Clayton "Clay" French (born October 7, 1980) 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 ...

who fought on

Pride Fighting Championships PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts eve ...

Sengoku The was a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga shogunate. Variou ...

, KOTC and other several fighting organizations. He holds a notable victory over TUF winner

Mac Danzig Mac Danzig (born January 2, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist, who competed as a lightweight in several MMA promotions, most notably the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter season six. Background Da ...

by split decision and has trained with 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 Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

welterweight champion Matt Hughes.

Biography

Clay wrestled at

Eastern Illinois University Eastern Illinois University is a public university in Charleston, Illinois. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a co ...

where he was coached by Matt Hughes who turned him on to

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 strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

. Clay became a KOTC lightweight title holder. He has since started fighting at

in Japan and he enjoys the Japanese fighting culture. he then began fighting in

Titan Fighting Championships Titan Fighting Championship (Titan FC) is an American mixed martial arts promotion based out of Pompano Beach, Florida. Their shows were originally run in and near Kansas City and have since expanded to include venues all over North America and e ...

. Clay was the head coach of wrestling at St. Laurence High School from 2015-2017. Before Clay moved to Morton Freshman center, he worked as a computer teacher in a school nearby, Burnham Elementry. Clay has since moved to be a teacher at Morton Freshman Center in Cicero, IL. In the 2017-2018 School year, he is a teacher in the TSI department, a part of the school meant to teach students how to work with computers.

Championships and Accomplishments

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 strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

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 mainstr ...

** King of the Cage World Lightweight Champion (One time) **Three successful title defenses *Extreme Challenge **Extreme Challenge 70 Four-Man Lightweight Tournament Finalist

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 19–7 , Thiago Meller , TKO (punches) , XFCI - International 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:39 ,

Sao Paulo, Brazil SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U.S. ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 19–6 , James Krause , Decision (split) , Titan Fighting Championships 19 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–6 , Billy Stamp , Decision (split) , Ruckus Entertainment: Ruckus Invades Navy Pier , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–6 , Sean Wilson , Submission (rear-naked choke) , KOTC: Turbulence 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:39 , Lac du Flambeau (town), Wisconsin, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–6 ,

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 nick ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:51 ,

Saitama, Saitama is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance. Being in the Greater Tokyo Area and lyi ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 16–5 , Bryan Neville , Submission (neck crank) , KOTC: The Renewal , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:28 , Indianapolis,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–5 , Michael Johnson , Submission (kimura) , FFC - Fuel Fight Club , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:16 , Lake Ozark, Missouri, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–4 , Rory MacDonald , KO (punches) , KOTC - Grinder , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:26 ,

Calgary, Alberta Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population ...

, Canada , Lost KOTC lightweight championship , - , Loss , align=center, 15–3 ,

Satoru Kitaoka , is a Japanese shoot wrestler and mixed martial artist who most recently competed for RIZIN. A professional competitor since 2000, he has also competed for DREAM, Pancrase, DEEP, and World Victory Road. Kitaoka is renowned for his catch wrestli ...

, Submission (achilles lock) , World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:31 ,

, Japan , Sengoku 2008 lightweight tournament opening round , - , Win , align=center, 15–2 ,

Jameel Massouh Jameel Badih Massouh (born September 12, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A professional from 2005 until 2011, he fought in the World Extreme Cagefighting, WEC, Bellator MMA, Bellator, Pancrase, and King of th ...

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , AMMA 1 - Adrenaline MMA 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:17 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 , Jason Ireland , Decision (unanimous) , KOTC: Bad Boys , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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. The population was 21,688 as of the 2020 United States census. It is surrounded by Union Township but is polit ...

, United States , Defended KOTC lightweight championship , - , Win , align=center, 13–2 , Bobby Mosley , Submission (armbar) , Mainstream MMA 7 - Vengeance , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:29 ,

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and northeast of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city. ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 , Sam Jackson , Submission (rear naked choke) , EC 82 - Extreme Challenge 82 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:22 ,

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2 , Buddy Clinton , TKO (cut) , KOTC: Collision Course , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:26 ,

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 t ...

, United States , Defended KOTC lightweight championship , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 , Buddy Clinton , Decision (split) , KOTC: Damage Control , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , Defended KOTC lightweight championship , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Dominic Bjerke , TKO , CFC 8 - Courage Fighting Championships 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:18 ,

Decatur, Illinois Decatur ( ) is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois, with a population of 70,522 as of the 2020 Census. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 ,

, Decision (split) , KOTC: Hard Knocks , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Rockford, Illinois, United States , Won KOTC lightweight championship , - , Loss , align=center, 7–2 ,

Shinya Aoki is a Japanese mixed martial artist, professional wrestler and grappler currently competing in ONE Championship's and Rizin Fighting Federation's Welterweight division. He also competes in DDT Pro-Wrestling where he is a former three-time DDT ...

, Submission (flying triangle choke) , Pride - Bushido 13 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:57 ,

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–1 , Justin James , Submission (armbar) , EC 70 - Extreme Challenge 70 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:06 ,

Hayward, Wisconsin Hayward is a city in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States, next to the Namekagon River. The population was 2,318 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Sawyer County. The city is surrounded by the Hayward (to ...

, United States , Extreme Challenge 70 four-man lightweight tournament finals , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Alonzo Martinez , Submission (rear-naked choke) , EC 70 - Extreme Challenge 70 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:34 ,

, United States , Extreme Challenge 70 four-man lightweight tournament opening round , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , James Kugler , Submission (choke) , CFC 6 - Courage Fighting Championships 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Alex Carter , Submission (armbar) , IC 29 - Iowa Challenge 29 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:16 ,

Quincy, Illinois Quincy ( ), known as Illinois's "Gem City", is a city in and the county seat of Adams County, Illinois, United States, located on the Mississippi River. The 2020 census counted a population of 39,463 in the city itself, down from 40,633 in 2010. ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Norm Alexander , Submission (armbar) , CFC 5 - Courage Fighting Championships 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:45 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Josh Arocho , Submission (rear-naked choke) , XFO 7 - Outdoor War , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:28 ,

Island Lake, Illinois Island Lake is a village in Lake and McHenry counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Per the 2020 census, the population was 8,051. The village surrounds Island Lake, a lake which contains a small island. History The village was incorporated on ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Joe Veres , Submission (guillotine choke) , CFC 2 - Courage Fighting Championships 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:59 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Eric Gwaltney , Decision (unanimous) , SC 19 - Silverback Classic 19 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Canton, Illinois Canton is the largest city in Fulton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,704 at the 2010 census, down from 15,288 as of the 2000 census. The Canton Micropolitan Statistical Area covers all of Fulton County; it is in turn, p ...

, United States ,

External links

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:French, Clay American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling 1980 births Living people People from Villa Park, Illinois People from Mokena, Illinois