name	UFC 41: Onslaught
promotion	Ultimate Fighting Championship
date	February 28, 2003
venue	Boardwalk Hall
city	Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
attendance	13,401
buyrate	60,000
previousevent	UFC 40: Vendetta
followingevent	UFC 42: Sudden Impact }}

''UFC 41: Onslaught'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 28, 2003, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, and later released on DVD.

History

UFC 41 featured two championship bouts, a Heavyweight Championship Bout between Ricco Rodriguez and Tim Sylvia, and a Lightweight Championship Bout between BJ Penn and Caol Uno. The event also marked the return of Tank Abbott to the UFC.

Results

Preliminary card

Lightweight bout: Yves Edwards vs. Rich Clementi :Edwards wins by submission due to a rear naked choke at 4:07 of Round 3.

Heavyweight bout: Gan McGee vs. Alexandre Dantas :McGee wins by technical knockout due to strikes at 4:49 of Round 1.

Lightweight bout: Din Thomas vs. Matt Serra :Thomas wins by split decision. Originally, Matt Serra had won by majority decision. Further inspection revealed that Judge Doc Hamilton had transposed his scoring in the final round, accidentally giving Serra's column the winning score of ten instead of its intended slot to Thomas. Setting a precedent for the sport, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board deemed the decision be reversed, and UFC president Dana White personally reported the change to Thomas and his team.

Main card

Heavyweight bout: Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Pedro Rizzo :Matyushenko wins by unanimous decision.

Middleweight bout: Matt Lindland vs. Phil Baroni :Lindland wins by unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 29–28.

Lightweight Championship bout: B.J. Penn vs. Caol Uno :Penn and Uno fought to a split draw after five rounds. Judges scored the bout 48–47 Uno, 48–46 Penn, and 48–48. This match was the final match of a 4-man tournament that took place over several cards to crown a new lightweight champion, the first round occurred on ''UFC 39''. Without a definite outcome, the title remained vacant.

Heavyweight bout: Frank Mir vs. Tank Abbott :Mir wins by submission due to a toe hold at :46 of Round 1. This was Abbott's first MMA bout since 1998, when he was defeated by Pedro Rizzo at Ultimate Brazil.

Heavyweight Championship bout: Ricco Rodriguez (c) vs. Tim Sylvia :Sylvia wins by knockout due to strikes at 3:06 of Round 1 to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Lightweight Championship Bracket

External links

Official UFC website

Sherdog event results

Full Contact Fighter March 2003 News

UFC41 fight reviews

Category:UFC events Category:2003 in mixed martial arts Category:Mixed martial arts in the United States Category:Sports in New Jersey Category:2003 in New Jersey

ja:UFC 41 no:UFC 41

name	Frank Mir
birth name	Francisco Santos Miranda
birth date	May 24, 1979
birth place	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
nationality	American
height
weight lb	265
weight class	Heavyweight
reach in	79
style	Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Boxing, Kenpō Karate, Wrestling
stance	Southpaw
fighting out of	Las Vegas, Nevada
team	Xtreme Couture/Frank Mir Training Center
trainer	Mark Dellagrotte, Robert Drysdale
rank	Black belt in Kenpo Karate Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
years active	2001 – present (MMA)
mma win	15
mma kowin	3
mma subwin	8
mma decwin	3
mma dqwin	1
mma loss	5
mma koloss	5
spouse	Jennifer (2004 – present)
school	Bonanza High School
sherdog	2329
updated	May 3, 2011 }}

Frank Mir (born Francisco Santos Miranda. May 24, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist, as well as a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kenpō Karate, who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion. Mir currently holds the record for most victories in the heavyweight division of the UFC with 13. As of May, 2011, Mir was ranked the #7 heavyweight in the world by Sherdog#9 heavyweight in the world by MMAWeekly as of August 2011 #8 heavyweight by Yahoo! Sports & Fight! Magazine.He holds notable victories over Tim Sylvia, Brock Lesnar, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Cheick Kongo, Mirko Filipović and Roy Nelson.

Early life

While watching the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event, ''UFC 1: The Beginning'', Mir was not yet convinced of the benefits in learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: "I was fourteen watching the first UFC with my father and everyone was getting taken down and choked out by this scrawny Royce Gracie. I could not believe it was happening! My dad wanted to learn what they were doing right off the bat, but I defended what I already knew. I thought I could adjust for it. I felt I could defend against jiu-jitsu instead of being humble and trying to learn it."

His father convinced him to begin wrestling, on the basis that it could help him avoid submissions. Mir then began wrestling at Bonanza High School in Las Vegas, Nevada where during his junior year he lost his first nine matches. During his senior year (1998) he went 44-1 and won the state championship. He was also on the school's football team that reached the Southern Zone semifinals in 1997 and where he played as fullback and defensive end. He also took up track and field in 1998 where his discus throw of 177 feet, 10 inches is still a Sunset Regional record.

In 2004 after defeating Tim Sylvia at ''UFC 48: Payback'' Mir received his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Ricardo Pires after only 5 years of training.

Mir worked as a bouncer at the Spearmint Rhino strip club in Las Vegas before entering the UFC, and continued to work as Director of Security there while pursuing his UFC career. In addition to fighting in the UFC, Mir was a color commentator for World Extreme Cagefighting up until 2010.

Mixed martial arts career

Mir met UFC matchmaker Joe Silva at a school Silva was visiting. Silva saw potential in Mir as a future UFC fighter and suggested that he first prove himself against some fighters in the mixed martial arts world. Mir would make his professional MMA debut against Jerome Smith at ''HOOKnSHOOT: Showdown'' on July 14, 2001. Mir won the bout by judges' decision after two rounds. He won another match by submission at ''IFC Warriors Challenge 15''.

After these events, Mir made his UFC debut against Roberto Travern. Traven had fought once in the UFC before (at ''UFC 11''), and was the 1999 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship open class champion and 6th degree black belt in BJJ. Mir defeated Roberto Travern by armbar at 1:05 of round one at ''UFC 34: High Voltage'' on November 2, 2001. The submission earned Mir the "Tapout of the Night" award.

Mir's next match in the UFC was against Pete Williams and took place at ''UFC 36: Worlds Collide'' on March 22, 2002. Mir submitted the veteran Williams (who had never been submitted before) at only 46 seconds into the first round with a shoulder lock that has since been named after Mir.

He faced Ian Freeman, at ''UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall'', held in London, England on July 13, 2002. Despite several leglock attempts by Mir, Freeman achieved side control at around four minutes into the first round, landing numerous elbows and punches on Mir's head. After Freeman separated, the referee signaled Mir to stand back up. A time out was called due to an apparent cut on Mir's face, and the referee stopped the fight when Mir had difficulty standing up.

Mir then faced David "Tank" Abbott at UFC 41 on February 28, 2003. Mir defeated Abbott in only 46 seconds into the first round by submission (Toe Hold).

On June 26, 2003 Mir fought Wes Sims at ''UFC 43: Meltdown''. Mir won by disqualification at 2:55 of round one after Sims stomped down on Mir's face after slamming his way out of Mir's armbar attempt. They would rematch at ''UFC 46: Supernatural'' on January 31, 2004. Frank Mir won by knockout at 4:21 of round two.

Heavyweight championship

On June 19, 2004, Mir faced Tim Sylvia for the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship at ''UFC 48: Payback''. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 50 seconds into the first round when Mir's armbar visibly broke Sylvia's right forearm. Mir trapped Sylvia's right arm in an armbar attempt. When Sylvia tried to pull out of the hold, Mir jerked back harder and Sylvia's radius bone snapped about 3 inches below his elbow. Sylvia repeatedly claimed his arm was not broken, even touching it and moving it around to show he was O.K. Sylvia was taken to the nearby hospital where an x-ray showed that his arm was in fact broken in four different places.

With this technical submission win Mir became the new UFC Heavyweight Champion and later received his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black-belt for his performance in the fight.

Motorcycle injury

On September 17, 2004, Mir was knocked off his motorcycle by a car. The accident caused a break in Mir's femur and tore all the ligaments in his knee. The bone had broken in two places but the injury did not end Mir's career as a fighter. Major surgery was needed to repair the bone in his leg. An interim heavyweight title was created whilst Mir was recovering from the injury, which Andrei Arlovski won by defeating Tim Sylvia by way of a first round submission. On August 12, 2005, the UFC learned that Mir was not able to fight Andrei Arlovski in October as scheduled, thus Mir was stripped of the title after 14 months, and Arlovski was promoted to be the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion.

Return to the UFC

Mir recovered from his motorcycle accident and fought Márcio Cruz at ''UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3'' on February 4, 2006. In a shocking upset, Mir was defeated by the relative newcomer in the first round by TKO due to strikes. Initially, referee Herb Dean called for a break to check a large cut on Mir's face. Mir was given the opportunity to continue, and did so.

Mir returned to the Octagon on July 8, 2006 at ''UFC 61: Bitter Rivals'' and faced Dan Christison. Mir had gained a considerable amount of weight and quickly became exhausted. Mir won in a lackluster fashion by unanimous decision after three rounds; the judges all scored the bout 29–28. Criticism began to flourish with Mir not looking like the same fighter as he was before, both physically and technically.

Mir next faced Brandon Vera at ''UFC 65: Bad Intentions''. Mir showed slightly improved sharpness on his feet, and boxed well until being stunned by a straight right from Vera. He was then dropped by knees from Vera's Muay Thai clinch, where the smaller Vera delivered elbows & punches from side control, forcing the referee to stop the fight. Mir lost by TKO at only 1:09 of the first round.

Frank Mir was scheduled to fight Antoni Hardonk at ''UFC Fight Night 9'' on April 5, 2007, but had to drop out due to a shoulder injury. Mir recovered from the shoulder injury and fought Antoni Hardonk at ''UFC 74'' and won via kimura in 1:17 of the first round. At the end of the bout, Mir walked to the cameras pointing at himself saying "I'm back!". Frank's wife Jennifer was shown on the replay screaming and crying with joy when Frank secured the kimura and the fight was stopped.

Mir fought Brock Lesnar at ''UFC 81'' on February 2, 2008. Early in the first round, Lesnar took Mir down and, while striking from Mir's guard, landed illegal punches to the back of Mir's head, drawing a foul and a one-point deduction from referee Steve Mazzagatti. They were stood up and Mir was given a brief recovery period, but Lesnar quickly took Mir down again. When Lesnar escaped an armbar attempt, Mir caught him with a kneebar, causing Lesnar to tap out at 1:30 of the first round.

''The Ultimate Fighter'' Season 8

Spike TV on 12 May 2008 announced that the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and former champion Frank Mir would be the coaches for the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter.

The season, which premiered on Spike TV on September 17, returned to the two-weight class format. It featured light heavyweight and lightweight fighters. Production on season eight began in late May, with the entire cast announced in September, and concluded in December.

Interim Heavyweight Championship

Frank Mir fought Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92 for the UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship. This bout was part of a mini-heavyweight tournament, often hyped by Dana White. The winner of this fight would then face the winner of the match between the heavyweight champion Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar. Lesnar won by TKO in the second round, gaining him the heavyweight championship belt in the process and then setting him to face the winner at UFC 100 to unify the belts.

Frank Mir then defeated Nogueira in the second round via TKO due to strikes, showing vastly improved striking (particularly his boxing), by knocking down the Brazilian twice in the first round, and once in the second. He also scored a Judo-trip takedown in round one. Herb Dean stopped the match at 1:54 of the second round. Nogueira's loss marked the first time he had lost a fight by TKO. In a post fight interview, Mir credited his improved striking to a drastic improvement in conditioning.

Two days after the fight Dana White revealed in an interview that "Nogueira had just gotten over a Staph infection". Nogueira himself verified this fact several months later in his own interview, stating that he had a Staph infection "20 days before the fight, [requiring] 5 days in the hospital." When asked if this infection affected his fight, Nogueira answered: "For sure." In addition to this significant illness, his knee was injured during training for which he had surgery in February 2009. Despite these legitimate handicaps, Nogueira offered strong praise for Frank Mir's performance, with particular credit given to Mir's ability to maintain "very good distance".

