Dave Vitkay (born May 22, 1980) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

currently competing in the

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term ''welterweight'' was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

division. A professional competitor since 2002, he has formerly competed for

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...

Background

Born and raised in the suburbs of

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, Vitkay competed in

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

growing up. He began training in martial arts and MMA upon moving to

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, where he also works as a trainer.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Vitkay began training in

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...

at the age of 20 and made his professional debut in 2002. Vitkay compiled an overall record of 11-12-1 before being signed by

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * ''Bellator'' (fish), a fish genus in the family Triglidae (sea robins) ** ...

Bellator MMA

Vitkay was expected to make his Bellator debut on February 7, 2013 against then-undefeated

Kelvin Tiller Kelvin Tiller (born June 26, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the light heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, Tiller has also formerly competed for Bellator, World Series of Fighting and Sha ...

at Bellator 88. However, Tiller failed to make weight and the fight was subsequently cancelled. Vitkay made his Bellator debut on March 21, 2013 at Bellator 93 against Jesse Peterson. Vitkay won the fight via technical submission due to a guillotine choke, just 18 seconds into the first round. Vitkay was then expected to face

Brennan Ward Brennan Ward (born June 28, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist and Bare Knuckle Boxer who most recently competed in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2008, Ward formerly competed for CES MMA ...

Bellator 98 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

on September 7, 2013. However, Vitkay was removed from the event after Ward was called to replace

Andreas Spång Andreas Christian Spång (born November 7, 1978) is a Swedish professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who last competed in 2014. A professional competitor since 2008, he has competed for Bellator, the MFC, and Strikeforce. Personal life A ...

against Justin Torrey in the quarterfinals of the Bellator season nine middleweight tournament at the same event. Vitkay faced Tyson Jeffries at Bellator 101 on September 27, 2013. Vitkay won via third-round rear-naked choke submission. In his next appearance, Vitkay faced Keith Berry at

Bellator 116 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweight ...

on April 11, 2014. Vitkay won via unanimous decision.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, , Jeremie Holloway , TKO (punches) , LFA 8: Hamilton vs. Bazzi , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:55 ,

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville ( ; ) is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, sixth-most pop ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–12–1 ,

Jared Gooden Jared Alexander Gooden (born December 5, 1993) is an American retired mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2015, Gooden has also competed for Legacy Fighting All ...

, Decision (unanimous) , NFC 86 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:44 ,

, United States , Won NFC Welterweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 17–12–1 , Cody Wilson , Decision (unanimous) , Legacy FC 53 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–12–1 , Wesley Barnes , TKO (injury) , Legacy FC 47 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States ,

debut. , - , Win , align=center, 15–12–1 , Tommy Jones , Submission (straight armbar) , Legacy FC 40 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:44 ,

Duluth, Georgia Duluth ( ) is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. Located north of Interstate 85, it is approximately northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Duluth had a population of 31,873, and the United Stat ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–12–1 , Keith Berry , Decision (unanimous) ,

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

Temecula, California Temecula (; , ; Luiseño language, Luiseño: ''Temeekunga'') is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The city had a population of 110,003 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and was Municipal corpora ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–12–1 , Tyson Jeffries , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Bellator 101 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:07 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–12–1 , Jesse Peterson , Technical Submission (guillotine choke) , Bellator 93 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:18 ,

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ) is the List of municipalities in Maine, second most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with the city's population at 37,121 as of the 2020 United States census. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, Augusta, the sta ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–12–1 , Adam Dehart , Submission (guillotine choke) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 48 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:24 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–12–1 , Brett Chism , KO (punches) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 44 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:58 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–11–1 , Kendrick Miree , KO (punch) , K.O. Kings: King of the Ring 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:22 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–10–1 , Roger Carroll , Decision (unanimous) , Sportfight X: Atlanta , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 9–10–1 , Warren Thompson , Draw , BFN 7: Showdown at Center Stage , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–10 , Warren Thompson , Submission (rear-naked choke) , SportFight X 1: Beatdown , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:38 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–10 , Brett Chism , KO (punches) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 22 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:18 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–9 ,

Jesse Forbes Jesse Lee Forbes (born October 24, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2005 until 2010, he competed for the UFC, World Extreme Cagefighting, WEC, the Maximum Fighting Championship, MFC, and was a com ...

, TKO (punches) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 19 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:05 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–8 , Todd Carney , Submission (guillotine choke) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 17 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:37 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–8 , Steve Sawyer , Submission (guillotine choke) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 16 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:30 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–8 , Scott Harper , Decision (split) , ISCF: Return of the Kings , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , N/A , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–7 , James Damien Stelly , TKO , Xtreme Freestyle Fighting 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–6 , Todd Seyler , TKO (doctor stoppage) , H2H: Hand 2 Hand Combat , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in Stark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, eighth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 70,872 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Canton–Massillo ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–6 , Ron Fields , TKO (punches) , Freestyle Fighting Championships 12 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A , Indiana, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–5 , Michael Patt , Submission (armbar) , Freestyle Fighting Championships 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:14 ,

Tunica, Mississippi Tunica is a town in and the county seat of Tunica County, Mississippi, United States, near the Mississippi River. Until the early 1990s when casino gambling was introduced in the area, Tunica had been one of the most impoverished places in the U ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–4 , Jason Braswell , Submission (guillotine choke) , Freestyle Fighting Championships 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:25 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–4 , Leo Sylvest , Submission (rib injury) , Freestyle Fighting Championships 10 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1;11 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–4 , Lance Everson , Decision (unanimous) , CZ 7: Gravel Pit , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Revere, Massachusetts Revere (, ) is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Located approximately northeast of Downtown Boston, Revere is the terminus of the Blue Line (MBTA), MBTA Blue Line, with three stations located within the city: Wonderland station, Wonderla ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–3 , Hector Ramirez , TKO (punches) , GC 26: FightFest 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:38 , California, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–2 ,

Joe Riggs Joseph Jonathan Riggs (born September 23, 1982) is an American professional bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist who was most recently signed to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship where he lost via KO to Lorenzo Hunt. He former ...

, KO (punches) , ICC: Trials 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A , Minnesota, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , George Crawford , Submission (guillotine choke) , Dangerzone 26: Professional Level Cage Fighting , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:39 ,

Osceola, Iowa Osceola is a city and the county seat of Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,415 at the time of the 2020 census. Etymology Osceola was named after a Seminole Indian leader of the same name. Osceola is an anglicised form of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Tyrone Roberts , KO (punches) , Dangerzone 26: Professional Level Cage Fighting , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:05 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Doug Sauer , TKO (punches) , ROF 9: Eruption , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A ,

Baraboo, Wisconsin Baraboo ( ) is the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States, located along the Baraboo River. The population was 12,556 at the 2020 census. The most populous city in the county, Baraboo is the principal city of the Baraboo micropo ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Mike Mackenzie , Submission (rear-naked choke) , TFC 6: Fightzone 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A ,

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

, United States ,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vitkay, Dave Living people 1980 births American male mixed martial artists Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Michigan