Devin Clark (fighter)

Devin Terrell Clark (born April 12, 1990)[6] is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2010, he was signed by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) after Dana White scouted him on the "Dana White: Looking for a Fight - Season 1 Episode 6" UFC web series.[7]

Devin Clark
BornDevin Terrell Clark
(1990-04-12) April 12, 1990 [1]
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
Other namesBrown Bear[2]
ResidenceSioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
NationalityAmerican
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight206 lb (93 kg; 14.7 st)
DivisionLight heavyweight[1]
Middleweight[3]
Reach75 in (191 cm)
Fighting out ofSioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
TeamNext Edge Academy of Martial Arts[1]
Jackson-Wink MMA [3]
TrainerBruce Hoyer [4]
WrestlingNJCAA Wrestling[5]
Years active2010–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total17
Wins12
By knockout3
By submission1
By decision8
Losses5
By knockout2
By submission3
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Background

Clark was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1990. He started boxing as a child and began competing in wrestling in high school. He started coming into his own as a junior in high school, where in the State Finals match, he lost to former UFC athlete David Michaud. The following year, his senior year, he became the South Dakota State Champion at 189 lbs.[8] Clark attended Rochester Community and Technical College where he was a two-time NJCAA All-American at the 184-pounds division for the Yellowjackets. He won the National Championship in 2009, and placed 4th in 2010.[9] He wasn't ready to stop competing as a martial artist, so Clark started MMA training at his local gym, Team Nak Suk, and later moved to Next Edge Academy under the tutelage of BJJ black-belt Bruce Hoyer. He quickly moved up and competed in the RFA, otherwise known as Reliance Fighting. He was a high school state wrestling champion, Junior College National wrestling champion, and an amateur boxer.[10][11]

MMA career

2013

Clark started his professional MMA career on August 24, 2013 and made his debut in Knockout Events: Battle at the Chip. He had his first win over Jeremy Spelts via TKO (punches) on round one.[12]

2014

One year later, after his first professional win, he made a move to compete in Resurrection Fighting Alliance 17 on August 22, 2014. He faced Aaron Brown and secured a win via TKO (punches) on round two.[13]

2015

On February 7, 2015, Clark joined Total Fight Challenge promotion for his third fight and faced William Vincent. He secured a win via submission (rear-naked choke).[14]

Clark returned to Resurrection Fighting Alliance promotion (RFA). He faced Jaquis William on RFA 25 on April 10, 2015, outworked William and won the fight via unanimous decision.[15]

Clark faced Dervin Lopez on RFA 29: USA vs Brazil on August 21, 2015. He was victorious with judges scored a unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) in favour of him.[16]

2016

On April 15, 2016 Dana White, Matt Serra and Robbie Lawler attended Resurrection Fighting Alliance 39 event at Sioux Falls, South Dakota for "Dana White Looking For a Fighter", a UFC web series program,[7] where Clark faced Rafael Viana for the Light heavyweight Championship. The fight was scheduled for 5 rounds and after the second round, Viana suffered a broken hand which kept him from continuing in the fight. Clark was declared the new champion. White was impressed with Clark's performance on the night and with his MMA record of 6-0-0, White signed him up into the UFC roster.[17][18][19]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Clark made his UFC promotion debut on July 13, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 91. He prepared his UFC debut camp at Jackson-Wink MMA Academy training with Jon Jones as his training partner for a month.[20] He dropped to middleweight to face Alex Nicholson, and suffered his first lost on his MMA career lost via KO (punch) on round one.[21]

Clark moved back to light heavyweight division and faced Josh Stansbury on The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale on short notice, December 3, 2016 for the TUF 24 Final against Josh Stansbury. With his father's voice booming out encouragement throughout the small venue, Devin Clark simply outworked Josh Stansbury in a three-round battle.

On the strength of his takedowns and power punching, Clark (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) downed a somewhat tentative Stansbury (8-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) to nab the unanimous decision victory over him. He avoided the guillotine chokes on early rounds and planted Stansbury on his back and with aggressive striking throughout all three rounds. The move to light heavyweight proved to be successful.[22][23]

2017

Clark next faced Jake Collier on April 15, 2017, at UFC on Fox 24.[24] Clark out pointed Collier by battering him on full mount and achieving multiple takedowns, and Clark cruised through with a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-26).[25] In post fight interviews, Clark admitted that he was disappointed in his performance as he stated he missed opportunities to finish the fight.[26]

Clark faced Jan Błachowicz on October 21, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 118.[27] He lost the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the second round.[28]

2018

Clark faced Mike Rodríguez on April 7, 2018 at UFC 223.[29] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[30]

Clark faced Aleksandar Rakić on December 8, 2018 at UFC 231.[31] He lost the fight via TKO in the first round.[32]

