He comes from Springfield, Missouri but lives in North Carolina and trains at Carolina Combat Sports & Fitness. Battle’s UFC tenure has been impressive and entertaining thus far. Since capturing the TUF title, “The Butcher” has gone 5-1 (1 NC), with four of those wins being by finish.
Before Battle became a professional in 2019, he built a remarkable amateur resume and went 8-2 overall. He secured decision wins over Impa Kasaganay and Cody Brundage in 2018, and in hindsight, those victories stand out, with each of those opponents going on to have success at the pro level.
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In 2021, Battle seized an opportunity on The Ultimate Fighter. He began with a decision win over Kemran Lachinov and a submission victory over current UFC middleweight Andre Petroski, which earned him a spot in the middleweight final. He was scheduled to face Tresean Gore; however, a knee injury after the show forced Gore to be replaced by Gilbert Urbina, who lost to Gore in the semifinals by knockout.
It didn’t come without facing adversity, but Battle defeated Urbina via submission at 2:15 of round two to close out the TUF 29 middleweight tournament. It was a wild opening to round one, as Urbina took Battle down in search of a submission. Battle held strong and worked his way to the feet. The momentum shifted in round two, with Battle taking a bloodied Urbina to the canvas and locking in a rear-naked choke for the win, which clinched a UFC roster spot.
Next for Battle was Gore, setting the stage for a long-awaited showdown in the Octagon. For some, Battle’s win on the Ultimate Fighter left doubts, since it wasn’t against a true finalist. In this bout, all Battle did was prove he was the deserving champion of season 29, showcasing a high-volume striking attack en route to a unanimous decision win. Battle was very effective with kicks to the legs and body, and his counterpunching was there to be seen all fight.
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Battle followed his UFC debut with a stunning performance, delivering an explosive head kick that ended the fight in round one over Takashi Sato in his welterweight debut. In the lead up to his fight with Gore, Battle decided he should make the change to welterweight since his weight cut at middleweight was too easy.
During his third UFC outing, Battle went against Rinat Fakhretdinov, who, at the time, was riding an 18-fight win streak. This time, Battle came up short as Fakhretdinov cruised to a decision victory after having more than 14 minutes of control time.
Six months later, Battle returned in front of his home fans in Charlotte on UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Almeida against Gabe Green. Green brought a firefight from the opening horn, marching forward with punches and kicks. Green brought the pressure, but Battle made him pay with a huge right hand just 14 seconds in, making it the sixth fastest finish in UFC welterweight history.
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Battle’s success continued into late 2023 with another stoppage win at UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Gamrot, this time over AJ Fletcher. Most recently, Battle competed at UFC Fight Night: Tuivasa vs. Tybura against Ange Loosa in March of this year. “The Butcher” looked extremely on point, coming forward with kicks from both stances and slick counterpunching. It was one of Battle’s best performances from a technical standpoint, but with one minute left in the second round, it was ruled a no contest due to an eye poke from Battle that rendered Loosa unable to continue.
Battle’s MMA journey exemplifies the fighting spirit. From his early amateur days to winning The Ultimate Fighter and making noise in the welterweight division, he has continued to evolve in each bout. As he prepares for his upcoming fight at UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis, a stoppage victory over France’s Kevin Jousset could cement his place as a rising contender in the welterweight division.
