Michael Richman (born June 23, 1985) 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

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight b ...

division of the

Legacy Fighting Alliance Legacy Fighting Alliance is an American mixed martial arts promotion, created as a result of the ''Legacy Fighting Championship'' and ''Resurrection Fighting Alliance'' merger in early 2017. History Resurrection Fighting Alliance On October 11, ...

. A professional competitor 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 ...

since 2008, Richman has 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 ...

, and is also 2-0 as a professional boxer.

Background

Born and raised in

Rosemount, Minnesota Rosemount is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States, on the southern edge of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. The population was 25,650 at the 2020 census. Rosemount was established as a township in 1858 and incorporated as a ci ...

, began competing in

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

from a young age and was also a fan of

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

and mixed martial arts. Richman attended

Rosemount High School Rosemount High School is a public four-year high school in Rosemount, Minnesota, United States, founded in 1918. The school is one of four four-year high schools in Independent School District 196 (Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District). ...

where he competed in wrestling before joining the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...

upon graduating. After serving three tours as an infantryman in Iraq and reaching the rank of Sergeant, Richman began training in mixed martial arts in 2008.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Richman made his professional debut in 2008 and compiled an undefeated record of 8-0 before competing on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck.

''The Ultimate Fighter''

Richman was one of 32 contestants selected to compete on '' The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck''. In his opening bout to get into the house, Richman lost to Aaron Wilkinson by unanimous decision after two rounds.

Bellator MMA

Richman made his

debut against WEC veteran

Chris Horodecki Christopher Horodecki (born September 24, 1987) is a Polish-Canadian mixed martial artist. He has competed for the WEC, the IFL, Bellator, TKO Major League MMA, and Palace Fighting Championship. Background Horodecki was born in London, Ontari ...

Bellator 64 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so i ...

. In a huge upset, Richman won via KO at 1:23 of the first round. After his win over Horodecki, Richman competed in the Bellator Season Seven Featherweight Tournament. In the quarterfinal round at Bellator 76, Richman defeated Jeremy Spoon via head KO 23 seconds into the first round. In the semifinals, he faced

Shahbulat Shamhalaev Shahbulat Shamhalaev (russian: Шахбулат Шамхалаев; born August 27, 1983) is a Russian retired mixed martial artist and kickboxer of Dargin heritage. He competed in the featherweight division for the Bellator Fighting Championshi ...

and lost via brutal KO in the first round. Richman proved he was the superior fighter in his

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 ...

Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal bout against Mitch Jackson. Richman won a decisive first-round TKO victory. Richman dominated Jackson on his feet, dropping him three times with short left hooks. Richman faced

Alexandre Bezerra Alexandre Bezerra (born 25 September 1987) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight division. Mixed martial arts career Early career Bezerra made his professional MMA debut in July 2008. He quickly established an ...

in the semifinals on March 7, 2013 at

Bellator 92 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 ...

. He won the bout via split decision. Richman faced

Magomedrasul Khasbulaev Magomedrasul Magomedalievich Khasbulaev (russian: Магомедрасул Магомедалиевич Хасбулаев; born October 23, 1986) is a Russian mixed martial artist, who at one time fought in the Featherweight division f ...

in the Bellator Featherweight Tournament Final on April 4, 2013 in Atlantic City. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Richman faced

Akop Stepanyan Akop Stepanyan (russian: Акоп Степанян, hy, Հակոբ Ստեփանյան; born May 6, 1986) is a Russian mixed martial artist of Armenian heritage who competed in the featherweight and lightweight divisions of Bellator Fighting Cham ...

Bellator 106 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 cha ...

on November 2, 2013. Richman had been in trouble early in the fight, but floored Stepanyan with a left hook in the first round. He then faced

Desmond Green Desmond Green (born October 11, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division for Ultimate Fighting Championship. Green is the current BYB Extreme Bare Knuckle Middleweight and Police Gazette Diamond Belt cha ...

Bellator 110 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, ...

in the quarter-finals of the Featherweight Tournament. Richman lost via unanimous decision. Richman faced

Goiti Yamauchi is a Japanese-born Brazilian mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Welterweight division for Bellator MMA. As of December 13, 2022, he is #5 in the Bellator Welterweight Rankings. Background Yamauchi was born in Anjō, Aichi to ...

on May 17, 2014 at

Bellator 120 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, ...

. He lost the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision. In the fall of 2014, Richman moved down to the bantamweight division. He debuted at 135 against Ed West at Bellator 126 on September 26, 2014. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. He also made his signature 'walk-off knockout', where he backs off the fighter before referee called stoppage on the fight. Richman faced promotional newcomer

Nam Phan Nhat Nam Si Phan (born March 13, 1983), better known as Nam Phan, is an American retired mixed martial artist and professional boxer. A professional in mixed martial arts since 2001, Phan has also competed for the UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, World ...

Bellator 131 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 November 15, 2014. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. Richman was expected to face former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Eduardo Dantas at

Bellator 135 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company. ...

on March 27, 2015. However, the bout was removed from the fight card after Richman suffered an undisclosed injury. The fight eventually took place at

Bellator 137 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company. ...

on May 15, 2015. Richman lost the back-and-forth fight by unanimous decision. On June 9, 2015 the California State Athletic Commission confirmed that Richman had failed a post fight drug test following his fight against Eduardo Dantas at Bellator 137. He tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs according to CSAC Executive Director Andy Foster and will be suspended two years and fined $2,500 for the rule infraction.

Championships and accomplishments

Bellator Fighting Championships 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 Global. ...

** Bellator Season Eight Featherweight Tournament Runner-Up

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 18-8 , Jeff Peterson , Decision (unanimous) , Legacy Fighting Alliance 29 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

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Bellator 95 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 ...

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Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 , Mitch Jackson , TKO (head kick and punches) ,

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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 ...

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Bellator 79 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so i ...

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Rama, Ontario Rama is a First Nations community on the Chippewas of Rama First Nation reserve in Ontario, Canada. It is the home of Casino Rama. The community sports complex is called the Mnjikaning Arena Sports Ki, which was the home arena of the Couchichi ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 , Jeremy Spoon , KO (head kick and punch) , Bellator 76 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:23 ,

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Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Ryan Stock , TKO (punches) , Seconds Out / Vivid MMA: Tour of Duty 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:14 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Wes Ronchi , Submission (triangle choke) , Brutaal: Fight Night , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:42 ,

Shakopee, Minnesota Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is located southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Chris Coplan , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Brutaal: Fight Night , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:07 ,

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Bare knuckle boxing record

, - , Win , align=center, 3–0 ,

David Rickels David Rickels (born January 5, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist and bare-knuckle fighter who is currently competing in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. A professional since 2010, he is a 23-fight veteran of the Bell ...

, KO (punch) , BKFC 23 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:32 ,

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 ,

Dakota Cochrane Dakota Galen Cochrane (born May 1, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who fights in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions. He has competed for Bellator MMA, Resurrection Fighting Alliance, Legacy Fighting Championship, Titan Fighting ...

, KO (punch) , BKFC 21 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:37 ,

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, United States

References

External links

* *
Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Richman, Mike 1985 births Living people People from Rosemount, Minnesota American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Minnesota Lightweight mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Bantamweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Bare-knuckle boxers American male boxers American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers Sportspeople from Minnesota American sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in mixed martial arts

Background

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

''The Ultimate Fighter''

Bellator MMA

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Bare knuckle boxing record

See also

References

External links