Andre Ewell

Andre Ewell is a California-based MMA veteran whose path to the cage is rooted in a deeply personal mission. Born in Riverside in 1988, Ewell initially pursued boxing as a young adult, inspired by Roy Jones Jr., but after a difficult breakup and custody dispute over his young son Eli, he pivoted to mixed martial arts as a way to stabilize his life and prove to the courts that he could be a financial provider. 'Everything I had and was making was going straight to my son,' he has said, making his career not just a sport but a fight for fatherhood.

Before joining the UFC, Ewell competed across regional Southern California promotions for nearly a decade, racking up a 13-4 record and winning the CES MMA bantamweight title. His 2018 UFC debut saw him pull off a stunning split-decision upset over former bantamweight champion Renan Barão, but his tenure in the promotion proved inconsistent. Over three-and-a-half years, he won three bouts (vs. dos Santos, Martinez, Rivera) while losing five (to Wood, Vera, Gutierrez, Arce, and Jourdain), earning a release in February 2022. Ewell fights as a well-rounded positional grappler and volume striker, grinding out decisions rather than seeking finish.

His final UFC fight, against Canadian fan favorite Charles Jourdain in December 2021, ended in viral fashion when Jourdain delivered a spinning front kick to Ewell's face in the final second - a move fans immediately dubbed a 'Sparta kick.' Since leaving the UFC, Ewell has competed in smaller promotions and recently signed with Karate Combat, continuing to ply his trade as an active fighter. Though his record and tenure in the big show may not dazzle, his documented resolve and refusal to quit resonate with fans who follow the human cost of the sport.