Chas Skelly

Chas 'The Scrapper' Skelly is a retired UFC featherweight whose 19-3 professional record and submission prowess made him a fixture in the promotion's lighter divisions for eight years. A wrestling standout from Texas who earned All-American honors at Oklahoma City University, Skelly turned pro in 2009 and built his early resume in Bellator and regional circuits before joining the UFC in 2014. Over his time in the Octagon, he compiled ten submission wins and became one of the most feared grapplers at featherweight, tied for second-most submissions in divisional history.

Skelly's signature calling card is his ability to finish fights from scrambles and his relentless pursuit of the back. He holds the record for the fastest submission in UFC featherweight history: a stunning 19-second anaconda choke against Maximo Blanco in September 2016, executed after a flying Sparta kick sent his opponent to the canvas. That finish earned him a Performance of the Night bonus and remains unmatched nearly a decade later. While he suffered notable losses to Darren Elkins and Jason Knight, Skelly proved his durability by returning from a series of training injuries and layoffs to post a three-round unanimous decision over Jordan Griffin in 2019.

His fighting style was pure grappling fundamentals: he didn't hunt for flashy knockdowns or striking combinations, but rather controlled range, found the clinch, and cycled for dominant position and submissions. With four knockouts and five decision wins alongside his ten submissions, Skelly was a well-rounded finisher who never relied on one outcome. He retired in February 2022 with a second-round TKO victory over Mark Striegl, closing out a career defined by technical excellence and a submission rate that placed him among the best in his weight class.