Danny Roberts (born 14 July 1987) is an English

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

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 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 2010, he has also competed for

Cage Warriors Cage Warriors (CW) is an Irish-owned mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in London, England. The promotion was established in 2001 and staged its first MMA event in London in July, 2002. Many MMA stars have made their names under ...

Background

Born in

Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...

, London, Roberts grew up on a deprived estate with his mum and ten siblings before moving to Hartcliffe,

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

at age 9. Unfortunately, things were only marginally better and Roberts who grew up without his father around and began to find himself drifting down the wrong path with the wrong people. After being expelled from seven different schools in London and Bristol, Roberts moved to Birkenhead following his dreams where Roberts began boxing at age 16. He compiled a 3–1 pro record, before making his debut in mixed martial arts in 2010.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

After going 1–1 as an amateur, he made his professional debut in December 2010. He competed for several regional promotions across

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

, including a stint in

. He was able to compile a record of 11 - 1 before signing with the UFC on the heels of a first round finish of

Jim Wallhead Jim Wallhead (born 14 March 1984) is an English former professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight (MMA), Welterweight division. He has competed for BAMMA, Bellator MMA, Bellator, and M-1 Challenge and ...

in September 2015.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Roberts was expected to make his promotional debut against

Michael Graves Michael Graves (July 9, 1934 – March 12, 2015) was an American architect, designer, and educator, and principal of Michael Graves and Associates and Michael Graves Design Group. He was a member of The New York Five and the Memphis Group and ...

on 10 December 2015 at UFC Fight Night 80. However, Graves was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by

Nathan Coy Nathan David Coy (born July 24, 1978) is an American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Welterweight (MMA), Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC. A professional competitor since ...

. Roberts won the fight via technical submission in the first round. Roberts next faced Dominique Steele on 23 April 2016 at UFC 197. He won the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision. Both participants were awarded a ''Fight of the Night'' bonus. Roberts faced Mike Perry on 8 October 2016 at UFC 204. He lost the back and forth fight via knockout in the third round. Roberts faced Bobby Nash on 16 July 2017 at UFC Fight Night 113. He won the fight via knockout in the second round. Roberts was expected to face Sheldon Westcott on 16 December 2017 at UFC on Fox 26. However, Westcott was removed from the card for undisclosed reasons in early December and was replaced by Nordine Taleb. Roberts lost the fight via knockout in the first round. Roberts faced

Oliver Enkamp Miko Eric Oliver Enkamp (born August 10, 1991) is a Swedish mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight (MMA), Welterweight division. He has previously competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC and Bellator ...

on 17 March 2018 at UFC Fight Night 127. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. Roberts was expected to face Alan Jouban on 22 July 2018 at UFC Fight Night 134. However, on 12 July, Jouban was pulled out from the fight, citing a neck injury. Jouban was replaced David Zawada. He won the fight via split decision. This win earned him the Fight of the Night award. Roberts faced Cláudio Silva on 16 March 2019 at UFC Fight Night 147. He lost the bout via an armbar submission in the third round. Roberts faced promotional newcomer Michel Pereira on 18 May 2019 at UFC Fight Night 152. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round. Roberts faced Zelim Imadaev on 9 November at UFC on ESPN+ 21. He won the fight via knockout in round two. Roberts was scheduled to face Nicolas Dalby on 21 March 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Edwards. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the event was eventually postponed . The bout with Dalby was rescheduled and was expected to take place on 25 July 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Till. However, Roberts was injured and he was replaced by Jesse Ronson. Roberts was scheduled to face Tim Means on 19 June 2021 at UFC on ESPN 25 However, the pairing was scrapped by the promotion in the days leading up to the event for undisclosed reasons. Roberts faced Ramazan Emeev on 16 October 2021 at UFC Fight Night 195. Roberts won the fight via controversial split decision. 10 out of 12 media outlets scored the bout as a win for Emeev. Roberts faced Francisco Trinaldo on 7 May 2022 at UFC 274. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. Roberts faced Jack Della Maddalena on 19 November 2022, at UFC Fight Night 215. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round one. Roberts faced Jonny Parsons on 22 July 2023 at UFC on ESPN+ 82. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. Despite the loss, he received his third '' Fight of the Night'' bonus award. On 7 January 2025, it was reported that Roberts was removed from the UFC roster.

Global Fight League

Roberts was scheduled to face Neiman Gracie in the inaugural Global Fight League event on May 24, 2025 at GFL 1. However, all GFL events were cancelled indefinitely.

Championships and accomplishments

** Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Dominique Steele, David Zawada, and Jonny Parsons

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 18–8 , Jonny Parsons , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs. Tybura , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:57 ,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7 , Jack Della Maddalena , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Nzechukwu vs. Cuțelaba , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:24 ,

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 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–6 , Francisco Trinaldo , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 274 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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 , , - , Win , align=center, 18–5 , Ramazan Emeev , Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs. Dumont , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–5 , Zelim Imadaev , KO (punch) , UFC Fight Night: Magomedsharipov vs. Kattar , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:54 ,

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 , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–5 , Michel Pereira , KO (flying knee and punch) , UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Lee , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:47 ,

Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–4 , Cláudio Silva , Submission (armbar) , UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:37 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 16–3 , David Zawada , Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Smith , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 15–3 ,

, KO (punch) , UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:12 ,

, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–3 , Nordine Taleb , KO (head kick and punch) , UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. dos Anjos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:59 ,

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 , Bobby Nash , KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:59 ,

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, Scotland , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–2 , Mike Perry , KO (knee and punches) , UFC 204 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:40 ,

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 , Dominique Steele , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 197 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 ,

, Technical Submission (triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:46 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 ,

, KO (punches) , Cage Warriors 68 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:49 ,

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Juan Manuel Suarez , Decision (unanimous) , Cage Warriors 64 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Henry Fadipe , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Cage Warriors 57 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:34 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Diego Gonzalez , TKO (knee and punches) , Cage Warriors 54 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:02 ,

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, Wales , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Jack Mason , Submission (armbar) , Cage Warriors 48 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:46 ,

, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–1 , Pavel Doroftei , Submission (heel hook) , rowspan=2, UCC 10 , rowspan=2, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:21 , rowspan=2,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Shaun Lomas , Decision (unanimous) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Shaun Lomas , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Cage Conflict 11 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:32 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Aurelijus Kerpe , Submission (brabo choke) , Raw Promotions 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:43 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , David Howell , TKO (knee to the body) , Cage Warriors 43 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:26 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Matt Ross Francombe , KO (knee to the body and punches) , OMMAC 9 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:27 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Darius Kuncevicius , TKO (knees) , OMMAC 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:47 ,

, England , , -

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Danny 1987 births Sportspeople from the London Borough of Croydon Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Living people English male mixed martial artists Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters English male boxers People from Croydon 21st-century English sportsmen