Kody Steele - Energetic BJJ & MMA Fighter

Kody Steele, born in Port Angeles, Washington, is a professional grappling athlete. He was awarded a black belt in 2020 in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Rodrigo Cabral from Brazilian Fight Factory (affiliated with Checkmat). He is also a professional MMA fighter. Within two years, Steele became an outstanding athlete in BJJ. He advanced through the ranks and achieved first place in Third Coast Grappling and The EBI Combat competitions. After beating a two-time world champion, DJ Jackson, Steele became a well-known grappler. He also became a global icon when he won the Welterweight Combat Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in 2109 against Jean-Paul Bunyan.

On April 21, 1995, Kody Steele was born in Port Angeles, Washington, USA. Steele was involved in several sports, like football and baseball. When he was 13 years old, his interest in wrestling developed during middle school. He played wrestling in a club for many years; he challenged three main styles of the earliest combat form- Greco-Roman, freestyle, and folk style.

In 2013, Steele moved to Texas, where he realized that there was a lack of wrestling institutions in Texas, so he decided to set foot in Jiu-Jitsu. He found a coach at the Brazilian Fight Factory- Rodrigo Cabral, who guided him throughout his journey from white to black belt.

During one of Kody Steele's interviews, he talks about his passion for wrestling. He said:

Steele has become one of the most outstanding grapplers as he accords brilliant performances with the professionals in the grappling circuit. He has been awarded multiple medals in his career, including; Kasai Pro, Fight 2 win, Who's Number One, Polaris, and Submission Underground. Some of the well-known athletes he fought against are Mauricio Gomez, Andy Varela, David Garmo, Zach Greene, Edwin Najmi, PJ Barch, Ruben Coronado, Phillip Rowe, Roman Wheeler, Vagna Rocha, Jed Hue, Bryan Nuro, Dante Leon, and Tye Ruotolo. One of his top achievements was winning the Welterweight Combat Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in 2019 against Jean-Paul Bunyan.

Kody Steele has mastered multiple wins within two years of his grappling career. He has won against some of the world's top BJJ athletes in tournaments, like David Garmo at Fight 2 Win 150, Edwin Najmi at Third Coast Grappling, and Alec Baulding at Who's Number One in 2020. One of their best fights of Steele was in the ADCC East Coast Trials in 2021, where he defeated five players, including Adrian Gonzalez and Jonathon Satavaand, who won the match. Still, unfortunately, he lost to William Tackett, his fellow teammate, in the semi-finals.

He had an intense match with PJ Barch where he was awarded a win by referee decision and a bronze medal.

Kody Steele has become a top-class fighter since he acquired the black belt. He has a professional record of 17 wins and 12 losses since the beginning of his career. He has been a champion in superfights against elite athletes.

A prior BJJ world champion, Kody Steele, has improved his MMA skills over the past few years. In 2021, he made his competent debut in MMA at Fury FC 56 against Jessee Gangler. Initially, he stuck to the amateur ranks for his fights, but after he won it conveniently, he eventually jumped to professional fights in 2022. Since then, he won all the fights at the Fury Challenger Series.

Despite having a reputation in BJJ, Steele considers himself a well-rounded fighter. He says:

As a result of winning all fights, Steele has been promoted to UFC, but in an interview, he says that participating in Dana White's Contender Series will be ideal for him.

In 2021 ADCC North American East Coast trials, Kody Steele fought against PJ Barch in the semi-finals. The fight lasted 6 minutes, during which Kody Steele first tried his guillotine technique to take Barch down and then for submission. Both the players played immensely none of them won any points, but Steele won by referee decision and stands for a bronze medal on the podium.

In 2021, Who’s Number One 10, a grappling fight was held between Phillip Rowe and Kody Steele. It was a 15-minute match, both athletes tried hard to be submissive. The fight starts with a standing guard, but Steele uses a guillotine to choke his opponent. Attempting his dangerous moves, hooks Rowe and wins the match by referee decision.

In 2023 Who’s Number One 21, an exciting match occurred between Kody Steele and Mica Galvao. The match goes on aggressively for 15 minutes, Galvao uses a guillotine choke and locks Steele’s leg. Steele tries RNC, but Galvao mounts him again and wins the match.

Fury 49 Kody Steele vs Kane Lewis

Kody Steele vs Andy Varela

Alec Baulding vs Kody Steele - Who's Number One 2020

Full Match: Dante Leon vs. Kody Steele | Who's Number One

Photo Credit: @kody_steelebjj