David John Herman (born October 3, 1984) is a retired 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 competed in the

Heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...

division of Titan FC,

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 ...

, Bellator,

EliteXC Elite Xtreme Combat, also known as EliteXC, was a United States–based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization owned and operated by ProElite. It was founded as a partnership between Showtime Networks and ProElite and officially announced on Decem ...

World Victory Road World Victory Road (WVR) was a Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) organization which promoted the Sengoku Raiden Championship (SRC) in Japan. The organization was formed in 2007 following the purchase of PRIDE FC by Zuffa. It operated in conjunct ...

, ShoXC, and

Shark Fights Shark Fights was a mixed martial arts promotion based in Amarillo, Texas. It made its debut on October 24, 2008. On September 11, 2010 Shark Fights had its biggest card in Shark Fights history by having past and present UFC fighters Jorge Masv ...

. His nickname "Pee-Wee" is a reference of the character Pee-Wee Herman, created and portrayed by American comedian

Paul Reubens Paul Reubens (; ; August 27, 1952 – July 30, 2023) was an American actor and comedian, widely known for creating and portraying the character Pee-wee Herman. Born in Peekskill, New York and raised in both Oneonta, New York and Sarasota, Flo ...

Background

Herman was born in

Columbia City, Indiana Columbia City is a city in Columbia Township, Whitley County, Indiana, United States. The population was 9,892 at the 2020 Census, up from 8,750 at the 2010 Census, estimated to be 10,064 in 2023. The city is the county seat of Whitley County, ...

, and raised in

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 census ...

, attending Concordia Lutheran High School. At Concordia, Herman participated in various sports including football, track and field, and cross country. He also 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 ...

for one month in his sophomore year before being expelled from the school. After taking his

GED Ged or GED may refer to: Places * Ged, Louisiana, an unincorporated community in the United States * Ged, a village in Bichiwara Tehsil, Dungarpur District, Rajasthan, India * Delaware Coastal Airport, in Delaware, US, callsign GED People * Ged B ...

as a junior and spending a year at IPFW, Herman transferred to

Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, IUB, or Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana Univer ...

, which has a Division I wrestling program. Despite having basically no high school wrestling experience, Herman competed for Indiana as a walk-on and excelled, competing for three full years and part of a fourth year. He red-shirted his first season which was from 2003 to 2004 and held an impressive 28–9 record in his second season. He then claimed the exclusive starting role in his third season, holding a 28–16 record and qualifying for the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

tournament, in which he went 2–2. In a 2006 pre-season ranking, Herman was placed as high as eighth in the nation. In his fourth season Herman started off the season flawlessly, winning a tournament in November, but left a week later with no explanation for his departure, and later graduated from the university with a degree in general studies. Herman began training in mixed martial arts after watching one of his former college teammates train in the rising sport.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Following a 2–0 amateur career, Herman made his professional mixed martial arts debut on December 31, 2006. He quickly amassed an undefeated 11–0 record, fighting 10 times throughout 2007, and went 13–0 before actually joining an

MMA 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 ...

gym and officially begin training. In 2008, Herman signed with the now defunct

organization. He debuted on the undercard of EliteXC: Street Certified, defeating Mario Rinaldi via TKO. His second bout came at EliteXC: Return of the King, where he defeated

Ron Waterman Ronald Waterman (born November 23, 1965) is an American former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and celebrity member of the Team Impact motivational group. He holds notable victories over Valentijn Overeem, Ricco Rodriguez, Kev ...

via TKO. He next faced Kerry Schall in the main event of ShoXC 9, which would ultimately be the final show by the company. Following the dissolution of

, Herman fought for a variety of promotions including

Bellator Fighting Championships Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from '' bellātor'', the Latin word for "warrior". Bellato ...

and

. Korean fighter Mu Bae Choi handed him his first loss in Japan on January 4, 2009, fighting in the Sengoku promotion. In his next fight Herman defeated Jim York at Sengoku 11. In 2010, Herman became entangled in a lawsuit with Bellator that kept him out of action in the United States for just over a year. Once the legal issues were settled, Herman was scheduled to face

Ricco Rodriguez Ricco Rodriguez (born August 19, 1977) is an American former mixed martial artist who competed in the Heavyweight (MMA), heavyweight division. A professional competitor from 1999 to 2019, he competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC, ...

at Bellator 31 but Rodriguez pulled out of the fight due to a knee injury. Michal Kita stepped in, and served as Rodriguez's replacement. Herman defeated him via first round submission. Herman received his second loss after being disqualified for illegal knees to

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Nkamhoua (; born April 18, 1984), mostly billed simply as Sokoudjou, is a Cameroonian professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2006, Sokoudjou is the former Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki, KSW Light He ...

