Samuel Travis Sicilia (born February 1, 1986) is an American professional

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 currently competes in the

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, ...

division for

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...

. A professional competitor since 2007, Sicilia formerly competed for the

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 ...

, and was on FX's The Ultimate Fighter: Live.

Background

Born and raised in

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

, Sicilia 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 ...

at Mt. Spokane High School and now works as an assistant coach for the team.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Sicilia began training in MMA in 2007, taking his first amateur fights late in the year and amassed a 4–1 record before turning professional shortly after. Following his first professional win he took a nearly four-year break from fighting. He then returned in 2011, and went 9–1 fighting for several regional promotions in the Northwestern United States.

The Ultimate Fighter

In February 2012, it was revealed that Sicilia was selected to be a participant on '' The Ultimate Fighter: Live''. Sicilia defeated

Dominick Cruz Dominick Rogelio Cruz (born March 9, 1985) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, sports analyst and color commentator. He competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the first ...

training partner, Erin Beach, via an eight-second KO to move into the ''Ultimate Fighter'' house, and become an official cast member. Sicilia was selected as the second pick (third overall) by

to take part on Team Cruz. In the first round of the tournament, Sicilia was selected to fight former

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 ...

fighter, Chris Saunders. Sicilia lost the fight via split decision after two rounds. The decision was heavily disputed by many, including UFC president

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...

who claimed, "I think Sicilia got robbed of the opportunity of going to a third round, though. But great fight."

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Sicilia made his UFC debut at The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale on June 1, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada, against TUF castmate,

Cristiano Marcello Cristiano Marcello da Silva (born December 3, 1977) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist and former Chute Boxe BJJ head coach who formerly fought for the UFC. Cristiano competed in the Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship in 1998, 1 ...

. He won the fight via KO in the second round. After the win Sicilia expressed interest in returning to the featherweight division. Sicilia dropped to the featherweight division and faced

Rony Jason Rony Mariano Bezerra (born March 21, 1984), better known as Rony Jason, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, B ...

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 ...

. Sicilia lost via second-round TKO due to punches. Sicilia next face

Maximo Blanco Maximo Blanco (born October 16, 1983) is a Venezuelan professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2008, Blanco is the former Lightweight ...

on April 13, 2013, at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Sicilia was expected to face

Godofredo Pepey Godofredo Castro (born July 2, 1987), better known as Godofredo Pepey, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who currently fights in the lightweight division of Brave Combat Federation. A professional MMA competitor since 2003, Pepey has also compe ...

on September 4, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 28. However, Pepey pulled out of the bout citing an injury and was replaced by

Felipe Arantes Felipe Arantes (born 9 February 1988) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist, who competed in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. A professional MMA competitor from 2008 to 2018, Arantes mostly fought in Brazil before signing with ...

. Subsequently, Sicilia also pulled out of the bout for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by

Kevin Souza Edimilson Souza (born October 17, 1984), professionally known as Kevin Souza, is a Brazilian mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight (MMA), featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A profess ...

. The bout with Pepey eventually took place on November 9, 2013, at

UFC Fight Night 32 ''UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 32'') was a mixed martial arts event held on November 9, 2013, at the Goiânia Arena in Goiânia, Brazil. The event was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1. Background The ...

. Sicilia won the fight via TKO in the first round. Sicilia faced

Cole Miller Cole Miller (born April 26, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist, who most recently competed in the featherweight division in the UFC. His nickname "Magrinho" means "skinny" in Portuguese. Mixed martial arts career Before giving ...

on January 15, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 35. He lost the fight via submission in the second round. Sicilia was expected to face promotional newcomer Doo Ho Choi on May 24, 2014, at

UFC 173 ''UFC 173: Barão vs. Dillashaw'' was a mixed martial arts event held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 24, 2014. Background A Middleweight Championship bout between then champion Chris Weidman and number one contender ...

. However, Choi pulled out of the bout citing an injury. Sicilia instead faced promotional newcomer Aaron Phillips. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Sicilia faced

Katsunori Kikuno is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He was the former DEEP Lightweight Champion. Background Kikuno started his martial arts training with judo when he was in high school, and was able to take third place in the Kyushu 66 kg tournament and ...

UFC Fight Night 52 ''UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 52'') was a mixed martial arts event held on September 20, 2014, at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Background The event was the third time that the organization hosted ...

on September 20, 2014. He lost the fight via submission in the second round. Sicilia next fought

Akira Corassani Hamid Khorassani (; born August 27, 1982), professionally known as Akira Corassani, is a Swedish former professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A pro ...

on January 24, 2015, at

UFC on Fox 14 ''UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 14'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 24, 2015, at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Background This was the fourth event that the UFC has held in Sweden and th ...

. Sicilia won the fight via KO in the first round. A rescheduled bout with Doo Ho Choi was expected to take place on July 15, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 71. However, Choi pulled out of the fight in late June for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Yaotzin Meza. Sicilia won the fight by unanimous decision. A bout with Choi was scheduled a third time and took place on November 21, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 79. Sicilia lost the bout via TKO in the first round. Sicilia next faced

Gabriel Benítez Gabriel Benítez (born June 15, 1988) is a Mexican mixed martial artist. He was a contestant on ''The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America, The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 1'', and competed in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight and Lightweig ...

on September 17, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 94. He lost the fight via submission in the second round. Sicilia faced promotional newcomer Gavin Tucker on February 19, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 105. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. In May 2017, Sicilia was released from the company.

