Jonathan Brookins
Active 2011–present · rated in 1 edition · peak overall 72.0
Scouting report
Jonathan Brookins won a state wrestling title at Century High School in Hillsboro, Oregon, earned a scholarship to Lindenwood University, and was introduced to MMA by Charles Bennett. He won The Ultimate Fighter 12 as GSP's second pick, beating Michael Johnson on a unanimous decision at the finale on December 4, 2010. His UFC record was 2-3. He retired on December 21, 2012, six days after a loss to Dustin Poirier, and came back in 2014.
Peak ratings
Jonathan Brookins: the Hillsboro wrestler who won The Ultimate Fighter
On the show he beat Ran Weathers, Sevak Magakian by submission in 2:04, Sako Chivitchian by submission and Kyle Watson 30-27 in the semifinal before facing Johnson. He had lost to Jose Aldo at the WEC before the show. After the show he lost to Erik Koch in New Orleans, beat Vagner Rocha by knockout in round one in Omaha, and lost to Charles Oliveira and Poirier by choke.
Brookins, attribute by attribute
Boxing. 72. Rocha was knocked out with punches at 1:32 of round one at UFC on Fuel TV 1 in Omaha in February 2012.
Kickboxing. 70. Koch beat him on a unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 25 in New Orleans in September 2011.
Wrestling. 80, his best grappling number. He wrestled at Century High School and Lindenwood.
BJJ. 76. He submitted Magakian and Chivitchian on the show, but Oliveira caught a guillotine at 2:42 of round two at the TUF 15 Finale.
Strength. 72. He beat Johnson over three rounds in the TUF 12 final.
Durability. 76. Poirier finished him with a brabo choke at 4:15 of round one at the TUF 16 Finale in December 2012.
Cardio. 82. He took Watson 30-27 in the semifinal and Johnson a unanimous decision in the final.
Fight IQ. 74. He was forced out of a June 2011 fight with Jeremy Stephens by injury, and a February 2012 fight with Rani Yahya fell through when Yahya withdrew.
Wrestling at 80 and a run through the TUF bracket
He won four fights on the show, two by submission and two on the cards, before the finale. He was pulled from a UFC 129 fight with John Makdessi for no stated reason. For a draft, he gives a wrestler with a cardio edge.
Kickboxing at 70 and a short UFC run
Koch beat him on the cards, and Oliveira and Poirier both choked him within a round and a half. He fought at flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight across his career, and the Pancrase bantamweight title fight with Shintaro Ishiwatari in July 2016 went to Ishiwatari on a decision.
Keep exploring
Closest featherweight profiles to Jonathan Brookins, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Hacran Diasbest cardio 82 · weakest strength 74
- Jimy Hettesbest cardio 84 · weakest kickboxing 66
- Nik Lentzbest cardio 88 · weakest kickboxing 70
- Pablo Garzabest cardio 80 · weakest wrestling 68
- Featherweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Protecting your streak: a guide that fits Jonathan Brookins's strongest attribute, Cardio.
Draft Jonathan Brookins into your build
Jonathan Brookins enters the pool on any spin landing on featherweight between 2010 and 2013. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Jonathan Brookins is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Jonathan Brookins'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.