2019

Clark was expected to face Abdul-Kerim Edilov on April 20, 2019 at UFC Fight Night 149.[33] However, Edilov's removal from the card for undisclosed reasons was announced on 25 March and he was replaced by Ivan Shtyrkov.[34] However, on April 20, 2019 it was reported that the bout was cancelled after Shtyrkov was hospitalized.[35]

Soon after the previous fight was cancelled, it was announced that Clark would face Darko Stošić at UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith on June 1, 2019.[36] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[37]

Clark faced Ryan Spann on October 12, 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 19.[38] He lost the fight via submission in round two.[39]

2020

Clark was scheduled to face Gadzhimurad Antigulov on February 15, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 167.[40] However, Antigulov was pulled from the event for undisclosed reason and he was replaced by Dequan Townsend.[41] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[42]

Clark was scheduled to face Alonzo Menifield on May 2, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Weidman.[43] However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed[44] and the bout took place on June 6, 2020 at UFC 250.[45] Clark won the bout via unanimous decision.[46]

Clark was briefly linked to a bout against Shamil Gamzatov on November 28, 2020 at UFC on ESPN: Smith vs. Clark.[47] However, Gamzatov was removed from the bout in mid-October due to alleged visa issues. Clark faced Anthony Smith on the card as the main event after Curtis Blaydes had to pull out due to a positive COVID test.[48] He lost the fight via a triangle choke submission in the first round.[49]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Personal

When Clark was in high school at Lincoln, his two best friends gave him the moniker "Brown Bear", citing his dual personal characteristics - He has bear-like wrestling, and has a pleasant, thoughtful demeanor in everyday life.[11] Clark is active in helping numerous non profit agencies in his community. He is especially involved in advocating for those that have Down syndrome and was recently appointed to the National Board of Garrett's Fight.[50]

While training for his bout at UFC on Fox 24, Clark gained notice for advocating for Down syndrome awareness.[51] Clark is very vocal in support of Down Syndrome Awareness and Advocacy, and the campaign to save the unborn Down Syndrome child from abortion.[52][53][54]

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
17 matches 12 wins 5 losses
By knockout 3 2
By submission 1 3
By decision 8 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 12–5 Anthony Smith Submission (triangle choke) UFC on ESPN: Smith vs. Clark November 28, 2020 1 2:34 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 12–4 Alonzo Menifield Decision (unanimous) UFC 250 June 6, 2020 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 11–4 Dequan Townsend Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Anderson vs. Błachowicz 2 February 15, 2020 3 5:00 Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States
Loss 10–4 Ryan Spann Submission (guillotine choke) UFC Fight Night: Joanna vs. Waterson October 12, 2019 2 2:01 Tampa, Florida, United States
Win 10–3 Darko Stošić Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith June 1, 2019 3 5:00 Stockholm, Sweden
Loss 9–3 Aleksandar Rakić TKO (punches) UFC 231 December 8, 2018 1 4:05 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Win 9–2 Mike Rodríguez Decision (unanimous) UFC 223 April 7, 2018 3 5:00 Brooklyn, New York, United States
Loss 8–2 Jan Błachowicz Submission (standing rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Cerrone vs. Till October 21, 2017 2 3:02 Gdańsk, Poland
Win 8–1 Jake Collier Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis April 15, 2017 3 5:00 Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Win 7–1 Josh Stansbury Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions Finale December 3, 2016 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Return to Light Heavyweight.
Loss 6–1 Alex Nicholson KO (punch) UFC Fight Night: McDonald vs. Lineker July 13, 2016 1 4:57 Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States Middleweight debut.
Win 6–0 Rafael Viana TKO (hand injury) RFA 37 April 15, 2016 2 5:00 Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States Won the RFA Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win 5–0 Dervin Lopez Decision (unanimous) RFA 29 August 21, 2015 3 5:00 Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
Win 4–0 Jaquis Williams Decision (unanimous) RFA 25 April 10, 2015 3 5:00 Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
Win 3–0 William Vincent Submission (rear-naked choke) Total Fight Challenge February 7, 2015 1 4:29 Willow Springs, Illinois, United States
Win 2–0 Aaron Brown TKO (punches) RFA 17 August 22, 2014 2 4:02 Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
Win 1–0 Jeremy Spelts TKO (punches) Knockout Events: Battle at the Chip August 4, 2013 1 1:12 Sturgis, South Dakota, South Dakota

[55]

