC contract, he was signed to a development league contract. [6]

For his second outing with CES MMA, Knight faced Dana White's Contender Series alum Jamelle Jones and defeated him in the first round at CES MMA 59 to earn back to back wins with CES MMA. [7] He faced fellow future UFC fighter Tafon Nchukwi at CFFC 80 on November 22. He lost the bout in a controversial first-round stoppage, where the ref thought he was knocked out when covering up, for which the ref apologized afterwards. Knight bounced back in January 2020, defeating Rocky Edwards with a third-round TKO at CES 60 to earn a spot on season four of the Contender Series. [2]

Knight got another chance at a UFC contract at Dana White's Contender Series 31. He faced Cody Brundage and won the bout via TKO in the first round, this time leaving with a contract to the UFC. [8]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Knight made his UFC debut against Aleksa Camur at UFC 253 on September 27, 2020. For the first time in his professional career, he went to the judges and won the bout via unanimous decision. [9]

Knight stepped in on short notice to replace Shamil Gamzatov against Da Un Jung on April 10, 2021, at UFC on ABC: Vettori vs. Holland. [10] [11] Knight lost the bout via unanimous decision. [12]

Knight faced Fabio Cherant on August 21, 2021, at UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Gastelum. [13] He won the fight via knockout in round one. [14] With this win, Knight earned a Performance of the Night award. [15]

Knight was scheduled to face Alonzo Menifield on February 27, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 186. [16] However, the bout was postponed during the week leading up to the event after Menifield testing positive for COVID-19. The pairing was expected to be left intact and rescheduled for UFC 260. [17] This time Knight was removed due to COVID-19 protocols. [18] The pair was rescheduled to December 4, 2021 at UFC on ESPN 31. [19] Knight won the fight via unanimous decision. [20]

Knight, as a replacement for Ed Herman, faced Maxim Grishin on February 12, 2022, at UFC 271. [21] At the weigh-ins, Knight weighed in at 218 pounds, 12 pounds over the light heavyweight non-title fight limit, marking the biggest weight miss in UFC history. [22] As a result, the bout was shifted to heavyweight and Knight was fined 40% of his purse, which went to Grishin. [23] Knight lost the bout via unanimous decision. [24]

Knight faced Devin Clark on April 16, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 34. [25] He lost the fight via technical knockout in round three. [26]

Knight was scheduled to face Marcin Prachnio on November 19, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 215. [27] However, the bout was scrapped the week of the event for undisclosed reasons. [28] The bout was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 219 on February 18, 2023. [29] Knight lost the fight via unanimous decision. [30]

After the loss, it was announced that Knight had fought out his contract and was not renewed. [31]

Post-UFC career

Following his UFC release Knight faced Domingos Barros for the vacant CES MMA Heavyweight Championship on May 12, 2023 at CES 73: Knight vs. Barros. [32] He lost the bout via majority decision. [33]

Personal life

On May 6, 2023, Knight announced that seven members of his family died before his fight against Marcin Prachnio at UFC Fight Night 215. [34]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
17 matches11 wins6 losses
By knockout92
By decision24
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Loss11–6Domingos BarrosDecision (majority)CES 73: Knight vs. BarrosMay 12, 202355:00 Beverly, Massachusetts, United StatesReturn to Heavyweight. For the vacant CES MMA Heavyweight Championship
Loss11–5 Marcin Prachnio Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Blanchfield February 18, 202335:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss11–4 Devin Clark TKO (elbow and punches) UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. Muhammad 2 April 16, 202233:21 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesHeavyweight bout.
Loss11–3 Maxim Grishin Decision (unanimous) UFC 271 February 12, 202235:00 Houston, Texas, United StatesLight Heavyweight bout; Knight missed weight (218 lb).
Win11–2 Alonzo Menifield Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Aldo December 4, 202135:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win10–2 Fabio Cherant KO (punches) UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Gastelum August 21, 202113:58 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesPerformance of the Night.
Loss9–2 Da Un Jung Decision (unanimous) UFC on ABC: Vettori vs. Holland April 10, 202135:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win9–1 Aleksa Camur Decision (unanimous) UFC 253 September 27, 202035:00 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Win8–1 Cody Brundage TKO (elbows and punches) Dana White's Contender Series 31 September 1, 202012:23 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win7–1Rocky EdwardsTKO (punches)CES 60January 24, 202032:56 Lincoln, Rhode Island, United StatesReturn to Light Heavyweight.
Loss6–1 Tafon Nchukwi TKO (punches)CFFC 80November 22, 201912:30 Hampton, Virginia, United StatesCatchweight (225 lb) bout.
Win6–0Jamelle JonesTKO (submission to punches)CES 59October 25, 201914:27 Lincoln, Rhode Island, United StatesHeavyweight debut.
Win5–0Herdem AlacabekTKO (punches) Dana White's Contender Series 24 August 13, 201934:34 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win4–0Kevin HaleyTKO (submission to punches)CES 54January 19, 201913:33 Lincoln, Rhode Island, United States
Win3–0Walter HowardTKO (punches)Premier FC 27November 10, 201813:12 Westfield, Massachusetts, United StatesWon the Premier FC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win2–0Terrance Jean-JacquesTKO (punches)Premier FC 26June 16, 201822:35 Springfield, Massachusetts, United States
Win1–0Tom VelazquezTKO (punches)Reality FightingMay 4, 201812:08 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ovince Saint Preux</span> Haitian-American mixed martial arts fighter

