Willie Gates


Willie Gates is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Flyweight division. A professional competitor since 2008, he has competed for the UFC, King of the Cage, Tachi Palace Fights, and Bellator MMA.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Born and raised in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, Gates began training in mixed martial arts in 2004. He made his professional debut as a lightweight in October 2008 where he competed in several regional promotions. Gates fought predominantly in his native state of California where he amassed a record of 11–4, competing primarily in the bantamweight division before joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Gates made his promotional debut as a short notice replacement for an injured Jussier Formiga against John Moraga on December 13, 2014 at UFC on Fox 13. He lost the back-and-forth fight via submission in the third round.
Gates faced Darrell Montague on July 12, 2015 at. Gates won the one-sided fight via TKO in the first round.
In a quick turnaround, Gates faced Dustin Ortiz on August 8, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 73, filling in for an injured Ian McCall. He lost the fight via TKO in the third round.
Gates was expected to face Patrick Holohan on May 8, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 87. However, on April 25, Holohan abruptly announced his retirement, citing a rare blood disorder. He was replaced on the card by Ulka Sasaki. Gates lost the fight via submission in the second round.
On June 3 Willie Gates was released from the promotion.

Mixed martial arts record