Tony Gravely (born September 28, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division. A professional since 2015, he is most notable for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Background
Gravely's father was a taekwondo instructor for over 25 years, so he started taking Tae Kwon Do when he was about three or four years old. He trained and competed in Tae Kwon Do until he started wrestling in sixth grade, continuing wrestling from sixth grade all the way through college.
A native of Martinsville, Virginia, Gravely attended Magna Vista High School, where he was a four-time all-state wrestler. He had two undefeated seasons and was a two-time Virginia state champion while wrestling in high school.
After high school, Gravely attended Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina on a wrestling scholarship. In three seasons wrestling for the Mountaineers, Gravely appeared in two NCAA Tournaments and won a Southern Conference Tournament Championship. He left Appalachian State with a major in construction management.
According to the Martinsville Bulletin, Gravely quit his construction project manager day job in 2016 and decided to focus full-time on an MMA career. He trained at Tech MMA Academy in Southwest Virginia for years as he pursued a professional fighting career.