Mike Pierce
Active 2009–present · rated in 1 edition · peak overall 76.0
Scouting report
Mike Pierce was born in Portland, wrestled at Sam Barlow High School in Gresham and then at Portland State, and fought out of Portland with Rose City FC. He beat Brock Larson in his UFC debut on September 16, 2009, an upset UFC.com ranked second for the year. He went 9-5 in the UFC, beat Aaron Simpson with a punch at 0:29 of round two in October 2012, and was released on January 29, 2016 after losing to Ryan LaFlare at the TUF 22 Finale.
Peak ratings
Mike Pierce: a Portland wrestler who beat a WEC contender on debut
Before the UFC he won the SF welterweight championship by beating Ed Nuno, lost it to Nathan Coy, and took a middleweight fight against Mark Munoz in 2007. He knocked out Justin Haskins in round three at WEC 39 in March 2009. A planned January 2010 fight with Josh Koscheck never happened because Koscheck fought Anthony Johnson, and he met Koscheck instead two years later. His career record finished 17-7.
Pierce, attribute by attribute
Boxing. 76. Aaron Simpson was knocked out with a single punch 29 seconds into round two at UFC on FX 5 in Minneapolis, and David Mitchell was stopped by punches at 2:55 of round two at UFC 162 in July 2013.
Kickboxing. 68, the weak spot. Kenny Robertson was stopped by punches 29 seconds into round two at UFC 126 in February 2011.
Wrestling. 83. He wrestled at Portland State. Paul Bradley lost a split decision to him at UFC on Fox 1, and Seth Baczynski lost a unanimous decision in Gold Coast in December 2012.
BJJ. 72. Amilcar Alves tapped to a straight armbar at 3:11 of round three at UFC 118 in Boston in August 2010.
Strength. 81. He took Julio Paulino the distance in March 2010 for a unanimous decision.
Durability. 80. Jon Fitch beat him on a unanimous decision at UFC 107 in Memphis in December 2009, and Johny Hendricks won a split decision at UFC 133.
Cardio. 82. Carlos Eduardo Rocha lost a decision to him at UFC on FX 3 in June 2012. One judge's card was later found to have been scored for the wrong corner, which made the result unanimous.
Fight IQ. 77. He lost a split decision to Koscheck at UFC 143 in February 2012, then rebounded with the Simpson knockout in October.
Wrestling at 83 and a stretch of wins in 2012 and 2013
Rocha, Simpson, Baczynski and Mitchell all lost to him between June 2012 and July 2013. Two of them ended in the second round. That run came after split decision losses to Hendricks and Koscheck. For a draft, he is a grinder who also has a finishing punch.
Kickboxing at 68 and the heel hook
Rousimar Palhares submitted him with a heel hook 31 seconds into round one at UFC Fight Night in Barueri on October 9, 2013. He suffered a sprained MCL and a torn ankle ligament afterward. He withdrew from a May 2014 fight with Demian Maia with a broken hand. He did not fight for over two years, then lost to LaFlare on a unanimous decision in December 2015. A stronger striker covers the gap.
Keep exploring
Closest welterweight profiles to Mike Pierce, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Rick Storybest wrestling 84 · weakest kickboxing 70
- Josh Koscheckbest wrestling 89 · weakest kickboxing 70
- Dong Hyun Kimbest wrestling 85 · weakest kickboxing 72
- Jake Ellenbergerbest boxing 86 · weakest bjj 72
- Welterweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Mike Pierce's strongest attribute, Wrestling.
Draft Mike Pierce into your build
Mike Pierce enters the pool on any spin landing on welterweight 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 Mike Pierce is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Mike Pierce'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.