David Michaud facts for kids

David Michaud, born on November 10, 1988, is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is known for competing in the Welterweight division. David has fought in big leagues like the Professional Fighters League, Legacy Fighting Alliance, the UFC, and Titan FC.

Early Life and Sports

David Michaud is an Oglala Lakota Native American. He grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. David was a talented athlete in high school. He played football, baseball, and was a great wrestler.

High School Achievements

In high school, David earned special honors in football. He was also chosen for the All-Conference team in baseball. In wrestling, he was a state champion in his senior year, finishing first at 189 pounds. He also placed second as a sophomore. Overall, his high school wrestling record was 91 wins and only 19 losses. In his senior year, he had an amazing record of 15 wins and 1 loss.

David was also very smart in school. He was the top student, or valedictorian, of his graduating class. He had a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

College and Wrestling

David first went to South Dakota State University to play football. However, he soon decided to focus on wrestling instead. He was also a standout student in college.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

David Michaud started his mixed martial arts (MMA) journey at a young age.

Amateur Fights

David began his amateur MMA career at just 15 years old. He fought in different weight classes, like Light Heavyweight and Middleweight. He won championships in both divisions. His amateur record was 4 wins and 1 loss.

Starting as a Professional

In 2009, David became a professional MMA fighter. He started competing as a Welterweight in local events in The Dakotas. He quickly built a strong record of 4 wins and no losses. This led him to try out for a famous TV show called The Ultimate Fighter in 2012.

The Ultimate Fighter Journey

David Michaud appeared on the first episode of The Ultimate Fighter 16. This show gives fighters a chance to join the UFC. In his entry fight, David lost to Eddy Ellis by a submission move called an arm-triangle choke.

After The Ultimate Fighter, David went back to fighting in local events. He won three fights in a row, which helped him get signed by the UFC.

Fighting in the UFC

David made his debut in the UFC at UFC 173. He stepped in on short notice to fight Li Jingliang. David lost this fight by a split decision, meaning the judges were divided on who won.

On December 13, 2014, David fought Garett Whiteley at UFC on Fox 13. This time, he competed in the Lightweight division. David won the fight by a unanimous decision, meaning all the judges agreed he was the winner.

His next UFC fight was against Olivier Aubin-Mercier at UFC 186 on April 25, 2015. David lost this fight by submission in the third round. After this loss, he was released from the UFC.

After the UFC

After leaving the UFC, David continued his fighting career. In April 2016, he fought Chris Hugh at RFA 37 and won by a guillotine choke submission in the first round. However, he then lost to Dhiego Lima in June 2016 at Titan FC 39. This fight was for the Titan FC Welterweight Championship, and David lost by unanimous decision.

In March 2017, David got a knockout win over Cody Wilson. He then won against Jake Lindsey in April 2017. David won that fight by TKO (Technical Knockout) due to an injury to his opponent.

He faced a setback in August 2017, losing to Ciro Rodrigues by TKO. But he quickly bounced back in October 2017, defeating Tyler Milner with a rear-naked choke submission.

Bellator MMA and Legacy Fighting Alliance

In July 2018, David signed a contract with Bellator MMA. He fought Corey Davis at Bellator 204 on August 17, 2018. David won this fight by knockout in the first round. He continued his winning streak in October 2018, getting a TKO victory against Fernando Gonzalez Trevino.

On February 2, 2019, David fought Christian Aguilera at LFA 59. He won this fight by TKO in the second round.

Professional Fighters League (PFL) Career

David Michaud joined the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in 2019. His first PFL fight was against Sadibou Sy in May 2019, but it ended quickly. David lost after just 17 seconds due to a liver kick.

He recovered well, winning against Handesson Ferreira in July 2019 by TKO in the first round. David continued his success in the PFL playoffs. In October 2019, he won his quarterfinal fight against John Howard by unanimous decision. In the same event, he also won his semifinal fight against Glaico França by majority decision.

David reached the finals of the 2019 PFL Welterweight tournament. He faced Ray Cooper III at PFL 10 on December 31, 2019. David lost the championship fight by TKO in the second round.

Health Concerns and Future

David was scheduled to fight Rory MacDonald in April 2021 as part of the 2021 PFL Welterweight tournament. However, on April 8, 2021, David announced that he had to withdraw from the fight. Doctors found a heart condition called a congenital bicuspid aortic valve with a dilated aortic root. This condition put him at risk of a serious problem called aortic dissection. Because of this, his future in MMA became uncertain.

Mixed martial arts record

See also

• List of male mixed martial artists