Tristan Connelly | |
Other Names: | Boondock |
Birth Name: | Tristan Connelly[1] |
Birth Date: | 12 December 1985 |
Birth Place: | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
Residence: | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Nationality: | Canadian |
Weight Lb: | 145 |
Weight Class: | Featherweight (2011, 2015, 2021–present) Lightweight (2010–2011, 2012–2019) Welterweight (2019) Middleweight (2013) |
Reach In: | 68 |
Stance: | Orthodox |
Fighting Out Of: | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Team: | Checkmat Vancouver |
Rank: | Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
Years Active: | 2010–present |
Mma Kowin: | 4 |
Mma Subwin: | 9 |
Mma Decwin: | 1 |
Mma Koloss: | 1 |
Mma Subloss: | 1 |
Mma Decloss: | 7 |
Sherdog: | 61364 |
Tristan Connelly (born December 12, 1985) is a Canadian mixed martial arts fighter who formerly competed in the featherweight division of the UFC[2] and had previously won the Cage Sports Lightweight Championship,[3] Unified MMA Lightweight Championship,[4] as well as the Rise FC Lightweight Championship.[5]
Born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Connelly began competing in mixed martial arts in 2010.[6] He holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Adam Ryan. Connelly runs a gym, called Pinnacle Combat Academy, in suburban Richmond.[7]
Connelly spent much of his childhood skateboarding and playing hockey, which he credits with preparing him to take hard hits. After taking a BJJ class, Connelly fell in love with the sport and the wider world of mixed martial arts.[8]
Connelly competed in smaller promotions, earning himself a record of 13–6. During that span, he managed to capture lightweight championships in three different promotions: Rise FC, CageSport, Unified MMA.[9]
Replacing Sergey Khandozhko on 5 days notice, Connelly made his promotional debut on September 14, 2019, against Michel Pereira at UFC Fight Night 158.[10] At the weigh-ins, Pereira missed weight by a pound and forfeited 20 percent of his purse to Connelly.[11] Despite a flashy start from Pereira he quickly gassed allowing Connelly to dominate the remainder of the fight and winning via unanimous decision.[12] The bout was awarded a Fight of the Night bonus, but due to Pereira's weight miss, his bonus was forfeited to Connelly.[13]
Connelly was scheduled to make his sophomore appearance in the organization against Alex da Silva Coelho on April 11, 2020, at .[14] However, the event was initially rescheduled and eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the bout was scrapped.[15]
Connelly spent the next year on the sidelines recovering from a disc injury in his neck that he acquired in a car crash in 2019 before his UFC debut.[16]
In his sophomore appearance in the UFC, Connelly faced Pat Sabatini at UFC 261 on April 24, 2021.[17] He lost the fight via unanimous decision after being knocked down early in the fight.[18]
Connelly was then scheduled to face Makwan Amirkhani on October 30, 2021 at UFC 267.[19] However, Connelly withdrew in early September due to a neck injury and was replaced by Lerone Murphy.[20] [21]
Connelly faced Darren Elkins on April 30, 2022 at .[22] He lost the bout via unanimous decision.[23]
On June 9, 2022 it was announced that Connelly was released from the UFC.[24]
Connelly faced Xavier Nash on October 12, 2022 at BFL 74. He lost the bout via unanimous decision.[25]
|-|Loss|align=center|14–9|Xavier Nash|Decision (unanimous)|BFL 74||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Vancouver, Canada||-|Loss|align=center|14–8|Darren Elkins|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Las Vegas, Nevada, United States||-|Loss|align=center|14–7|Pat Sabatini|Decision (unanimous)|UFC 261||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Jacksonville, Florida, United States||-|Win|align=center|14–6|Michel Pereira|Decision (unanimous)|||align=center|3|align=center|5:00|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada| |-| Win| align=center|13–6| D'Juan Owens| TKO (punches)| Rise FC 4| | align=center|5| align=center|1:56| Victoria, British Columbia, Canada| |-| Win| align=center|12–6| Zach Juusola| Submission (guillotine)| Final Fight Championship 36| | align=center|1| align=center|2:46| Las Vegas, Nevada, United States| |-| Win| align=center|11–6| Tyrone Henderson| TKO (retirement)| CageSport 54| | align=center|1| align=center|5:00| Tacoma, Washington, United States| |-| Win| align=center| 10–6| Joey Pierotti| Submission (armbar)| CageSport 50| | align=center| 4| align=center| 1:06| Tacoma, Washington, United States| |-| Loss| align=center| 9–6| Shane Campbell| Submission (kneebar)| Unified MMA 31 | | align=center| 3| align=center| 4:54| Edmonton, Alberta, Canada||-| Win| align=center|9–5| Lenny Wheeler| Submission (rear naked choke)| Elite 1 MMA| | align=center| 3| align=center| 3:47| Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada||-| Win| align=center| 8–5| Garret Nybakken| Submission (rear naked choke)| Unified MMA 30| | align=center| 3| align=center| 2:47| Edmonton, Alberta, Canada| |-| Win| align=center| 7–5| Adam Assenza| Submission (rear naked choke)| Fight Night 2| | align=center| 2| align=center| 1:11| Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada||-| Win| align=center| 6–5| Ash Mashreghi| TKO (punches)| BFL 45 Ascension| | align=center| 1| align=center| 1:24| Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada| |-| Loss| align=center| 5–5| Mario Pereira| Decision (unanimous)| BFL 39: Halloween Hell| | align=center| 3| align=center| 5:00| Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada| |-| Win| align=center| 5–4| Shawn Albrecht| TKO (punches)| BFL 37: Gladiator| | align=center| 1| align=center| 4:21| Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada| |-| Win| align=center| 4–4| Jonathan Dubois| Submission (rear naked choke)| AFC 18: Mayhem| | align=center| 1| align=center| 2:48| Victoria, British Columbia, Canada| |-| Loss| align=center| 3–4| Myles Merola| Decision (unanimous)| AFC 13: Natural Selection| | align=center| 3| align=center| 5:00| Victoria, British Columbia, Canada| |-| Win| align=center| 3–3| Corey Houston| Submission (rear naked choke)| AFC 11: Takeover| | align=center| 1| align=center| 4:47| Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada| |-| Loss| align=center| 2–3| Matt Trudeau| TKO (shoulder injury)| Armageddon FC 7| | align=center| 1| align=center| 5:00| Colwood, British Columbia, Canada| |-| Win| align=center| 2–2| Upneet Rai| Submission (rear naked choke)| Armageddon FC 6| | align=center| 1| align=center| 2:30| Colwood, British Columbia, Canada| |-| Loss| align=center| 1–2| Dan Ring| Decision (unanimous)| Armageddon FC 4| | align=center| 3| align=center| 5:00| Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada| |-| Loss| align=center| 1–1| Takahiro Kajita| Decision (unanimous)| Deep: Cage Impact in Nagoya| | align=center| 2| align=center| 5:00| Nagoya, Japan| |-| Win| align=center| 1-0| Jimmy Phan| Submission (rear naked choke)| Armageddon FC| | align=center| 1| align=center| 2:26| Colwood, British Columbia, Canada|