Mike Pyle (fighter)
| Mike Pyle | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Wayne Pyle September 18, 1975 Dresden, Tennessee, United States |
| Other names | Quicksand |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) |
| Division | Welterweight (170 lb) |
| Reach | 74 in (188 cm) |
| Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, Muay Thai |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Team | Xtreme Couture |
| Rank | brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1] |
| Years active | 1999-present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 32 |
| Wins | 23 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 16 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Losses | 8 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By submission | 4 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Website | http://www.mikepyle.tv/ |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Last updated on: October 17, 2010 | |
Michael Wayne Pyle (born September 18, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the welterweight division of the UFC. A former WEC Welterweight Champion, Pyle holds notable victories over Jon Fitch, John Hathaway, Ricardo Almeida and Josh Neer.
Early life
Pyle grew up in Dresden, Tennessee. At age 17 he moved to Birmingham, Alabama. It was there that he began studying Taekwondo. One of the people he was training in Taekwondo with told him, "Man you gotta check out this cage fighter stuff they got going on. There's this guy who lays on the ground and breaks peoples arms ..." The cage fighting they were talking about was the UFC. The man they were talking about was Royce Gracie, the masterful practitioner of the martial arts discipline known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu who won the tournaments at UFC 1, UFC 2 and UFC 4.
Mike searched for any instructional videos for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu he could get his hands on and attended seminars put together by the Gracies whenever they were close enough for him to make the drive. Despite having no formal Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training, Mike would go on to be a moderately successful submission grappler in mixed martial arts, the large majority of his wins coming by submission.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Mike's first sanctioned amateur MMA fight was in 1999 against future UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson. The bout was on ISCF MMA & IKF Kickboxing Promoter Jeff Mullen's November 13 event at the New Daisey Theatre in Memphis Tennessee, USA. Pyle and Jackson were to be the Main Event and was supposed to be for the ISCF Amateur Mid-South Regional Middleweight Title. However, Jackson weighed in 25 lbs heavy (200lb.) for the title so technically, and Pyle (175lb.) won by forfeit. But this couldn't keep these two from going for it in the ring. In the end, Jackson won by unanimous decision but Pyle was quick to ask for a rematch.
World Extreme Cagefighting
On October 14, 2005, Mike Pyle became the WEC Welterweight Champion by defeating Bret Bergmark. He would go on to successfully defend his WEC title against veteran MMA fighter Shonie Carter on January 13, 2006. He defeated Carter by triangle choke submission in the first round.
Pyle then left the WEC for the IFL and was stripped of the title in December 2006.
The IFL and Affliction
Mike fought three times in the IFL fights as a member of Bas Rutten’s Los Angeles Anacondas. He also fought for Elite XC, Strikeforce and he was featured on the preliminary card of the first event co-promoted by Affliction Clothing and Adrenaline MMA: Affliction: Banned.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Mike then signed with the UFC as a replacement for Chris Wilson, fighting Brock Larson at UFC 98. Mike took the fight on just one week's notice.[2] Pyle lost in the first round via arm-triangle choke.
Next, he fought and defeated Wilson at UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard by submission due to a guillotine choke in the third round.[3]
Pyle was defeated by Jake Ellenberger via second round TKO on January 2, 2010 at UFC 108.[4]
Pyle defeated Jesse Lennox at UFC 115 on June 12, 2010.[5] Pyle largely controlled the bout and won via technical submission, when his opponent passed out in a triangle choke late in the third round.
Pyle gave John Hathaway his first professional MMA loss via unanimous decision on October 16, 2010 at UFC 120, replacing an injured Dong Hyun Kim.[6] He controlled the fight for all three rounds, out-striking and out-grappling Hathaway, even going as far as putting Hathaway in a modified crucifix-triangle choke hold and raining down unanswered strikes.
Pyle faced Ricardo Almeida on March 19, 2011 at UFC 128.[7] Pyle won the fight via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).[8]
Pyle next faced Rory MacDonald on August 6, 2011 at UFC 133.[9] He lost the fight via TKO in the first round.
