Saad Awad ( ar, سعد عوض , born June 7, 1983) 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 ...

competing in Bellator's

lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxe ...

division. A professional competitor since 2006, Awad has formerly competed for Strikeforce and

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 ...

Background

Born in

San Bernardino, California San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 ce ...

to a Palestinian father and a Brazilian mother, Awad is the fourth eldest of twelve siblings. Growing up, Awad competed in soccer and

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 ...

Cajon High School Cajon High School is located in the University District of San Bernardino, California, and is part of the San Bernardino City Unified School District. Academics Cajon High School is part of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) incl ...

and later wrestled for a semester at a junior college. Later, Awad stumbled upon

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 ...

and eventually moved to Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Awad started his career in 2006. He fought mainly for the Costa Rican promotion ''Titans of the Pentagon'' and for the

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

n promotion ''Gladiator Challenge''. For ''Titans of the Pentagon'', he compiled four victories, winning a four-man tournament on the way. For ''Gladiator Challenge'', he had his first defeat against Nam Phan on February 16, 2008 at GC 74. Despite having lost his GC debut, Awad won the Gladiator Challenge Lightweight Championship against Kyle Olsen on October 25, 2008 at GC 85.Gladiator Challenge - Casino Pauma Event
by Todd Hester (Gladiatorchallenge.com) on January 13, 2009

Strikeforce

Awad faced Joe Duarte on April 9, 2011 at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley. He lost via submission in the second round.

The Ultimate Fighter

Awad appeared in the first episode of '' The Ultimate Fighter: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson''. He lost via unanimous decision against Joey Rivera during the entry round.

Bellator MMA

Awad made his

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Global. ...

debut on January 25, 2009 at Bellator 10 against Diego Garijo. He lost via submission in the first round. On January 31, 2013 at Bellator 87, Awad was expected to face Jason Fischer. However, he had to replace Patricky Freire in the quarterfinal match of Bellator Season Eight Lightweight Tournament due to a knee injury against Guillaume DeLorenzi. He won via KO 31 seconds into the first round. In the semifinals, Awad faced

Will Brooks Willie Love Brooks (born October 8, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, he is the former Bellator MMA Lightweight World Champion, and has also competed for DRE ...

on February 28, 2013 at Bellator 91. In a major upset, Awad knocked out the heavily favored Brooks via KO in under a minute once again. Awad faced David Rickels in the tournament finals at Bellator 94. He lost the fight via TKO due to a highly controversial finish. Rickels dropped Awad with a right hand at the very end of the round, but Awad remained resting on his back instead of getting up to his corner, resulting in the referee declaring an end to the match. Awad next faced British fighter Martin Stapleton in the quarterfinal match of Bellator season nine lightweight tournament on September 27, 2013 at Bellator 101. He won the fight via submission in the first round. Awad had a rematch with

in the semifinal round on October 25, 2013 at Bellator 105. He lost via unanimous decision (30-27, 30–27, 30-27). Awad fought Joe Duarte at

Bellator 122 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, ...

in a rematch from their 2011 bout. He won the fight via TKO in the first round where he locked in an arm triangle, and elbowed Duarte. Duarte punched Awad in the head and made him suffer from symptoms of concussion. Awad faced undefeated Sergio Rios 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 won the fight via unanimous decision. Awad faced Rob Sinclair at

Bellator 136 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company. ...

on April 10, 2015. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Awad faced Patricky Freire at

Bellator 141 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company. ...

on August 28, 2015. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Awad moved up to the welterweight division and faced Evangelista Santos at Bellator 154 on May 14, 2016. Awad defeated the veteran via TKO after repeated strikes on the ground while Santos held on to a submission attempt. Returning to lightweight, Awad faced Derek Anderson at Bellator 160 on August 26, 2016. In a back-and-forth affair, in which both fighters traded near submission finishes, Awad ultimately lost the fight via unanimous decision. Awad again moved up to the welterweight division and faced Brennan Ward at Bellator 163 on November 4, 2016. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round. Awad faced

Ryan Quinn Ryan Quinn (born January 22, 1987) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2008 until 2017, he competed for Bellator MMA, Titan FC, and CES MMA. Mixed martial arts career Early career Quinn began his MMA care ...

at Bellator 178 on April 21, 2017. He won the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision. Awad faced Zach Freeman at Bellator 186 on November 3, 2017. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. Awad faced

J.J. Ambrose J.J. Ambrose (born February 6, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in One Fighting Championship. He has also competed for Bellator's Lightweight division, Affliction and Pacific Xtreme Combat. Background Ambrose was b ...

at Bellator 193 on January 26, 2018. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Awad fought Ryan Couture at Bellator 201 on June 29, 2018, winning the fight via technical knockout. Awad faced

Benson Henderson Benson Henderson (born November 16, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes for Bellator MMA, currently competing in their Lightweight division. He is a former UFC Lightweight Champion and WEC Lightweight Champion. As of November ...

at Bellator 208 on October 13, 2018. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. As the first bout of his new contract with Bellator, Awad faced

Goiti Yamauchi is a Japanese-born Brazilian mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Welterweight division for Bellator MMA. As of December 13, 2022, he is #5 in the Bellator Welterweight Rankings. Background Yamauchi was born in Anjō, Aichi to ...

at Bellator 229 on October 4, 2019. He lost the fight via a verbal submission due to an armbar in the first round. Awad stepped in as a short-notice replacement for

Sabah Homasi Sabah Homasi (born October 19, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2009, he has also competed for the UFC, Titan FC, and Strikeforce. As of ...

against Paul Daley at Bellator 232 on October 26, 2019. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. Awad then faced Mandel Nallo at Bellator 249 on October 15, 2020. Nallo kneed Awad in the groin rendering him unable to continue the bout, leading to a no contest. Awad faced Nate Andrews on May 21, 2021 at

Bellator 259 Bellator 259: Cyborg vs. Smith 2 was a mixed martial arts event that was produced by Bellator MMA at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Background The event featured a Bellator Women's Featherweight Championship bout between the ch ...

