Jimy Hettes
Active 2011–present · rated in 2 editions · peak overall 74.0
Scouting report
Jimy Hettes was born in Kingston, Pennsylvania in 1987, won two Keystone State Games judo gold medals and holds brown belts in judo and jiu-jitsu. He started boxing at 14 and jiu-jitsu at 16, and earned the nickname Judo Jim at Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque. He won the MASS featherweight title on July 16, 2011, the day he signed with the UFC. He went 3-3 in six UFC fights, beating Alex Caceres, Nam Phan and Robert Whiteford, and UFC.com ranked him fourth among its 2011 newcomers.
Peak ratings
By edition
Hettes debuted at UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle on August 14, 2011 and submitted Alex Caceres with a rear-naked choke at 3:12 of round two. He beat Nam Phan on a unanimous decision at UFC 141 on December 30, 2011, then lost a unanimous decision to Marcus Brimage at UFC 152 on September 22, 2012. Injuries cancelled fights with Steven Siler in June 2012 and April 2013, and after a 13-month absence he returned in October 2013 and won by a triangle choke over Robert Whiteford.
Dennis Bermudez stopped Hettes with punches and a knee at 2:57 of round three at UFC 171 on March 15, 2014. A January 2015 fight with Diego Brandao was cancelled on fight day, and when they met on April 18, 2015 the doctor stopped the fight at the end of round one after an elbow opened a cauliflower ear. He withdrew from a January 2016 fight with Charles Rosa because of injury, and that was his last booking.
Jimy Hettes: a Pennsylvania judoka who won the MASS belt the day he signed
Hettes won the Pennsylvania Cage Fight Series featherweight title on August 13, 2010 and the MASS title eleven months later. He teaches at Northeastern Ju-Jitsu in Swoyersville and attended Luzerne County Community College. His professional record finished 11-3, with ten of the wins by submission. He was due to debut on the TUF 14 Finale card in December 2010 but declined a prior commitment.
Hettes, attribute by attribute
Boxing. 70. He started boxing at 14, but his UFC wins came from the mat.
Kickboxing. 66. Bermudez beat him on the feet at UFC 171 in March 2014 with punches and a knee.
Wrestling. 82. Phan lost a unanimous decision to him at UFC 141 in Las Vegas on December 30, 2011.
BJJ. 82. Caceres tapped to a rear-naked choke at 3:12 of round two, and Whiteford to a triangle choke at 2:17 of round two at UFC Fight Night in Manchester in October 2013.
Strength. 72. Marcus Brimage beat him on a unanimous decision at UFC 152 in Toronto in September 2012.
Durability. 76. Brandao won on a doctor's stoppage after round one at UFC on Fox in April 2015.
Cardio. 84, his best. He went three rounds with Phan and won.
Fight IQ. 76. He withdrew from fights with Siler in June 2012 and April 2013, and with Rosa in January 2016, all with injuries.
Cardio at 84 and a judo base
The Phan fight was the clearest example of how he wins: takedowns, ground control and a pace that did not drop for three rounds. His two submission finishes in the UFC, Caceres and Whiteford, both came in round two. For a draft, he is a grappler who stays active.
Kickboxing at 66 and two losses by stoppage
Bermudez stopped him at UFC 171 and Brandao on the cut at the end of round one in April 2015, his last fight. Brimage beat him on the cards in 2012. A striker with good takedown defense makes him work. Put a stronger striker in another slot.
Keep exploring
Closest featherweight profiles to Jimy Hettes, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Jonathan Brookinsbest cardio 82 · weakest kickboxing 70
- Hacran Diasbest cardio 82 · weakest strength 74
- Nik Lentzbest cardio 88 · weakest kickboxing 70
- Cole Millerbest bjj 84 · weakest wrestling 68
- Featherweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Protecting your streak: a guide that fits Jimy Hettes's strongest attribute, Cardio.
Draft Jimy Hettes into your build
Jimy Hettes enters the pool on any spin landing on featherweight between 2010 and 2015. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Jimy Hettes is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Jimy Hettes's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.