Matt Mitrione: Career, Net worth, Wife, Children, MMA & UFC

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Matt Mitrione is a well-known American mixed martial artist with excellent skills who fights in Bellator MMA.

Known for knocking out opponents with his right hand from a southpaw stance, Matt was a featured fighter on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.

But, before becoming a mixed martial artist, Matt used to be a professional football player. Likewise, he used to play in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings.

Matt-Mitrione
Matt Mtrione

Today, we will dive into the life of Matt Mitrione and discuss all the information like his early life, family, education, net worth, personal life, kids, and so much more. 

Let us start with some quick facts!

Quick Facts about Matt Mitrione

Full Name Matthew Steven Mitrione
Birth Date July 15, 1978
Age 45 years old
Birth Place Bloomington, Illinois
Nick Name Matt, Meathead
Religion Unknown
Nationality American
Ethnicity Mixed (Irish- Italian)
Education Springfield Southeast High School

Purdue University

Horoscope Cancer
Father’s Name Robert Mitrione
Mother’s Name Cecelia Mitrione
Siblings Robert Mitrione
Height 6′4 inches (1.95m)
Weight 116 Kg (258 lbs)
Hair Color Dark Brown
Eye Color Blue
Body Measurement Unknown
Build Muscular
Married Divorced
Wife Tina Mitrione (Div.2014)
Children Gia Mitrione

Jonah Mitrione

Jacob Mitrione

Profession MMA Fighter
Net Worth $3 million
Salary $225,000
Affiliations Bellator MMA, UFC
Active Since 2009
Social Media Instagram, Twitter, Facebook
Merch Autographed UFC Cards
Last Update April, 2024

Matt Mitrione Wiki-Bio | Early Life, Education, & Parents

Matthew Steven Mitrione professionally Matt Mitrione was born in Bloomington, Illinois, the United States, to parents Robert Mitrione and Cecelia Mitrione.

A young Matt
A young Matt Mitrione.

Sadly apart from their names, other information like their status and current whereabouts are not found in the media. Aside from his parents, Matt grew up with his brother Robert Mitrione.

Matt Mitrione with his sibling
Robert Mitrione and Matt Mitrione.

From a very young age, Matt always dreamt of becoming a football player and later followed his dream and started his football career in his high school Springfield Southeast High School. Matt said,

“I started playing football when I was a kid; the game just seemed like a natural fit for me. “The physical ballet of football always attracted me.

From the beginning, I enjoyed every aspect of it and, of course, the contact.”

In High School, Maat excelled as a defensive tackle and also earned an honorable mention as USA Today All-American and All-State honors during his senior year for his incredible playing skills.

Initially, Matt also trained in martial arts as a child and competed in Toughman Competitions in high school. In fact, he even finished second in that Toughman contest.

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Soon, his toughness and athleticism caught a lot of attention. Likewise, Matt even received a football scholarship from the Purdue University football program due to his outstanding football skills.

After enrolling at Purdue, Matt competed against elite college programs on some of the nation’s biggest stages.

Not to mention he started with 35 consecutive games for the Boilermakers at defensive tackle in his college football career. Matt said,

“I got to play in two Alamo Bowls with Purdue, one against Kansas State and Michael Bishop, and the other against Oklahoma State.

“I got to play at Michigan, at Wisconsin, at Iowa. Some of the biggest stadiums in the country. It was very cool, and those are some of the best memories I have of playing in college.”

Aside from sports, Matt was also good in academics and later graduated with a Journalism degree. Matt is American by nationality, while his ethnicity is mixed (Irish- Italian).

Matt Mitrione | Age and Height 

Having been born on July 15, 1978, Matt is 42 years at the moment. Also, Matt’s star sign happens to be Cancer. And from what we know, the people of this sign are known for being passionate, energetic, and brave.

Matt is 42 years old.
Matt is 42 years old.

Now, talking about his physique, Matt stands at 6 feet 4 inches (1.95m) and weighs around 116 Kg (258 lbs). Likewise, he not only has a strong base for fighting but also has a muscular body. 

Even at the age of 42, Matt is healthy and energetic. Aside from that, Matt’s other notable body facts are his short dark brown hair and shining pair of blue eyes. 

Matt Mitrione | Football Career

Before Matt became the mixed martial artist that we know, he pursued his early career as a professional football player.

Matt played at Purdue University as a defensive tackle for the Boilermakers from 1998 through 2001. While with the Boilermakers, Matt tallied 165 tackles, including 50 stops for loss.

Matt Mitrione is a football player.
Matt Mitrione is a football player.

Sadly, Mitrione injured his foot in his senior season, which cost him the chance of getting drafted into the NFL. However, Matt wasn’t out of football very long. Soon, The New York Giants offered Matt a UDFA contract in the 2002 season.

Unfortunately, he re-injured his foot in a 2003 playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, which precipitated another surgery.

He had to undergo seven surgeries on that particular foot and remained in crutches for 16 months.

Later in 2004, Maat was released by the Giants and then had brief stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings before being released by the Vikings six weeks into the 2005 season.

Matt Mitrione | Mixed martial arts career

Matt Mitrione was introduced into the mixed martial arts world by his close friend Jayson Werth during their conversation.

After getting introduced, he got highly influenced and relocated with his family to Indianapolis to begin his full-time training to compete in MMA.

“Jayson invited me to fight on an MMA card he was promoting, and I thought yeah, that’d be fun,” he said. “I got injured and couldn’t fight, but I got into the sport. I started training, and about six months later, I was on a little show called The Ultimate Fighter.”

Additionally, Matt competed in the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter competition show in 2010. Right after getting on the show, he even got the unofficial nickname “Meathead” from his coach Rashad Evans.

Then finally, he made his professional MMA debut at The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights finale and defeated Marcus Jones via KO early in the second round.

Likewise, in his next fight, he then faced fighter Kimbo Slice at UFC 113 in Montreal. Matt chopped Kimbo down with leg kicks and eventually defeated him through punches in the second round, making his professional record 2–0.

Matt mitrione VS Marcus
Marcus Jones VS Matt Mitrione.

Following his win, on September 25, 2010, Matt faced Joey Beltran at UFC 119 and won the match with the Fight of the Night award. Likewise, Matt started having an immensely successful MMA career as he kept winning the fights.

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Moreover, after that, Matt competed and faced several UFC fights and beat many legendary fighters such as Shawn JordanStefan Struve,  Brendan SchaubDerrick LewisRoy NelsonBen RothwellGabriel Gonzaga, and many more.

Matt Mitrione VS Gonzaga
Gabriel Gonzaga VS Matt Mitrione.

On January 17, 2016, Matt faced Travis Browne and lost the fight via TKO in the third round, suffering a gruesome eye injury two eye pokes from Browne throughout the fight.

It was the last fight on Matt’s contract, and later, he opted for the free agency market.

What happened to Matt Mitrione’s eye? | Matt Mitrione’s Eye Injury 

Matt Mitrione faced a horrific eye injury in his loss to Travis Browne in the heavyweight division, which became controversial after his picture of swollen eyes got viral on social sites.

Matt Mitrione VS Travis
Travis Browne VS Matt Mitrione.

Moreover, the swelling was so bad that Mitrione was unable to see out of his right eye. Similarly, he was even left near-defenseless when Travis took him down to the canvas despite being cleared to fight on by the doctor.

Later, Matt made a Twitter post with the swollen eye, revealing that his orbital bone had been broken and the eye poke had caused it.

Fortunately, Mitrione had a speedy recovery with the same good vision just a few days after and returned to action in Octagon again.

Matt Mitrione | Was Matt Mitrione in Bellator MMA ?

Mitrione officially signed with Bellator MMA on March 14, 2016, and made his promotional debut against Carl Seumanutafa. Eventually, in his first debut, Matt won the fight via knockout in the first round.

Matt fighting at MMA
Matt is fighting at Bellator MMA.

Embracing his quick return to the Bellator cage, Matt faced Oli Thompson on his next match and again won the back-and-forth fight via TKO in the second round.

Similarly, on February 16, 2018, Mitrione competed with Roy Nelson in the quarterfinals of the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament and won the fight.

Roy Nelson and Matt Mitrione
Roy Nelson and Matt Mitrione

After that, Matt faced Ryan Bader but lost the fight due to a unanimous decision. Similarly, Matt luck ran out for the victory once more at Bellator 225 on August 24, 2019, after losing the fight against Sergei Kharitonov.

“My ultimate goal is to be a world champion. “I know if I put in the hard work, I will get there.”

Moreover, in his recent fight against Timothy Johnson on August 7, 2020, in Bellator 243 also ended up in loss via technical knockout in the first round.

We hope Matt will soon get back in action and bring his charm back inside the octagon with numerous victories.

Matt Mitrione | Highlights

Mitrione on the octagon is a treat to watch. You can see some of his most significant feuds on this video:

Follow Matt Mitrione – Tapology to see details and updates about his professional life.

Matt Mitrione | Net worth and Income

As we all know, Matt is not only successful as an MMA fighter but also popular. From his fame in the MMA and football world, Matt’s fans have wanted to know just how much he makes from his career. 

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Well, according to several sources, Matt’s net worth has been assumed to be $3 million. Also, from his work as a professional mixed martial artist, Matt earns around $225,000 yearly.

Apart from the salary and bonus, Matt also earns extra from her endorsement and sponsorship deals. However, he has not revealed his exact profit and assets.

But for now, he seems to be living a lavish and comfortable life.

Matt Mitrione | Personal life and Kids

Talking about Matt’s personal life, he was previously married to Tina Mitrione. Sadly, besides her name, any additional details are unknown in the media. Similarly, they have also not revealed how and where they met and got married.

Matt and Tina Mitrione
Matt and Tina Mitrione.

It might have to do with the fact that Matt and Tina are no longer together. The couple separated in 2014 after spending nine years together. 

Moreover, they share three beautiful children from their marriage, two sons named Jonah Mitrione and Jacob Mitrione and a daughter named Gia Mitrione.

Despite that, it has not stopped Matt from dating. It seems the MMA fighter has found himself a new woman. Looking from his social media posts, Matt is currently dating a pretty blonde girl whose name is yet to be revealed.

Well, aside from posting several pictures, the MMA fighter has not dropped any hints and details on her beloved partner. It does not come as a shock to us as he has been protective of his family as well.

Matt Mitrione | Social Media Presence

Matt Mitrione is quite active in social media and has built a huge social profile. He is available on most popular social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Moreover, Matt has around 98.7K followers on Twitter, with about 16.1k tweets to date. Similarly, he has around 60.2K followers on Instagram and 47,300 followers on Facebook.

Some FAQs:

 How much is Matt Mitrione’s net worth?

According to several sources, Matt Mitrione’s net worth is assumed to be around $3 million.

Is Matt Mitrione also an actor?

Matt Mitrione played a role in the 2015 movie “Street Death Fight.

Is Matt Mitrione planning a retirement?

No, Matt Mitrione is not planning to retire anytime soon.

What is Matt Mitrione – Fedor Emelianenko issue?

Matt Mitrione won over Fedor Emelianenko in the first round of the Bellator NYC co-main event. This is indeed his signature career victory.

The feud almost ended in a double knockout when both of them landed simultaneous punches, dropping the opponent. 

Mitrione said, “I was able to get on top of him before he was able to get on top of me.” He further added “Fedor’s easily the best fighter I’ve ever fought.

It’s wild to say that (because) I’ve had rounds under my belt before, and I only fought him for two minutes, and I can tell you that he’s that good. He’s very, very good.”

What happened to Matt Mitrione’s mouthpiece?

When Mitrione faced off against Sergei Kharitonov for the second at Bellator 225, the fight had a poor end with Mitrione punting Kharitonov in the dick. In fact, he sent his opponent to the hospital and no contest happened that day. 

When the rematch took place, Mitrione’s mouthpiece fell out multiple times. 

Sanjib Sah
Sanjib Sah
Sanjib Sah is an engineer and content writer passionate about sports and athletics. With a background in engineering and a love for all things active, Sanjib brings a unique perspective to the world of sports writing. Whether he is covering the latest trends in sports technology or sharing tips on improving your game, Sanjib's words are always rooted in a deep appreciation for players' hard work and dedication everywhere. In his free time, you can find him hitting the courts or hitting the trails, always looking for new ways to challenge himself and improve his skills.

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