Reza Madadi

Reza 'Mad Dog' Madadi is an Iranian-Swedish lightweight who built his fighting foundation on wrestling, winning the Swedish national wrestling championship in both 2002 and 2003 before transitioning to MMA in 2006. He rose through the European circuit with impressive performances in Strike and Submit, Superior Challenge, and other regional promotions, eventually becoming Superior Challenge Lightweight Champion in 2011. His success on the continental scene earned him a UFC contract that November.

Madadi's UFC debut in April 2012 came against Yoislandy Izquierdo, whom he defeated by guillotine choke despite being stunned in the first round. Though he suffered a controversial split-decision loss to Cristiano Marcello at UFC 153 later that year, most major media outlets scored the bout in his favor. He rebounded spectacularly in April 2013 with a stunning performance against Michael Johnson, recovering from a devastating head kick and knockdown in round one to submit Johnson with a d'arce choke in the third round, earning Submission of the Night honors and a spot on UFC.com's 2013 Upset of the Year list.

Personal circumstances led to his release from the UFC in 2013, but Madadi returned in 2015 for a second stint with the promotion. His comeback was hampered by serious health setbacks, including myocarditis in 2016 and an eye injury requiring emergency surgery, yet he persisted through losses to Norman Parke and Joseph Duffy before stepping in on short notice against Joaquim Silva in Stockholm in May 2017, his final UFC bout. Madadi retired in 2019 with a 14-6 record and now coaches at Allstars Training Center in Spain, mentoring elite lightweight and welterweight fighters including Alexander Gustafsson, Ilir Latifi, and Khamzat Chimaev. His legacy rests on his wrestling mastery and submission expertise: 62% of his UFC wins came by submission, and his technical grappling remains influential in the Nordic MMA scene.