Ovince Saint Preux is a Haitian-American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor since 2008, Saint Preux has also formerly competed for Strikeforce, the XFC, and Shark Fights. He is known for his unorthodox fighting style, and has gained notability and notoriety for having won four fights using the rare Von Flue choke submission, leading to fans renaming it to the "Von Preux choke".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corey Anderson (fighter)</span> American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter

Corey Anderson is an American mixed martial artist currently competing for Bellator MMA in the light heavyweight division. Prior to signing with Bellator, Anderson competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was the light heavyweight winner on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Edgar vs. Team Penn and achieved success as a top 5 UFC light heavyweight contender. As of June 20, 2023, he was #10 in the Bellator men's pound-for-pound rankings and #1 in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Alvey</span> American mixed martial arts fighter

Samuel William Alvey is an American professional mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Alvey has also formerly competed for Bellator, King of the Cage, the MFC, and was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 16: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misha Cirkunov</span> Canadian mixed martial arts fighter

Mikhail Cirkunovs, better known as Misha Cirkunov is a Latvian-born Canadian professional mixed martial artist, who most recently competed in the Light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Jake Collier is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Paul Craig is a Scottish mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2013, Craig formerly competed for BAMMA, where he was the BAMMA World Light Heavyweight Champion. As of August 1, 2023, he is #13 in the UFC middleweight rankings.

Chase Sherman is an American professional mixed martial artist and former bare-knuckle boxer. A professional MMA competitor since 2014, he has competed for the UFC and Titan FC.

Devin Terrell Clark is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2010, he was signed by the UFC after Dana White scouted him on the "Dana White: Looking for a Fight - Season 1 Episode 6" UFC web series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalil Rountree Jr.</span> American mixed martial arts fighter

Khalil Ibn Rountree Jr. is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of August 1, 2023, he is #13 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.

Shamil Radzhabovich Gamzatov is a Russian mixed martial artist competing in the Light Heavyweight division. A professional since 2012, he has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), World Series of Fighting, Absolute Championship Berkut and competed in the Middleweight division of the Professional Fighters League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Crute</span> Australian mixed martial artist

Jimmy Crute is an Australian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Crute was the former Australian Hex Fight Series Light Heavyweight Champion.

Jung Da-un, anglicized as Da Un Jung, is a South Korean professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2015, he has also formerly competed for HEAT where he was the Light heavyweight Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alonzo Menifield</span> American mixed martial arts fighter

Alonzo Menifield is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2015, he has formerly fought in Bellator and the Legacy Fighting Alliance. As of August 1, 2023, he is #14 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.

Marcin Prachnio is a Polish mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional mixed martial artist since 2013, Prachnio has also competed in ONE Championship and Final Fight Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UFC 260</span> 2021 MMA event

UFC 260: Miocic vs. Ngannou 2 was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 27, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.

Parker Frederick Porter is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Aleksa Camur is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Aldo</span> 2021 MMA event

UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Aldo was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 4, 2021, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.

