Dan Kelly (fighter)

Dan Josh Kelly
Born	Daniel Thomas Kelly[1] (1977-10-31) 31 October 1977 (age 47) Melbourne, Australia
Other names	Dad Dad Bod Catterall
Residence	Melbourne, Australia
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Division	Middleweight
Reach	73 in (185 cm)
Style	Judo
Stance	Southpaw
Team	Resilience Training Centre (2013–present)[2]
Rank	4th dan black belt in Judo[3] 1st degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Gustavo Falciroli
Years active	2006–2018 (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	17
Wins	13
By knockout	3
By submission	5
By decision	5
Losses	4
By knockout	3
By decision	1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Judo career
Weight class	‍–‍81 kg, ‍–‍90 kg, ‍–‍100 kg
Judo achievements and titles
Olympic Games	7th (2004)
World Champ.	9th (1999)
OJU Champ.	(2002, 2003, 2004, ( 2008, 2010, 2011, ( 2012)
Medal record Men's judo Representing  Australia Oceania Championships 2002 Wellington ‍–‍81 kg 2003 Suva ‍–‍81 kg 2004 Nouméa ‍–‍90 kg 2008 Christchurch ‍–‍90 kg 2010 Canberra ‍–‍100 kg 2011 Papeete ‍–‍100 kg 2012 Cairns ‍–‍100 kg 1998 Apia ‍–‍81 kg 2000 Sydney ‍–‍81 kg Oceania Junior Championships 1996 Wellington ‍–‍65 kg 1994 Sydney ‍–‍65 kg
Profile at external judo databases
IJF	1045
JudoInside.com	8921
Last updated on: 29 October 2024

Daniel Thomas Kelly (born 31 October 1977) is an Australian former judoka[4] and mixed martial artist. Known for his unconventional style, the four-time judo Olympian formerly competed in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) between 2014 and 2018.[5]

Background and judo career

Kelly began competing in judo when he was 7 and competed at his first Australian Championships when he was 13.[6] He made the junior national team in 1994 where he competed at the Junior World Championships and went on to make the senior national team two years later.[6] Kelly has been Australian Champion on nine occasions.[6]

Kelly is the only Judo competitor to have been selected to fight for Australia in four different Olympic games.[6] He most recently competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the -100 kg event.[7]

He was the Judo coach for the Australian team at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Japan Olympics.[8][9]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Kelly made his professional MMA debut in July 2006. He remained out of competition for the next six and a half years due to judo commitments.

Australian Fighting Championship and local MMA

Kelly returned to the sport in December 2012. Over the next eight months, he improved his record to 5 wins with no losses. Kelly again returned to action in the Australian Fighting Championship (AFC) in May 2014, at AFC 9, defeating Ben Kelleher via second round submission.[10] Kelly was twice slated to fight Steven Kennedy for the vacant AFC middleweight belt in 2013 at AFC 7 and 2014 at AFC 10, but was forced to withdraw due to The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia commitments in 2013[11] and due to injury in 2014.[12]

The Ultimate Fighter

In December 2013, it was announced that Kelly was selected as one of the fighters to represent Australia for the upcoming The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia.[13] Kelly was defeated by eventual middleweight runner-up Sheldon Westcott via first round submission.[14]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2014

Kelly made his UFC debut against Luke Zachrich on 8 November 2014 at UFC Fight Night 55.[15] Kelly was victorious, winning by submission due to a kimura.

In his second bout for the promotion, Kelly faced Patrick Walsh on 14 February 2015 at UFC Fight Night 60.[16] He won the fight by unanimous decision.

2015

Kelly faced Sam Alvey on 10 May 2015 at UFC Fight Night 65.[17] He lost the fight via TKO in the first round.[18]

Kelly was expected to face Ricardo Abreu on 15 November 2015 at UFC 193.[19] However, Abreu pulled out of the fight in late September and was replaced by Steve Montgomery.[20] Kelly won the fight by unanimous decision.[21]

2016

Kelly faced Antônio Carlos Júnior on 20 March 2016 at UFC Fight Night 85.[22] Kelly won the bout via TKO in the third round.[23]

Kelly next faced Chris Camozzi on 27 November 2016 at UFC Fight Night 101.[24] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[25]

2017

Kelly faced Rashad Evans on 4 March 2017 at UFC 209.[26] He won the back-and-forth fight by split decision.[27]

Kelly faced Derek Brunson on 11 June 2017 at UFC Fight Night 110.[28] He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[29]

Kelly faced Elias Theodorou on 19 November 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura.[30] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[31]

2018

Kelly faced Tom Breese on 27 May 2018 at UFC Fight Night 130.[32] He lost the fight via technical knock out in round one.[33] Kelly became a free agent after the fight.[34]

Championships and accomplishments

Judo

• Olympic Games[6]
  • 2000 Summer Olympics — 9th place (‍–‍81 kg)
  • 2004 Summer Olympics — 7th place (‍–‍90 kg)
  • 2008 Summer Olympics — 21st place (‍–‍90 kg)
  • 2012 Summer Olympics — 17th place (‍–‍100 kg)[35]

Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2017: Ranked #3 Upset of the Year vs. Rashad Evans[36]

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown

17 matches	13 wins	4 losses
By knockout	3	3
By submission	5	0
By decision	5	1

Res.	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
Loss	13–4	Tom Breese	TKO (punches)	UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Till	27 May 2018	1	3:33	Liverpool, England
Loss	13–3	Elias Theodorou	Decision (unanimous)	UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura	19 November 2017	3	5:00	Sydney, Australia
Loss	13–2	Derek Brunson	KO (punches)	UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt	11 June 2017	1	1:16	Auckland, New Zealand
Win	13–1	Rashad Evans	Decision (split)	UFC 209	4 March 2017	3	5:00	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	12–1	Chris Camozzi	Decision (unanimous)	UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson	27 November 2016	3	5:00	Melbourne, Australia
Win	11–1	Antônio Carlos Júnior	TKO (punches)	UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Mir	20 March 2016	3	1:36	Brisbane, Australia
Win	10–1	Steve Montgomery	Decision (unanimous)	UFC 193	15 November 2015	3	5:00	Melbourne, Australia
Loss	9–1	Sam Alvey	TKO (punches)	UFC Fight Night: Miocic vs. Hunt	10 May 2015	1	0:49	Adelaide, Australia
Win	9–0	Patrick Walsh	Decision (unanimous)	UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch	14 February 2015	3	5:00	Broomfield, Colorado, United States	Catchweight (191.5 lbs) bout; Walsh missed weight.
Win	8–0	Luke Zachrich	Submission (kimura)	UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping	8 November 2014	1	4:27	Sydney, Australia
Win	7–0	Ben Kelleher	Submission (rear-naked choke)	Australian Fighting Championship 9	17 May 2014	2	3:41	Albury, Australia
Win	6–0	Bor Bratovž	KO (punch)	Australian Fighting Championship 6	24 August 2013	2	1:42	Melbourne, Australia	AFC Middleweight Tournament Semifinal.
Win	5–0	Daniel Way	Submission (armbar)	Shamrock Events: NOM 7	22 June 2013	1		Melbourne, Australia
Win	4–0	Chris Birch	Submission (rear naked choke)	Australian Fighting Championship 5	10 May 2013	1	3:36	Melbourne, Australia	Middleweight debut. AFC Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
Win	3–0	Kym Robinson	Submission (rear naked choke)	MMA Down Under 3	16 March 2013	1	1:17	Findon, Australia
Win	2–0	Fabio Galeb	Decision (unanimous)	Australian Fighting Championship 4	12 December 2012	3	5:00	Melbourne, Australia
Win	1–0	Ross Dallow	TKO (thrown from the ring)	Dojo KO - Second Elimination	22 July 2006	2	N/A	Melbourne, Australia

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

Exhibition record breakdown
1 match	0 wins	1 loss
By knockout	0	0
By submission	0	1
By decision	0	0

Res.	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
Loss	0–1	Sheldon Westcott	Submission (arm-triangle choke)	The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia	February 19, 2014 (airdate)	1	0:56	Quebec City, Quebec, Canada	Quarter-finals

See also

• List of male mixed martial artists

References

1. http://boxing.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/boxingnvgov/content/results/2017_Results/03-04-17MMA.pdf ^[bare URL PDF]
2. "Trainers". resiliencetrainingcentre.com. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
3. "Dan Kelly - Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
4. "Sports reference profile". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
5. "UFC Fighter Rankings". Retrieved 19 April 2017.
6. "Daniel Kelly". london2012.olympics.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
7. "London 2012 profile". London2012.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
8. "Meet our team: Daniel Kelly". Resilience Training Centre. Archived from the original on 17 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
9. "Dan Keey to take time off UFC to coach Australia". Fight Live TV. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
10. "AFC 9 Dan Kelly Vs Ben Kelleher Live Blog". 17 May 2014. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
11. Chris. "Australian Fighting Championships 7 Preview". Australian MMA News, Reviews, Interviews & Results. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
12. Mike. "Saturday night's Australian Fighting Championship 10 fight card and LIVE STREAM details". Australian MMA News, Reviews, Interviews & Results. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
13. "Report: TUF Nations cast announced". bloodyelbow.com. 3 December 2013. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
14. Chris. "TUF Nations: Episode 6 Recap - Sheldon Westcott submits Daniel Kelly". Australian MMA News, Reviews, Interviews & Results. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
15. "Daniel Kelly vs. Luke Zachrich added to UFC Fight Night 55". MMAjunkie. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
16. C.J. Tuttle (11 December 2014). "Patrick Walsh-Daniel Kelly Added to UFC Fight Night in Colorado". sherdog.com.
17. Peter Theodosiou (12 March 2015). "Daniel Kelly aims to settle score with Sam Alvey at UFC Adelaide card". heraldsun.com. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
18. Steven Marrocco (9 May 2015). "UFC Fight Night 65 results: Sam Alvey lights up Daniel Kelly for first-round TKO". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
19. Larissa Nicholson (19 August 2015). "UFC to bring cage fighting to Etihad Stadium". smh.com.au. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
20. Tristen Critchfield (23 September 2015). "Steve Montgomery replaces Ricardo Abreu, meets Daniel Kelly at UFC 193". sherdog.com. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
21. Matt Erickson (14 November 2015). "UFC 193 results: Strong early, Daniel Kelly takes decision from Steve Montgomery". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
22. Liam Ducey (19 January 2016). "UFC Brisbane gets four more fights". smh.com.au. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
23. Steven Marrocco (19 March 2016). "UFC Fight Night 85 results: Daniel Kelly mounts comeback, upsets Antonio Carlos Junior". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
24. Tristen Critchfield (21 September 2016). "Chris Camozzi booked to face Daniel Kelly at UFC Fight Night in Melbourne". sherdog.com. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
25. Steven Marrocco (27 November 2016). "UFC Fight Night 101 results: Bloodied Daniel Kelly grinds way to decision over Chris Camozzi". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
26. Jesse Holland (1 February 2017). "Rashad Evans vs. Dan Kelly set for UFC 209 in Las Vegas". mmamania.com. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
27. Dave Doyle (4 March 2017). "UFC 209 results: Dan Kelly grinds out decision over Rashad Evans". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
28. Themistoklis Alexis (20 March 2017). "Brunson-Kelly targeted for UFC Auckland". thescore.com. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
29. Ben Fowlkes (11 June 2017). "UFC Fight Night 110 results: Derek Brunson finishes Daniel Kelly in 1st round with straight left". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
30. Alex Oates (8 September 2017). "Dan Kelly secures UFC Sydney bout against Canada's Elias Theodorou". news.com.au. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
31. "UFC Fight Night 121 results: Elias Theodorou outworks Daniel Kelly for unanimous decision". MMAjunkie. 19 November 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
32. Staff (16 March 2018). "Sorry, Dublin: UFC heading to Liverpool for first time for UFC Fight Night 130". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
33. "UFC Fight Night 130 results: Tom Breese phenomenal in return from long layoff, stops Daniel Kelly in first". MMAjunkie. 27 May 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
34. Fernanda Prates (11 August 2018). "Daniel Kelly has a plea for one last UFC bout, it involves his son – and we're not crying, you are". mmajunkie.com.
35. "Daniel Kelly at Sports-reference.com". www.sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
36. Thomas Gerbasi (3 January 2018). "The Top Ten Biggest Upsets of 2017". Ultimate Fighting Championship.

External links

• Daniel Kelly at the International Judo Federation
• Daniel Kelly at JudoInside.com
• Daniel Kelly at UFC
• Daniel Kelly at Sherdog
• Daniel Kelly at the International Wrestling Database