Matthew Christopher Gonzalez (born July 29, 1991) 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 ...

and former Greco–Roman wrestler who currently competes in the lightweight division. He has previously had a 10 bout stint 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 ...

. As a

wrestler 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 diffe ...

, Gonzalez won the 2016 senior Greco-Roman World Team Trials and went on to represent the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

at the 2016 World Championships at 71 kilograms and placed second at the 2017 US Open.

Background

Gonzalez was born and raised in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, where he attended Bloom Trail High School. As a high schooler, he was a multi–sport athlete, competing in

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 ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

and

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

. Despite never qualifying for the state championships as he was sidetracked by injuries as a

junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Aircraft * Ekolot JK-05L Junior, a Polish ultralight aircraft * PZL-112 Junior, a Polish training aircraft * SZD-51 Junior, a Polish-made training and club glider Arts and entertainment Characters * Bowser Jr., ...

and

senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

and being a late starter in the sport, Gonzalez decided to pursue

college wrestling Collegiate wrestling, commonly referred to as folkstyle wrestling, is the form of wrestling practiced at the post-secondary level in the United States. This style of wrestling is also practiced at the high school, middle school, and elementary ...

. After bouncing from

Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University (NIU) is a public research university in DeKalb, Illinois, United States. It was founded as "Northern Illinois State Normal School" in 1895 by Illinois Governor John P. Altgeld, initially to provide the state with c ...

Harper College William Rainey Harper College is a Public college, public community college in Palatine, Illinois. It was established by referendum in 1965 and opened in September 1967. It is named for William Rainey Harper, a pioneer in the junior college m ...

, Gonzalez became an

NJCAA The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, State college (disambiguation), state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 sepa ...

All–American in 2012. Gonzalez then accepted a scholarship to wrestle at the

Northern Michigan University Northern Michigan University (Northern Michigan, Northern or NMU) is a public university in Marquette, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1899 by the Michigan Legislature as Northern State Normal School. In 1963, the state designa ...

, which offered a

Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman world , also Greco-Roman civilization, Greco-Roman culture or Greco-Latin culture (spelled Græco-Roman or Graeco-Roman in British English), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and co ...

program. Throughout his international career, Gonzalez, who represented the

New York Athletic Club The New York Athletic Club is a Gentlemen's club, private social club and athletic club in New York (state), New York state. Founded in 1868, the club has approximately 8,600 members and two facilities: the City House, located at 180 Central Pa ...

, went on to make the 2016 US World Team, placing 8th at the

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

, placed multiple times at the US Open and claimed medals from tournaments such as the Dave Schultz and Bill Farrell Memorial Internationals.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

After his performance at the 2016 US Olympic Team Trials, Gonzalez considered transitioning over to

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 ...

, however, it was not until 2018 when he made his professional debut in the sport, winning by submission at the Gladiator Challenge.

Bellator MMA

In December 2018, it was announced that Gonzalez had signed with

. In January 2019 it was announced that he was scheduled to make his promotional debut against Henry Mendez at Bellator 214 on January 26, 2019. After Mendez withdrew from the bout, Gonzalez eventually made his promotional debut at Bellator 221 on May 11, 2019, defeating Charles Radtke by unanimous decision. Gonzalez had his third professional fight at Bellator 226 when he faced Luis Vargas on September 7, 2019. He dominated the bout, heavily utilizing his wrestling to claim the win by unanimous decision. To start off 2020, Gonzalez competed at Bellator 239 in February 21, defeating Aaron McKenzie by split decision. He then continued his win streak when he defeated Vladimir Tokov by the same method in August 21 at Bellator 244. His first finish in the promotion came when he knocked out 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 ...

veteran

Roger Huerta Roger Huerta (born May 20, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the lightweight division. He initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator Fighting Ch ...

on April 2, 2021, at

Bellator 255 Bellator 255: Pitbull vs. Sanchez 2 was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on April 2, 2021 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event was Bellator's first of the year following a four-month break ...

. Gonzalez faced

Goiti Yamauchi is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division for Bellator MMA and currently competes in the same division for the Professional Fighters League. Background Yamauchi was born in Anjō, Aichi to a Japanese father ...

on July 31, 2021, at

Bellator 263 Bellator 263: Pitbull vs. McKee was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on July 31, 2021, at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The event marked Bellator's first outside of the Mohegan Sun bubble and the first Be ...

. He lost the bout via TKO in the first round. Gonzalez faced

Saad Awad Saad Awad (, born June 7, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist competing in the lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, Awad has formerly competed for Bellator, Strikeforce and King of the Cage. Background Born in San B ...

on January 29, 2022, at

Bellator 273 Bellator 273: Bader vs. Moldavsky was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA, it took place on January 29, 2022 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Background A winner in eight of his last 11 bouts, Bader will be making h ...

. He won the bout via knockout 36 seconds into the first round. Gonzalez faced Usman Nurmagomedov on July 22, 2022, at

Bellator 283 ''Bellator 283: Lima vs. Jackson'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on July 22, 2022 at Emerald Queen Casino and Hotel in Tacoma, Washington, United States. Background Visiting the state of Washington for ...

. He lost the bout via guillotine choke in the first round. Gonzalez was scheduled to face Shamil Nikaev on December 9, 2022, at

Bellator 289 ''Bellator 289: Stots vs. Sabatello'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on December 9, 2022, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, United States. Background The semi-finals of the $1-million ...

. However, the bout was scrapped for unknown reasons. Gonzalez faced Max Rohskopf on February 4, 2023, at

Bellator 290 ''Bellator 290: Bader vs. Fedor 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on February 4, 2023, at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, United States. The card aired live on CBS and Paramount Plus, the first ti ...

. He won the bout via TKO in the second round. Gonzalez faced Tim Wilde on May 12, 2023, at

Bellator 296 ''Bellator 296: Mousasi vs. Edwards'' (also known as ''Bellator Paris'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on May 12, 2023, at Accor Arena in Paris, France. Background The event marked the promotion's thir ...

. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. On February 2, 2024, Gonzalez announced that he was no longer with the promotion.

Personal life

Christopher's father, Gaspar Gonzalez, was born and raised in

Havana, Cuba Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Bellator 296 ''Bellator 296: Mousasi vs. Edwards'' (also known as ''Bellator Paris'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on May 12, 2023, at Accor Arena in Paris, France. Background The event marked the promotion's thir ...

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

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 , Max Rohskopf , TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:22 ,

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–2 , Usman Nurmagomedov , Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:54 ,

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 ,

, KO (head kick and punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:36 ,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–1 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:53 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 ,

, TKO (submission to punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:01 ,

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is a village in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is located in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Vladimir Tokov , Decision (split) , Bellator 244 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:09 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Aaron McKenzie , Decision (split) , Bellator 239 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, 3–0 , Luis Vargas , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 226 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Charlie Radtke , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 221 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located immediately northwest of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 3,952. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Tyrese McCloud , Submission , Gladiator Challenge , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:30 ,

Lincoln, California Lincoln is a city in Placer County, California, United States, part of the Sacramento, California, Sacramento metropolitan area. Located north of Roseville, California, Roseville in an area of rapid suburban development, it grew 282 percent b ...

, United States ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez, Chris 1991 births Living people American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers American male mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Greco-Roman wrestling Bellator male fighters 21st-century American sportsmen