Jake Ellenberger

Jake Ellenberger, born in Omaha, Nebraska, built a 31-fight professional MMA career that spanned from 2005 to 2018, with the bulk of his run coming inside the UFC octagon. A former U.S. Marine and college wrestler, he climbed through regional promotions (IFL, Bodog, Bellator, M-1 Challenge) before making his UFC debut in 2009. Ellenberger was never a title challenger, but he accumulated wins steadily across the welterweight division and became known as a reliable, explosive finisher. His fighting style blended heavy hands, precise body kicks, and solid grappling. He earned two Performance of the Night bonuses (against Josh Koscheck and Matt Brown) and two Knockout of the Night awards (Nate Marquardt and Jake Shields), proving that he could deliver both highlight finishes and entertaining battles.

Ellenberger's signature moment came on July 30, 2016, at UFC 201, when he finished veteran Matt Brown with a vicious body kick followed by ground-and-pound in the first round. According to Ellenberger himself, he and teammate Giga Chikadze had spent four months drilling that liver kick, identifying it as Brown's weak point. When the chaotic fight presented the opening, Ellenberger didn't hesitate. Other career highs included a first-round knockout of Nate Marquardt at UFC 158, a submission win over Josh Koscheck after a nine-year drought without finishing an opponent that way, and a three-round war with future champion Robbie Lawler at UFC 173 that showed his ceiling against elite talent.

Ellenberger's final years saw him fall victim to a wave of devastating strikers. He absorbed first-round TKO losses to Jorge Masvidal (Dec 2016, his foot tangled in the fence) and Mike Perry (April 2017, via elbow). He bowed out on August 25, 2018, after a first-round TKO defeat to Bryan Barberena, then retired. Now in his late 30s, Ellenberger has moved into acting, with roles in films like Atlas King. His legacy is that of a workhorse competitor: not a marquee name, but a craftsman who earned his paychecks, finished fights when he could, and showed up ready to impose his will. Fans of the sport remember him as a symbol of the blue-collar welterweight grind.