Dan Hornbuckle facts for kids

Dan Hornbuckle (born December 26, 1980) is an American former mixed martial artist. He is also a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Dan started his professional fighting career in 2006. He competed in major organizations like Bellator, Legacy FC, and DEEP.

Early Life and Training

Dan Hornbuckle was born in Mahomet, Illinois. He went to Centennial High School. There, he played wrestling and football. Growing up, Dan sometimes faced challenges because he is Native American. He began training in mixed martial arts when he was 24 years old.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

When Dan first started fighting, he weighed about 215 pounds. He earned his nickname, "The Handler," because he was very strong and tough. He often won his fights by overpowering his opponents. Early in his career, Dan had an amazing record of 19 wins and only 2 losses. He had big knockout wins against famous fighters like Akihiro Gono and Nick Thompson. These wins made him well-known around the world in 2009.

Fighting in Bellator

In December 2009, Dan signed a contract with Bellator. He joined their Welterweight tournament. At Bellator 15, he won his first fight by using a triangle choke in the first round. This moved him to the semifinals. At Bellator 19, he won again by using a submission move called a kimura. This win was even considered one of the best submissions of 2010!

In the tournament finals, Dan fought Ben Askren, who was an Olympic wrestler. The fight happened at Bellator 22. Ben Askren won the fight by a unanimous decision. This means all the judges agreed he won. Ben was very good at keeping Dan on the ground, which made it hard for Dan to fight his usual way.

Dan returned to Bellator at Bellator 25 in August 2010. He fought Brad Blackburn, a former UFC fighter. Dan won this fight by unanimous decision. It was mostly a kickboxing match. Even though Dan was knocked down in the first round, he came back strong and won the next two rounds.

Dan then joined Bellator's Season Four Welterweight Tournament. He lost his first fight against Brent Weedman at Bellator 35. It was a very close fight, and some people in the crowd disagreed with the judges' decision. Later, he was supposed to fight Lyman Good, but Lyman got injured. Dan then entered the Bellator Season Five Welterweight Tournament. He fought Luis Santos at Bellator 49 and lost by unanimous decision. After two losses in a row, Dan left Bellator.

Later Career and Championships

More than a year later, Dan returned to fighting. He fought Pete Spratt at Legacy FC 17 in February 2013 and won. Then, he challenged Yuya Shirai for the DEEP Welterweight Championship. This fight was in Japan in April 2013. Dan won the fight and became the DEEP Welterweight Champion!

After that, Dan had a few tough fights. He lost his DEEP Welterweight Championship to Ryo Chonan in October 2013. He continued to fight until 2014, then took a break. Dan returned to fighting in 2019 and 2023, winning both of those comeback fights.

Personal Life

Besides being a professional mixed martial artist, Dan Hornbuckle also works. He installs fire suppression systems. Dan is married and has three daughters. He also opened his own martial arts academy called American Top Team WarHawks in Mahomet, Illinois.

Championships and Accomplishments

• Bellator MMA
  • Bellator Season Two Welterweight Tournament Runner Up (This means he made it to the finals but didn't win the tournament.)
• DEEP
  • DEEP Welterweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record summary

Dan Hornbuckle has a professional mixed martial arts record of 26 wins and 9 losses.

• He won 11 fights by knockout (KO).
• He won 11 fights by submission (making his opponent give up).
• He won 4 fights by decision (when judges decide the winner).
• He lost 3 fights by submission.
• He lost 6 fights by decision.