Christos Giagos (born January 23, 1990) is an American professional

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

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

division in 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 ( ...

(UFC).

Background

Giagos was born and raised in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

. Giagos competed 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 ...

in high school, and began training in mixed martial arts at age 19 in 2009. He is a

Greek American Greek Americans ( ''Ellinoamerikanoí'' ''Ellinoamerikánoi'' ) are Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry. There is an estimate of 1.2 million Americans of full or partial Greek ancestry. According to the US census, 264,066 people o ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Giagos made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2009 competing as a

primarily in regional promotions across

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. He was able to compile a record of 10–2, including winning the

RFA RFA may refer to: Groups, organizations * Radio Free Asia, a private news broadcaster and publisher in East Asia, funded in part by the U.S. government * Renewable Fuels Agency, a former UK renewable fuel regulatory agency * Renewable Fuels A ...

Lightweight Championship on August 22, 2014 with a TKO stoppage of Dakota Cochrane. On the heels of that victory, Giagos signed with 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 ...

in the fall of 2014.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Giagos made his promotional debut against

Gilbert Burns Gilbert Alexander Pontes Burns (born 20 July 1986) is a Brazilian professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and Submission grappling, submission grappler. He currently competes in the Welterweight (MMA), Welterweight division of th ...

on October 25, 2014 at

UFC 179 ''UFC 179: Aldo vs. Mendes 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on October 25, 2014, at Ginásio do Maracanãzinho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Featherweight Championship, Featherweight Championship re ...

. He lost the bout via submission in the first round. Giagos faced Jorge de Oliveira on March 21, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 62. Giagos won the fight via submission in the first round. Giagos faced Chris Wade on June 6, 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 68 ''UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 68'') was a mixed martial arts event held on June 6, 2015, at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Background The event was expected to be headlined by a l ...

. He lost the fight by unanimous decision and was subsequently released from the promotion.

Absolute Championship Berkut

He made his debut in Russia promotion against Alexandre Pimentel of Brazil at ACB 51: Silva vs. Torgeson on January 13, 2017. He won the fight unanimous decision. In the second match he will make fight against Shamil Nikaev at ACB 71: Yan vs. Mattos on September 30, 2017. He lost the back-and-forth fight by split decision.

Return to UFC

On the heels of a 4–2 run on the regional circuit, Giagos made his return to the promotion against

Charles Oliveira Charles Oliveira da Silva (born October 17, 1989) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and fourth degree black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. Oliveira currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting ...

on September 22, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 137. He lost the fight via a submission in the second round. “I felt like when I came in the Oliveira fight, I was actually performing very well. I was actually really excited with my performance. I wish I opened up a little more. But, I was a little nervous of the takedown. This guy’s jiu jitsu is just next level, he holds the most submissions. I felt like I was doing really well. Everyone had me winning the first round." Giagos said of his performance after the fight. Giagos faced

Mizuto Hirota is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division of the Rizin Fighting Federation. A professional competitor since 2005, he appeared in the Japanese MMA event Dynamite!! 2009 event and has also competed for Ul ...

on December 2, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 142. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Giagos faced Damir Hadžović on June 1, 2019 at UFC Fight Night 153. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Giagos faced Drakkar Klose on August 17, 2019 at UFC 241. He lost the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision. Giagos was expected to face Alan Patrick on April 25, 2020. However, he was pulled from the fight citing injury and he was replaced by Frank Camacho. Giagos replaced Rick Glenn and faced Carlton Minus at UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal on December 19, 2020. Giagos won the fight via unanimous decision. Giagos was scheduled to face Joel Álvarez on May 15, 2021 at

UFC 262 ''UFC 262: Oliveira vs. Chandler'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 15, 2021 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States. Background A UFC Lightweight Championship ...

