# Mike Rhodes (fighter)

Michael Rhodes (born December 4, 1989) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. Rhodes competed in the UFC, Bellator MMA, Absolute Championship Berkut, and RFA and Cage Fury Fighting Championships.

## Background

Rhodes was born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa. He was a troubled youth who often got into fights and had anger management issues. He competed in basketball and football during high school at Waterloo East High School and Columbus Catholic High School in his senior year. He was talented, later continuing his basketball career in college at Ellsworth Community College. During college, Rhodes began training in cardio kickboxing in order to lose weight, losing 110 lbs before transitioning into a career in mixed martial arts.

## Mixed martial arts career
### Early career

Rhodes compiled an amateur MMA record of 6–2 and was the Iowa Challenge Amateur Middleweight Champion before making his professional debut in 2012. Rhodes then went 6–1 as a professional and won the RFA Welterweight Championship, before being signed by the UFC. Rhodes signed with the UFC in the winter of 2013.

### Ultimate Fighting Championship

Rhodes made his promotional debut against fellow newcomer George Sullivan on January 25, 2014, at UFC on Fox 10. Sullivan won the fight via unanimous decision.
Rhodes next faced Robert Whittaker on June 28, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 43. Rhodes lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Rhodes was next scheduled to face Paulo Thiago on September 13, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 51. However, Rhodes pulled out of the fight citing an injury.
Rhodes made his next appearance against Erick Silva on December 20, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 58 on December 20, 2014. Rhodes was defeated via technical submission due to an arm-triangle choke in the first round and was subsequently released from the promotion.

### Post-UFC

After being released from the UFC, Rhodes returned to the regional circuit and faced Tom Angeloff at NAFC: Explosion on April 11, 2015. He won via knockout in the first round.

### Bellator MMA

On February 28, it was announced that Rhodes would replace Chris Honeycutt in a bout against Kendall Grove at Bellator 174 on March 3, 2017. However, Rhodes was unable to make the required weight, and the bout scratched after they were unable to come to an agreement for the bout to proceed at a catchweight.
Rhodes next faced Rafael Lovato Jr. at Bellator 181 on July 14, 2017. He lost the fight via submission in the first round.
On February 20, 2018, it was announced that Bellator had released Rhodes from the promotion.

## Championships and accomplishments

* Resurrection Fighting Alliance
** RFA Welterweight Champion (One time)
* Victory Fighting Championship
** VFC Middleweight Champion (Current)
* Cage Fury Fighting Championships
** CFFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)

## Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown :
| 20 matches | 13 wins | 6 losses |
| By knockout | 5 | 0 |
| By submission | 4 | 3 |
| By decision | 4 | 3 |
| No contests | 1 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Win | 13–6 (1) | Najim Wali | KO (punch) | CFFC 80: Rhodes vs. Wali | November 22, 2019 | 2 | 0:55 | Newport News, Virginia, United States | Won the CFFC Light heavyweight championship. |
| Win | 12–6 (1) | Christian Torres | Decision (unanimous) | LFA 68 | May 31, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Prior Lake, Minnesota, United States | Light Heavyweight debut. |
| Win | 11–6 (1) | BJ Lacy | Submission (ankle lock) | Ascendancy FC 18 | August 11, 2018 | 1 | 2:00 | Waterloo, Iowa, United States | |
| Loss | 10–6 (1) | Ibragim Chuzhigaev | Decision (unanimous) | ACB 87: Mousah vs. Whiteford | May 19, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Nottingham, England | |
| NC | 10–5 (1) | Bryan Baker | NC (elbows to back of head) | Extreme Beatdown: Beatdown 21 | March 10, 2018 | 2 | 3:18 | New Town, North Dakota, United States | Baker threw illegal elbows to the back of Rhodes' head. |
| Loss | 10–5 | Rafael Lovato Jr. | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 181 | July 14, 2017 | 1 | 1:59 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 10–4 | Rakim Cleveland | Submission (guillotine choke) | VFC 51: Emerson vs. West | June 24, 2016 | 2 | 2:42 | Urbandale, Iowa, United States | Return to Middleweight; won the VFC Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 9–4 | Mark Stoddard | Decision (unanimous) | NAFC: Super Brawl | January 30, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Win | 8–4 | Taki Uluilakepa | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Prestige FC 1: Atonement | October 24, 2015 | 3 | 3:54 | Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada | Catchweight (175 lbs) bout. |
| Win | 7–4 | Tom Angeloff | KO (punch) | NAFC: Explosion | April 11, 2015 | 1 | 1:36 | Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Loss | 6–4 | Erick Silva | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway | December 20, 2014 | 1 | 1:15 | Barueri, Brazil | |
| Loss | 6–3 | Robert Whittaker | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Te-Huna vs. Marquardt | June 28, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Auckland, New Zealand | |
| Loss | 6–2 | George Sullivan | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Thomson | January 25, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 6–1 | Alan Jouban | Decision (unanimous) | RFA 10: Rhodes vs. Jouban | October 25, 2013 | 5 | 5:00 | Des Moines, Iowa, United States | Won RFA Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 5–1 | Benjamin Smith | TKO (punches) | RFA 8: Pettis vs. Pegg | June 21, 2013 | 1 | 0:56 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Loss | 4–1 | Brandon Thatch | Submission (rear-naked choke) | RFA 7: Thatch vs. Rhodes | March 22, 2013 | 1 | 2:22 | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Quartus Stitt | TKO (retirement) | Madtown Throwdown 29: Unstoppable | January 5, 2013 | 2 | 5:00 | Madison, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Matt Gauthier | Submission (armbar) | RWC: Rogue Warrior Championships 3 | September 6, 2012 | 1 | 4:04 | Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States | Welterweight debut. |
| Win | 2–0 | Torrey Berendes | KO (punch) | Madtown Throwdown 28: Hells Bells | August 11, 2012 | 1 | 0:42 | Madison, Wisconsin, United States | Catchweight bout of 180 lbs. |
| Win | 1–0 | Zak Ottow | Decision (unanimous) | NAFC: Colosseum | May 4, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | |