Summary
Fernando Esparza Gonzalez (born September 15, 1983)[3] is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, Gonzalez has also competed for the WEC, King of the Cage, Bellator MMA, Absolute Championship Akhmat, and Strikeforce. Also a successful competitor in Muay Thai, Gonzalez is the former WBC National Muay Thai Cruiserweight Champion.[4]
| Fernando Gonzalez | |
|---|---|
| Born | Fernando Esparza Gonzalez September 15, 1983 Escondido, California, United States[1] |
| Other names | The Menifee Maniac |
| Residence | Murrieta, California, United States[2] |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
| Division | Light Heavyweight Middleweight Welterweight |
| Reach | 68.0 in (173 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Menifee, California, United States |
| Team | Next Generation |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 2 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 49 |
| Wins | 29 |
| By knockout | 10 |
| By submission | 8 |
| By decision | 11 |
| Losses | 20 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 5 |
| By decision | 13 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Background edit
Born in Escondido, California, Gonzalez began boxing at the age of five. During high school, Gonzalez competed in football and began training in mixed martial arts after graduating at the age of 19.[5]
Mixed martial arts career edit
Early career: WEC edit
Gonzalez made his MMA and WEC debut against Mike Castillo on October 17, 2003, at WEC 8. He was victorious via first-round TKO.[6]
After going 7–3 in his next ten bouts, Gonzalez returned to the promotion when he faced Jimmy Dexter at WEC 20, defeating him via rear-naked choke submission.[7]
He next faced Alex Stiebling at WEC 23 on August 17, 2006. He won the fight via TKO due to a doctor stoppage in the first round.[8]
Gonzalez faced Brendan Seguin at WEC 25 on January 20, 2007. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[9]
In what would be his last fight for the promotion, Gonzalez faced Hiromitsu Miura at WEC 29 on August 5, 2007. He lost the fight via submission due to punches in the second round.[10]
Strikeforce edit
Gonzalez made his Strikeforce debut at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal on December 17, 2011. He faced Eddie Mendez and lost via split decision.[11]
Bellator MMA edit
Gonzalez made his Bellator debut on July 25, 2014, when he faced Bellator season 6 welterweight tournament winner Karl Amoussou at Bellator 122. Despite coming in as an underdog, Gonzalez pulled off the upset, winning via unanimous decision.[12]
In his second appearance for Bellator, Gonzalez was expected to face Justin Baesman at Bellator 127 on October 3, 2014. However, Karo Parisyan's opponent, Marius Žaromskis, was removed from their scheduled bout on the same card, so Gonzalez stepped in as a replacement.[13] He won the fight via TKO in the first round.[14] In his post-fight drug test, Gonzalez tested positive for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).[15] As a result, Gonzalez was suspended for 30 days in the state of California by the CSAC and fined $315.[16]
Gonzalez faced Marius Žaromskis at Bellator 132 on January 16, 2015.[17] He won the fight by unanimous decision.
Gonzalez next faced Curtis Millender at Bellator 137 on May 15, 2015.[18] He won the fight via submission in the third round, bringing his Bellator record to 4–0. After the fight it was revealed by the CSAC that Gonzalez tested positive for marijuana; his second violation while with the promotion.[19]
On March 4, 2016, Gonzalez fought Gilbert Smith at Bellator 151. He won the fight by split decision.[20]
Gonzalez fought Michael Page on November 19, 2016, at Bellator 165.[21] He lost the fight via split decision.
