Zachary Ottow (born ) 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 ...

who formerly competed 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 th ...

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 ( ...

(UFC). A professional competitor since 2011, he has also competed for

King of the Cage King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock Jr. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstre ...

Background

Ottow was born and raised in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

with an older biological brother and two older stepbrothers. Ottow started training in wrestling and football – becoming an All-State select in latter – while attending

Wisconsin Lutheran High School Wisconsin Lutheran High School, commonly referred to as WLHS or Wisco, is a private preparatory religious high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. WLHS was formed when the Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, founded in 1903, split in t ...

. He attended

Air Force Academy An air force academy or air academy is a national institution that provides initial officer training, possibly including undergraduate level education, to air force officer cadets who are preparing to be commissioned officers in a national air forc ...

in Colorado for two years before transferring to

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

in Milwaukee from where he graduated with a degree in

kinesiology Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, Biomechanics, biomechanical, Pathology, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kines ...

. After his college football career had finished, he began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu and later picking up kickboxing. Eventually he started mixed martial arts training and started his professional career not long after. Ottow's typical day of training splits into three sessions. He starts his early morning with strength and conditional training; he works on his wrestling or boxing during the midday, and finishes off his day with BJJ training.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Ottow participated in various regional MMA promotions primarily in the

Upper Midwest The Upper Midwest is a northern subregion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed upon, the region is usually defined to include the states of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wi ...

such as

, North American Fighting Championship, and

Legacy Fighting Championship The Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Houston, Texas. It was created as a result of the Legacy Fighting Championship and Resurrection Fighting Alliance merger in 2016. History Resu ...

. He amassed a record of 13–3 prior signed by

(UFC).

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ottow made his promotional debut on a short notice, replacing

Bobby Green King Green (born Bobby Ray Green; September 9, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2008, Green is the former ...

against

Josh Burkman Joshua Ray Burkman (born April 10, 1980) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist formerly competing in the Welterweight division. He formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the World Series of Fighting, the XFC, ...

on October 1, 2016 at UFC Fight Night: Lineker vs. Dodson. He won the fight via split decision. Ottow faced

Sérgio Moraes Sérgio Moraes (born July 23, 1982) is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight and middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as well as being a competitor on '' The Ultimate Fig ...

on November 19, 2016 at UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Nogueira 2. Moraes was awarded a split decision victory. Ottow next faced

Kiichi Kunimoto is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he has also competed for the RIZIN, UFC, Bellator, and Pancrase. Background Born and raised in the Nishina ...

on June 11, 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt. He won the fight via split decision. Ottow faced

Li Jingliang Li Jingliang ( Chinese: 李景亮; pinyin: Lǐ Jǐngliàng; born March 20, 1988) is a Chinese mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Originally from a small town near Tac ...

on November 25, 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Gastelum. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round. After the bout Ottow became a free agent having fought his contract out. Ottow then signed a new four-fight contract to face Mike Pyle on short notice on March 3, 2018 at

UFC 222 ''UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on March 3, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area. UFC 222 features ...

. He won the fight by technical knockout in the first round. Pyle had announced he would retire before the fight. Ottow faced

Sage Northcutt Sage Northcutt (March 1, 1996) is an American professional mixed martial artist who is currently competing in the Welterweight division and is currently signed to the Professional Fighters League. He has competed for the Ultimate Fighting Champion ...

on July 14, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 133 ''UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Ivanov'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 133'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on July 14, 2018 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho, United States. ...

. He lost the fight via knock out in round two. Ottow replaced

Erik Koch Erik Jon Koch (born October 4, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who last competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2007, he formerly competed for the WEC. Background K ...

to face promotional newcomer

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 December 15, 2018 at

UFC on Fox 31 ''UFC on Fox: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 31'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on December 15, 2018, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Backg ...

. He won the fight by split decision. Ottow faced

Alex Morono Alexander Quincy Morono (born August 16, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently fights in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2010, Morono has also fought for Legacy ...

on March 9, 2019 at

UFC on ESPN+ 4 UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Edwards (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 4'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 20, 2019 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Background The event m ...

. He lost the fight via a verbal submission due to elbows in the first round. Having fought out his contract, Ottow became a free agent as the UFC opted not to renew his contract.

Post UFC

Ottow faced Clarence Jordan at Cages Aggression 29 on November 20, 2020. He won the bout via armbar in the second round. Ottow faced Jarome Hatch on July 31, 2021 at North Iowa Fights: Hatch vs. Ottow. He won the bout via unanimous decision. Ottow faced Derek Smith at A-Town Throwdown 17 on January 15, 2022. He won the bout via guillotine choke in the first round. Ottow faced Kyle Stewart on April 2, 2022 at XMMA 4. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. This was his last professional MMA match.

