Keith Berry (born October 25, 1987) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

who competed in Bellator's

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

division. A professional fighter since 2005, Berry has formerly fought for the WEC, Strikeforce,

King of the Cage King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mains ...

and Elite XC ShoXC. Berry is the former 2x King of the Cage Middleweight Champion.

Background

Berry is from

Murrieta, California Murrieta is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The population of Murrieta was 110,949 as of the 2020 census. Murrieta experienced a 133.7% population increase between 2000 and 2010, making Murrieta one of the ...

, and attended

Murrieta Valley High School Murrieta Valley High School (MVHS), colloquially known as MV or Valley opened in 1990 as the first four-year comprehensive high school in Murrieta, California. The school is nestled at the base of the Santa Rosa Plateau, at the western end of th ...

where he competed in

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat s ...

. Despite having a quiet personality, Berry got into wrestling in high school and was introduced to

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

. In 2020 Berry got engaged to adult film star Nicole Aniston.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career: World Extreme Cagefighting and King of the Cage

Berry started his career in 2005 for the California-based promotions

and

World Extreme Cagefighting World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was mad ...

. On his two bouts for WEC, he won against Donny Rider and lost against Terry Martin. For KOTC, he won five bouts and the middleweight title, remaining undefeated in the organization until his light heavyweight title fight against Tony Lopez, in which he lost via TKO in the third round due to his coach throwing in the towel against his request.King of the Cage: fight results from King of the Cage - Immortal
Kingofthecage.com (February 26, 2009)

Gladiator Challenge

Between 2009 and 2010, Berry fought four times for ''Gladiator Challenge'', obtaining four consecutive victories and holding two of the fastest KO in MMA history (5 and 6 seconds). Despite having lost against Brett Cooper at Pechanga Casino’s very first MMA event ''Lords of Chaos'', in 2011 Berry signed with Strikeforce.

Strikeforce

Berry made his debut on June 24, 2011 on ''Strikeforce Challengers: Fodor vs. Terry'' against Trevor Smith. He lost via technical submission in the second round. Berry faced Gian Villante on August 12, 2011 at ''Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Duarte''. He lost via unanimous decision. Berry was expected to face Andreas Spång on November 18, 2012 at ''Strikeforce Challengers: Britt vs. Sayers''. However, for undisclosed reasons he was forced out of the bout and was replaced by Willie Parks. Berry faced

Adlan Amagov Chechen Van Damme , image = , image_size = 400px , alt = , caption = , birth_name = , birth_date = , birth_place = Sunzhensky District, Chechen–Ingush ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Uni ...

on April 14, 2012 at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman. He lost via TKO in the first round. The ruling was controversial as Amagov seemed to throw a linear kick to the knee of Berry an illegal strike under the Unified Rules of MMA. The kick caused Berry to fall down. Berry then began verbally protesting to the referee Herb Dean, who interpreted this as Berry requesting to stop the fight. Many fighters, including 2 time PRIDE FC Champion Dan Henderson posted on social media saying this was Herb Deans “worst stoppage ever”. After two victories on ''Xplode Fight Series'', Berry signed with Bellator.

Bellator

Berry made his debut on March 7, 2013 at Bellator 92 against Richard Rigmaden. He won via submission in the first round. Berry faced Cortez Coleman on June 19, 2013 at

Bellator 96 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 ...

. He won via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28). Berry faced Jeremy Kimball on July 31, 2013 at Bellator 97. He was knocked out in the 2nd round of the bout. Berry faced Eugene Fadiora on October 25, 2013 at Bellator 105. He lost via TKO in the second round. Berry then faced Dave Vitkay on April 11, 2014 at Bellator 116. Berry lost the bout via unanimous decision. Berry was released from the promotion on June 25, 2014. Despite being released in June 2014, Berry returned to face Joe Pacheco on October 3, 2014 at

Bellator 127 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, ...

. He initially won the fight by split decision. However, Berry failed his post-fight drug test (Marijuana metabolites) and the California commission changed the result to a No Contest.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...

** KOTC Middleweight Championship (One time)Interview: Keith "KO Kid" Berry talks KOTC title-winning bout

MMA Fighting ''MMA Fighting'' is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). Founded in 2001, the site is notable for its breaking news coverage, podcast series, and ''The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani''. Overview ''MMAFighting.com'' w ...

(August 10, 2007) **One successful title defense *Xplode Fight Series **XFS Middleweight Championship (One time)Xplode Fight Series - Anarchy official results
Mixedmartialarts.com

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 17–15–1 (1) , Jayce Bowman , TKO (punches) , Gladiator Challenge: Holiday Beatings , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:50 ,

San Jacinto, California San Jacinto ( ; ; Spanish for " St. Hyacinth") is a city in Riverside County, California. It is located at the north end of the San Jacinto Valley, with Hemet to its south and Beaumont, California, to its north. The mountains associated with ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–15–1 (1) ,

Justin Baesman Justin Baesman (born June 3, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2008, he has competed for Bellator, the World Series of Fighting, Tachi Palace F ...

