Chris Gruetzemacher Record: 15-5-0

UFC run

The UFC tenure was a rollercoaster that showed both his grit and his vulnerabilities. Gruetzemacher hit a rough patch in 2017, getting submitted by rear-naked choke by both Chas Skelly and Davi Ramos. He answered emphatically in April 2018 at UFC 223, earning a corner-stoppage TKO over respected veteran Joe Lauzon – the signature win of his career. After a long layoff, he returned in October 2020 only to be knocked out in the first round by Alexander Hernandez. He bounced back in July 2021 with a gutsy unanimous-decision win over the then-highly touted Rafa García, before his final listed bout that December, a third-round kneebar submission loss to Claudio Puelles.

Fighting style

Gruetzemacher was a high-pressure, forward-marching fighter who blended a wrestling base with heavy hands and an unbreakable pace. His finish breakdown leans toward violence: of his 15 career wins, seven came by knockout and three by submission, a 67 percent finish rate that reflects how often he ended fights rather than coasting to the cards. His strength was wearing opponents down and capitalizing when they faltered, as the Lauzon corner stoppage showed. The flip side is clear in his record – four of his five losses came by submission, exposing a grappling defense that elite finishers could exploit, while a single knockout loss showed the risks of his come-forward style against big punchers.

Career highlights

• Beat Joe Lauzon at UFC 223 — the signature win of his career, a corner-stoppage TKO over a longtime UFC veteran on a major pay-per-view.
• TUF 22 to UFC contract — earned his promotional deal off The Ultimate Fighter, capped by a decision win over Abner Lloveras at the Finale.
• Finisher’s resume — closed out 10 of his 15 wins inside the distance for a 67 percent finish rate, the mark of a pressure fighter.