Personal life

Ottow worked as a bartender and worked in Wall Street for a year before making his career choice to be a professional fighter. He owns Pura Vida BJJ & MMA.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 20–8 , Kyle Stewart , Decision (unanimous) , XMMA 4: Black Magic , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–7 , Derek Smith , Submission (guillotine choke) , A-Town Throwdown 17 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:59 ,

Austin, Minnesota Austin is a city in and the county seat of Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,174 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town was originally settled along the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River and has ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–7 , Jarome Hatch , Decision (unanimous) , North Iowa Fights: Hatch vs. Ottow , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Mason City, Iowa Mason City is a city and the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 27,338 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Mason City is known for its musical heritage, a significant ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–7 , Clarence Jordan , Submission (armbar) , Caged Aggression 29: Determination Day 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:37 ,

Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–7 ,

, TKO (submission to elbows) , UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:34 ,

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–6 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC on Fox: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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

, KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Ivanov , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:13 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–5 , Mike Pyle , TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:34 ,

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, 15–5 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Gastelum , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:57 ,

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

, China , , - , Win , align=center, 15–4 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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 , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–4 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Nogueira 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 14–3 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Lineker vs. Dodson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–3 , Craig Eckelberg , Decision (unanimous) , Pure FC 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3 , Frank Schuman , Submission (guillotine choke) , KOTC: Total Devastation , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:23 ,

Lac Du Flambeau, Wisconsin The Town of Lac du Flambeau is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,004 at the 2000 census. The land base of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is located within the town and also consists of a ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 , Jay Ellis , Submission (rear-naked choke) , KOTC: Shattered , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:26 ,

Keshena, Wisconsin Keshena () is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Menominee County, Wisconsin, United States. Located on the Menominee Indian Reservation, it had a population of 1,257 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Keshena ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–3 , Richard Wolfe , Submission (guillotine choke) , KOTC: Title at the Torch , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:33 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–3 ,

Jacob Volkmann Jacob Joseph Volkmann (born September 5, 1980) is an American former mixed martial artist that competed in the Welterweight division. A professional MMA competitor from 2007 to 2016, Volkmann has formerly competed for the UFC, Bellator, and the ...

, Technical Submission (brabo choke) , Legacy Fighting Championship 43 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:55 ,

Hinckley, Minnesota Hinckley is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States, located at the junction of Interstate 35 and Minnesota State Highway 48. The population was 1,800 at the 2010 census. Hinckley's name in the Ojibwe language is ''Gaa-zhiigwanaabiko ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Robbie Gotreau , TKO , KOTC: Public Enemy , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:27 ,

Carlton, Minnesota Carlton is a city and the county seat of Carlton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 948 at the 2020 census. The town sits on the northwestern edge of Jay Cooke State Park. Minnesota State Highways 45 and 210 and County Ro ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 , Eddie Larrea , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , KOTC: Beastmaster , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:53 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2 , Nathan Howe , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Resurrection Fighting Alliance 19 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:54 ,

Prior Lake, Minnesota Prior Lake is an exurban city southwest of Minneapolis, next to Savage and Shakopee in Scott County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Surrounding the shores of Lower and Upper Prior Lake, the city is south of the Minnesota River in an area k ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–2 , Zach Micklewright , TKO (punches) , Caged Aggression 12 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:04 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Quinton McCottrell , Submission (rear-naked choke) , NAFC: Battle in the Ballroom , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:05 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Eddie Larrea , Submission (rear-naked choke) , KOTC: Train Wreck , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:45 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Matt Gauthier , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Resurrection Fighting Alliance 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:07 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Jesse Midas , TKO (punches) , Driller Promotions: Caged Chaos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:00 ,

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

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Ricky Stettner , Submission (choke) , NAFC: Battleground , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:27 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Jim Klimczyk , TKO (submission to punches) , KOTC: New Vision , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:37 ,

Morton, Minnesota Morton is a city in Renville County, Minnesota, United States. This city is ninety-five miles southwest of Minneapolis. It is the administrative headquarters of the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation. The population was 411 at the 2010 census. H ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Mike Rhodes , Decision (unanimous) , NAFC: Colosseum , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ottow, Zak 1986 births Living people American male mixed martial artists Welterweight mixed martial artists Martial artists from Milwaukee Mixed martial artists from Wisconsin Mixed martial artists utilizing taekwondo Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu United States Air Force Academy alumni University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American male taekwondo practitioners American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu