5 Things You Might Not Know About Darrick Minner

Darrick Minner almost guarantees a pleasurable viewing experience—a trait that has endeared him to promoters for more than a decade.

The well-traveled 32-year-old featherweight will look to even his Ultimate Fighting Championship record at 3-3 when he meets Nuerdanbieke Shayilan in the featured UFC Fight Night 214 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Minner, who has gone the distance just five times in his 39-fight career, finds himself on the rebound following back-to-back losses. He last competed at UFC 269, where he dropped a unanimous decision to “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 22 winner Ryan Hall in their three-round UFC 269 confrontation.

As Minner approaches his forthcoming clash with Shayilan at 145 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He carries a small-town chip on his shoulder.

Minner was born on April 28, 1990 in Auburn, Nebraska—a city of less than 4,000 people located some 70 miles south of Omaha. He wrestled at Nebraska City High School before moving on the don the singlet at Iowa Western Community College in nearby Council Bluffs, Iowa.

2. An inauspicious start fueled him.

The Nebraskan made his professional mixed martial arts debut at the age of 22 and submitted to a guillotine choke from Dominic Blanco just 73 seconds into their encounter under the Disorderly Conduct banner in 2012. Minner went on to win his next five bouts, slowly but surely establishing himself as a person of interest on the Midwest regional scene.

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3. He reached the end of one rainbow.

Minner captured the Dynasty Combat Sports featherweight championship in April 2018, as he dismissed Joey Munoz with a second-round rear-naked choke in the DCS 41 main event. He retained his title on one occasion—he put Charlie DuBray to sleep with a shoulder choke at DCS 57—before signing with the UFC in 2020.

4. He minds his surroundings.

The 32-year-old now operates out of Glory MMA in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, where he sharpens his skills under the direction of UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting veteran James Krause. Minner has also spent time at the Premier Combat Center and Xtreme Couture, leaving no stone unturned in an attempt to get the most out of his skills.

5. A live-by-the-sword-die-by-the-sword approach defines him.

Minner has delivered 22 of his 26 career victories—a remarkable 85% of them—by submission. His methods of choice: 11 guillotine chokes, five rear-naked chokes, two triangle chokes, two armbars, one kneebar and one shoulder choke. Minner has also suffered eight of his 13 pro defeats (62%) by submission. The maneuvers to which he has fallen prey: two armbars, two triangle armbars, one guillotine choke, one triangle choke, one brabo choke and one rear-naked choke.