Dustin Stoltzfus (born November 15, 1991) is an 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 ...

and former

kickboxer Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and ...

. He currently competes in the

middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...

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 ( ...

Background

Stoltzfus grew up in the

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch (), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania in the United States, Ontario in Canada, and other regions of both nations. They largely originate from the Palatinate (region), Palatina ...

community outside of

Ronks, Pennsylvania Ronks is a small unincorporated farming community and census-designated place (CDP) in East Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, just west of Paradise. As of the 2010 census the population was 362. The community is ...

to former Amish parents. Stoltzfus started Folkstyle Wrestling as a child, moving to

Tang Soo Do Tang Soo Do (; ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean martial art based on karate which can include fighting principles from taekkyeon, subak, as well as northern Chinese martial arts. From its beginnings in 1944 to today, Tang Soo Do is used by ...

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

and other martial arts growing up. After graduating from Lampeter-Strasburg High School, he attended

Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU or MT) is a Public university, public research university in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Founded in 1911 as a normal school, the university consists of eight Undergraduate education, undergraduate colleges as ...

, where he also got introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He graduated with Bachelor's in both foreign languages and economics, and subsequently moved to Germany – where he had already studied abroad – in 2014. In Germany he attended

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz The Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz () is a public research university in Mainz, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany. It has been named after the printer Johannes Gutenberg since 1946. it had approximately 32,000 students enrolled in around 100 a ...

where he graduated with Master's in translation.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Stoltzfus fought once as an amateur in 2012, losing via decision. Two years later, he began competing as a professional in the Central-European regional circuit. He compiled a 12–1 record while claiming the FFA Middleweight Championship and defending it twice.

Dana White's Contender Series

Stoltzfus was then invited to face

Joe Pyfer Joseph Oliver Pyfer (born September 17, 1996) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Raised in Pittsgrove Township, New Jersey, Pyfer at ...

at Dana White's Contender Series 28 on August 11, 2020. He won the fight via technical knockout due to an injury stemming from a slam and was awarded a contract with the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Stoltzfus made his promotional debut against

Kyle Daukaus Kyle Daukaus ( ; born February 27, 1993) is an American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight (MMA), Middleweight division of Cage Fury Fighting Championships, where he is the Cage Fury FC Middleweight Champion. ...

at UFC 255 on November 21, 2020. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Stoltzfus faced Rodolfo Vieira at UFC on ESPN: Makhachev vs. Moisés on July 17, 2021. He lost the fight via third-round submission. Stoltzfus was expected to face Anthony Hernandez at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus on December 18, 2021. However, Hernandez withdrew from the event due to undisclosed reasons and was replaced by newcomer Caio Borralho. In turn, Borralho and

Gerald Meerschaert Gerald Edward Meerschaert III (born December 18, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he holds the record for most finishes i ...

's opponent, Abusupiyan Magomedov, were forced to withdraw from the fight due to visa issues, thus the UFC matched Meerschaert and Stoltzfus against each other for the event. He lost the bout via rear-naked choke in the third round. Stoltzfus faced

Dwight Grant Dwight Lamont Grant (born September 14, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist (MMA) who competes in the welterweight (MMA), welterweight division. He had previously fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Born and r ...

on July 16, 2022, at

UFC on ABC 3 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 large ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Stoltzfus faced Abusupiyan Magomedov, replacing injured

Makhmud Muradov Makhmud Muradov (born February 8, 1990) is an Uzbek professional mixed martial artist. He formerly competed in the Middleweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Makhmud Muradov was born on February 8, 1990, in Sov ...

