Will Brooks

Willie Love Brooks, born on October 8, 1986, in Chicago, Illinois, navigated a challenging upbringing. His early life involved moving through various schools due to behavioral issues related to fighting. Brooks discovered a path in sports, initially wrestling at Warren Township High School, but his primary focus was football. He excelled in football, earning an All-American title in his first year at Harper College. A knee injury during college led him away from aspirations in the NFL, resulting in a period involving partying and substance use before a re-engagement with martial arts, influenced by an old high school friend. This turning point led him to Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, ultimately setting the foundation for his mixed martial arts career.

Brooks initiated his professional MMA journey in January 2011, establishing an undefeated record of 7-0 within his first two years, competing primarily in Illinois. His breakthrough came in late 2012 when he was invited to Japan by the DREAM organization, where he defeated veteran Satoru Kitaoka via TKO at Dream 18 on December 31, 2012, marking his international debut. This performance attracted the attention of Bellator Fighting Championships, which signed him in January 2013. During his tenure at Bellator, Brooks participated in and won the Bellator Season 9 Lightweight Tournament in 2013, leading to a title shot. He subsequently defeated Michael Chandler via split decision at Bellator 120 in 2014 to become the Interim Bellator Lightweight Champion. Later that year, he secured the undisputed Bellator Lightweight Championship by defeating Chandler again at Bellator 131. He successfully defended his title twice against Dave Jansen at Bellator 136 in 2015 and Marcin Held at Bellator 145 in late 2015.

In May 2016, Brooks was released from Bellator MMA and subsequently signed a six-fight deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in June 2016. He made a successful UFC debut against Ross Pearson at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale in July 2016, winning by unanimous decision. His UFC career continued with matches against Alex Oliveira, Charles Oliveira, and Nik Lentz between 2016 and 2017. Following his departure from the UFC in February 2018, Brooks joined the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where he competed in the 2018 Lightweight tournament, securing two unanimous decision victories before exiting the tournament via a draw that resulted in a tiebreaker elimination. Since his time in the PFL, Brooks has continued to compete in various organizations such as XMMA, Art of Scrap, and Titan FC, where he captured the Titan FC Welterweight Championship and the SBC Welterweight Championship in 2023.