| Will Brooks | |
|---|---|
| Born | Willie Love Brooks October 8, 1986 (1986-10-08) (age 39) Chicago, Illinois,United States |
| Other names | Ill Will |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb) |
| Division | Lightweight |
| Reach | 72 in (183 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Coconut Creek, Florida,United States |
| Team | Midwest Training Center (2009–2013)[1][2] American Top Team (2012–present)[2] |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 32 |
| Wins | 26 |
| By knockout | 7 |
| By submission | 6 |
| By decision | 13 |
| Losses | 5 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 3 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record fromSherdog | |
Willie Love Brooks[3] (born October 8, 1986) is an Americanmixed martial artist who competes in theLightweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, he is the formerBellator MMALightweight World Champion, and has also competed forDREAM, theProfessional Fighters League and theUFC.
Brooks grew up in Chicago projects in a broken home with his parents struggling with their demons.[4] After getting kicked out of several schools due to fighting, he took up wrestling atWarren Township High School, but his main focus was playing football.[5][6] Excelling in football during high school, he ended up going to college to play atHarper College, where he was an All-American in his first year.[5][1] However, he let go of his dreams of playing in theNFL after sustaining a knee injury, which led to partying, substance abuse and eventually drug dealing.[7] During his time in Harper, he met an old friend from high school in Nick Redding, who ended up changing the course of his life to MMA.[5]
Brooks made his professional MMA debut in January 2011. He competed exclusively in his native Illinois and quickly amassed an undefeated record of 7-0 in the first two years of his career.
In late 2012, Brooks received the biggest opportunity of his career as he was invited to Japan by theDREAM organization. He faced experienced veteranSatoru Kitaoka atDream 18 on December 31, 2012.[8] Despite being a heavy underdog, Brooks dominated the fight and won via TKO in the second round.
Following his impressive international debut, Brooks was quickly signed byBellator Fighting Championships in January 2013.[9]
For his debut, Brooks was entered into theBellator Lightweight Tournament. He facedRicardo Tirloni in the opening round atBellator 87 and won the fight via unanimous decision.[10]
He facedSaad Awad in the semi-finals at Bellator 91 on February 28, 2013, and lost via KO in the first round.[11]
Following the first loss of his career, Brooks rebounded with a win over Cris Leyva atBellator 97 on July 31, 2013.[12]
In the fall of 2013, Brooks entered into the Bellator Season 9 Lightweight tournament. He faced veteranJohn Alessio in the Quarterfinals on September 27, 2013, atBellator 101.[13] He won the fight in dominant fashion via unanimous decision.[14]
Brooks had a rematch withSaad Awad in the semifinal round atBellator 105 on October 25, 2013, and dominated the fight for all three rounds, winning a unanimous decision victory.[15]
Brooks facedAlexander Sarnavskiy in the finals atBellator 109 on November 22, 2013.[16] He won the fight via dominant unanimous decision to earn a future title shot at the Lightweight title.[17]
On May 17, 2014, Brooks facedMichael Chandler filling in for the injured champEddie Alvarez atBellator 120 for theInterim Bellator Lightweight Championship.[18] He won via split decision to become the Interim Bellator Lightweight Champion.[19]
With Bellator Lightweight ChampionEddie Alvarez leaving the promotion, Brooks facedMichael Chandler in a rematch atBellator 131 on November 15, 2014, for the vacant Bellator Lightweight Championship.[20] He won the fight via TKO in the fourth round to become the undisputed Bellator Lightweight Champion.[21]
Brooks made his first title defense against long-awaited challengerDave Jansen at Bellator 136 on April 10, 2015.[22] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[23]
Brooks made his second defense againstMarcin Held on November 6, 2015, atBellator 145.[24] Despite Held popping Brooks' knee in the opening round, Brooks continued on and won the fight via unanimous decision to retain theBellator Lightweight Championship.[25]
On May 14, 2016, Brooks was released from Bellator MMA as the promotion decided not to renew his contract.[26]
On June 15, 2016, it was announced that Brooks had signed a six-fight deal with the UFC. He made his promotional debut againstRoss Pearson on July 8, 2016, atThe Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale.[27] Brooks won the fight by unanimous decision.[28]
Brooks next facedAlex Oliveira on October 1, 2016, atUFC Fight Night 96.[29] The bout took place at a catchweight of 161.5 lbs, as Oliveira missed weight. Brooks lost the fight via KO in the third round.[30]
Brooks facedCharles Oliveira on April 8, 2017, atUFC 210.[31] He lost the fight by rear-naked choke submission in the first round.[32]
Brooks was scheduled to faceNik Lentz on October 7, 2017, atUFC 216.[33] However the pairing was scrapped during the weigh-ins for the event, as Lentz was stricken with "medical issues" and deemed unfit to compete.[34] The pairing with Lentz was rescheduled and eventually took take place on November 19, 2017 atUFC Fight Night 121.[35] Brooks lost the fight via submission in the second round.[36]
On February 14, 2018, Brooks announced via social media that he had been officially released from the UFC after a 4 fight stint.[37]
Following his departure from the UFC, Brooks announced he had signed a deal with theProfessional Fighters League and he would be entering the promotion's one million dollar tournament.[37]
In his debut, Brooks facedLuiz Firmino atPFL 2 on June 21, 2018.[38] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[39]
In his second fight in the Lightweight tournament, Brooks faced Robert Watley on August 2, 2018, atPFL 5.[40] He won the fight by unanimous decision and advanced to the playoffs.[41]
In the quarterfinal bout Brooks facedRashid Magomedov atPFL 9 on October 13, 2018.[42] The bout ended in a unanimous draw, but Brooks was eliminated from the tournament via first-round tiebreaker.[43]
In the end of January 2019, Brooks announced in social media that he became a free agent after the inaugural season of PFL.[44]
Brooks was expected to faceAbel Trujillo at Battlefield FC 2 on July 27, 2019, but Trujillo was withdrawn from the bout and was replaced by Brooks' teammateGleison Tibau.[45] He lost the fight via first-round submission, tho the stoppage was controversial as the ref mistakenly thought Brooks was unconscious.[46]
On March 30, 2020, news surfaced that Brooks had signed a contract with ARES FC.[47]
Brooks facedSteven Siler on July 30, 2021 at XMMA 2.[48] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[49]
Brooks faced Jose Filho at Art of Scrap 3 on October 30, 2021. He won the bout via rear-naked choke submission in the third round.[50]
Brooks faced Rafael Bastos on April 15, 2022 at Art of Scrap 4.[51] He won the fight via TKO due to injury after Bastos broke his leg early in the first round.[52]
Brooks facedLuis Peña at XMMA 5 on July 23, 2022.[53] He won the bout via split decision.[54]
Brooks faced Jhonasky Sojo at Titan FC 81 on April 14, 2023.[55] He won the bout via rear-naked choke in the third round.[56]
Brooks faced Predrag Bogdanović at Titan FC 82/ SBC 47: Revenge on June 2, 2023 forTitan FC Welterweight Championship and SBC Welterweight Championship. He won the bout via technical knockout in the fifth round.[57]
On December 11, 2024, it was announced that Brooks was eligible to be drafted in the Global Fight League.[58] However, he was not drafted for the 2025 season.[59] In turn, in April 2025, it was reported that all GFL events were cancelled indefinitely.[60]
Brooks and his wife have a daughter.[61]
| 32 matches | 26 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 7 | 2 |
| By submission | 6 | 3 |
| By decision | 13 | 0 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 26–5–1 | Predrag Bogdanović | TKO (elbows and punches) | Titan FC 82 / SBC 47 | June 2, 2023 | 5 | 3:24 | Novi Sad, Serbia | Won the vacant SBC andTitan FC Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 25–5–1 | Jhonasky Sojo | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Titan FC 81 | April 14, 2023 | 3 | 3:17 | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | |
| Win | 24–5–1 | Luis Peña | Decision (split) | XMMA 5 | July 23, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Columbia, South Carolina, United States | Catchweight (160 lb) bout. |
| Win | 23–5–1 | Rafael Bastos | TKO (leg injury) | Art of Scrap 4 | April 15, 2022 | 1 | 0:19 | Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States | Catchweight (160 lb) bout. |
| Win | 22–5–1 | Jose Filho | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Art of Scrap 3 | October 30, 2021 | 3 | 4:54 | Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States | Catchweight (160 lb) bout. |
| Win | 21–5–1 | Steven Siler | Decision (unanimous) | XMMA 2: Saunders vs. Nijem | July 30, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Greenville, South Carolina, United States | |
| Loss | 20–5–1 | Gleison Tibau | Technical Submission (guillotine choke) | Battlefield FC 2 | July 27, 2019 | 1 | 3:34 | Macau,SAR, China | |
| Draw | 20–4–1 | Rashid Magomedov | Draw (unanimous) | PFL 9 | October 13, 2018 | 2 | 5:00 | Long Beach, California, United States | 2018 PFL Lightweight Quarterfinal bout. Eliminated via first round tiebreaker. |
| Win | 20–4 | Robert Watley | Decision (unanimous) | PFL 5 | August 2, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Uniondale, New York, United States | |
| Win | 19–4 | Luiz Firmino | Decision (unanimous) | PFL 2 | June 21, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| Loss | 18–4 | Nik Lentz | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura | November 19, 2017 | 2 | 2:05 | Sydney, Australia | |
| Loss | 18–3 | Charles Oliveira | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 210 | April 8, 2017 | 1 | 2:30 | Buffalo, New York, United States | |
| Loss | 18–2 | Alex Oliveira | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Lineker vs. Dodson | October 1, 2016 | 3 | 3:30 | Portland, Oregon, United States | Catchweight (161.5 lbs) bout; Oliveira missed weight. |
| Win | 18–1 | Ross Pearson | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia Finale | July 8, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 17–1 | Marcin Held | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 145 | November 6, 2015 | 5 | 5:00 | St. Louis,Missouri, United States | Defended theBellator Lightweight World Championship. Brooks vacated the title on May 14, 2016. |
| Win | 16–1 | Dave Jansen | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 136 | April 10, 2015 | 5 | 5:00 | Irvine, California, United States | Defended theBellator Lightweight World Championship. |
| Win | 15–1 | Michael Chandler | TKO (punches) | Bellator 131 | November 15, 2014 | 4 | 3:48 | San Diego,California, United States | Won the vacantBellator Lightweight World Championship. |
| Win | 14–1 | Michael Chandler | Decision (split) | Bellator 120 | May 17, 2014 | 5 | 5:00 | Southaven, Mississippi, United States | Won the interimBellator Lightweight World Championship. |
| Win | 13–1 | Alexander Sarnavskiy | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 109 | November 22, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States | Won the Bellator Season 9 Lightweight Tournament. |
| Win | 12–1 | Saad Awad | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 105 | October 25, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States | Bellator Season 9 Lightweight Tournament Semifinal. |
| Win | 11–1 | John Alessio | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 101 | September 27, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Portland, Oregon, United States | Bellator Season 9 Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 10–1 | Cris Leyva | TKO (punches) | Bellator 97 | July 31, 2013 | 3 | 2:20 | Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States | |
| Loss | 9–1 | Saad Awad | KO (punches) | Bellator 91 | February 28, 2013 | 1 | 0:43 | Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States | Bellator Season 8 Lightweight Tournament Semifinal. |
| Win | 9–0 | Ricardo Tirloni | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 87 | January 31, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States | Bellator Season 8 Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 8–0 | Satoru Kitaoka | TKO (punches) | DREAM 18 | December 31, 2012 | 2 | 3:46 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 7–0 | Drew Dober | Decision (unanimous) | Disorderly Conduct: The Yin & The Yang | August 10, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Omaha, Nebraska, United States | |
| Win | 6–0 | Tory Bogguess | TKO (punches) | XFO 44 | June 16, 2012 | 1 | 4:20 | Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 5–0 | Ryan Bixler | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Chicago Cagefighting Championship IV | October 15, 2011 | 2 | 1:00 | Villa Park, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Joseph Richardson | Submission (armbar) | XFO 41 | September 3, 2011 | 1 | 3:49 | Island Lake, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Bobby Reardanz | Submission (armbar) | XFO 39 | May 13, 2011 | 3 | 3:22 | Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Guillermo Serment | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Chicago Cagefighting Championship III | March 5, 2011 | 2 | 0:45 | Villa Park, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | J.R. Hines | TKO (punches) | XFO 38 | January 22, 2011 | 1 | 2:09 | Woodstock, Illinois, United States |
