Chris Birchler Record: 7-4-0

The grind through CFFC

Birchler's unbeaten start ended in October 2013, when Johnny Curtis stopped him with punches in the first round at CFFC 28. He took an extended layoff before returning at CFFC 53 in December 2015 with a first-round punching finish of Ed Abrasley, then dropped a decision to veteran Azunna Anyanwu at CFFC 57 in 2016. Birchler rebounded in 2017 with a first-round rear-naked choke of Marcus Govan at XCC 28, showing the grappling chops that defined his game even as he settled into the role of a tough, experienced regional gatekeeper.

Marquee tests at light heavyweight

The back end of Birchler's career brought two of his most notable bouts. In April 2018 he met former UFC fighter and TUF veteran Matt Hamill at Maverick MMA 6, dropping a decision to the well-known wrestler in a headlining attraction. Three months later he took a short-notice shot on Dana White's Contender Series, facing unbeaten Australian prospect Jimmy Crute, who stopped him with punches in the first round. Those back-to-back losses to recognizable names closed out his 11-fight professional run at 7-4.

Fighting style

Birchler is a wrestling-based light heavyweight whose seven wins break down into two knockouts, two submissions and three decisions, a 57% finish rate that reflects a balanced rather than one-dimensional approach. His amateur and collegiate wrestling pedigree gave him the control game to dictate where fights happened, while his jiu-jitsu produced finishes like the rear-naked choke of Govan. The honest knock on his record is durability against the division's bigger punchers: both of his losses by stoppage came by way of strikes in the first round, against Curtis and Crute, the moments where his grappling never got the chance to take over.

Career highlights

• 5-0 professional start — opened his career unbeaten across Ring of Combat, Warrior Challenge and CFFC, including a win over Shelton Graves.
• Shared the cage with a UFC veteran — headlined Maverick MMA 6 against former UFC and TUF fighter Matt Hamill.
• Contender Series appearance — earned a spot on Dana White's Contender Series, testing himself against unbeaten prospect Jimmy Crute.