Drakkar Klose and his wife, Cortney Casey, are undeniably the power duo in the UFC, with a shared compassion for the mixed martial arts.
While Klose competes in the Lightweight division, his spouse, Cortney is a Strawweight division fighter in the UFC.
It won’t be wrong to tag them as the combo of a romantic couple, training partners & mentors.
Each of them has their own story that got them into the MMA world.
For Drakkar Klose, it came as a gateway to a stable career after being kicked out of college. On the other, Casey trained in mixed martial arts after her injury cut short her soccer career.
Klose, a Kalamazoo, Michigan native, fought amateur bouts for three years standing with a 7-0 record before his professional debut in 2014.
For a couple of years, he fought in promotions like Rage in the Cage, RFA, Talachi, and WFF, preventing any loss but a draw, with a 7-0-1.
In 2016, Drakkar joined Dana White‘s promotion, the UFC, and got a victory (via UA) in his debut, against Devin Powell in the UFC Fight Night: 103.
Then, it would see him going head-to-head with MMA fighters like Marc Diakiese, Bobby Green, Rafa García, and Brandon Jenkins.
His most recent fight was against Joe Solecki at UFC on ESPN: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan, on December 2, 2023, which he won.
Drakkar Klose Wife: Who Is Cortney Casey? Age And Wikipedia
Drakkar’s wife, Cortney Casey, has recognition as a proficient MMA fighter besides being his life partner. Arguably, she is one of the fierce female UFC fighters.
Born in Mesa, Arizona, on May 5, 1987, the Strawweight division diva is 36 years old as of 2024.
She is nearly one year older than her husband, Drakkar Klose, born on March 9, 1988; he is 36 now.
While Casey has a height of 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m), her beau stands 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall.
The UFC couple have been together for many years but the exact date of their courtship or wedding is not out. Probably, they began dating in the late 2010s, having met through the UFC.
Cortney and Drakker share a son Kingston Klose, born in July 2019, which makes him 4 now.
Klose’s wife often shares pictures of her husband & son on her Instagram (@castironcasey).
In August 2023, she confirmed her second pregnancy via Instagram & wrote, “Our family is excited & blessed to be adding another little boy to the crew!!”
In the picture, Casey along with her beau & son posed together while the latter wore a t-shirt that read “Big Bro”. Their second baby is due in February 2024.
Why And How Did Drakker’s Wife Join The MMA?
Even if Cortney used to take karate classes as a kid, she never thought it would be her career. Before MMA, she was a collegiate soccer player at the University of Texas at El Paso.
However, during her senior year, she shattered her tailbone and as a result, she had to quit soccer. So, to divert herself, she joined jujutsu which gradually inclined her to mixed martial arts.
Having made a 4-1 record in Pacific Xtreme Combat and XFC, Casey made her UFC debut on July 18, 2015, at UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites. However, she lost to Joanne Calderwood.
After another loss to Seo Hee Ham (at UFC Fight Night 79), she secured her first victory against Cristina Stanciu at UFC Fight Night 91, on July 13, 2016.
Then, she had bouts with the likes of Randa Markos, Gillian Robertson, Felice Herrig, Cynthia Calvillo, JJ Aldrich, and Antonina Shevchenko.
Casey has an overall MMA record of 10-10-0.
Cortney Casey Family: Parents And Siblings
The American mixed martial artist was born to the late Mr. Casey and Sylvia Koppen. When she was very young (around 4 years old), her parents split.
As reported, she didn’t have a good bond with her dad who worked in mines, unlike her other siblings.
In an episode of the Apemanstrong podcast in 2020, the UFC fighter spoke about the demise of her father & brother.
Her dad died in September 2015 due to a heart attack while her brother died of melanoma cancer in February 2016.
Cortney is the youngest of three siblings. She has an elder sister Colleen Zinn who is married & a mother of three kids with her strongman competitor husband.
Her late older brother whom she refers to as “Bobo” died at 41 in 2016; he was born on January 29, 1975. Casey even wished him a posthumous 45th birthday in 2020.
The MMA fighter’s mother Sylvia’s been married to her second husband, Larry Koppen (Cortney’s stepfather) since September 10, 1997.
Her stepdad and mom are owners of Aim Wholesale, Inc., a recreational vehicle wholesale distributor, in Phoenix Arizona.
