Chas Skelly (born May 11, 1985) is an American retired

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 ...

who competed in the

featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

. A professional since 2009, he has also 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 ...

and

Legacy Fighting Championship The Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Houston, Texas. It was created as a result of the Legacy Fighting Championship and Resurrection Fighting Alliance merger in 2016. History Resu ...

Background

Skelly was born in

Bedford, Texas Bedford is a city located in northeastern Tarrant County, Texas, United States, in the "Mid-Cities" area between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, Fort Worth. It is a suburb of Dallas and Fort Worth. The population was 49,928 at the 2020 United State ...

, but moved to Pennsylvania at a young age. Skelly began

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

at the age of five and later moved back to Texas, attending

Azle High School Azle ( ) is a city west of Fort Worth in Parker and Tarrant Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 13,369. Azle is the home of the Azle Marching Green Pride marching band and the Fighting Azle Horn ...

where he also played baseball and football, but quit the latter two sports when he was a senior to focus on wrestling. He held an overall record of 164-3, was a four-year letterman, and won a state championship during his senior year in 2003 while competing in the 140 lbs. division. Skelly continued wrestling at the collegiate level for

Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City University (OCU) is a private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The university offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, graduate master's degrees and docto ...

where he earned

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors with a 7th-place finish at nationals. He began mixed martial arts after he became a wrestling partner for former

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

fighter

Johnny Bedford Johnny Bedford (born January 6, 1983) is an American retired mixed martial artist and bare-knuckle boxer. A professional from 2003 to 2017, he fought in the UFC, Bellator, the Legacy Fighting Alliance, and was a competitor on Spike TV's The Ult ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Skelly made his professional MMA debut in 2009 and won his first two fights in the first round via submission and TKO, respectively. Less than a month after the latter win, he was signed by

Bellator MMA

Skelly made his Bellator debut at Bellator 9 on May 29, 2009, and won the fight via split decision. Still undefeated, Skelly won his next three consecutive fights before making his next appearance for the organization on May 20, 2010, at Bellator 19, facing Daniel Pineda. Skelly had previously defeated Pineda via submission and defeated him again in the rematch via

kneebar A leglock is a joint lock that is directed at joints of the leg such as the ankle, knee or hip joint. A leglock which is directed at joints in the foot is sometimes referred to as a foot lock and a lock at the hip as a hip lock. Leglocks are featu ...

. After a two-year layoff due to injuries, Skelly again won his next three consecutive fights before his next appearance for the organization 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 ...

on June 19, 2013. He faced Jarrod Card and won via unanimous decision.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In March 2014, it was announced that Skelly has signed with the UFC. He made his debut against

Mirsad Bektić Mirsad Bektić (born February 16, 1991) is a Bosnian-born American retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Background Mirsad Bektić was born on February ...

on April 19, 2014, at UFC on Fox: Werdum vs. Browne. He lost via majority decision. The fight was nearly stopped in the second round as Skelly landed a pair of illegal knees as Bektić was grounded against the cage, prompting the referee to deduct a point and allow him five minutes to recover. Bektić clearly was hurt and wobbled as he returned to his feet but was able to continue after a brief break. In his second fight for the promotion, Skelly faced

Tom Niinimäki Tom Niinimäki (born July 25, 1982) is a Finnish professional mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Early career Niinimäki began training in ki ...

on August 23, 2014, at

UFC Fight Night 49 ''UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 49'') was a mixed martial arts event held on August 23, 2014, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Background The event was headlined by Lightweight contenders Benson ...

. He won the fight via submission in the first round. After taking virtually no damage during his fight with Niinimäki, Skelly faced Sean Soriano on September 5, 2014, at

UFC Fight Night 50 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The large ...

, replacing an injured

Andre Fili Andre Riley Givens-Fili (born Andre Riley Givens; June 25, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Fili is of Samoan and ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision and set the modern era record for shortest time in between UFC wins at 13 days. Skelly faced Jim Alers on February 14, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 60 ''UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 60'') was a mixed martial arts event held on February 14, 2015, at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. Background The event was the third that the UFC has hosted a ...

. He won the fight via TKO in the closing seconds of the second round. Skelly was briefly linked to a bout against

Hacran Dias Hacran Dias (born 16 May 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In 2015, Dias was the #9 featherweight in the world by Sherdog. Mixed martial arts ...

on June 27, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 70 ''UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Romero'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 70'') was a mixed martial arts event held on June 27, 2015, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Background The event was originally expected t ...

. However, Skelly was pulled from the card in early June due to illness and replaced by Levan Makashvili. Skelly faced

Kevin Souza Edimilson Souza (born October 17, 1984), professionally known as Kevin Souza, is a Brazilian mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight (MMA), featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A profess ...

on November 7, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 77 ''UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 3'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 77'') was a mixed martial arts event held on November 7, 2015, at the Ginásio do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil. Background The event was the fourth held in São Pa ...

. Despite being rocked a number of times by Souza's punches, Skelly rallied and won the fight via submission in the second round. Skelly next faced

Darren Elkins Darren Elkins (born May 16, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he fights in the Featherweight division. Background Elkins was born in Hobart, Indiana and competed four y ...

on March 5, 2016, at

UFC 196 ''UFC 196: McGregor vs. Diaz'' was a mixed martial arts event held on March 5, 2016, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was officially announced in November 2015 as "UFC 197", taking place on March 5, 2016, at ...

. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Skelly faced

Maximo Blanco Maximo Blanco (born October 16, 1983) is a Venezuelan professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2008, Blanco is the former Lightweight ...

on September 17, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 94. He won the fight via submission in the fight's opening minute and was awarded a ''Performance of the Night'' bonus. Skelly faced Chris Gruetzemacher on February 4, 2017, at

UFC Fight Night 104 ''UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 104'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 4, 2017, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Background A feathe ...

