5 Things You Might Not Know About Sidney Outlaw

Sidney Outlaw could not have picked a much more difficult row to hoe.

The well-traveled 31-year-old will do battle with homegrown Bellator MMA cornerstone A.J. McKee in a three-round Bellator 301 lightweight showcase on Friday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Outlaw enters the cage having won 12 of his past 14 bouts. He last appeared at Bellator 298, where he outpointed Islam Mamedov to a unanimous decision across three rounds on Aug. 11.

As Outlaw approaches his forthcoming showdown with McKee at 155 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. Dependability has been a hallmark.

Outlaw made his professional mixed martial arts debut at the age of 20 when he cut down Mtume Goodrum with second-round punches at a Cage Fury Fighting Championships show on Feb. 2, 2013. He has been a model of consistency ever since. Outlaw has fought at least once in 11 consecutive calendar years.

2. He thrived as a big fish in a small pond.

The Philadelphia native was a two-division champion in the well-regarded Ring of Combat organization. Outlaw captured the vacant welterweight crown with a unanimous decision over Tajuddin Abdul Hakim at ROC 58 in February 2017, then claimed the vacant lightweight title with a first-round rear-naked choke submission of James Rumley at ROC 59 some three months later.

3. He failed to impress potential allies in high places.

Outlaw took a unanimous verdict from Michael Cora during Season 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017 but did not earn an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract. His efforts—along with those of Thanh Le, Dan Spohn and Casey Kenney—were overshadowed by the performance of Sean O’Malley, who was signed by the UFC and went on to become its undisputed bantamweight champion.

4. Tactics and preparation are clear priorities.

“Da Gun” operates out of the revered Kill Cliff Fight Club outfit in Deerfield Beach, Florida, which offers him daily access to top-notch coaches and world-class training partners. Among those who have called the gym home: former UFC champions Kamaru Usman, Robbie Lawler, Luke Rockhold, Vitor Belfort and Rashad Evans, along with three-time Bellator titleholder Michael Chandler.

5. He has been known to go out in a blaze of glory.

Three of Outlaw’s five career defeats have resulted in sub-minute finishes. He succumbed to punches from Nick Browne in 25 seconds at a World Series of Fighting event in 2014, submitted to an Elijah Harshbarger rear-naked choke in 46 seconds at Ring of Combat 53 in 2015 and bowed to punches from Tofiq Musayev at Bellator 283 in 2022.