Dave Vitkay (born May 22, 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 ...

currently competing 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 the ...

division. A professional competitor since 2002, he has formerly competed for

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Glob ...

Background

Born and raised in the suburbs of

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, Vitkay competed in

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two o ...

and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

growing up. He began training in martial arts and MMA upon moving to

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

, where he also works as a trainer.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Vitkay began training in

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 ...

at the age of 20 and made his professional debut in 2002. Vitkay compiled an overall record of 11-12-1 before being signed by Bellator.

Bellator MMA

Vitkay was expected to make his Bellator debut on February 7, 2013 against then-undefeated

Kelvin Tiller Kelvin Tiller (born June 26, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the light heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, Tiller has also formerly competed for Bellator, World Series of Fighting and Sha ...

Bellator 88 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

. However, Tiller failed to make weight and the fight was subsequently cancelled. Vitkay made his Bellator debut on March 21, 2013 at

Bellator 93 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight c ...

against Jesse Peterson. Vitkay won the fight via technical submission due to a guillotine choke, just 18 seconds into the first round. Vitkay was then expected to face Brennan Ward at

Bellator 98 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

on September 7, 2013. However, Vitkay was removed from the event after Ward was called to replace

Andreas Spång Andreas Christian Spång (born November 7, 1978) is a Swedish professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who last competed in 2014. A professional competitor since 2008, he has competed for Bellator, the MFC, and Strikeforce. Personal life ...

against Justin Torrey in the quarterfinals of the Bellator season nine middleweight tournament at the same event. Vitkay faced Tyson Jeffries at Bellator 101 on September 27, 2013. Vitkay won via third-round rear-naked choke submission. In his next appearance, Vitkay faced Keith Berry at

Bellator 116 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweight, ...

on April 11, 2014. Vitkay won via unanimous decision.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 18-13-1 , Jeremie Holloway , TKO (punches) , LFA 8: Hamilton vs. Bazzi , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:55 , Greenville, South Carolina, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18-12-1 ,

Jared Gooden Jared Alexander Gooden (born December 5, 1993) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division. A professional mixed martial artist since 2015, Gooden most notably competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. ...

, Decision (unanimous) , NFC 86 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:44 ,

, United States , Won NFC Welterweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 17–12–1 , Cody Wilson , Decision (unanimous) , Legacy FC 53 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–12–1 , Wesley Barnes , TKO (injury) , Legacy FC 47 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States ,

debut. , - , Win , align=center, 15–12–1 , Tommy Jones , Submission (straight armbar) , Legacy FC 40 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:44 ,

Duluth, Georgia Duluth is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. Located north of Interstate 85, it is approximately northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2020 census, Duluth had a population of 31,873, and the United States Census Bureau estimated the po ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–12–1 , Keith Berry , Decision (unanimous) ,

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

Temecula, California Temecula (; es, Temécula, ; Luiseño: ''Temeekunga'') is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The city had a population of 110,003 as of the 2020 census and was incorporated on December 1, 1989. The city is a ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–12–1 , Tyson Jeffries , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Bellator 101 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:07 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populou ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–12–1 , Jesse Peterson , Technical Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:18 ,

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ; officially the City of Lewiston, Maine) is the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County. The city lies halfway between Augusta, the state's capital, and Portland, the state's most populous cit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–12–1 , Adam Dehart , Submission (guillotine choke) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 48 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:24 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–12–1 , Brett Chism , KO (punches) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 44 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:58 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–11–1 , Kendrick Miree , KO (punch) , K.O. Kings: King of the Ring 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:22 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–10–1 , Roger Carroll , Decision (unanimous) , Sportfight X: Atlanta , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 9–10–1 , Warren Thompson , Draw , BFN 7: Showdown at Center Stage , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–10 , Warren Thompson , Submission (rear-naked choke) , SportFight X 1: Beatdown , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:38 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–10 , Brett Chism , KO (punches) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 22 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:18 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–9 ,

Jesse Forbes Jesse Lee Forbes (born October 24, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2005 until 2010, he competed for the UFC, WEC, the MFC, and was a competitor on '' The Ultimate Fighter 3.'' Background For ...

, TKO (punches) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 19 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:05 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–8 , Todd Carney , Submission (guillotine choke) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 17 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:37 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–8 , Steve Sawyer , Submission (guillotine choke) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 16 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:30 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–8 , Scott Harper , Decision (split) , ISCF: Return of the Kings , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , N/A , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–7 , James Damien Stelly , TKO , Xtreme Freestyle Fighting 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it o ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–6 , Todd Seyler , TKO (doctor stoppage) , H2H: Hand 2 Hand Combat , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, Ohio. It is located approximately south of Cleveland and south of Akron in Northeast Ohio. The city lies on the edge of Ohio's extensive Amish country, particularly in Holmes ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–6 , Ron Fields , TKO (punches) , Freestyle Fighting Championships 12 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A ,

Indiana, United States 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 st ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 5–5 , Michael Patt , Submission (armbar) , Freestyle Fighting Championships 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:14 ,

Tunica, Mississippi Tunica is a town in and the county seat of Tunica County, Mississippi, United States, near the Mississippi River. Until the early 1990s when casino gambling was introduced in the area, Tunica had been one of the most impoverished places in the Un ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–4 , Jason Braswell , Submission (guillotine choke) , Freestyle Fighting Championships 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:25 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–4 , Leo Sylvest , Submission (rib injury) , Freestyle Fighting Championships 10 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1;11 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–4 , Lance Everson , Decision (unanimous) , CZ 7: Gravel Pit , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Revere, Massachusetts Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately from downtown Boston. Founded as North Chelsea in 1846, it was renamed in 1871 after the American Revolutionary War patriot Paul Revere. In 1914, the T ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–3 , Hector Ramirez , TKO (punches) , GC 26: FightFest 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:38 ,

California, United States California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the mo ...

, , - , Loss , align=center, 3–2 ,

Joe Riggs Joseph Jonathan Riggs (born September 23, 1982) is an American professional bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist who is currently signed to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2001, Riggs formerly ...

, KO (punches) , ICC: Trials 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Minnesota, United States Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , George Crawford , Submission (guillotine choke) , Dangerzone 26: Professional Level Cage Fighting , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:39 ,

Osceola, Iowa Osceola is a city in Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,160 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Clarke County. History Osceola was named after a Seminole Indian leader of the same name. Osceola is an ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Tyrone Roberts , KO (punches) , Dangerzone 26: Professional Level Cage Fighting , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:05 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Doug Sauer , TKO (punches) , ROF 9: Eruption , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A ,

Baraboo, Wisconsin Baraboo is a city in the Midwest and the county seat of Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The largest city in the county, Baraboo is the principal city of the Baraboo Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its 2020 population was 12,556. It is sit ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Mike Mackenzie , Submission (rear-naked choke) , TFC 6: Fightzone 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A ,

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and accordin ...

, United States ,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vitkay, Dave Living people 1980 births American male mixed martial artists Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Michigan