5 Things You Might Not Know About Tony Gravely

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC Fight Night 207 "Volkov vs. Rozenstruik" live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Tony Gravely would undoubtedly prefer to make a move in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division sooner rather than later.

The 30-year-old Martinsville, Virginia, native will do battle with the once-beaten Johnny Munoz Jr. as part of the UFC Fight Night 207 undercard on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Gravely enters the Octagon with some momentum, having won 10 of his past 12 fights. He last competed at UFC 270, where he laid claim to a three-round unanimous decision over Saimon Oliveira on Jan. 22.

As Gravely makes final preparations for his forthcoming confrontation with Munoz, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He sharpened his iron on a familiar anvil.

Gravely was a four-time all-state wrestler at Magna Vista High School in Virginia, where he piled up 137 career victories and enjoyed two undefeated seasons. He went on to wrestle collegiately at Appalachian State University, winning two Southern Conference championships and becoming a two-time NCAA qualifier at 125 pounds.

2. Martial arts are in his DNA.

The son of a taekwondo instructor, Gravely not surprisingly holds the rank of black belt in the discipline. He made his professional MMA debut in 2015 and has delivered nine of his 22 career wins by knockout or technical knockout. Anthony Birchak, Ray Rodriguez, Kris Moutinho and Drako Rodriguez are among his victims.

3. His track record speaks for itself.

Gravely has captured championships in four different organizations: King of the Cage, CES MMA, Fight Lab Promotions and PA Cage Fight. His reign in CES MMA included two successful title defenses and resulted in his being invited to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019. Gravely earned a contract on Week 8 of DWCS, doing so alongside Brok Weaver and Sarah Alpar.

4. Necessary change was part of his progression.

The DWCS graduate in 2020 left the Tech MMA and Fitness Academy and relocated to American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, where he now trains under esteemed coaches like Mike Thomas Brown, Marcos da Matta and Marcus “Conan” Silveira. Gravely has won three of his four fight since.

5. He thrives in attrition.

Gravely has gone the distance 11 times in his 29-fight career and carries a 10-1 record in those bouts. The lone outlier? A three-round unanimous decision defeat to Merab Dvalishvili—now a Top 10 bantamweight in the UFC—at Ring of Combat 57 on Nov. 18, 2016.