. Herman then faced

Yoshihiro Nakao (born June 25, 1972) is a Japanese semi-retired professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former K-1 kickboxer and PRIDE FC fighter who has defeated the likes of Don Frye, Choi Mu-Bae, Jim York (fighter), Jim York, Wesley Correi ...

at World Victory Road Presents: Soul of Fight. He won the fight via decision, the first fight in his career to go the distance.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Herman was expected to make his promotional debut against

Rob Broughton Rob Broughton (born 3 March 1983) is an English former mixed martial artist who competed in the heavyweight division. A professional competitor between 2004 and 2015, Broughton is a former British Cage Rage heavyweight champion and has also co ...

on June 11, 2011, at UFC 131. However, in late March, Broughton was replaced in the bout by

Joey Beltran Joey Beltran (born December 9, 1981) is an American bare-knuckle fighter and mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A professional mixed martial artist since 2007, he has competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC, Bellator MMA, Bel ...

. When

Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...

pulled out of his main event fight with

Junior dos Santos Junior dos Santos (; born 30 January 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and current Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA Heavyweigh ...

, Jon Olav Einemo's original opponent,

Shane Carwin Shane Bannister Carwin (born January 4, 1975) is an American former mixed martial artist who competed in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is considere ...

, stepped up to replace Lesnar against dos Santos. Herman instead fought fellow UFC newcomer Einemo. Herman defeated Einemo via TKO (punches) at 3:19 of round 2 in a back and forth bout that earned ''Fight of the Night'' honors. Herman was scheduled to face Mike Russow on October 8, 2011, at UFC 136. However, the bout was cancelled after Herman failed his preliminary drug test in which he tested positive for marijuana. Herman denies using the prohibited substances. Herman fought against

Stefan Struve Stefan Struve (; born February 18, 1988) is a Dutch former mixed martial artist who competed as a heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Standing at tall, he is the tallest fighter in the history of the UFC. Background Growing ...

on February 15, 2012, at

UFC on Fuel TV 1 The year 2012 was the 20th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. 2012 started with UFC 142, UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes and ended with UFC 155, UFC 155: dos Santos ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. Herman replaced

Gabriel Gonzaga Gabriel Gonzaga Santos Nogueira (; born 18 May 1979) is a Brazilian former professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Submission grappling, submission grappler and 5th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) Brazilian jiu-jitsu ranking syst ...

to face Roy Nelson on May 26, 2012, at UFC 146. He was defeated via KO in 51 seconds. Herman next faced

Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (, born 2 June 1976), better known as Minotauro or Big Nog, is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Inter ...

on October 13, 2012, at

UFC 153 ''UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 13, 2012, at the HSBC Arena (Rio de Janeiro), HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background Vitor Belfort was expec ...

. Herman was submitted by Nogueira via armbar in the second round, receiving the first submission loss of his career. Herman tested positive for marijuana for the second time after failing his post-fight drug test for

. He was suspended for six months and ordered to undergo treatment. The suspension was lifted in April 2013. Herman was expected to face Shane del Rosario on July 6, 2013, at UFC 162. However, del Rosario was forced off the card due to injury and replaced by

. Herman lost the fight just 17 seconds into the first round by TKO. After losing four fights in a row, Herman was released from the UFC.

Titan Fighting Championship

On January 28, 2014, it was announced that Herman had signed a contract with Titan Fighting Championship. Herman was expected to face

Kalib Starnes Kalib Starnes (born January 6, 1975) is a Canadian mixed martial artist. Early life Starnes became involved in the martial arts at an early age and began teaching when he was a teenager. He started training in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at the Gracie A ...

at Titan FC 28 on April 25, 2014. However the event was delayed until May 16, 2014. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Herman was expected to face Walt Harris at Titan FC 30 on September 26, 2014. However Harris was forced out of the bout with a back injury and the fight was then rescheduled to take place at Titan FC 32 on November 20, 2014. However the bout was scrapped after Harris re-signed with the

. Herman was then expected to face Jon Madsen for the Titan FC heavyweight championship at the event. On November 4, 2014, it was announced that Titan FC 32 would be postponed to December 19, 2014, and would be moved from Augusta, Georgia to Lowell, Massachusetts. Herman subsequently pulled out of the bout due to an injury.

