Michael Wade Wessel (born December 2, 1977 in Celina, Ohio) is an American mixed martial arts fighter. Wessel was signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championships promotion, fighting in their heavyweight division.
Biography[]
He was born and raised in Celina, Ohio and attended Celina High School. While there, he was a football player, playing the defensive tackle position. After graduating high school he enrolled in the University of St. Francis in Indiana, where he played nose tackle while obtaining a dual degree in special education and chemistry. He later got a job playing football for a team in the Arena Football League. Wessel was a former strength & conditioning coach for the University of Arkansas football program & Coldwater High School before jumping into the world of MMA.
Ultimate Fighting Championships[]
He made his UFC debut against Antoni Hardonk at UFC 92. He accepted the fight on a week notice after Hardonk's original opponent dropped out due to injury. UFC's Dana White offered the fight to Wessel and he quickly accepted, signing a four-fight deal. In the first round of the fight, Wessel controlled the veteran Hardonk but lost in the second round after tiring from only having a few days to train.
The Ultimate Fighter[]
After losing to Hardonk in his UFC debut, Wessel took a spot on the Spike TV reality show, The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights. He was the last pick for Team Rashad Evans. Wessel had his first fight on the show against Marcus Jones, losing via first round submission armbar.
Wessel was not given a chance to fight on the finale card. After losing to Jones, Wessel was released from his contract.
MMA Career[]
Wessel's first fight after his stint on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, was against another Ultimate Fighter alumni, Dan Christison. Wessel lost the fight via submission kimura.
Mixed martial arts record[]
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 13 | 6 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 3 | 1 |
| By submission | 1 | 1 |
| By decision | 2 | 0 |
| Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss |  Dan Christison
|
Submission (Kimura) | CFC 4: Wessel vs. Christison | February 26, 2010 | 3 | 3:56 |  Winnipeg, Manitoba
| |
| Loss |  Antoni Hardonk
|
TKO (Strikes) | UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 | December 27, 2008 | 2 | 2:09 | Las Vegas, Nevada
| |
| Win | Aaron Winterlee
|
Submission | Subzero Fighting | August 2, 2008 | 1 | 1:59 | Little Rock, Arkansas
| |
| Win | Rudy Lindsey
|
Decision | Extreme Fighting League | May 17, 2008 | 2 | 5:00 | Oklahoma
| |
| Win | Patrick Castillo
|
Decision (Split) | Art of War: GIs vs Pros | April 19, 2008 | 3 | N/A | Tunica, Mississippi
| |
| Win | Mark Bier
|
TKO | Ring Rulers | March 8, 2008 | 1 | 0:45 | Shreveport, Louisiana
| |
| Win | Matt Thomas
|
TKO | Subzero Fighting | January 12, 2008 | 1 | N/A |
| |
| Win | Matt Thomas
|
KO | Art of War 4 | October 27, 2007 | 1 | 2:42 | Tunica, Mississippi
|
References[]
External links[]
Template:The Ultimate Fighter 10