After his first loss in the promotion, Gonzalez was scheduled to face former Bellator Welterweight Champion, Andrey Koreshkov, at Bellator 174 on March 3, 2017. However, an injury forced Koreshkov out of the bout.[22] Instead, Gonzalez faced Brandon Girtz at the event and won via unanimous decision.[23]
Gonzalez faced Brennan Ward at Bellator 182 on August 25, 2017. Originally a catchweight of 178 pounds, Gonzalez missed weight and came in at 180 pounds. He won the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the third round.[24]
Gonzalez faced Lorenz Larkin in a catchweight bout at Bellator 193 on January 26, 2018.[25] Gonzalez missed weight for the third time in a row.[26] After surviving a late flurry of strikes in the third round, Gonzalez lost the fight via unanimous decision and was subsequently released from the promotion.[27][28]
Post-Bellator edit
Gonzalez faced Gabriel Checco on March 9, 2019 at California Xtreme Fighting (CXF 17) and won by split decision.[29]
Gonzalez faced Elias Silvério on June 8, 2019 at ACA 96 on and lost by unanimous decision.[30]
Gonzalez faced Abubakar Vagaev on October 4, 2019 at ACA 100 and lost by unanimous decision.[31]
Gonzalez faced Ty Freeman on May 29, 2021 at J Street Fights 1 and won by knockout in the third round.[32]
Gonzalez faced Sidiah Parker on August 28, 2021 at NWFA 1: Retribution and lost by unanimous decision.[33]
Gonzalez faced Maki Pitolo on March 4, 2022 at Tuff-N-Uff 127 and lost by unanimous decision.[34]
Bare-knuckle boxing edit
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship edit
Gonzalez will make his debut against Vincent Familari in a middleweight bout at BKFC: Knucklemania IV on April 27, 2024.[35]
Personal life edit
Gonzalez and his wife have children.[36]
Mixed martial arts record edit
| 49 matches | 29 wins | 20 losses |
| By knockout | 10 | 2 |
| By submission | 8 | 5 |
| By decision | 11 | 13 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 29–20 | Maki Pitolo | Decision (unanimous) | Tuff-N-Uff 127 | March 4, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 29–19 | Sidiah Parker | Decision (unanimous) | NWFA 1: Retribution | August 28, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Bentonville, Arkansas, United States | Catchweight (180 lb) bout. |
| Win | 29–18 | Ty Freeman | KO | J Street Fights 1 | May 29, 2021 | 3 | 0:14 | Bentonville, Arkansas, United States | |
| Loss | 28–18 | Abubakar Vagaev | Decision (unanimous) | ACA 100 | October 4, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Grozny, Russia | |
| Loss | 28–17 | Elias Silvério | Decision (unanimous) | ACA 96: Goncharov vs. Johnson | June 8, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Łódź, Poland | Return to Welterweight. |
| Win | 28–16 | Gabriel Checco | Decision (split) | CXF 17: March Madness | March 9, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Middleweight bout. |
| Loss | 27–16 | Piotr Strus | Decision (split) | ACB 87: Mousah vs Whiteford | May 19, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Nottinghamshire, England | Middleweight bout. |
| Loss | 27–15 | Lorenz Larkin | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 193 | January 26, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Temecula, California, United States | Catchweight (180 lbs) bout; Gonzalez missed weight. |
| Win | 27–14 | Brennan Ward | Submission (guillotine choke) | Bellator 182 | August 25, 2017 | 3 | 1:02 | Verona, New York, United States | Catchweight (180 lbs) bout; Gonzalez missed weight.[37] |
| Win | 26–14 | Brandon Girtz | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 174 | March 3, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | Catchweight (174 lbs) bout; Gonzalez missed weight.[38] |
| Loss | 25–14 | Michael Page | Decision (split) | Bellator 165 | November 19, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Win | 25–13 | Gilbert Smith | Decision (split) | Bellator 151 | March 4, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 24–13 | Curtis Millender | Submission (guillotine choke) | Bellator 137 | May 15, 2015 | 3 | 1:14 | Temecula, California, United States | Gonzalez tested positive for marijuana metabolites in post-fight drug test. |
| Win | 23–13 | Marius Žaromskis | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 132 | January 16, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Temecula, California, United States | |
| Win | 22–13 | Karo Parisyan | TKO (punches) | Bellator 127 | October 3, 2014 | 1 | 1:43 | Temecula, California, United States | Catchweight (173 lb) bout. Gonzalez tested positive for THC in his post-fight drug test. |
| Win | 21–13 | Karl Amoussou | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 122 | July 25, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Temecula, California, United States | Welterweight bout. |
| Loss | 20–13 | David Mitchell | TKO (punches) | WFC 8: Avila vs. Berkovic | February 15, 2014 | 3 | 1:45 | Sacramento, California, United States | |
| Loss | 20–12 | Max Griffin | Decision (split) | WFC 7: Griffin vs. Gonzalez | November 16, 2013 | 5 | 5:00 | Sacramento, California, United States | For the Interim WCFC Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 20–11 | Kenny Ento | Decision (unanimous) | Gladiator Challenge: Showdown | May 25, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Woodlake, California, United States | |
