Vincent Alan Pichel (born November 23, 1982) is an American former 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 competed in the

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

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 ( ...

, achieving a 7-5 record in the promotion. A professional since 2009, Pichel was also a contestant on '' The Ultimate Fighter: Live''.

Early life

Growing up in

Canoga Park, Los Angeles Canoga Park is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Before the Mexican–American War, the district was part of a Ranchos of California, rancho, and after the American victory it was converted ...

, Pichel was expelled from multiple schools due to his behavior during his youth. He never graduated, and at the age of 15 he was already using drugs which ultimately led him to get kicked out from his home by his mother. For five years he was using drugs and lacking permanent residence but after getting introduced to MMA by his friend, Pichel straightened out and started ambitiously training.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Pichel compiled an amateur record of 10–1 before turning professional in 2009. He won his first seven fights by KO/TKO before trying out for The Ultimate Fighter: Live.

The Ultimate Fighter: Live

Pichel was one of 32 Lightweight fighters announced by the UFC to participate in first live season of ''

The Ultimate Fighter ''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen s ...

'' reality show. Pichel advanced into the TUF house and won two bouts before losing to

Al Iaquinta Al Iaquinta (born April 30, 1987) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, having once challenged for the Lightweight championship belt. A professional ...

Ultimate Fighting Championship

After reaching the semifinals in The Ultimate Fighter: Live, Pichel was given an opportunity in the UFC. He made his official UFC debut on December 15, 2012. Pichel fought promotional newcomer

Rustam Khabilov Rustam Mikailovich Khabilov (born 4 November 1986) is a Russian mixed martial artist, who last competed in the Welterweight division. He is a Combat Sambo World Champion and a former member of the Legion Sport Club fight team in Rostov-on-Don ...

and lost the fight via KO due to a suplex and punches in the first round. Pichel next fought Garett Whiteley at UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Philippou on January 15, 2014. He won the fight by a unanimous decision. Pichel faced Anthony Njokuani 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 ...

on May 24, 2014. He won the fight via unanimous decision. In the months after the fight, Pichel suffered a torn labrum and bicep, sidelining him for three years. After an extended hiatus, Pichel returned to face Damien Brown on June 11, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 110. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. Pichel faced Joaquim Silva on January 27, 2018, at UFC on Fox: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Pichel faced Gregor Gillespie on June 1, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 131. He lost the fight via arm-triangle choke in the second round. Pichel faced Roosevelt Roberts on June 29, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 3. He won the fight via unanimous decision. The fight was the last of his prevailing contract with the UFC, making him a free agent. Pichel was scheduled to face

Alexander Yakovlev Alexander Nikolayevich Yakovlev (; 2 December 1923 – 18 October 2005) was a Soviet and Russian politician, diplomat, and historian. A member of the Politburo and Secretariat of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union throughout the 1980s ...

on November 9, 2019, at UFC on ESPN+ 21 However, Pichel pulled out of the fight on October 24 citing an undisclosed injury and was replaced by Roosevelt Roberts. Having recovered from the hip surgery that pulled him from the Yakovlev fight, Pichel faced Jim Miller at UFC 252 on August 15, 2020. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Pichel faced Austin Hubbard on August 21, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 29. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Pichel was scheduled to face Mark Madsen on February 12, 2022, at

UFC 271 ''UFC 271: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 12, 2022 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States. Background A UFC Middleweight Champio ...

. However, they were moved to UFC 273 for unknown reasons. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Pichel was scheduled to face Jesse Ronson on October 1, 2022, at

UFC Fight Night 211 ''UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 211'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 69'' and ''UFC Vegas 61'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 1, 2022, at the UFC Apex ...

. However, Pichel withdrew due to an undisclosed injury and was replaced by Joaquim Silva. Pichel was scheduled to face Benoît Saint-Denis on July 1, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 48. However, Pichel pulled out in late-May due to injury and was replaced by Ismael Bonfim. Pichel was scheduled to face Ismael Bonfim on November 4, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 231. At the weigh-ins, Ismael Bonfim weighed in at 159.5 pounds, three and a half pounds over the lightweight non-title fight limit. As a result, his scheduled bout with Ismael Bonfim was scrapped. The pair was eventually rebooked for UFC 301 on May 4, 2024. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Replacing Joaquim Silva who withdrew for unknown reasons, Pichel is scheduled to face Rafa García on March 29, 2025 at UFC on ESPN 64. Pichel lost to García via unanimous decision. On April 28, 2025, Pichel announced his retirement from mixed martial arts competition.

Personal life

Pichel formerly worked for

AAA AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming * AAA (video game industry) - a category of high budget video games *'' TripleA'', an open source wargame Mu ...

while also fighting in the UFC. Later, he went to school to become an

electrician An electrician is a tradesman, tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, transmission lines, stationary machines, and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the ...

instead.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 14–5 , Rafa García , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Moreno vs. Erceg , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, Mexico , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–4 , Ismael Bonfim , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 301 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, 14–3 , Mark Madsen , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 273 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 , Austin Hubbard , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Gastelum , , 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 , , - , Win , align=center, 13–2 , Jim Miller , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 252 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 , Roosevelt Roberts , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. dos Santos , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–2 , Gregor Gillespie , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:06 ,

Utica, New York Utica () is the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The tenth-most populous city in New York, its population was 65,283 in the 2020 census. It is located on the Mohawk River in the Mohawk Valley at the foot of the Adiro ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Joaquim Silva , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Jacaré vs. Brunson 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Damien Brown , KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:37 ,

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, New Zealand , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Anthony Njokuani , Decision (unanimous) ,

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

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Garett Whiteley , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Philippou , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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 , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–1 ,

, KO (suplex and punches) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson Finale , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:15 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , David Gardner , TKO (punches) , Fight Club OC , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:47 ,

Costa Mesa, California Costa Mesa (; Spanish language, Spanish for "coastal tableland") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Matt Bahntge , KO (punch) , All Stars Promotions MMA , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:32 ,

Commerce, California Commerce is a city located in southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 12,823 at the 2010 census, up from 12,568 at the 2000 census. It is usually referred to as the City of Commerce to distinguish it from ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Emilio Chavez , TKO (punches) , Respect the Cage , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:52 ,

Pomona, California Pomona ( ) is a city in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's population was ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Rodney Rhoden , TKO (punches) , All Star Promotions: Civic Disobedience 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:56 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Anthony McDavitt , TKO (punches) , Santa Ynez MMA , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:23 ,

Santa Ynez, California Santa Ynez ( ; Spanish for "St. Agnes", originally spelled ''Santa Inés'') is an unincorporated community in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The population was 4,505 at the 2020 census, up from 4,418 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Miles Howard , TKO (punches) , National Fight Alliance MMA: Resurrection , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:05 ,

Ventura, California Ventura, officially named San Buenaventura (Spanish for "Saint Bonaventure"), is a city in and the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States. It is a coastal city located northwest of Los Angeles. The population was 110,763 at the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Franky Childs , KO (punches) , Hitman Fighting Productions , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:15 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , rowspan=4, The Ultimate Fighter: Live , (Live airdate) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , rowspan=4,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Chris Saunders , Decision (majority) , (Live airdate) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , John Cofer , Submission (arm triangle choke) , (Live airdate) , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:44 , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Cody Pfister , Submission (rear naked choke) , (Live airdate) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:39 ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pichel, Vinc 1982 births Living people Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American male mixed martial artists Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Sportspeople from Lancaster, California Mixed martial artists from California American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu