Carey D. Vanier Sr. (born August 3, 1981) is a retired Guyanese-American mixed martial arts fighter. A professional from 2006 until 2014, he is perhaps best remembered for his stint in Bellator.

Background

He began wrestling at an early age, and as a senior in high school, he finished sixth at the state wrestling finals. He enrolled at Ridgewater College, where he was eventually named an All-American.

Mixed martial arts career

Bellator

After obtaining an 8-2 record, Carey was signed to the Bellator brand and will enter their second season lightweight tournament that started in April 2010. Carey won his first fight against Joe Duarte via TKO in the third round. The win moved him onto the semi-final round, where he lost to Toby Imada. He fought and defeated UFC veteran Rich Clementi in a closely contested match at Bellator 28. At one point in the second round, Vanier grabbed a hold of the fence to defend a takedown. In the third round he landed two illegal knee strikes to Clementi's face; however, the referee did not deduct a point for them. The win earned Vanier a spot in the fourth-season lightweight tournament. In October, Vanier moved to New Mexico and began training with Greg Jackson's team. His first fight as a part of his new team came at Bellator 36 against Lloyd Woodard. Vanier was defeated in the second round via TKO. The fight was a quarter-final fight in Bellator's season four lightweight tournament.

Personal life

Vanier was born in Hopetown Village, Guyana, and moved to Minnesota at age 3 where he has lived ever since. After graduating from Ridgewater, he held off on fighting in order to support his young son, Carey Jr. He took a job at the local Best Buy and worked his way up the ranks until he was named store manager.

Mixed martial arts record