Personal life

Herman married Madeleine Atchley in March 2014. They live on a farm and have a son, Leo. On January 19, 2015, Herman was arrested in the early morning in Indiana, allegedly after leading police on a chase. Herman faces three felony charges, including resisting law enforcement with a vehicle and battery against law enforcement, and a misdemeanor charge of child neglect. His infant child was in the vehicle when he pulled over in the closest safe well lit area. According to an incident report issued by the Dekalb County Sheriff Department, Herman was speeding on I-69 with no headlights or taillights on. When officers attempted to pull him over, Herman initially refused to pull over before stopping at a gas station, the report states. According to the report: “David exited his vehicle and approached Officers in an aggressive manner. David was given multiple warnings to get on the ground and failed to comply. David had to be tased in order to be taken into custody. An infant and adult female were also present in the vehicle.”

Championships and accomplishments

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 ( ...

** Fight of the Night (One time) **UFC.com Awards ***2011: Ranked #7 Newcomer of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 22–6 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Titan FC 28: Brilz vs. Davis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Newkirk, Oklahoma Newkirk is a city in and the county seat of Kay County, Oklahoma, Kay County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,172 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. History Newkirk is on land known as the Cherokee Outlet (popularly ...

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, KO (punches) , UFC 162 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:17 ,

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, 21–5 ,

, Submission (armbar) ,

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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, 21–4 , Roy Nelson , KO (punch) , UFC 146 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:51 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–3 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:52 ,

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–2 , John-Olav Einemo , TKO (punches) , UFC 131 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:19 ,

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 20–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , World Victory Road Presents: Soul of Fight , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 19–2 , Michal Kita , Submission (omoplata) , Bellator 31 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:16 ,

Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, fifth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the county seat, parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles (Louisiana), Lake Char ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–2 ,

, DQ (illegal knees) , ADFC: Round 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 18–1 , Jim York , KO (axe kicks and punches) , World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 11 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:25 ,

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 17–1 ,

Don Frye Donald Frye (born November 23, 1965) is an American former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. In MMA, he was one of the sport's earliest well-rounded fighters and won the '' UFC 8'' and '' David vs. Goliath 96'' tournament ...

, TKO (punches) , Shark Fights 6: Stars & Stripes , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:00 ,

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Potter County, Texas, Potter County, though most of the southern half of the city extends into Randall County, Texas, Randall County ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–1 , Josh Barnes , KO (knee and punches) , Bellator 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:46 ,

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–1 , Choi Mu-Bae , TKO (punches) , World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku no Ran 2009 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:22 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 15–0 , Chris Guillen , TKO (punches) , KOK: Season's Beatings , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:32 ,

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–0 , Kerry Schall , TKO (knees and punches) , ShoXC 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:06 ,

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. Located along Lake Michigan, it is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the Li ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–0 ,

, TKO (punches) , EliteXC: Return of the King , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:19 ,

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–0 , Mario Rinaldi , TKO (knees and punches) , EliteXC: Street Certified , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:33 ,

Miami, Florida Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–0 , Justin Kuhn , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Maximum Combat , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:56 , United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Chuck Geyer , KO (punch) , LOF 22: Nemesis , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:31 ,

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Terry Tucker , KO (punch) , LOF 20: Bitter Rivals , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:36 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Jordan Wall , TKO (submission to punches) , Title Fighting Championships , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:30 ,

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Iowa, most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County, Iowa, Polk County with parts extending into Warren County, Iowa, Wa ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Andre Mussi , TKO (punches) , Fight Night in the Flats III , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:00 ,

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , James Samuels , KO (punch) , LOF 18: Pole Position , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:18 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , James Ferguson , KO (punch) , LOF 17: Unrivaled , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:59 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Seth Parker , Submission (rear-naked choke) , LOF: Revolution 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:11 ,

Plainfield, Indiana Plainfield is a town in Guilford Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, Guilford, Liberty Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, Liberty, and Washington Township, Hendricks County, Indiana, Washington townships, Hendricks County, Indiana, Hendricks ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Greg Hammer , TKO (submission to punches) , FSG: Coliseum Carnage , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:13 ,

Ames, Iowa Ames () is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately north of Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines in central Iowa. It is the home of Iowa State University (ISU). According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Ames ha ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Jeff Orieze , KO (punch) , LOF: Revolution 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:59 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Mike Cooke , KO (punch) , LOF 12: Black Tie Battles , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:39 ,

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References

External links

Official UFC Profile
* *http://www.daveherman.net/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Herman, Dave American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Indiana Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling American sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in mixed martial arts Living people 1984 births People from Columbia City, Indiana Sportspeople from Fort Wayne, Indiana Sportspeople from Temecula, California Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American male sport wrestlers