Pyle was expected to face Paulo Thiago on January 14, 2012 at UFC 142.[10] However, Thiago was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Ricardo Funch.[11] Pyle won the bout via TKO in the first round.
Pyle faced Josh Neer on June 8, 2012 at UFC on FX 3.[12] Pyle defeated Neer via first round KO, earning Knockout of the Night honors.
Pyle is expected to face James Head on December 15, 2012 at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson Finale.[13]
Personal life
Pyle and his girlfriend were married in October 2009.[14]
Pyle played the role of Capt. Kevin Burke in the movie Universal Soldier: Regeneration starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren and fellow MMA fighter Andrei Arlovski.
Pyle played a small part in a 2012 blockbuster Men In Black III starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.
Mixed martial arts record
| 32 matches | 23 wins | 8 losses |
| By knockout | 4 | 3 |
| By submission | 16 | 4 |
| By decision | 3 | 1 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Head | The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale | December 15, 2012 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | ||||||
| Win | 23-8-1 | Josh Neer | KO (punch) | UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall | June 8, 2012 | 1 | 4:56 | Sunrise, Florida, United States | Knockout of the Night |
| Win | 22-8-1 | Ricardo Funch | TKO (knee & punches) | UFC 142 | January 14, 2012 | 1 | 1:22 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Loss | 21-8-1 | Rory MacDonald | TKO (punches) | UFC 133 | August 6, 2011 | 1 | 3:54 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Win | 21-7-1 | Ricardo Almeida | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 128 | March 19, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 20-7-1 | John Hathaway | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 120 | October 16, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Win | 19-7-1 | Jesse Lennox | Technical Submission (triangle choke) | UFC 115 | June 12, 2010 | 3 | 4:44 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Loss | 18-7-1 | Jake Ellenberger | TKO (punches) | UFC 108 | January 2, 2010 | 2 | 0:22 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 18-6-1 | Chris Wilson | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard | September 16, 2009 | 3 | 2:15 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Loss | 17-6-1 | Brock Larson | Submission (arm triangle choke) | UFC 98 | May 23, 2009 | 1 | 3:06 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 17-5-1 | Brian Gassaway | Submission (armbar) | SuperFights MMA - Night of Combat 2 | October 11, 2008 | 1 | 4:21 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 16-5-1 | JJ Ambrose | Submission (rear naked choke) | Affliction: Banned | July 19, 2008 | 1 | 2:51 | Anaheim, California, United States | |
| Win | 15-5-1 | Dan Hornbuckle | Submission (triangle choke) | World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 2 | May 18, 2008 | 1 | 4:52 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 14-5-1 | Damir Mirenic | Submission (kimura) | HCF - Destiny | February 1, 2008 | 2 | 1:24 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | |
| Loss | 13-5-1 | Jake Shields | Submission (rear naked choke) | EliteXC: Renegade | November 10, 2007 | 1 | 3:39 | Corpus Christi, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 13-4-1 | Aaron Wetherspoon | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni | June 22, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Win | 12-4-1 | Ross Ebañez | Submission (rear naked choke) | EliteXC Destiny | February 10, 2007 | 1 | 1:55 | Southaven, Mississippi, United States | |
| Loss | 11-4-1 | Matt Horwich | Submission (rear naked choke) | International Fight League: World Championship Semifinals | November 2, 2006 | 2 | 1:02 | Portland, Oregon, United States | |
| Win | 11-3-1 | John Cole | Technical Submission (guillotine choke) | International Fight League: Portland | September 9, 2006 | 1 | 0:17 | Portland, Oregon, United States | |