, TKO (punches) , Gladiator Challenge: Berry vs. Baesman , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:31 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–15–1 (1) , Joe Schilling , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 219 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Temecula, California Temecula (; es, Temécula, ; Luiseño: ''Temeekunga'') is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The city had a population of 110,003 as of the 2020 census and was incorporated on December 1, 1989. The city is a ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–14–1 (1) , Joseph Henle , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Golden Boy MMA: Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:12 ,

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 15–13–1 (1) , Kevin Casey , Draw (majority) , Bellator 170 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 15–13 (1) , Joe Pacheco , No Contest ,

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

, United States , Originally a split decision win for Berry; overturned after failing a drug test. , - , Loss , align=center, 15–13 , Dave Vitkay , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 116 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–12 , Eugene Fadiora , TKO (punches) , Bellator 105 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:19 ,

Rio Rancho, New Mexico Rio Rancho ( es, Río Rancho) is the most populous and only city in Sandoval County, part of the expansive Albuquerque metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. A small portion of the city extends into northern Bernalillo County. It ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–11 , Jeremy Kimball , KO (punches) , Bellator 97 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:45 ,

, Catchweight (190 lbs) bout. , - , Win , align=center, 15–10 , Cortez Coleman , Decision (split) ,

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

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma. It is located in South Central Oklahoma. The population was 445 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Thackerville is located at (33. ...

, Catchweight (186.4 lbs) bout; Berry missed weight.Bellator 96 weigh-in results: two fighters miss marks in Oklahoma (updated)
MMAjunkie.com (June 18, 2013) , - , Win , align=center, 14–10 , Richard Rigmaden , Submission (kimura) , Bellator 92 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:31 ,

, , - , Win , align=center, 13–10 , Edward Darby , TKO (punches) , Xplode Fight Series: Vengeance , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:02 , Valley Center, California , , - , Win , align=center, 12–10 , Josh Gibson , TKO (punches) , Xplode Fight Series: Anarchy , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:05 , Valley Center, California , Won the XFS Middleweight Championship. , - , Loss , align=center, 11–10 ,

, TKO (leg kick and punches) , Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:48 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 11–9 , Tyson Jeffries , Submission (rear-naked choke) , FCOC: Fight Club OC , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:10 ,

Costa Mesa, California Costa Mesa (; Spanish for " Table Coast") is a city in Orange County, California. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including part of the South Coast Plaza–John ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 11–8 , Kenny Aires , DQ , Gladiator Challenge: Season's Beatings 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, , - , Loss , align=center, 10–8 , Gian Villante , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Duarte , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States ,

Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 10–7 , Trevor Smith , Technical submission (north-south choke) , Strikeforce Challengers: Fodor vs. Terry , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:02 ,

Kent, Washington Kent is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue metropolitan area and had a population of 136,588 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest municipality in greater Seattle and th ...

, United States ,

bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 10–6 , Brett Cooper , KO (punches) , LOTC: Lords of the Cage , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:10 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–5 , Brendan Ellison , TKO (punches) , Gladiator Challenge: Fahrenheit , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:46 ,

, , - , Win , align=center, 9–5 , Sam Salas , KO (punch) , Gladiator Challenge: Bad Behavior , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:06 ,

, , - , Win , align=center, 8–5 , Brian Campbell , TKO (submission to punches) , Gladiator Challenge: Vision Quest , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:14 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–5 , Jeff Avants , TKO (punches) , Gladiator Challenge: Never Quit , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:25 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–5 ,

Doug Marshall Douglas Garrett Marshall (born February 3, 1977) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2003 until 2014, Marshall has fought in Bellator, Tachi Palace Fights, the Super Fight League, and the Pala ...

, KO (punches) , PureCombat 10: Fearless , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:41 ,

Tulare, California Tulare ( ) is a city in Tulare County, California. The population was 68,875 at the 2020 census. It is located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, eight miles south of Visalia and sixty miles north of Bakersfield. The city is named for t ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 6–4 , Tony Lopez , TKO (punches) , KOTC: Immortal , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:29 ,

, United States ,

bout; for the King of the Cage Light Heavyweight Championship. , - , Loss , align=center, 6–3 , Ray Lizama , TKO (punches to the body) , ShoXC: Hamman vs. Suganuma 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:15 , Friant, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2 , Umar Luv , TKO (submission to strikes) , KOTC: Final Chapter , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:50 ,

, United States , Defended the King of the Cage Middleweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 , Sean Loeffler , Submission (triangle choke) , KOTC: Collision Course , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:05 ,

, United States , Return to

; won the King of the Cage Middleweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Adrian Perez , KO (knee) , KOTC: Sinister , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:12 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–2 , Kawika Morton , Decision (split) , CCFC: Judgment Day , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa ( Spanish for " Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area in California. Its estimated 2019 population was 178,127. It is the largest city in California's Wine Country and ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–1 , Terry Martin , TKO (punches) , WEC 24: Full Force , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:52 ,

Lemoore, California Lemoore (formerly, La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 25 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Aiki Cavanaugh , KO (punch) , KOTC: Mangler , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:06 ,

, United States ,

debut. , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Donny Rider , TKO (punches) , WEC 20: Cinco de Mayhem , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:36 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Johnny Vasquez , TKO (punches) , KOTC 63: Final Conflict , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States ,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, Keith 1987 births Living people People from Murrieta, California American male mixed martial artists Middleweight mixed martial artists Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Sportspeople from Riverside County, California Mixed martial artists from California