Chris "The Westside Strangler" Brennan (born October 12, 1971) is an American

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 last competed 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 from 1996 until 2012, he competed for the

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 ...

PRIDE Pride is a human Emotion, secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's Identity (philosophy), identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on conte ...

, Cage Rage,

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

and

Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission (ISC). Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 1989 as a ...

. He is a former King of the Cage Middleweight Champion and former King of the Cage Middleweight Superfight Champion. He is also one of 18 fighters to compete in the -77 kg division at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships in 2005. Chris was also the founder of Nogi Industries, a Mixed martial arts clothing company. In 2014 Chris was inducted in to the Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Chris is the owner and founder of Next Generation MMA. After retiring from MMA competition Chris switched his focus back to grappling events and also entered and won the No-Gi Black Belt World Championships in 2013, 2014, and 2015. He was also the 2013, 2014 Nogi Pan American Champion.

Background

Brennan was born in

Compton, California Compton is a city located in the Gateway Cities region of southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county, and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth ci ...

, but soon moved to Orange County before settling in Laguna Hills and

Huntington Beach, California Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, United States. The city was originally called Pacific City, but it was changed in 1903 to be named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 as of ...

, where he spent the next 10 years. Growing up, Brennan claims that he lived in at least 19 different homes and played baseball and soccer, but was ultimately more interested in individual sports such as bodybuilding, surfing, gymnastics, and motocross. While working as a bouncer, Brennan saw

UFC 1 ''The Ultimate Fighting Championship'' (later renamed ''UFC 1: The Beginning'') was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, United States, on Novembe ...

and was motivated by the dominant performance of

UFC Hall of Fame The UFC Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors mixed martial artists and MMA personalities, established and maintained by the U.S.-based mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In a ...

Royce Gracie Royce Gracie (; born 12 December 1966) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist. Gracie gained fame for his success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a member of the Gracie jiu-jitsu family, a UFC Hall of Famer ...

. Brennan soon began training with Gracie himself and received his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt in only seven years. Brennan later became the first no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor in the United States.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Brennan made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 1996 and compiled a record of 4–1–1 before being signed by the UFC.

UFC

Brennan made his UFC debut against Courtney Turner at the UFC 16 Lightweight Tournament on March 13, 1998, and won via

armbar An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armpit lock is very useful; it will immobilize an opponent and pin them on the ground. An armlock t ...

submission in the first round. In his next fight later that night, Brennan lost to future five-time champion,

Pat Miletich Patrick Jay Miletich (; born March 9, 1968) is a retired Americans, American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC W ...

via submission.

King of the Cage

Brennan made his

debut against future King of the Cage Lightweight Champion Joe Stevenson and won via submission. In his next fight, Brennan fought against future MFC Lightweight Champion Antonio McKee for the King of the Cage Middleweight Superfight Championship and won via

knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...

with a head kick. In his first title defense, Brennan was defeated by Joe Hurley after he was knocked out from elbows. On August 4, 2001, Brennan defeated Kevin Hogan via armbar submission to become the new King of the Cage Middleweight Champion and then in his next fight, successfully defended his title against Steve Berger. After a one-fight stint with the UFC at UFC 35, a loss to Gil Castillo, Brennan won two more fights outside of

before returning to defend his title again, this time against

John Alessio John Paul Alessio (born July 5, 1979) is a Canadian retired professional mixed martial artist. A former competitor in Bellator's Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 1998, Alessio has also formerly competed for the UFC where h ...

. Brennan was defeated via TKO.

PRIDE

Brennan went 0–2 in Shooto, losing a controversial decision to Takanori Gomi before he made his

debut on October 5, 2003, at Bushido 1 against

Eiji Mitsuoka is a retired Japanese professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2001 until 2012, Mitsuoka fought for the UFC, DREAM, World Victory Road, PRIDE, Shooto, Cage Force, DEEP and King of the Cage promotions. Mitsuoka's ni ...

and won via kimura submission in the first round. In his next appearance for the organization, he faced Daiju Takase a year later at Bushido 2 and lost via unanimous decision. His last fight in PRIDE was at Bushido 12 against

Tatsuya Kawajiri is a Japanese mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight division. He is a former List of Shooto champions#Lightweight Championship, Shooto Lightweight Champion, and has also competed in the Ult ...

, and he was defeated via TKO only 29 seconds into the first round.

Post-PRIDE

Since his last fight in PRIDE, Brennan has gone 2–2, competing for Cage Rage and King of the Cage.

Personal life

Brennan has sons, Lucas (born 2000), who is also a professional mixed martial artist currently competing in

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 Tyler who currently wrestles for the

University of Arkansas at Little Rock The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA Little Rock, UALR) is a Public university, public research university in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. Established as Little Rock Junior College by the Little Rock School District in 1927, the ...

Championships and accomplishments

** KOTC Middleweight Championship (One time; first) **Two Successful Defenses ** KOTC Middleweight Superfight Championship (One time; first) **One Successful Defense *

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 ( ...

** UFC 16 Lightweight Tournament Runner Up As a professional MMA fighter his 21 wins were: 18 first round submissions, 1 second round submission, 1 second round KO, and 1 three round unanimous decision, a 95% finish rate, amongst the highest in MMA. * 2013 IBJJF Black-Belt No-Gi World Champion * 2014 IBJJF Black-Belt No-Gi World Champion * 2015 IBJJF Black-Belt No-Gi World Champion * 2014 Pan-Am No-Gi Champion * Between 2013 and 2015 in 20 grappling matches only four total points scored against

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, , Brandon Gaines , Submission (kimura) , KOTC: Aerial Assault , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:31 ,

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located near the Texas state border. The population was 400 at the 2020 census. Geography Thackerville is situated near the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and State High ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–14–1 , Marvin Babe , Submission (armbar) , KOTC: Bad Intentions 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:33 ,

, United States , Return to Middleweight. , - , Loss , align=center, 19–14–1 , Quinn Mulhern , Submission (omoplata) , KOTC: Militia , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:01 , Highland, California, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–13–1 , Jean Silva , KO (punches) , Cage Rage 23 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:26 , London, England , , - , Win , align=center, 19–12–1 , Adam DiSabato , Submission (toe hold) , GFC: Evolution , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:11 ,

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

, TKO (strikes) , PRIDE Bushido 12 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:29 ,

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, Japan , Lightweight bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 18–11–1 ,

Vítor Ribeiro Vítor de Souza Ribeiro (born February 24, 1979) is a retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2001, he has formerly competed for Strikeforce, Sho ...

, Submission (swollen eye) , GFC: Team Gracie vs Team Hammer House , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:25 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–10–1 , Shannon Ritch , Submission (guillotine choke) , RM 7: Championship Night , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:19 ,

Tijuana Tijuana is the most populous city of the Mexican state of Baja California, located on the northwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Tijuana is the municipal seat of the Tijuana Municipality, the hub of the Tijuana metropolitan area and the most popu ...

, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 17–10–1 , Mark Moreno , Submission (armbar) , Extreme Wars - X-1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:14 ,

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–10–1 , Daiju Takase , Decision (unanimous) , PRIDE Bushido 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

, Japan , Middleweight bout. , - , Win , align=center, 16–9–1 ,

, Submission (kimura) ,

PRIDE Bushido 1 The year 2003 was the 7th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2003 had 6 events beginning with, ''Pride 25 - Body Blow''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The follo ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:31 , Saitama, Japan , Heavyweight bout. , - , Win , align=center, 15–9–1 , Jason St. Louis , Submission (armbar) , Adrenaline Fighting Championships 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:20 , Langley, British Columbia, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–9–1 , Rob Emerson , Submission (achilles lock) , Hitman Fighting 3 , , align=center, N/A , align=center, N/A ,

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana (Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, California, United States. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census. As ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–8–1 ,

Takaharu Murahama is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He competed in the Lightweight division. He is the brother of professional wrestler and kickboxer Takehiro Murahama. Career Prior to his pro debut he won 3rd place in the middleweight category (-74kg) at th ...

, Submission (achilles lock) , Shooto: 1/24 in Korakuen Hall , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:49 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–7–1 ,

Takanori Gomi is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist who gained international fame in Pride Fighting Championships. Later in his career, Gomi also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Gomi is the only Pride FC Lightweight Champion in the ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Shooto: Treasure Hunt 10 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 14–6–1 , Shannon Ritch , Submission (armbar) , Aztec Challenge 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:50 , Juárez, Mexico , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–6–1 ,

, TKO (punches) , KOTC 15: Bad Intentions , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:20 ,

San Jacinto, California San Jacinto ( , ; ) is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. It is located at the north end of the San Jacinto Valley, with Hemet, California, Hemet to its south and Beaumont, California, Beaumont to its north. The mountains ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–5–1 , Thomas Denny , Submission (armbar) , Gladiator Challenge 11 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:12 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–5–1 , John Chrisostomo , Submission (keylock) , Warriors Quest 4: Genesis , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:10 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–5–1 , Gil Castillo , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 35 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–4–1 , Steve Berger , Decision (unanimous) , KOTC 11: Domination , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , Defended the KOTC Middleweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 10–4–1 , Kevin Hogan , Submission (armbar) , KOTC 10: Critical Mass , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:08 ,

, United States , Won the inaugural KOTC Middleweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 9–4–1 , Robert Wynne , Submission (armbar) , Reality Submission Fighting 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:05 ,

Belleville, Illinois Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It is a southeastern suburb of St. Louis. The population was 42,404 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the most populated city in the Me ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–4–1 , Joe Hurley , KO (elbows) , KOTC 5: Cage Wars , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:30 ,

, United States , Lost the KOTC Middleweight Superfight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 8–3–1 , Antonio McKee , KO (head kick) , KOTC 3: Knockout Nightmare , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:09 ,

, United States , Defended the KOTC Middleweight Superfight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 7–3–1 , Joe Stevenson , Submission (triangle choke) , KOTC 1: Bas Rutten's King of the Cage , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:04 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–3–1 , Steve Gomm , Submission (knees) , Bas Rutten Invitational 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:27 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2–1 , Steve Horton , Submission (guillotine choke) , Extreme Challenge 22 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:13 ,

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–2–1 ,

, Submission (shoulder choke) , rowspan=2,

UFC 16 ''UFC 16: Battle in the Bayou'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 13, 1998, in Kenner, Louisiana. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on home video. Hi ...

, rowspan=2, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 9:02 , rowspan=2,

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, United States , UFC 16 Welterweight Tournament Finals. , - , Win , align=center, 5–1–1 , Courtney Turner , Submission (armbar) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:20 , UFC 16 Welterweight Tournament Reserve Bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 4–1–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Extreme Challenge Trials , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 30:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 4–0–1 ,

, Draw , Extreme Challenge 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 20:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Delcio Delcio , Submission (guillotine choke) , Carioca de Freestyle , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:46 , Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Steve Oliver , Submission (rear-naked choke) , rowspan=2, Independent Event , rowspan=2, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:52 , rowspan=2, Mississippi, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Randal Kemp , Submission (armbar) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:35 , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Scott Carter , Submission (Peruvian necktie) , Independent Event , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:12 , California, United States ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brennan, Chris 1971 births American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from California Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Living people American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters 20th-century American sportsmen