| Loss | 10-3-1 | Rory Markham | KO (punch) | International Fight League: Legends Championship 2006 | April 29, 2006 | 1 | 0:44 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 10-2-1 | Gustavo Machado | TKO (punches) | GFC: Team Gracie vs. Team Hammer House | March 3, 2006 | 1 | 1:20 | Columbus, Ohio, United States | |
| Win | 9-2-1 | Shonie Carter | Submission (triangle choke) | WEC 18 | January 13, 2006 | 1 | 2:06 | Lemoore, California, United States | Defended WEC Welterweight Championship |
| Win | 8-2-1 | Bret Bergmark | Submission (triangle choke) | WEC 17 | October 14, 2005 | 1 | 3:36 | Lemoore, California, United States | Won vacant WEC Welterweight Championship |
| Win | 7-2-1 | Tony Sanza | Submission (rear naked choke) | SportFight 12 | September 16, 2005 | 1 | 1:06 | Portland, Oregon, United States | |
| Win | 6-2-1 | Damian Hatch | Submission (rear naked choke) | SportFight 10 | May 28, 2005 | 1 | 2:07 | Gresham, Oregon, United States | |
| Win | 5-2-1 | Patrick Suhl | KO (punches) | Viking Fight 5 | May 2, 2004 | 1 | 1:31 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| Win | 4-2-1 | Petras Markevičius | Submission (triangle choke) | Viking Fight 5 | May 2, 2004 | 2 | 0:55 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| Win | 3-2-1 | Arschak Dahabagian | Submission (triangle choke) | Viking Fight 4 | February 1, 2004 | 2 | 3:39 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| Loss | 2-2-1 | Valdas Pocevicius | Submission (guillotine choke) | Shooto | November 14, 2003 | 1 | 3:37 | Vilnius, Lithuania | |
| Draw | 2-1-1 | Andrei Semenov | Draw | M-1 Mix Fight Championship: Russia vs. the World 5 | April 6, 2003 | 1 | 10:00 | St. Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, Russia | Special rules bout; non-stoppage resulted in draw. |
| Win | 2-1 | Daan Kooiman | Submission (rear naked choke) | Viking Fight 3 | February 15, 2003 | 1 | 0:49 | Aarhus, Denmark | |
| Win | 1-1 | Jon Fitch | Submission (rear naked choke) | Revolution Fighting Championship 1 | July 13, 2002 | 1 | 2:35 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 0-1 | Quinton Jackson | Decision (unanimous) | International Sport Combat Federation: Memphis | November 13, 1999 | 3 | 5:00 | Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
See also
References
- ^ http://www.ufc.com/fighter/Mike-Pyle
- ^ "Welterweight Mike Pyle tapped as "standby" fighter for UFC 98". mmajunkie.com. May 19, 2009.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night 19: Chris Wilson vs Mike Pyle in the works for Sept. 16". mmamania.com. July 6, 2009.
- ^ "Jake Ellenberger vs Mike Pyle on tap for Jan. 2". mmamania.com. October 27, 2009.
- ^ "Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox in the works for UFC 115 in Vancouver". mmajunkie.com. February 15, 2010.
- ^ Mike Chiappetta. "Mike Pyle Replaces Injured Dong Hyun Kim, Will Face John Hathaway at UFC 120". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
- ^ "Ricardo Almeida vs Mike Pyle Targeted for UFC 128 -- MMA Fighting". mmafighting.com. December 25, 2010.
- ^ "UFC 128 scorecards". heavymma.com. March 23, 2011.
- ^ "UFC 133: Welterweights Rory MacDonald vs. Mike Pyle Set for Aug. 6 in Philly". mmafrenzy.com. May 23, 2011.
- ^ "Paulo Thiago vs. Mike Pyle at UFC 142". tatame.com. November 22, 2011.
- ^ "Ricardo Funch In To Face Mike Pyle at UFC 142". mmaweekly.com. December 17, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
- ^ "Mike Pyle: I'm fighting Josh Neer at UFC on FX 3 on June 8". mmamania.com. March 22, 2012.
- ^ "Mike Pyle says he's fighting James Head at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale". mmajunkie.com. 2012-09-24. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- ^ "Mike Pyle ready to prove he belongs in the UFC". 2009-09-15. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
{{cite web}}: no-break space character in|title=at position 43 (help)