Quick Facts
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Biography
Sirwan Kakai (Kurdish: Sirwan Kakai ,سیروان کاکایی; born October 3, 1989) is a Kurdish mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2008, Kakai has also competed for the UFC, Pancrase and Titan FC.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Kakai made his professional debut in 2008. He competed almost exclusively in the Nordic countries, for a variety of promotions, before his UFC stint. He compiled an 11–2 record, with all but one of his victories ending via KO/TKO or submission.
On May 6, 2012 he fought Claudemir Souza for the Bantamweight Championship in the Swedish organisation The Zone FC. He became the champion after winning the fight by TKO in the third round.
Both losses by decision, one of them in the legendary Pancrase promotion after a close fight against Taichi Nakajima.
The Ultimate Fighter
In 2011, Kakai made it to the try outs for The Ultimate Fighter 14. He advanced from the first round of the casting but wasn't able to continue with the show.
In addition, Kakai instead made it to become a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 18. He was eliminated by Chris Beal via unanimous decision in the fight to get into the house.
Titan Fighting Championship
After a successful 10-2 stint on the European, North American and Asian circuit, Kakai signed with the U.S. based promotion Titan FC in September, 2014.
In his promotional debut, he faced previously undefeated Joseph Barajas on October 31, 2014 at Titan FC 31. He won the fight by submission due to an arm-triangle choke in the third round.
He was supposed to face Willian Joplin on July 18, 2015 at Titan FC 34, but the bout was scrapped when Kakai instead was signed by the UFC.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In his UFC debut, Kakai faced Danny Martinez at UFC Fight Night 70 on June 27, 2015, taking the fight on less than a weeks notice. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
In another short notice fight, Kakai faced off against Frankie Saenz on August 8, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 73. He lost the back-and-forth fight via split decision. Subsequently, as a surprise to some, he was released from the promotion.
Bellator MMA
In December 2015, it was revealed that Kakai had signed a four-fight deal with Bellator. He made his promotional debut against Joe Taimanglo on March 4, 2016 at Bellator 151. Kakai lost the bout by unanimous decision.
Kakai faced former Bellator champion Joe Warren on September 16, 2016 at Bellator 161. He lost the fight via submission in the third round.
Personal life
Before embarking on his fight career, Kakai was a construction worker.
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts career
- The Zone FC
- The Zone FC Bantamweight Championship (One time)
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 17 matches | 12 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 4 | 0 |
| By submission | 6 | 1 |
| By decision | 2 | 4 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 12–5 | Joe Warren | Submission (guillotine choke) | Bellator 161 | September 16, 2016 | 3 | 1:04 | Cedar Park, Texas, United States | |
| Loss | 12–4 | Joe Taimanglo | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 151 | March 4, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Loss | 12–3 | Frankie Saenz | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux | August 8, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | |
| Win | 12–2 | Danny Martinez | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Romero | June 27, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 11–2 | Joseph Barajas | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Titan FC 31 | October 31, 2014 | 3 | 4:40 | Tampa, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 10–2 | Carl Fawcett | TKO (punches) | The Zone FC 13: Tough Luck | April 26, 2014 | 3 | 4:34 | Gothenburg, Sweden | Catchweight (141 lb) bout. |
| Loss | 9–2 | Taichi Nakajima | Decision (unanimous) | Pancrase 252: 20th Anniversary | September 29, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan | Pancrase World Slam tournament quarterfinal. |
| Win | 9–1 | Jose Luis Zapater | TKO (knees) | International Ring Fight Arena 4 | March 9, 2013 | 3 | 2:39 | Solna Municipality, Sweden | |
| Win | 8–1 | Vladimir Karasiov | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Royal Arena 2 | August 31, 2012 | 1 | 3:03 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| Win | 7–1 | Claudemir Souza | TKO (knees and punches) | The Zone FC 10: Demolition | May 6, 2012 | 3 | N/A | Gothenburg, Sweden | Won The Zone FC Bantamweight Championship. |
| Win | 6–1 | James Doolan | Submission (guillotine choke) | Superior Challenge 7: Rise of Champions | April 30, 2011 | 2 | 3:07 | Stockholm, Sweden | |
| Win | 5–1 | Thomas Back | Decision (unanimous) | The Zone FC 8: Inferno | February 26, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Gothenburg, Sweden | |
| Win | 4–1 | Janne Elonen-Kulmala | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Fight Festival 28 | October 16, 2010 | 1 | 3:48 | Helsinki, Finland | |
| Win | 3–1 | Christophe Domin | Submission (triangle choke) | Superior Challenge 5: Pride and Fury | May 1, 2010 | 1 | 1:13 | Stockholm, Sweden | |
| Win | 2–1 | Heikki Tiilikka | KO (knee) | Oulu Fight | March 28, 2009 | 2 | 4:58 | Oulu, Finland | |
| Win | 1–1 | Josh Silva | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Duke City MMA Series 1 | March 14, 2009 | 1 | 2:18 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | |
| Loss | 0–1 | Michael Gronfors | Decision (unanimous) | The Cage Vol. 10: Neoblood | April 26, 2008 | 2 | 5:00 | Helsinki, Finland |
Amateur mixed martial arts record
| Amateur record breakdown | ||
| 1 match | 1 win | 0 losses |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Mohammad Babadivad | Decision (unanimous) | Shooto Sweden: Lord of the Ring 1 | May 27, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Gävle, Sweden |