He won the bout via TKO in the first round after dropping Andrews multiple times, leading to the referee calling the bout. Awad faced

Chris Gonzalez Matthew Christopher Gonzalez (born July 29, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist and former Greco–Roman wrestler who currently competes in the lightweight division of Bellator MMA. As a wrestler, Gonzalez won the 2016 senior Greco-Roma ...

on January 29, 2022 at Bellator 273. He lost the bout via head kick knockout 36 seconds into the first round.

Personal life

Awad and his wife Britni live in

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...

with their daughter Amaiyah (b. 2016) and son Ace (b. 2018).

Championships and accomplishments

Bellator Fighting Championships Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

** Bellator Season 8 Lightweight Tournament Runner-Up **Most losses in Bellator history (10) *Gladiator Challenge **Gladiator Challenge Lightweight Championship (One time) *Titans of the Pentagon **TOTP Four-Man Welterweight Tournament Winner (2007) * MMAJunkie.com **2019 March Fight of the Month vs. Brandon Girtz

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 24–14 (1) ,

, KO (head kick and punches) , Bellator 273 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:36 ,

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, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:16 ,

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, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 23–13 (1) , Mandel Nallo , NC (accidental low blow) , Bellator 249 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:44 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 23–13 , Paul Daley , TKO (punches) , Bellator 232 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:30 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 23–12 ,

, Verbal Submission (armbar) , Bellator 229 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:40 ,

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, 23–11 , Brandon Girtz , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 219 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 23–10 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 208 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a census-designated place (CDP), as well as a suburb in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead. The population was 32,473 at the 2020 United States Census. Uniondale is home to Hofstra University's nort ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–9 , Ryan Couture , TKO (punches) , Bellator 201 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:29 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–9 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 193 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–9 , Zach Freeman , TKO (punch) , Bellator 186 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:07 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–9 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 178 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–9 , Brennan Ward , KO (punches) , Bellator 163 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:26 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–8 , Derek Anderson , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 160 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–7 , Evangelista Santos , TKO (punches) , Bellator 154 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:31 ,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7 , Patricky Freire , Decision (unanimous) ,

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

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–6 , Rob Sinclair , Decision (unanimous) ,

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

Irvine, California Irvine () is a master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 197 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–6 , Sergio Rios , Decision (unanimous) ,

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

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–6 , Joe Duarte , TKO (elbows) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:18 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–6 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 105 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5 , Martin Stapleton , Submission (rear naked choke) , Bellator 101 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:46 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–5 , David Rickels , TKO (punches) , Bellator 94 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 ,

, KO (punches) , Bellator 91 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:43 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 , Guillaume DeLorenzi , KO (punches) , Bellator 87 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:31 ,

Mount Pleasant, Michigan Mount Pleasant is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in Central Michigan, the city is the county seat of Isabella County, Michigan, Isabella County. The population was 21,688 as of the 2020 United States census. It is surrounded by Unio ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4 , Daniel McWilliams , Submission , IES: Inland Empire Strikes , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:16 ,

Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County in the U.S. state of California, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, i ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–4 , Matt Shorey , TKO (punches) , Gladiator Challenge: Star Wars , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:28 ,

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, 10–4 , Andy Morales , Submission (rear-naked choke) , MEZ Sports: Pandemonium 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:59 ,

, United States , Return to

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxe ...

. , - , Win , align=center, 9–4 , Joey Nier , KO (punch) , Gladiator Challenge: Pro-Am Series 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:11 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–4 , Joe Duarte , Submission (armbar) , Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:45 ,

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 ...

, United States ,

bout. , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 , Bryson Kamaka , TKO (punches) , KOTC: Sniper , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:21 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–3 , Diego Garijo , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Bellator 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:45 ,

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bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 7–2 ,

Karen Darabedyan Karen Darabedyan ( hy, Կարեն Դարաբեդյան, born December 18, 1986) is an Armenian-American professional mixed martial artist and the founder of KD MMA Training Center in Glendale, CA. He is best known for fighting in WEC's lightwei ...

, Decision (split) , Gladiator Challenge: Revolution , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, United States ,

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 ...

debut. , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Jorge Britto , Decision (majority) , CCF 3: Undisputed , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anch ...

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, , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Kyle Olsen , Submission , GC 85: Cross Fire , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:14 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–1 , Nam Phan , TKO (punches) , GC 74: Evolution , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:52 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Evan Vasquez Matus , TKO , TOTP: Titans of the Pentagon , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A , San José, Costa Rica , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Eric Beitia , Submission (guillotine choke) , TOTP: Titans of the Pentagon , , align=center, N/A , align=center, N/A , San José, Costa Rica , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–0 , Ludwing Salazar , KO (punch) , rowspan=2, TOTP: Titans of the Pentagon , rowspan=2, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:50 , rowspan=2, San José, Costa Rica , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Wilberth Montoya , Submission (rear-naked choke) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:30 , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Art Ruiz , DQ , KOTC: The Return , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:43 ,

, United States ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Awad, Saad 1983 births Living people American people of Palestinian descent American sportspeople of Brazilian descent American male mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists from California Bellator male fighters American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers Sportspeople from San Bernardino, California

Background

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Strikeforce

The Ultimate Fighter

Bellator MMA

Personal life

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

See also

References

External links