. However, Álvarez was removed from the bout in early May due to alleged

visa Visa most commonly refers to: * Travel visa, a document that allows entry to a foreign country * Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Vi ...

issues that restricted his travel. Giagos faced returning veteran Sean Soriano. He won the bout via D'arce choke in the second round. This win earned Giagos the '' Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Giagos faced Arman Tsarukyan on September 18, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 192. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round one. Giagos faced Thiago Moisés at UFC on ESPN 38 on June 25, 2022. He lost the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the first round. Giagos was scheduled to face Benoît Saint-Denis on September 3, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 209. However, Giagos pulled out in early August after severing a tendon of his little finger during a domestic accident. Giagos faced

Ricky Glenn Ricky Glenn (born April 12, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division of the UFC. A professional since 2006, he is the former World Series of Fighting Featherweight Champion. Background Glenn was born in M ...

on April 22, 2023, at

UFC Fight Night 222 ''UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 222, UFC on ESPN+ 80'' and ''UFC Vegas 71'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on April 22, 2023, at the UFC A ...

. He won the fight by technical knockout in the first round. This performance earned Giagos his second '' Performance Of The Night'' award. Giagos faced Daniel Zellhuber on September 16, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 227. He lost the fight via an anaconda choke submission in round two. Giagos faced

Ignacio Bahamondes Ignacio Antonio Bahamondes Carabantes (born August 27, 1997) is a Chilean professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is also the former LUX Fight League l ...

on April 6, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 240. He lost in the first round as a result of a head kick knockout. On October 10, 2024, it was reported that Giagos was removed from the UFC roster.

Personal life

Besides training at Systems Training Center, Giagos coaches CrossFit, kickboxing and strength and conditioning there. He is also an avid tenpin bowler.

Championships and achievements

Mixed martial arts

** Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Sean Soriano and

. * Tachi Palace Fights ** Tachi Palace Fights Lightweight Championship (one time; former) *Resurrection Fighting Alliance **Resurrection Fighting Alliance Lightweight Championship (one time; former)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 20–12 ,

, KO (head kick) , UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Curtis 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:34 ,

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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, KO (punch) , UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:35 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–10 , Thiago Moisés , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on ESPN: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:05 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–9 , Arman Tsarukyan , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Spann , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:09 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–8 , Sean Soriano , Technical Submission (brabo choke) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:59 ,

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–8 , Drakkar Klose , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 241 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–7 , Damir Hadžović , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 16–7 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, Australia , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–7 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Anders , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:22 ,

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, 15–6 , Herdeson Batista , Decision (unanimous) , ACB 82 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–6 , Shamil Nikaev , Decision (split) , ACB 71 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5 , Alexandre Pimentel , Decision (unanimous) , ACB 51 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, planned city in central Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was named in 1888 for the landowner James Irvine. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–5 , Arthur Estrázulas , Decision (unanimous) , RFA 42: Giagos vs. Estrázulas , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–5 , Karen Darabedyan , TKO (punches) , RFA 38: Moisés vs. Emmers , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:42 ,

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–5 ,

Josh Emmett Joshua James Emmett (born March 4, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2011, Emmett has also competed for K ...

, TKO (punches) , West Coast FC 16 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:21 ,

Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–4 , Chris Wade , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 , Jorge de Oliveira , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlare , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:12 ,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–3 ,

, Submission (armbar) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:57 ,

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 , Dakota Cochrane , TKO (flying knee and punches) , RFA 17 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:04 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Sevak Magakian , Submission (triangle choke) , TPF 19: Thowback Thursday , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:45 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 , Preston Scharf , TKO (doctor stoppage) , LOP: Chaos at the Casino 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2 , Thor Skancke , TKO (punches) , LOP: Chaos at the Casino 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:27 ,

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Poppies Martinez Poppies Martinez (born August 19, 1983) is a Native American professional mixed martial artist of the Tachi Yokuts tribe currently competing in the Lightweight division of Bellator. A professional competitor since 2003, he has also formerly c ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , TPF 16: The Return , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:27 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Chris Tickle , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Flawless FC 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:32 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Joe Lewis , TKO (punches) , Samurai MMA Pro 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:12 ,

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–1 , Jason Gonzales , Submission (D'Arce choke) , RITC , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:14 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Joe Camacho , Decision (unanimous) , RITC , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Chris Manzo , KO (punch) , RITC , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:07 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Jose Alderete , TKO (punches) , Fury Fights 7 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:14 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Dominic Gutierrez , TKO (punches) , John Pena Promotions , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Giagos, Christos Living people 1990 births American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists from California American people of Greek descent Sportspeople of Greek descent People from Azusa, California Martial artists from Los Angeles County, California Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu 21st-century American sportsmen