| Win | 19–11 | Lucas Gamaza | Decision (unanimous) | Red Canvas: Art of Submission 3 | October 27, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Stockton, California, United States | |
| Win | 18–11 | Theodore Whitfield | TKO (punches) | Gladiator Challenge | September 29, 2012 | 1 | 1:02 | San Diego, California, United States | |
| Loss | 17–11 | Eddie Mendez | Decision (split) | Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal | December 17, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | San Diego, California, United States | |
| Loss | 17–10 | Joe Williams | Decision (split) | Respect in the Cage | June 4, 2011 | 5 | 5:00 | Pomona, California, United States | For the RITC Middleweight Championship. |
| Loss | 17–9 | Brent Cooper | Decision (unanimous) | Respect in the Cage | April 23, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Pomona, California, United States | |
| Win | 17–8 | Nick Zarate | TKO (punches) | Gladiator Challenge: Never Quit | November 8, 2009 | 1 | 0:47 | San Jacinto, California, United States | |
| Win | 16–8 | Frank Avant | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Gladiator Challenge: High Impact | July 23, 2009 | 1 | 0:21 | Pauma Valley, California, United States | |
| Loss | 15–8 | Tony Lopez | Submission (rear-naked choke) | KOTC: Storm | May 16, 2009 | 5 | 1:48 | Lake Elsinore, California, United States | For the KOTC Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 15–7 | Larry Mays | TKO (elbows) | Gladiator Challenge: Venom | April 23, 2009 | 1 | 1:53 | Pauma Valley, California, United States | |
| Loss | 14–7 | Tony Lopez | Submission (rear-naked choke) | KOTC: Misconduct | October 16, 2008 | 2 | 1:37 | Highland, California, United States | Light Heavyweight debut; for the KOTC Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 14–6 | Hector Urbina | Submission (guillotine choke) | KOTC: Fight Nite @ The Shrine | April 19, 2008 | 1 | 2:10 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Welterweight bout. |
| Loss | 13–6 | Jay Martinez | TKO (punches) | MMA Xtreme 15 | November 16, 2007 | 2 | 3:11 | Mexico City, Mexico | |
| Loss | 13–5 | Hiromitsu Miura | Submission (punches) | WEC 29 | August 5, 2007 | 2 | 3:35 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 13–4 | Joe Atoe | TKO (punches) | MMA Xtreme 12 | June 30, 2007 | 1 | 2:31 | Mexicali, Mexico | |
| Win | 12–4 | Jay Carter | Decision (unanimous) | X-1: Extreme Fighting 2 | March 17, 2007 | 3 | 3:00 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Loss | 11–4 | Brendan Seguin | Decision (unanimous) | WEC 25 | January 20, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 11–3 | Umar Luv | Submission (injury) | KOTC: Destroyer | December 1, 2006 | 2 | 0:28 | San Jacinto, California, United States | |
| Win | 10–3 | Alex Stiebling | TKO (doctor stoppage) | WEC 23 | August 17, 2006 | 1 | 2:35 | Lemoore, California, United States | |
| Win | 9–3 | Jimmy Dexter | Submission (rear-naked choke) | WEC 20 | May 5, 2006 | 1 | 4:09 | Lemoore, California, United States | Return to Middleweight. |
| Loss | 8–3 | Danny Higgins | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Extreme Wars 2: X-1 | March 18, 2006 | 2 | N/A | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Win | 8–2 | Ray Lizama | Decision (unanimous) | KOTC 63: Final Conflict | December 2, 2005 | 2 | 5:00 | San Jacinto, California, United States | |
| Win | 7–2 | Aaron Torres | Submission (punches) | KOTC 58: Prime Time | August 5, 2005 | 1 | 1:33 | San Jacinto, California, United States | |
| Win | 6–2 | Sidney Silva | Decision (unanimous) | Extreme Wars: X-1 | July 2, 2005 | 3 | 5:00 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Return to Welterweight. |
| Loss | 5–2 | Miguel Gutierrez | Submission (armbar) | KOTC: Mortal Sins | May 7, 2005 | 1 | 1:42 | Primm, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 5–1 | Reggie Orr | Decision (majority) | KOTC 49: Soboba | March 20, 2005 | 2 | 5:00 | San Jacinto, California, United States | Welterweight bout. |
| Win | 4–1 | Reggie Orr | Submission (injury) | KOTC 44: Revenge | November 14, 2004 | 2 | 2:38 | San Jacinto, California, United States | |
| Win | 3–1 | Travis Goodman | KO (punch) | KOTC 41: Relentless | September 24, 2004 | 1 | 0:25 | San Jacinto, California, United States | Return to Middleweight. |
| Win | 2–1 | Scott Sepulveda | TKO (punches) | KOTC 39: Hitmaster | August 6, 2004 | 1 | 3:28 | San Jacinto, California, United States | Welterweight debut. |
| Loss | 1–1 | Eric Escobedo | Decision | Pit Fighting Championship | February 7, 2004 | 3 | 5:00 | California, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Mike Castillo | TKO (punches) | WEC 8 | October 17, 2003 | 1 | 1:27 | Lemoore, California, United States |
Kickboxing record edit
| 1 Win (0 (T)KO's), 1 Losses | |||||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-09-19 | Loss |  Paul Daley |
Bellator MMA & Glory: Dynamite 1 | San Jose, California, USA | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | 0–1 | |
| 2010-07-3 | Win |  Smith Wellington |
Extreme Brawling | USA | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | |||
| Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes | |||||||||
References edit
- ^ "Fernando Gonzalez: "I'm trying to finish the fight every single time I'm in the cage" - Bellator MMA". Archived from the original on 2015-01-15. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
- ^ "MMA: Patience pays off for Menifee's Gonzalez". 15 January 2015.
