Dom O'Grady


Dom O'Grady was an American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division. He was the former King of the Cage Welterweight and Lightweight Champion. He also competed for the Bellator Fighting Championships and Pancrase in Japan. In addition to mixed martial arts, O'Grady was 2–0 as a professional kickboxer.

Background

O'Grady attended Grosse Pointe South High School in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan and then attended Wayne State University. O'Grady was often a victim of bullying as a child before he found martial arts and MMA. O'Grady was a member of the U.S. Sambo Team, winning a world championship, as well as the Swiss Open Sambo Tournament in 2006. O'Grady is also a black belt in judo and won three state titles, two in Michigan and one in Ohio. In submission wrestling, O'Grady was a runner-up in the Canadian Open.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

O'Grady had one amateur mixed martial arts bout in 2005, a win, before making his professional debut in 2007. He won his first four fights before being handed his first professional loss via TKO at the hands of future UFC veteran Mike Stumpf, which to this date is the only TKO/KO loss of his career.
O'Grady then went 4-1 in his next five fights, which included a win in the IFC, bringing his career record to 8–2, before being invited to compete in King of the Cage.

King of the Cage

O'Grady made his debut for the organization on April 16, 2010 in a bout for the King of the Cage Lightweight Championship and won via armbar submission. His next appearance was against future UFC veteran Tim Means, and the fight ended in a draw. After gaining another submission win, O'Grady had a rematch with Means for the King of the Cage Junior Welterweight Championship and lost via split decision.
O'Grady, still the Lightweight Champion, fought current UFC veteran Bobby Green in his first title defense. O'Grady lost the bout via unanimous decision. O'Grady would soon bounce back, however, winning his next two fights for the organization before being a title shot for the King of the Cage Welterweight Championship against then-champion, Bill Abrecht. O'Grady won the fight via split decision, receiving his second title in King of the Cage.

Bellator

O'Grady, with a record of 13–5–1, then signed with the Bellator Fighting Championships and was stripped of his title as a result. O'Grady made his Bellator debut at Bellator 67 on May 4, 2012 and won via submission.
In his next bout for the organization at Bellator 76, O'Grady faced former Strikeforce veteran AJ Matthews and won via split decision.

Bellator: Fight Master

Holding a record of 2–0 under the Bellator banner, O'Grady was invited to compete on along with 31 other Welterweight fighters. O'Grady was a favorite for the show and faced Andy Uhrich in the entry round. In an entertaining and exciting fight, O'Grady was defeated via unanimous decision, but Uhrich was disqualified from actually competing on the show because of a severe cut over his eye handed to him by O'Grady.

Pancrase

O'Grady made his Pancrase debut on September 29, 2013 against current DEEP Lightweight Champion and former 2008 Sengoku Lightweight Grand Prix Champion, Satoru Kitaoka. He lost via technical submission in the first round.

Death

O'Grady passed away from a heart attack on December 22, 2015. He is survived by his partner and daughter.

Championships and accomplishments