Dakota Cochrane

Dakota Galen Cochrane (born May 1, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who fights in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions.

He has competed for Bellator MMA, Resurrection Fighting Alliance, Legacy Fighting Championship, Titan Fighting Championships, and Legacy Fighting Alliance.

Cochrane is currently competing as a bare-knuckle boxer in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).

He has victories over former UFC fighters Johny Hendricks and Chris Leben.

Cochrane attended University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he was an all-league pole vaulter and relay runner.

Cochrane competed seven times as an amateur, going undefeated.

He made his pro debut in November 2009.

Cochrane began his professional career in late 2009, amassing a 4–0 start before his first loss to future UFC fighter TJ O'Brien in July 2010.

O'Brien used his grappling to defeat Cochrane by rear naked choke early in the first round.

Cochrane bounced back from the loss bringing his record to 11–1 including a late replacement bout against former WEC champion Jamie Varner at Titan Fighting Championships 20 on September 23, 2011.

The fight was taken on four days' notice and was fought at a catch-weight of 165 lb. Cochrane dominated the fight—both standing and on the ground—in a hard-fought unanimous-decision win.

Cochrane appeared in the first episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live facing James Vick.

He lost to Vick via split decision.

Cochrane then fought former NCAA wrestling standout Ramico Blackmon at RFA 1 on December 16, 2011 in Kearney, Nebraska.

Cochrane lost the fight by a 3-round unanimous decision in which Blackmon used his superior wrestling to neutralize Cochrane's stand up attack.

Cochrane lost for the second straight time in the RFA when he was submitted in the first round by Cliff Wright at RFA 2 on March 30, 2012.

Cochrane took down Wright early in the round, but Wright was able to reverse the position, get Cochrane's back, and subsequently choke Cochrane unconscious with a rear naked choke.

Cochrane next defeated former UFC lightweight title contender Joe Stevenson in the main event of RFA 3 on June 30, 2012.

After outstriking and outgrappling an out of shape Stevenson, Cochrane was able to sink in a rear naked choke to force the tap 64 seconds into the second round.

Cochrane won his second straight RFA fight at RFA 4 with a dominant victory over Derrick Burnsed.

After escaping several submission attempts from Burnsed early on, Cochrane was able to latch on to a fight-ending armbar late in the first round.

Cochrane defeated Deivison Francisco Ribeiro via TKO due to elbows in the third round at RFA 6, Cochrane dominated the fight before finishing Ribeiro.

Cochrane stepped inside the cage again at RFA 17 against Christos Giagos for RFA's inaugural lightweight title on August 22 at the Sanford Pentagon, which was South Dakota's first-ever sanctioned MMA event.

He lost the fight by KO due to a flying knee in round 2.

This marked the first time Dakota had been knocked out in his career.

Cochrane stepped in for an injured Derek Campos to face Alexander Sarnavskiy at Bellator 128 on October 10, 2014.

He lost the fight via rear naked choke submission in the first round.

Cochrane faced Ryan Couture at Bellator 135 on March 27, 2015.

He lost the fight via rear naked choke submission in the first round and was subsequently released from the promotion.

Cochrane replaced Brennan Ward at World Bare Knuckle Fighting Federation's inaugural event on November 9, 2018.

He defeated Johny Hendricks by technical knockout in the second round.

Cochrane's next bare-knuckle boxing match was against Chris Leben at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 6: Malignaggi vs. Lobov on June 22, 2019.

Cochrane won the match by unanimous decision.

Cochrane was booked to face Tyler Vogel at BKFC 15: Shewmaker vs. O'Bannon on December 11, 2020.

He won by fifth-round TKO.

Dakota and his wife Lacey have three children.