. He won the fight via submission in the second round. Skelly faced Jason Knight on May 13, 2017, at

UFC 211 ''UFC 211: Miocic vs. dos Santos 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on May 13, 2017, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Background The event was the fourth that the UFC has host ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the third round. He received a 180-day medical suspension to recover from his injuries. After more than one year absent from competing, Skelly faced newcomer

Bobby Moffett Bobby Moffett (born June 1, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist (MMA) who competes in the Featherweight division. A professional since 2013, he has also competed for the UFC, PFL, RFA, and LFA. Background Moffett started training in k ...

on November 10, 2018, at

UFC Fight Night 139 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

. He lost the fight via technical submission. Subsequently, Skelly appealed to the Colorado Office of Combative Sports on grounds of referee error regarding the stoppage. Eventually on June 24, 2020, Skelly announced on his social media account that the result was overturned to no contest. Skelly was expected to face

Jordan Griffin Jordan Griffin (born February 23, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, he has competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Legacy Fig ...

on June 29, 2019, at

UFC on ESPN 3 ''UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. dos Santos'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 3'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 29, 2019, at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Background Th ...

. However, on June 13, 2019, Skelly pulled out of the fight citing injury. The pairing eventually took place on September 14, 2019, at

UFC on ESPN+ 16 ''UFC on ESPN: Holm vs. Aldana'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 16'' and ''UFC Fight Island 4'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 4, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu D ...

. Skelly won the fight by unanimous decision. Skelly was scheduled to meet

Grant Dawson Grant Michael Dawson (born February 20, 1994) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of July 1, 2025, he is #15 in the UFC lightweight rankings. Backgr ...

on January 18, 2020, at

UFC 246 ''UFC 246: McGregor vs. Cowboy'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 18, 2020, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. ...

. However, on January 14, 2020, Dawson announced on his personal social media that he was forced to withdraw from the bout. The bout was rescheduled on February 29, 2020, at

UFC Fight Night 169 ''UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 169'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 27'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 29, 2020 at Chartway Arena i ...

. On February 7, 2020, it was reported that Skelly was injured during one of his training sessions and was forced to withdraw from the event. Skelly was scheduled to face

Jamall Emmers Jamall Leantwean Emmers (born July 24, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Emmers transitioned to MMA from a high school and college wr ...

February 20, 2021, at

UFC Fight Night 185 ''UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 185'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 43'' and ''UFC Vegas 19'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 20, 2021 at the UFC ...

. However, the bout was cancelled moments before it was expected to begin as Emmers suffered back spasms backstage. Skelly was expected to face

Michael Trizano Michael Charles Trizano (born December 31, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Featherweight division of Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2016, Trizano was the w ...

on October 9, 2021, at

UFC Fight Night 194 ''UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Rodriguez'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 194'', ''UFC Vegas 39'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 52'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 9, 2021 at the UFC ...

. However, two weeks before the event, Skelly was removed from the bout for undisclosed reasons and the bout was cancelled. Skelly faced Mark Striegl in what he announced as his retirement bout on February 19, 2022, at

UFC Fight Night 201 ''UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Hill'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 201'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 59'' and ''UFC Vegas 48'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 19, 2022, at the UFC ...

. He won the fight via TKO in the second round.

Championships and accomplishments

** Performance of the Night (One Time) vs.

**Tied ( Daniel Pineda,

Brian Ortega Brian Martin Ortega (born February 21, 1991) is an American professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professiona ...

& Makwan Amirkhani) for second most submissions in UFC Featherweight division history (4) ** Second most submission attempts in UFC Featherweight division history (17) ** Fastest submission in UFC/WEC history in the featherweight division (0:19 vs

) **UFC.com Awards ***2016: Ranked #4 Submission of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, , Mark Striegl , TKO (knee and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Hill , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:01 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

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, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Gaethje , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, Canada , , - , NC , align=center, 17–3 (1) ,

, NC (overturned) , UFC Fight Night: The Korean Zombie vs. Rodríguez , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:43 ,

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

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Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–2 , Chris Gruetzemacher , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:01 ,

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–2 ,

, Technical Submission (anaconda choke) , UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:19 ,

Hidalgo, Texas Hidalgo is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. Its population was 11,198 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, and in 2020, the population had risen to 13,964. History The area that is now Hidalgo was first settled by Spanis ...

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, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:56 ,

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 , Jim Alers , TKO (punches and knee) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:59 ,

Broomfield, Colorado Broomfield is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county located in the United States, U.S. Colorado, state of Colorado. It has a consolidated government which operates under Article XX, Sect ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 , Sean Soriano , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Jacare vs. Mousasi , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Mashantucket, Connecticut Mashantucket is a census-designated place (CDP) in the northeastern part of the town of Ledyard, New London County, Connecticut, United States. It consists of land held by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. The Foxwoods Resort Casino Foxwoods Re ...

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, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:35 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Luis Vegas , Decision (unanimous) , PFS: Premier Fight Series 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Jeremy Myers , Submission (D'Arce choke) , XKO 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:59 ,

Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal c ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Tim Snyder , Submission (rear-naked choke) , KOK 8: The Uprising , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:22 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Mike Braswell , Decision (split) , Bellator 9 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Joshua Gerber , TKO (punches) , XKO: Xtreme Knockout 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:59 , Arlington, Texas, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Will Samuels , Submission (choke) , XKO: Xtreme Knockout 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:57 , Arlington, Texas, United States ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Skelly, Chas American male mixed martial artists Living people People from Bedford, Texas 1985 births Sportspeople from Keller, Texas Mixed martial artists from Texas Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers