Justin Guthrie Record: 18-9-0

Building a regional resume

By the turn of the decade Guthrie was testing himself against name opponents. In 2010 he beat Kenneth Seegrist at Annihilation, then suffered a setback to Lumumba Sayers the same year and dropped a bout to veteran Jesse Forbes at Crowbar MMA. He bounced back strongly in 2011, defeating the unbeaten Gilbert Smith at Annihilation and the well-traveled Brendan Seguin at Impact Fight League – results that pushed him onto bigger stages.

Stepping up against the elite

The competition only stiffened from there. In 2012 Guthrie met former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jorge Santiago at Titan FC 23 and was caught in a first-round heel hook, a submission loss to one of the era's most accomplished veterans. He absorbed a 2015 third-round TKO against the rugged Bobby Voelker, then answered with the signature win of his career: a second-round D'Arce choke of the 10-1 Steven Mann on the Bellator 138 stage in 2015. His record shows a final-listed 2016 loss to Maki Pitolo at Victory FC 50, capping a career defined by repeatedly fighting up in class.

Fighting style

Guthrie is a true mixed martial artist whose offense is distributed across every finishing avenue: of his 18 wins, seven came by submission, five by knockout and six by decision, for a roughly 67 percent finish rate. His best weapon is his grappling – the D'Arce choke of Steven Mann showcased a sharp submission instinct – but he is equally comfortable banging it out on the feet. The honest weakness in his game is durability against elite strikers and grapplers, with five of his nine losses coming by knockout and three by submission, often when he stepped up against higher-level opposition.

Career highlights

• Bellator stage win — submitted the 10-1 Steven Mann by second-round D'Arce choke at Bellator 138, the marquee victory of his career.
• Eighteen professional wins — assembled an 18-9 record across more than a decade, with finishes spread evenly between his striking and submission game.
• Tested against champions — shared the cage with the likes of former Strikeforce titleholder Jorge Santiago, repeatedly fighting up in class on the regional scene.