Peter Sobotta

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Peter Sobotta is a retired mixed martial artist who was born in Poland on January 11, 1987, and grew up in Balingen, Germany. He competed in the UFC’s welterweight division and also fought in KSW. He finished his career in 2020 after 33 professional fights, with 25 wins, 7 losses, and 1 draw.

Growing up, Sobotta’s hero was Jackie Chan, which inspired him to start martial arts. He began with judo, then trained in Kung Fu and Tae Kwon Do, and later picked up Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when an MMA gym opened near his hometown. He had his first pro fight at 17 and built an 8-1 record on European regional circuits before signing with the UFC in 2009.

UFC debut and early years
- Debut: June 13, 2009, at UFC 99 against Paul Taylor (lost by decision).
- A second fight was canceled due to Sobotta’s military commitment.
- Fights at UFC 115 and UFC 122 ended in losses to James Wilks and Amir Sadollah, and Sobotta was released from the promotion.

Return to the UFC and later career
- After three years on the independent circuit, Sobotta returned to the UFC in 2014.
- He defeated Pawel Pawlak at Fight Night 41 for his first UFC win.
- He was set to fight Sérgio Moraes twice in 2015, but Moraes pulled out both times. Sobotta instead fought Steve Kennedy and won by submission in the first round.
- He lost to Kyle Noke at UFC 193 in 2015.
- A planned May 2016 fight with Dominic Waters was canceled due to Sobotta’s injury; Leon Edwards replaced him.
- In September 2016, Sobotta defeated Nicolas Dalby by unanimous decision.
- In May 2017, he beat Ben Saunders by TKO in the second round.
- In March 2018, Sobotta lost to Leon Edwards by TKO.
- In 2019, he was set to fight Alessio Di Chirico but pulled out due to an injury and was replaced by Makhmud Muradov.
- He fought Alex Oliveira on July 26, 2020, at UFC on ESPN 14 and lost by decision.
- After his last fight, Sobotta announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.

Personal notes
- Sobotta holds dual Polish and German citizenship and fought out of Balingen, Germany.
- He wore a Jamaican flag at a weigh-in to send a “One Love” message, reflecting his choice to represent Jamaica in the UFC.
- He married Lisa Sobotta in December 2017, and they have two sons.

Key stats
- Height: 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m)
- Reach: 75 inches (191 cm)
- Weight class: Welterweight (around 170 lb / 77 kg)
- Fighting out of: Balingen, Germany
- Team: Planet Eater
- Trainer: Dean Lister
- Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Professional career: 2004–2020