- ^ Mixed martial arts show results Date: May 7, 2005
- ^ "San Diego Muay Thai LIVE Event | Dave Nielsen vs Fernando Gonzalez". 17 July 2012.
- ^ "MMA: Patience pays off for Menifee's Gonzalez". 15 January 2015.
- ^ "WEC 8 – Halloween Fury 2". Sherdog.com.
- ^ "WEC 20 – Cinco de Mayhem". Sherdog.com.
- ^ "WEC 23 – Hot August Fights". Sherdog.com.
- ^ "WEC 25 – Las Vegas". Sherdog.com.
- ^ "Carlos Condit, Paulo Filho Win Championship Bouts at WEC 29". MMAJunkie.com. August 6, 2007.
- ^ "'Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal' results: Champ Melendez shuts out Masvidal". MMAJunkie.com. December 18, 2011.
- ^ "Fernando Gonzalez vs. Karl Amoussou". Sherdog.com. July 25, 2014.
- ^ "With Marius Zaromskis out, Karo Parisyan now meets Fernando Gonzalez at Bellator 127". TheMMAReport.com. September 23, 2014.
- ^ "Bellator 127 results: Ex-champ Daniel Straus loads up and KOs Justin Wilcox". MMAJunkie.com. October 3, 2014.
- ^ "4 fighters fail post-fight drug screenings following Bellator 127 in California". Sherdog.com. October 30, 2014.
- ^ "CSAC issues fines, suspensions to 4 fighters who failed Bellator 127 drug tests". Sherdog.com. November 4, 2014.
- ^ "Alexander-Zwicker Rematch, Zaromskis-Gonzalez Round Out Bellator 132 Main Card". Sherdog.com. December 9, 2014.
- ^ Brent Brookhouse (March 31, 2015). "Three bouts announced for Bellator 137, including Mike Richman vs. Eduardo Dantas". mmajunkie.com.
- ^ Steven Marrocco (2015-06-09). "Bellator's Mike Richman suspended two years after failed drug test". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-06-10.
- ^ "Bellator 151 Results: Play-by-Play, Updates & Round-by-Round Scoring". sherdog.com. 4 March 2016.
- ^ "Bellator's Michael Page to face Gonzalez in San Jose Nov. 19". bigstory.ap.org. 26 August 2016. Archived from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
- ^ John Morgan (February 27, 2017). "Bellator 174's Fernando Gonzalez says 'MVP' was the one who asked for rematch, now refuses". mmajunkie.com.
- ^ Staff (March 3, 2017). "Bellator 174 results: Julia Budd wins featherweight title vs. Marloes Coenen, who retires". mmajunkie.com.
- ^ Matt Erickson (August 25, 2017). "Bellator 182 results: Ex-champ Andrey Koreshkov pounds out Chidi Njokuani in first round". mmajunkie.com.
- ^ Staff (November 14, 2017). "Lorenz Larkin vs. Fernando Gonzalez catchweight fight headlines Bellator 193". mmajunkie.com.
- ^ Matt Erickson and John Morgan (January 25, 2018). "Before missing, Fernando Gonzalez said weight issue wouldn't happen; looking for star turn at Bellator 193". mmajunkie.com.
- ^ John Morgan (January 26, 2018). "Bellator 193 results: Lorenz Larkin picks up first Bellator win". mmajunkie.com.
- ^ Guilherme Cruz (2018-02-20). "Bellator trims roster, parts ways with 13 fighters". mmafighting.com.
- ^ Bryant, Steve (2019-03-11). "CXF 17: March Madness - 09 March 2019 - Results". SoCalUNCENSORED.com. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
- ^ medialead.ru (2019-06-09). "ACA 96: Goncharov vs Johnson - Results". www.aca-mma.com. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
- ^ "ACA 100 Grozny – wyniki walk – FIGHT24.PL – MMA i K-1, UFC" (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-04-11.
- ^ "Fernando Gonzalez vs. Ty Freeman, J Street Fights 1 | MMA Bout". Tapology. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
- ^ "NWFA 1: Retribution | MMA Event". Tapology. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
- ^ "Maki Pitolo vs. Fernando Gonzalez, Tuff-N-Uff 127 | MMA Bout". Tapology. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
- ^ "BKFC KNUCKLEMANIA IV". Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
- ^ "Fernando Gonzalez: "I'm trying to finish the fight every single time I'm in the cage"". bellator.com. January 11, 2015. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
- ^ Staff (August 24, 2017). "Bellator 182 weigh-in results: Chidi Njokuani heavy, but set for Andrey Koreshkov". mmajunkie.com.
- ^ Steve Juon (March 2, 2017). "Bellator 174 weigh in results, live video for 'Coenen vs Budd' in Thackerville". mmamania.com.