Bellator MMA

On August 17, 2017, it was announced that Sicilia signed with

. Sicilia faced former Bellator champion

Marcos Galvão Marcos Galvão (born 23 June 1982) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division of the Professional Fighters League. A professional competitor since 2003, Galvão peaked at a global ranking ...

at Bellator 189 on December 1, 2017. He won the fight by unanimous decision. In his second fight for the promotion, Sicilia faced

Emmanuel Sanchez Emmanuel Sanchez (born August 11, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist currently in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, Sanchez has formerly competed for Bellator MMA, where he was a contender for the Featherwei ...

at Bellator 198 on April 28, 2018. He lost the fight via arm-triangle choke submission in the first round. In his third fight for the promotion, Sicilia faced Derek Campos at Bellator 212 on December 14, 2018. He won the back-and-forth fight by split decision. In April 2019, news surfaced that Sicilia had signed a new exclusive, multi-fight contract with Bellator.

Bellator Featherweight grand prix

In the initial round of Bellator's Featherweight GP, Sicilia lost to Pedro Carvalho at Bellator 226 due to a Face crank on September 7, 2019.

Post-GP

Sicilia faced

Robert Whiteford Robert Whiteford (born 12 April 1983) is a Scottish mixed martial artist competing in Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2009, he formerly competed for the UFC, being the first Scottish fighter to be signed by the promotion, ...

at Bellator London 2 on November 23, 2019. Despite dropping Whiteford multiple times during the bout, Whiteford came back and knocked Sicilia out with only six seconds left in the final round.

Film and television

Sicilia was featured in the award-winning mixed martial arts documentary ''

Fight Life ''Fight Life'' is a feature-length documentary on the sport of mixed martial arts. The film is directed by independent filmmaker James Z. Feng and produced by RiLL Films. The film focuses on the lives of professional mixed martial arts fighters ou ...

'', the film is directed by James Z. Feng and released in 2013.Fight Life: MMA Documentary
/ref> Sam and his wife Lyndsie have a daughter, Sienna Noel who was born on July 4, 2018.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 18–11 , Talon Hoffman , KO , ExciteFight: Conquest of the Cage , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:18 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–11 ,

, KO (punches) , Bellator London 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:54 ,

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, 17–10 , Pedro Carvalho , Submission (face crank) , Bellator 226 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:56 ,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–9 , Derek Campos , Decision (split) , Bellator 212 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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 , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–9 ,

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Bellator 198 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:52 ,

Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located immediately northwest of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 3,952. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–8 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 189 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located near the Texas state border. The population was 400 at the 2020 census. Geography Thackerville is situated near the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and State High ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–8 , Gavin Tucker , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Browne , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–7 ,

, Technical Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:20 ,

Hidalgo, Texas Hidalgo is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. Its population was 11,198 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, and in 2020, the population had risen to 13,964. History The area that is now Hidalgo was first settled by Spanis ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–6 ,

Choi Doo-ho Choi Doo-ho (; born April 10, 1991), often anglicized as Doo Ho Choi or Dooho Choi, also known as The Korean Superboy, is a South Korean professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighti ...

, KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Masvidal , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:33 ,

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, South Korea , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5 , Yaotzin Meza , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5 ,

, KO (punch) , UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:26 ,

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Sweden , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–5 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:38 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 , Aaron Phillips , Decision (unanimous) ,

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

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, 12–4 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Philippou , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:54 ,

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 United States census, 2020 census, Duluth had a population of 31,873, and the United Stat ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:42 ,

Goiânia Goiânia ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian federative units of Brazil, state of Goiás. With a population of 1,536,097, it is the second-largest city in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West Region and the 10th-larges ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Finale , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–2 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:16 ,

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 , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 ,

, KO (knees and punches) , The Ultimate Fighter: Live Finale , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:53 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Arley George , KO (punch) , Conquest of the Cage 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:25 , Airway Heights, Washington, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Jared Haller , TKO (punches) , Caged Conflict , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:25 ,

Canyonville, Oregon Canyonville is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, Douglas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,884 at the 2010 census. The main regional tourist attraction, the Seven Feathers Casino Resort is in Canyonville. The Weaver-Worthington F ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Josiah Mitchell , KO (punch) , CageSport 16 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:29 ,

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Dominic Rivera , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Fight Night Round 16 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:38 ,

Anacortes, Washington Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.Grand Ronde, Oregon Grand Ronde is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Polk and Yamhill counties, Oregon, United States. Historically noted as a village in Polk County, the sphere of influence and community is in both Polk and Yamhill c ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Angel Diaz , KO (punch) , Lords of the Cage 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:35 , Manson, Washington, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–1 , Daniel Swain , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Lords of the Cage 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:37 ,

Yakima, Washington Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Charon Spain , Submission (neck crank) , Lords of the Cage 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:03 , Airway Heights, Washington, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Marc Forsyth , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Rumble on the Ridge 17 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:07 ,

Snoqualmie, Washington Snoqualmie ( ) is a city next to Snoqualmie Falls in King County, Washington, United States. It is east of Seattle. Snoqualmie is home to the Northwest Railway Museum. The population was 14,121 at the 2020 census. Etymology The name "Sno ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Jason Gybels , KO (punches) , Rumble on the Ridge 16 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:54 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Brian Clayton , Decision (unanimous) , Combat Caged Warriors 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Tri-Cities, Washington The Tri-Cities are three closely linked cities (Kennewick, Washington, Kennewick, Pasco, Washington, Pasco, and Richland, Washington, Richland) at the confluence of the Yakima River, Yakima, Snake River, Snake, and Columbia Rivers in the U.S. s ...

, United States ,

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

, - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 , Chris Saunders , Decision (split) , The Ultimate Fighter: Live , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Erin Beach , KO (punch) , The Ultimate Fighter: Live , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:08 ,

, United States , , -

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sicilia, Sam 1986 births Living people American people of Italian descent Martial artists from Spokane, Washington American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers