Matthew Christopher Schnell (born January 15, 1990) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) until 2024.[6] Schnell formerly competed for Legacy Fighting Alliance, where he is a former Legacy Fighting Alliance Flyweight Champion.
Matt Schnell | |
---|---|
Born | Matthew Christopher Schnell[1] January 15, 1990 Amory, Mississippi, U.S. |
Nickname | Danger |
Residence | Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
Weight | 125 lb (57 kg; 8 st 13 lb) |
Division | Flyweight Bantamweight |
Reach | 70 in (178 cm)[1] |
Fighting out of | Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
Team | American Top Team (2014–2017)[2] Combat Sports Academy (2017–2024)[3] American Kickboxing Academy (2017–2024)[4] |
Rank | Black belt in Karate[5] Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[5] |
Years active | 2009–2024 |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 26 |
Wins | 16 |
By knockout | 2 |
By submission | 9 |
By decision | 4 |
By disqualification | 1 |
Losses | 9 |
By knockout | 5 |
By submission | 3 |
By decision | 1 |
No contests | 1 |
Other information | |
Website | mattschnell |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog |
Mixed martial arts career
editCaged
editIn 2012, Schnell was one of the young MMA fighters featured in Caged - an MTV reality television series. The show focused on four prospective MMA fighters in small-town Louisiana. Schnell was one of the two fighters on the show, alongside Tony Kelley, to later fight professionally.[7]
Legacy Fighting Championship
editSchnell joined Legacy Fighting Championship in 2012 and went 9–2 in various promotions before joining the cast of The Ultimate Fighter, season 24.
The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions
editOn May 11, 2016, the UFC announced that the 16 contestants for The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions would be flyweight champion fighters from various organizations around the world, with the winner being expected to have a chance to fight for the flyweight title against Demetrious Johnson. Schnell was announced as part of the cast in July and selected for Team Cejudo.[8]
In the first round on the show, Schnell seeded at #6 faced #11 Matt Rizzo and defeated him in the second round via a triangle choke submission. Schnell advanced to the quarterfinals and faced #3 seed Tim Elliott. He lost the fight via first-round submission due to a bulldog choke.[9]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
editAfter his stint on The Ultimate Fighter, Schnell was chosen as one of the cast mates to get a contract. Schnell fought Rob Font in the bantamweight division at The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions Finale. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round.[10]
Schnell returned to the flyweight division and faced Hector Sandoval on April 22, 2017, at UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[11]
Schnell next fought on October 7, 2017 at UFC 216 against Marco Beltrán. He won the fight by unanimous decision.[12]
Schnell faced Naoki Inoue on June 23, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 132.[13] He won the fight via split decision.[14]
Schnell faced Louis Smolka in a bantamweight bout on March 9, 2019 at UFC Fight Night 146.[15] He won the fight via a triangle choke submission in the first round.[16]
As the first fight of his new, four-fight contract, Schnell faced Jordan Espinosa on August 3, 2019 at UFC on ESPN 5.[2][17] He won the fight via a triangle choke submission in the first round.[18] The win also earned Schnell his first Performance of the Night bonus award.[19]
Schnell faced Alexandre Pantoja on December 21, 2019 at UFC Fight Night 165.[20] He lost the fight via first-round knockout.[21]
Schnell was expected to face Tyson Nam on September 12, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 183.[22] However, Schnell was removed from the fight on the day of the event's weigh-in for health issues related to his weight cut. As a result, the fight was cancelled.[23] The bout with Nam was first rescheduled to UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal, on December 19, 2020, and then to UFC on ESPN: Chiesa vs. Magny, on January 20, 2021.[24] He won the bout by split decision.[25]
As the first fight of his new multi-fight contract, Schnell was scheduled to meet Alex Perez May 15, 2021 at UFC 262.[26][27] However, Perez pulled out of the fight for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Rogério Bontorin.[28] At the weigh ins, Bontorin weighed in at 137 pounds, 1 pound over the bantamweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Bontorin was fined 20% of his individual purse, which went to Schnell.[29] Schnell lost the bout via unanimous decision.[30]
The bout with Perez was rescheduled and was expected to take place on August 28, 2021 at UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Chikadze.[31] However, for undisclosed reason the bout was moved to UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Till.[32] However, the bout was yet again postponed for unknown reasons to UFC 269.[33] At the weigh-ins Alex Perez weighed in at 126.25 pounds, a quarter-pound over the flyweight non-title fight limit. Shortly after the weigh-ins, officials had announced that the bout had been cancelled due Schnell was forced to withdraw from the event due to a medical issue.[34] The pair was rescheduled to UFC 271 on February 12, 2022.[35] At weigh-ins, Perez came in at 128 pounds and did not attempt to try again, resulting in Matt Schnell refusing to take the catchweight bout and the bout being scrapped.[36]
Schnell faced Brandon Royval on May 7, 2022 at UFC 274.[37] He lost the back-and-forth fight via a guillotine choke submission in the first round.[38] The fight also won both men the Fight of the Night bonus award.[39]
Schnell faced Su Mudaerji on July 16, 2022 at UFC on ABC 3.[40] After getting hit and wobbled by multiple flush punches and elbow strikes, Schnell gained top position and came back to win the bout via technical submission with a triangle choke in the second round.[41] This win earned both fighters the Fight of the Night bonus award.[42]
Schnell faced Matheus Nicolau on December 3, 2022 at UFC on ESPN 42.[43] He lost the bout via knockout in the second round.[44]
Schnell was scheduled to face David Dvořák on June 10, 2023 at UFC 289.[45] However, Schnell pulled out due to injury and was replaced by Stephen Erceg.[46]
Schnell was scheduled to face Steve Erceg on November 11, 2023, at UFC 295.[47] However, Schnell withdrew from the bout due to unknown reasons and was replaced by Alessandro Costa.[48] He was rescheduled to face Erceg on March 2, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 238.[49] Schnell suffered his second consecutive knockout and lost the bout in the second round from a left-hook.[50]
Schnell was scheduled to face Alessandro Costa on September 7, 2024 at UFC Fight Night 242.[51] However, in under one week before the event, Costa withdrew from the bout due to a shoulder injury and was replaced by Cody Durden in a bantamweight bout.[52] Schnell lost the fight via a ninja choke submission in the second round.[53] Following the bout, Schnell left his gloves in the center of the octagon signaling his retirement from MMA.[6]
Personal life
editSchnell and his wife Morgan have a daughter (born 2020).[54]
Championships and accomplishments
edit- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Jordan Espinosa[55]
- Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Brandon Royval and Su Mudaerji[39][42]
- Second most triangle-choke submissions in UFC history (3) (behind Paul Craig)[56]
- Legacy Fighting Alliance
- Legacy FC Flyweight champion (one time; former)
Mixed martial arts record
edit26 matches | 16 wins | 9 losses |
By knockout | 2 | 5 |
By submission | 9 | 3 |
By decision | 4 | 1 |
By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
No contests | 1 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 16–9 (1) | Cody Durden | Submission (ninja choke) | UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Brady | September 7, 2024 | 2 | 0:29 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Bantamweight bout. |
Loss | 16–8 (1) | Steve Erceg | KO (punch) | UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gaziev | March 2, 2024 | 2 | 0:26 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Loss | 16–7 (1) | Matheus Nicolau | KO (punches) | UFC on ESPN: Thompson vs. Holland | December 3, 2022 | 2 | 1:44 | Orlando, Florida, United States | |
Win | 16–6 (1) | Su Mudaerji | Technical Submission (triangle choke) | UFC on ABC: Ortega vs. Rodríguez | July 16, 2022 | 2 | 4:24 | Elmont, New York, United States | Fight of the Night. |
Loss | 15–6 (1) | Brandon Royval | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC 274 | May 7, 2022 | 1 | 2:14 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Fight of the Night. |
NC | 15–5 (1) | Rogério Bontorin | NC (overturned) | UFC 262 | May 15, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | Bantamweight bout; Bontorin missed weight (137 lb). Originally a unanimous decision win for Bontorin; overturned after he tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide. |
Win | 15–5 | Tyson Nam | Decision (split) | UFC on ESPN: Chiesa vs. Magny | January 20, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
Loss | 14–5 | Alexandre Pantoja | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. The Korean Zombie | December 21, 2019 | 1 | 4:17 | Busan, South Korea | |
Win | 14–4 | Jordan Espinosa | Submission (triangle choke) | UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Lawler | August 3, 2019 | 1 | 1:23 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | Performance of the Night. |
Win | 13–4 | Louis Smolka | Submission (triangle choke) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos | March 9, 2019 | 1 | 3:18 | Wichita, Kansas, United States | Bantamweight bout. |
Win | 12–4 | Naoki Inoue | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards | June 23, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Kallang, Singapore | |
Win | 11–4 | Marco Beltrán | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 216 | October 7, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Loss | 10–4 | Hector Sandoval | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov | April 22, 2017 | 1 | 4:24 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | Return to Flyweight. |
Loss | 10–3 | Rob Font | KO (knee and punches) | The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions Finale | December 3, 2016 | 1 | 3:47 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Bantamweight debut. |
Win | 10–2 | Klayton Mai | Submission (armbar) | Legacy FC 52 | March 25, 2016 | 1 | 2:14 | Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States | Won the interim Legacy FC Flyweight Championship. |
Win | 9–2 | Jonathan Martinez | DQ (illegal knee) | Legacy FC 49 | December 4, 2015 | 2 | 2:21 | Bossier City, Louisiana, United States | |
Win | 8–2 | Vanderlei Carvalho Leite | KO (punches) | Legacy FC 42 | June 26, 2015 | 1 | 0:19 | Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States | |
Win | 7–2 | Albert Tapia | Submission (armbar) | Legacy FC: Legacy Kickboxing 2 | May 29, 2015 | 2 | 3:19 | Shreveport, Louisiana, United States | |
Win | 6–2 | Chris Myers | Submission (guillotine choke) | Caged Warrior Championship 6 | February 21, 2015 | 1 | 0:17 | Houma, Louisiana, United States | |
Win | 5–2 | Thomas Coleman | Submission (inverted triangle choke) | Summit FC 10 | November 22, 2014 | 1 | N/A | Tupelo, Mississippi, United States | |
Win | 4–2 | Latral Perdue | KO (punch) | GFA 27: The Stage | September 19, 2014 | 1 | N/A | Bossier City, Louisiana, United States | |
Loss | 3–2 | Klayton Mai | Submission (guillotine choke) | Legacy FC 32 | June 20, 2014 | 2 | 1:24 | Bossier City, Louisiana, United States | |
Win | 3–1 | Roger Reyes | Submission (guillotine choke) | WFC 17: Battle at the Belle | January 25, 2014 | 1 | 1:26 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States | |
Loss | 2–1 | Elias Garcia | Decision (majority) | Legacy FC 20 | May 31, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Corpus Christi, Texas, United States | |
Win | 2–0 | Marcus Dupar | Submission (armbar) | Legacy FC 15 | November 16, 2012 | 1 | 1:06 | Houston, Texas, United States, | |
Win | 1–0 | Ryan Hollis | Decision (split) | Legacy FC 14 | September 14, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States, | Flyweight debut. |
Mixed martial arts exhibition record
editExhibition record breakdown | ||
2 matches | 1 win | 1 loss |
By submission | 1 | 1 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1–1 | Tim Elliott | Submission (guillotine choke) | The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions | November 16, 2016 | 1 | 3:26 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | TUF 24 Quarter-final round |
Win | 1–0 | Matt Rizzo | Submission (triangle choke) | October 5, 2016 | 2 | 2:04 | TUF 24 Round of 16 |
*Date given is the air date of the episode. The actual dates of the fight are not released by the UFC
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Matt Schnell MMA Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ^ a b Shane Connelly (August 1, 2019). "Matt Schnell is fighting for respect at UFC Newark". thebodylockmma.com.
- ^ John Hyon Ko (July 17, 2019). "Interview: Matt Schnell (UFC Flyweight)" (Podcast).
- ^ Farah Hannoun (November 23, 2019). "Matt Schnell on UFC Busan fight vs. Alexandre Pantoja: 'I either spark this kid, or it's 'Fight of the Night'". MMAjunkie.com.
- ^ a b "Matt Schnell | UFC". UFC.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Mike Bohn and MMA Junkie Staff (2024-09-07). "2024 MMA retirement tracker: A list of those who hung up the gloves". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ^ III, Roy Lang. "Former Shreve student's UFC dreams begin Wednesday". The Times. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
- ^ Joseph Benavidez e Henry Cejudo são escolhidos para servir como treinadores no 'The Ultimate Fighter 24'
- ^ Mike Sloan (16 November 2016). "'TUF 24' Recap: Episode 10". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- ^ Fowlkes, Ben (3 December 2016). "TUF 24 Finale results: Rob Font wastes Matt Schnell with front kick, knee, ground-and-pound". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ Marrocco, Steven (22 April 2017). "UFC Fight Night 108 results: Risky Hector Sandoval finishes Matt Schnell with hammerfists". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ "UFC 216 results: Matt Schnell outworks Marco Beltran for decision and much-needed win". MMAjunkie. 2017-10-08. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Ovince St. Preux vs. Tyson Pedro, Two Other Bouts Booked for UFC Fight Night 132 in Singapore". Sherdog. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night 132 results: Matt Schnell counters his way to split over Naoki Inoue". MMAjunkie. 2018-06-23. Retrieved 2018-06-23.
- ^ DNA, MMA (2 February 2019). "Louis Smolka vs. Matt Schnell toegevoegd aan UFC Wichita". Retrieved 2019-02-02.
- ^ Hiergesell, Dan (2019-03-09). "Highlights! Smolka Gets Choked Out By 'Danger' At UFC Wichita". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2019-03-10.
- ^ Cole Shelton (2019-06-13). "Matt Schnell vs. Jordan Espinosa slated for UFC on ESPN 5". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
- ^ Fortune, Ryan (2019-08-03). "UFC Newark Results: Matt Schnell Triangles Jordan Espinosa in First Round". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
- ^ "UFC Newark bonus winners: Nasrat Haqparast's vicious KO leads $50K winners". mmamania.com. 2019-08-03. Retrieved 2019-08-03.
- ^ Shelton, Cole (2019-09-04). "Alexandre Pantoja vs. Matt Schnell set for UFC Fight Night 165 in South Korea". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
- ^ admincsp (2019-12-21). "UFC Busan Results: Alexandre Pantoja Knocks Out Matt Schnell In First". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
- ^ Farah Hannoun (2020-07-03). "Matt Schnell vs. Tyson Nam joins UFC's September 12 lineup". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- ^ Staff (2020-09-11). "Weight-cutting issues scrap Tyson Nam from Matt Schnell fight at UFC on ESPN 35". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- ^ Nolan King (2020-10-25). "UFC books Matt Schnell vs. Tyson Nam for Dec. 19 event in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-10-25.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ Jay Anderson (2021-01-20). "UFC Fight Island 8 Results: Matt Schnell Turns Up the Volume Against Tyson Nam". cagesidepress. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
- ^ DNA, MMA (2021-02-21). "BREAKING: Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell toegevoegd aan UFC evenement op 15 mei". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
- ^ Farah Hannoun (April 29, 2021). Matt Schnell previews UFC 262 fight, says he wants Alex Perez rebooked. MMAjunkie.com – via YouTube.
- ^ "With Alex Perez out, Rogerio Bontorin targeted to fight Matt Schnell at UFC 262". MMA Junkie. 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
- ^ Alexander K. Lee (2021-05-14). "UFC 262 weigh-in results: Michael Chandler, Charles Oliveira on point for vacant lightweight championship main event". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (2021-05-15). "UFC 262 Results: Rogerio Bontorin Gets Past Matt Schnell With Late Surge". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
- ^ Dorff, Marcel (2021-07-08). "Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell wederom geboekt, ditmaal voor UFC evenement op 28 augustus". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
- ^ ATSteveDuncan (2021-08-07). "Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell reprogramado para UFC Fight Night del 4 de septiembre". MMA.uno, #1 En noticias de Artes Marciales Mixtas (MMA) en Español. (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-08-07.
- ^ King, Kristen (2021-09-20). "Fights on Tap: Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo 3 among 15 UFC bouts announced". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- ^ Alexander K. Lee (2021-12-10). "UFC 269 weigh-in results: Charles Oliveira, Amanda Nunes, challengers on weight for title fights, one bout cancelled". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell Rescheduled for UFC 271 in Houston". Sherdog. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
- ^ "Matt Schnell explains difficult decision to turn down fight after opponent missed weight at UFC 271". MMA Junkie. 2022-02-11. Retrieved 2022-02-11.
- ^ Martin, Damon (2022-02-24). "Brandon Royval vs. Matt Schnell added to UFC 274". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ Behunin, Alex (2022-05-07). "UFC 274: Brandon Royval Taps Matt Schnell In A Wild Two Minute Scrap". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
- ^ a b Anderson, Jay (2022-05-08). "UFC 274: Chandler, Fialho Earn Performance of the Night Bonuses". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (2022-06-01). "UFC Long Island Set to Air on ABC, Multiple Fights Announced for July 16 Event". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-06-02.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (2022-07-16). "UFC Long Island: Matt Schnell Secures Brilliant Comeback Win Over Su Mudaerji". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
- ^ a b Kristen King (2022-07-16). "UFC Long Island post-fight bonuses: Matt Schnell's all-time comeback nets him $50,000". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Farah Hannoun and Nolan King (2022-08-04). "UFC adds Matt Schnell vs. Matheus Nicolau to Dec. 3 lineup". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (4 December 2022). "UFC Orlando: Matheus Nicolau Scores Multiple Knockdowns, Finishes Matt Schnell". Cageside Press. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "UFC 289 Update: Matt Schnell vs. David Dvorak Joins June 10 Lineup". Sherdog. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
- ^ Vipin Raghuwanshi (2023-05-31). "Stephen Erceg debut now set for UFC 289 vs David Dvorak after Schnell pulls out". itnwwe.com. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Derek Brunson vs. Roman Dolidze, Matt Schnell vs. Steve Erceg Confirmed for UFC 295". Sherdog. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ Desk, ITN News (2023-10-28). "UFC 295: Matt Schnell Out, Alessandro Costa Faces Steve Erceg". www.itnwwe.com. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
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has generic name (help) - ^ Sherdog.com. "Steve Erceg, Matt Schnell Rebooked for UFC Fight Night 238 on March 2". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
- ^ Jay Anderson (2024-03-02). "UFC Vegas 87: Flyweight Steve Erceg Scores One-Punch KO Of Matt Schnell". casesidepress.com. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
- ^ Bryson Hester (2024-06-30). "Top 10 UFC Flyweights Jessica Andrade, Natalia Silva to Fight on Sept. 7". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
- ^ Damon Martin (2024-09-03). "Alessandro Costa off of UFC Vegas 97, Matt Schnell now faces Cody Durden". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
- ^ Eddie Law (2024-09-07). "Cody Durden Brawls, Catches Anaconda Choke For Win". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ^ Zac Pacleb (January 18, 2021). "Matt Schnell Is Focused On Wins, Not Statements". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- ^ Lee, Alexander (2019-08-03). "UFC on ESPN 5 bonuses: Antonina Shevchenko, Lucie Pudilova snag Fight of the Night". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2019-08-03.
- ^ Mike Bohn (2024-09-03). "UFC Fight Night 242 pre-event facts: Ovince Saint Preux can inch closer to Jon Jones' records". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Matt". Sherdog. Retrieved 2019-12-22.