, on September 3, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 209. He lost the fight via knockout in 19 seconds. Stoltzfus faced

Punahele Soriano Punahele Soriano (born November 22, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2017, he has also fought in the PFL and Titan FC. Background As ...

on December 2, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 52. He won the bout by second round rear-naked choke submission. This fight earned him the '' Performance of the Night'' award. Stoltzfus faced Brunno Ferreira on June 8, 2024 at UFC on ESPN 57. He lost the fight via technical knockout due to a spinning back elbow. Stoltzfus faced

Marc-André Barriault Marc-André Barriault (born February 18, 1990) is a Canadian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) Middleweight division. He previously competed with TKO Major League MMA where he w ...

on November 2, 2024 at UFC Fight Night 246. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. This fight earned him another '' Performance of the Night'' award. Stoltzfus faced Nursulton Ruziboev on May 17, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 256. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Professional kickboxing

Stoltzfus faced

Sebastian Cozmâncă Sebastian Cosmin Cozmâncă (born February 2, 1992) is a Romanian Muay Thai kickboxer who competes in the heavyweight division. He is currently signed to the Dynamite Fighting Show. He formerly competed in the Superkombat Fighting Championship a ...

, on February 23, 2018, at Colosseum Tournament 5. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.

Championships and accomplishments

** Performance of the Night (Two times) *We Love MMA **WLMMA Middleweight Championship (One time) ***Two successful title defenses

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 16–7 , Nursulton Ruziboev , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas 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 ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–6 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Albazi , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:28 ,

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–6 , Brunno Ferreira , KO (spinning back elbow) , UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Imavov , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:51 ,

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on ESPN: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:10 ,

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 , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–5 , Abusupiyan Magomedov , TKO (front kick and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:19 ,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ABC: Ortega vs. Rodríguez , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Elmont, New York Elmont is an unincorporated Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead, New York, Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–4 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:59 ,

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, 13–3 , Rodolfo Vieira , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on ESPN: Makhachev vs. Moisés , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:54 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 255 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 ,

, TKO (elbow injury) , Dana White's Contender Series 28 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:21 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 , Nihad Nasufovic , Submission (twister) , German MMA Championship 23 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:33 ,

Oberhausen Oberhausen (, ) is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen ( ). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Rout ...

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Jonas Billstein , KO (punches) , German MMA Championship 20 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:39 ,

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Filip Zadruzynski , Submission (guillotine choke) , We Love MMA 44 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:21 ,

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Roman Kapranov , Submission (rear-naked choke) , We Love MMA 39 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:37 ,

Ludwigshafen Ludwigshafen, officially Ludwigshafen am Rhein (; meaning "Ludwig I of Bavaria, Ludwig's Port upon the Rhine"; Palatine German dialects, Palatine German: ''Ludwichshafe''), is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in the German state of Rh ...

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Selim Agaev , Decision (unanimous) , Fair FC 7 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Bochum Bochum (, ; ; ; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 372,348 (April 2023), it is the sixth-largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous German federa ...

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Mario Wittmann , Submission (rear-naked choke) , We Love MMA 30 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:36 ,

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , David Moscatelli , Decision (unanimous) , We Love MMA 26 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

, Switzerland , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Eugen Weber , Submission (kneebar) , We Love MMA 17 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:45 ,

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Arda Adas , DQ (illegal soccer kicks) , We Love MMA 15 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A ,

, Germany , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–1 , Christian Skorzik , Decision (unanimous) , Fair FC 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Herne, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Abu Dzhamaldaev , Decision (unanimous) , Age of Cage 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Rasul Alautdinov , Decision (unanimous) , We Love MMA 11 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Kiril Kolomeitsev , Decision (split) , We Love MMA 10 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Germany ,

Kickboxing record (incomplete)

, - style="background:#fbb;" , 2018-02-23 , , Loss , , align=left,

, , Colosseum Tournament 5 , ,

Galați Galați ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names) is the capital city of Galați County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in eastern Romania. Galați is a port town on the river Danube. and the sixth-larges ...

, Romania , , KO (left hook) , , 1 , , 1:26 , - , - , colspan=9 , ''Legend'':

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stoltzfus, Dustin 1991 births Living people American male mixed martial artists Middleweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Tang Soo Do Mixed martial artists utilizing wushu Mixed martial artists utilizing Luta Livre Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American male kickboxers German male kickboxers Cruiserweight kickboxers American tang soo do practitioners American wushu practitioners American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Dutch people 21st-century American sportsmen Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz alumni 21st-century German sportsmen