| Alessio Di Chirico | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1989-12-12)December 12, 1989 (age 35) Rome,Italy[1] |
| Other names | Manzo |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) |
| Division | Light Heavyweight (2011–2014) Middleweight (2015–2022) |
| Reach | 74 in (188 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Rome,Italy |
| Team | GLORIA Fight Center (2017–present)[2] |
| Trainer | Lorenzo Borgomeo[1] |
| Years active | 2011–2022 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 20 |
| Wins | 13 |
| By knockout | 6 |
| By submission | 4 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Losses | 7 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 4 |
| Other information | |
| University | University of Foro Italico[3] |
| Mixed martial arts record fromSherdog | |
Alessio Di Chirico (born December 12, 1989) is an Italian formermixed martial artist who competed inMiddleweight division of theUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC).[3]
Di Chirico was born inRome, Italy.[4] He attended University of Foro Italico, majoring in Sport and Science. He started playingAmerican football when he was young and he was thelinebacker for Grizzlies Rome from 2008 to 2011.[5] He started MMA training to lose weight and his friend Giovanni Pinelli introduced MMA to him, and decided to transition to MMA from American football after 2011.[6] He joined Roman Gymnasium Hung Mun and started his MMA training there.[7]
TheInternational Mixed Martial Arts Federation, partnering with Tuff-N-Uff, organised first-ever Amateur MMA World Championships in Las Vegas in 2014[8] and Di Chirico won the 2014International Mixed Martial arts Federation (IMMAF) Light Heavyweight amateur title on July 1.[9][10] Di Chirico said winning the IMMAF World Championship was the greatest moment of his career saying, "I won the IMMAF world championship in Vegas and raised the flag very high and very proudly for the first time in my life."[11]
Di Chirico fought in the European-based promotions and amassed a record of 9–0 prior to joining UFC.[2]
Di Chirico made his promotional debut atUFC Fight Night: Rothwell vs. dos Santos on April 10, 2016.[12] He facedBojan Veličković and he lost the bout by unanimous decision.[13]
On August 27, 2016, Di Chirico facedGarreth McLellan onUFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit.[14] He won the fight via split decision.[15]
He next facedEric Spicely onUFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña on January 28, 2017.[16] He lost the fight via submission (triangle choke) in the first round.[17]
Di Chirico was expected to faceRafael Natal atUFC on Fox: Weidman vs. Gastelum on July 22, 2017.[18] However, Di Chirico pulled out in the weeks leading up to the event due to a neck injury and was replaced by promotional newcomerEryk Anders.[19]
Di Chirico facedOluwale Bamgbose on December 16, 2017, atUFC on Fox 26.[20] He won the fight via knockout in the second round.[21] This win earned him thePerformance of the Night bonus.[22]
Di Chirico facedJulian Marquez on July 6, 2018, atThe Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale.[23] At the weigh-ins, Julian Marquez weighed in at 190 lbs, four pounds over the middleweight limit of 186. He was fined 30% of his fight purse to Di Chirico and the bout proceeded at a catchweight.[24] Di Chirico won the fight via split decision.[25]
Di Chirico was expected to faceJared Cannonier on November 17, 2018, atUFC Fight Night 140.[26] However, it was reported on October 19, 2018, that Cannonier would faceDavid Branch atUFC 230 and Di Chirico was pulled from the card.[27]
Di Chirico was expected to faceTom Breese on March 17, 2019, atUFC Fight Night 147.[28] However Di Chirico pulled out of the fight in early January citing an undisclosed injury and subsequent surgery.[29]
Di Chirico facedKevin Holland on June 22, 2019, atUFC Fight Night 154.[30] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[31]
Di Chirico was expected to facePeter Sobotta on September 28, 2019, atUFC Fight Night 160.[32] However, Sobotta was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by promotional newcomerMakhmud Muradov.[33] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[34]
Di Chirico was linked to fight promotional newcomerAntônio Arroyo on November 16, 2019, atUFC Fight Night 164.[35] However, it was announced on October 24, 2019, that Arroyo was scheduled to fightAndré Muniz instead.[36]
Di Chirico was scheduled to face Abu Azaitar on April 11, 2020, atUFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris.[37] Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the event was eventually cancelled.[38]
Di Chirico facedZak Cummings on August 29, 2020, atUFC Fight Night 175.[39] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[40]
Di Chirico facedJoaquin Buckley on January 16, 2021, atUFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar.[41] He won the fight in the first round via a head kick knockout.[42] This win earned him thePerformance of the Night award.[43]
Di Chirico was scheduled to faceRoman Dolidze on June 5, 2021, atUFC Fight Night 189.[44] However, Di Chirico pulled out of the contest in mid-May due to an injury.[45] He was replaced byLaureano Staropoli.[46]
Di Chirico was scheduled to face promotional newcomer Aliaskhab Khizriev on August 28, 2021, atUFC on ESPN 30.[47] However, Khizriev was pulled from the event for due to injury[48] and Di Chirico was scheduled to faceAbdul Razak Alhassan instead.[49] Di Chirico lost the fight via knockout seventeen seconds into round one.[50]
Di Chirico was scheduled to face Albert Duraev on October 30, 2021, atUFC 267.[51] However, Di Chirico was removed from the pairing on 22 September for undisclosed reasons and replaced byRoman Kopylov.[52]
Di Chirico facedRoman Kopylov on September 3, 2022, atUFC Fight Night 209.[53] He lost the fight via knockout in round three.[54]
After the loss, Di Chirico announced his retirement from MMA.[55]
Di Chirico and his wife have two sons.[56]
Di Chirico is founder of his current MMA Team, the GLORIA Fight Center based in Rome.[57][58]
Di Chirico considers Italian MMA fighters to be knights instead ofgladiators for Italians. MMA fighters are gentlemen, committing to fight for a principle and for an idea, according to his philosophy.[59]
Gladiators are slaves. The motto of my team ‘Not Gladiators, we are Knights.’[59]
He also owns a bar in Rome.[60]
In May 2023, news surfaced that Di Chirico was arrested for allegedly striking a taxi driver, resulting in a fractured cheekbone and an injured eye.[61] Afterwards Di Chirico published a statement in which he explained the situation escalated due to a disagreement during the taxi trip, leading to a physical altercation which he also apologized.[56] It is unclear whether formal charges have been filed against Di Chirico.[61]
| 20 matches | 13 wins | 7 losses |
| By knockout | 6 | 2 |
| By submission | 4 | 1 |
| By decision | 3 | 4 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 13–7 | Roman Kopylov | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa | September 3, 2022 | 3 | 1:09 | Paris, France | |
| Loss | 13–6 | Abdul Razak Alhassan | KO (head kick) | UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Chikadze | August 28, 2021 | 1 | 0:17 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 13–5 | Joaquin Buckley | KO (head kick) | UFC on ABC: Holloway vs. Kattar | January 16, 2021 | 1 | 2:12 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 12–5 | Zak Cummings | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić | August 29, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 12–4 | Makhmud Muradov | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Cannonier | September 28, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| Loss | 12–3 | Kevin Holland | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. The Korean Zombie | June 22, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Greenville, South Carolina, United States | |
| Win | 12–2 | Julian Marquez | Decision (split) | The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated Finale | July 6, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Catchweight (190 lb) bout; Marquez missed weight. |
| Win | 11–2 | Oluwale Bamgbose | KO (knee) | UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. dos Anjos | December 16, 2017 | 2 | 2:14 | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 10–2 | Eric Spicely | Submission (triangle choke) | UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña | January 28, 2017 | 1 | 2:14 | Denver, Colorado, United States | |
| Win | 10–1 | Garreth McLellan | Decision (split) | UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit | August 27, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Loss | 9–1 | Bojan Veličković | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Rothwell vs. dos Santos | April 10, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Zagreb, Croatia | |
| Win | 9–0 | Andrzej Grzebyk | Decision (unanimous) | Fight Exclusive Night 9 | November 7, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Wrocław, Poland | |
| Win | 8–0 | André Reinders | TKO (punches) | Caveam: Bitva Roku 2015 | March 19, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Prague, Czech Republic | |
| Win | 7–0 | Adam Kowalski | TKO (punches) | Professional League of MMA 47 | January 30, 2015 | 2 | 2:40 | Warsaw, Poland | Middleweight debut. |
| Win | 6–0 | Giovanni Luciani | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Centurion FC | June 21, 2014 | 2 | 0:41 | Guidonia, Italy | |
| Win | 5–0 | Cristian Magro | TKO (punches) | Storm FC 5 | October 12, 2013 | 1 | 4:15 | Rome, Italy | |
| Win | 4–0 | Oleg Medvedev | Submission (keylock) | White Rex: Tana Delle Tigri 1 | May 31, 2013 | 1 | 3:54 | Rome, Italy | |
| Win | 3–0 | Daniele D'Angelo | TKO (punches) | Storm FC 3 | March 23, 2013 | 1 | 1:25 | Rome, Italy | |
| Win | 2–0 | Issa Saidi | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Ronin FC 2 | February 24, 2012 | 1 | 2:48 | Rome, Italy | |
| Win | 1–0 | Mohamed Anoir | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Ronin FC 1 | December 9, 2011 | 1 | 2:55 | Rome, Italy |