Fabio Cherant is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Cody Sterling Brundage is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

References

  1. ↑ "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com.
  2. 1 2 3 Maher, Kyle. "Knight has gone from Manchester to the upper echelon of MMA". Journal Inquirer. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  3. ↑ "Bullied and bothered: How DWCS 24's William Knight overcame torment, faulty medication, and obesity". MMA Junkie. 2019-08-13. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  4. ↑ "William Knight ("Knightmare") | MMA Fighter Page".
  5. ↑ Painter, Myles (2019-10-29). "Across The Pond Profile: CES MMA fighter William Knight | MMA UK" . Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  6. ↑ Lee, Alexander K. (2019-08-13). "Dana White's Contender Series results: Four receive contracts on night of third-round stoppages". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
  7. ↑ "CES MMA 59 Results: Paiva Defeats Dooling". Combat Press. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  8. ↑ "Dana White's Contender Series 31 results: William Knight, two more get UFC contracts". MMA Junkie. 2020-09-01. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  9. ↑ Bitter, Shawn (2020-09-26). "UFC 253 Results: William Knight Gets Past Aleksa Camur". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  10. ↑ Andrew Whitelaw (April 9, 2021). "Da Un Jung says change of opponent doesn't affect him ahead of UFC on ABC 2". asianmma.com.
  11. ↑ Nolan King (2021-03-24). "William Knight out of UFC 260 due to COVID-19 protocols; Alonzo Menifield meets Fabio Cherant". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  12. ↑ Doherty, Dan (10 April 2021). "UFC Vegas 23 Results: Da Un Jung Stifles William Knight, Stays Undefeated". Cageside Press. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "New England vs. New England: UFC adds Fabio Cherant vs. William Knight to August 21 event". MMA Junkie. 2021-05-08. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  14. ↑ Behunin, Alex (2021-08-21). "UFC Vegas 34 Results: William Knight Knocks Out Fabio Cherant In First Round". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  15. 1 2 Hiergesell, Dan (2021-08-22). "UFC Vegas 34 Bonuses! Bahamondes Leads $50K Winners With Insane KO". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  16. ↑ Nolan King and Mike Bohn (2020-11-23). "William Knight vs. Alonzo Menifield added to UFC Fight Night on Feb. 27". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  17. ↑ Nolan King and Mike Bohn (2020-02-25). "Alonzo Menifield tests positive for COVID-19; UFC Fight Night 186 bout vs. William Knight postponed". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  18. ↑ Nolan King (2021-03-24). "William Knight out of UFC 260 due to COVID-19 protocols; Alonzo Menifield meets Fabio Cherant". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  19. ↑ DNA, MMA (2021-11-20). "UFC doet wederom nieuwe poging voor Alonzo Menifield vs. William Knight, ditmaal op 4 december". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  20. ↑ Doherty, Dan (2021-12-04). "UFC Vegas 44: William Knight Takes Home Close Decision Over Alonzo Menifield". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  21. ↑ "Wederom invalpartij voor Knight, ditmaal tegen Grishin". Eurosport (in Dutch). 2022-01-29. Retrieved 2022-01-29.
  22. ↑ Harry Davies (2022-02-11). "UFC fighter gives up 40 per cent of purse after twelve pound weight miss". mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  23. ↑ Staff (2022-02-11). "UFC 271: Adesanya vs Whittaker 2 Official Weigh-In Results". ufc.com. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
  24. ↑ Anderson, Jay (2022-02-12). "UFC 271: Maxim Grishin Takes Decision In Impromptu Heavyweight Fight with William Knight". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  25. ↑ Nolan King (2022-03-31). "William Knight stays at heavyweight; Devin Clark elevates to fight him at UFC on ESPN 34". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  26. ↑ Behunin, Alex (2022-04-16). "UFC Vegas 51: Devin Clark Knocks Out William Knight In Heavyweight Debut". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  27. ↑ Staff (2022-10-13). "William Knight announces UFC Fight Night 215 bout vs. Marcin Prachnio". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  28. ↑ Tkaczuk, Michał (2022-11-11). "Walka z udziałem Marcina Prachnio odwołana na tydzień przed galą | MMAROCKS". MMA Rocks! (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  29. ↑ Arshad (2022-11-22). "William Knight vs Marcin Prachnio Set for Feb 18 UFC Event". itswwe.com. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  30. ↑ Anderson, Jay (2023-02-18). "UFC Vegas 69: Marcin Prachnio Shuts Down William Knight's Offense With Heavy Kicking Attack". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-02-19.
  31. ↑ Meshew, Jed (2023-02-21). "William Knight no longer with UFC following much-maligned performance against seven family members died". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  32. ↑ FightBookMMA (2023-05-08). "William Knight warns Domingos Barros: "I'm going to Hunt Your Soul"". FightBook MMA. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  33. ↑ "CES 73 Live Results/Play-by-Play". New England MMA. 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  34. ↑ AlexBehunin (2023-05-06). "Knight Lost Seven Family Members Ahead Of UFC Release". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
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.