See also

References
  1. "Devin Clark ("Brown Bear") | MMA Fighter Page | Tapology". Tapology. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  2. "Devin Clark". UFC. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  3. Sherdog.com. "Devin". Sherdog. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  4. "Good night for S.D. fighters at RFA 29". The Advertiser. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  5. "Clark's path to MMA title fight has roots in childhood". ArgusLeader. 2016-04-16. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  6. Mixed martial arts show results Date: June 6, 2020
  7. UFC - Ultimate Fighting Championship (2016-06-28), Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight – Season 1 Ep.6, retrieved 2017-05-26
  8. "Clark's path to MMA title fight has roots in childhood".
  9. NJCAA Wrestling Championship Preview (2010, February 18). Retrieved April 10, 2017, from
  10. "UFC gets new 185er for Sioux Falls show". Bloody Elbow. 2016-04-26. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  11. "Clark's path to MMA title fight has roots in childhood". Argus Leader. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  12. "Knockout Events: Battle At The Chip MMA Event Results". The Underground. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  13. "Resurrection Fighting Alliance 17 MMA Event Results". The Underground. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  14. "Total Fight Challenge 02/07/15 MMA Event Results". The Underground. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  15. "Resurrection Fighting Alliance 25 MMA Event Results". The Underground. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  16. "Resurrection Fighting Alliance 29 (RFA 29 USA vs Brazil) MMA Event Results". The Underground. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  17. Becker, Dana. "Resurrection Fighting Alliance 37: Viana Vs. Clark Results & Recap". The MMA Corner. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  18. "Resurrection Fighting Alliance 37 (RFA 37) MMA Event Results". The Underground. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  19. Zane Simon (2016-04-26). "Welcome to the UFC, Devin Clark". bloodyelbow. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  20. MMAjunkie (2016-07-11), Devin Clark says training with Jon Jones has him ready for octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 91, retrieved 2017-05-26
  21. "UFC Fight Night 91 Results: McDonald vs. Lineker". MMA Fighting. 2016-07-13. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  22. "Josh Stansbury vs Devin Clark TUF 24 Finale Full Fight MMA Video". MMA-Core. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  23. "TUF 24 Finale Results: Devin Clark defeats Josh Stansbury | BJPenn.com". | BJPenn.com. 2016-12-03. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  24. Staff (2017-02-11). "UFC heads to Kansas City for first time for UFC on FOX 24". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
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  32. Hiergesell, Dan (2018-12-08). "Highlights! Rakic Finishes Clark Via Back Fist At UFC 231". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2018-12-09.
  33. Marcel Dorff (2019-03-05). "Abdul-Kerim Edilov returns against Devin Clark during UFC St. Petersburg" (in Dutch). mmadnanl.com. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  34. DNA, MMA. "EXCLUSIEF: "Ural Hulk" pakt short notice partij tegen Devin Clark tijdens UFC St.Petersburg". Retrieved 2019-03-26.
  35. Marc Raimondi (2019-04-20). "Devin Clark vs. Ivan Shtyrkov off UFC St. Petersburg card". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2019-04-20.
  36. "Devin Clark says he's fighting Darko Stosic at UFC Stockholm". mmajunkie.com. April 24, 2019.
  37. Shillan, Keith (2019-06-01). "UFC Stockholm Results: Journey Overseas Worth It for Devin Clark, Who Earns Decision Win". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  38. "Light heavyweights Ryan Spann, Devin Clark meet at UFC on ESPN+ 19". MMA Junkie. 2019-08-06. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
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  40. DNA, MMA. "Chiasson vs. Montaño & Clark vs. Antigulov toegevoegd aan UFC Rio Rancho". Retrieved 2019-12-03.
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  42. Evanoff, Josh (2020-02-15). "UFC Rio Rancho Results: Devin Clark Outwrestles Dequan Townsend". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  43. DNA, MMA. "UFC voegt Alonzo Menifield vs Devin Clark toe aan UFC Fight Night: Oklahoma City". Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  44. Brett Okamoto (2020-04-09). "Dana White says UFC 249 will not happen April 18". espn.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  45. DNA, MMA. "Alonzo Menifield vs. Devin Clark ditmaal ingepland voor UFC 250 op 6 juni". Retrieved 2020-05-09.
  46. Bryan Tucker (June 6, 2020). "UFC 250 Results: Nunes vs. Spencer". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  47. DNA, MMA (2020-10-13). "Devin Clark vs. Shamil Gamzatov toegevoegd aan UFC evenement op 28 november". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2020-10-13.
  48. Nolan King and Mike Bohn (2020-10-15). "Devin Clark vs. Anthony Smith added to UFC's Nov. 28 event in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
  49. McClory, Mike (2020-11-28). "UFC Vegas 15 Results: Anthony Smith Rights Ship with Triangle Choke Win". cagesidepress. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  50. ago, Ryan Thomas1 week (2017-05-25). "UFC's Devin Clark: Kinder than your average bear". Cage Pages. Retrieved 2017-06-08.
  51. Ryan Thomas (2017-05-25). "UFC's Devin Clark: Kinder than your average bear". cagepages.com. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  52. James Lynch (2017-10-07), UFN 118's Devin Clark talks Jan Błachowicz, fighting Gokhan Saki & #SavingDownSyndrome, retrieved 2017-10-09
  53. "What We Fight For". Devin "Brown Bear" Clark. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  54. "UFC's Devin Clark: Kinder than your average bear". Cage Pages. 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
  55. Sherdog.com. "Devin". Sherdog. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
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