Heavyweight Championship unification

Frank Mir's victory over Nogueira set in place a re-match with the UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight championship. However, Mir stated, that in his opinion, holding victories over former Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at ''UFC 92'' and current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar at ''UFC 81'' is enough to recognize him as the owner of the "real belt". On May 23, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Frank Mir was scheduled to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 98, however Mir sustained a knee injury during training which required arthroscopic surgery and the removal of bone chips from his knee. Mir's rematch against Brock Lesnar was rescheduled for UFC 100, July 11, 2009.

At ''UFC 100'', Mir was lively on his feet but proved unable to counter Lesnar's wrestling and positional dominance. In the second round, after being allowed to standup, he landed a combo ending with a turning right elbow which forced Lesnar to clinch - proceeding to land a jumping right knee to rock his opponent - he was still unable to prevent the takedown. After a period of recovery from the knee Lesnar pinned Mir up against the cage and delivered multiple unanswered blows to his face, forcing Herb Dean to stop the fight via TKO at 1:48 in the 2nd round. With the win, Brock Lesnar became the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Post title shot

Mir had his next fight against Cheick Kongo on December 12, 2009 at ''UFC 107''. Mir was expected to weigh 20 to 25 lbs heavier than usual, due to the strength and conditioning program that he had undertaken to largely improve his muscular frame. This meant he would have to cut weight to get to the 265 lb limit. As expected, Mir weighed in for his fight against Kongo at 264.5 lbs. At the weigh-ins, Kongo refused to face Mir during the traditional staredown before the fight. During the fight, Mir stunned Kongo with an overhand left early, dropping him and swarming to secure a guillotine choke victory at 1:12 in the first round. Kongo refused to tap and was rendered unconscious by the choke.

In the post-fight press conference Mir expressed his desire to fight a rubber match with Brock Lesnar. Mir later created controversy after commenting that he wanted to break Brock Lesnar's neck, so that he would become the first mixed martial artist to die in competition. Mir later made an apology for his comments.

Mir faced Shane Carwin for the UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship on March 27, 2010 at UFC 111. After a brief standup exchange, Mir established the clinch, where Carwin eventually delivered multiple short, powerful uppercuts to Mir's face. Unable to defend himself, Mir lost the fight via KO at 3:48 of the first round.

At a UFC Fan Expo, Mir said he briefly considered dropping down to the Light heavyweight division, although he later confirmed he will remain at heavyweight.

Mir was expected to face Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira on September 25, 2010 at UFC 119 in a rematch from the Interim Championship bout, which Mir won via TKO at UFC 92. Nogueira pulled out of this fight due to knee surgery and was replaced by Mirko Filipović. Mir defeated Filipović via third round KO, earning the win with a knee from the clinch in a largely uneventful fight where neither fighter was able to deliver any significant offense.

Mir faced Roy Nelson on May 28, 2011 at UFC 130 he won via unanimous decision by using superior control and constant pressure. Pushing against the cage, completing a Judo hip throw and securing several takedowns in the third rounds, showing improved Wrestling. Mir landed several hard knees and elbows from the Muay Thai clinch throughout the entire bout, but was unable to finish Nelson.

Rumors have been surfacing that Mir will fight Brock Lesnar on his return to the UFC in a rubber match in late 2011, or early 2012. A recent video surfaced that Brock Lesnar is healthy and ready to start training again.

Personal life

Frank Mir's father immigrated from Cuba. Mir's paternal grandparents being Moroccan of Russian descent. Frank and his wife Jennifer have three children together.

Championships and achievements

Submission grappling

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

*Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Ricardo Pires

Pan American Championships

* 2001 Blue Belt Pesadissimo: 1st place

North American Grappling Association

* 2007 NAGA Absolute Division Champion

Amateur wrestling

Nevada State Wrestling

*1998 Nevada State Wrestling Champion

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship

*UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time)

*UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship (One time)

*Submission of the Night (One time)

FIGHT! Magazine

Submission of the Year (2008) vs. Brock Lesnar on February 2

Sherdog

*2008 Comeback Fighter of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

|- | Win | align="center" | 15-5 | Roy Nelson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |- | Win | align="center" | 14–5 | Mirko Filipović | KO (knee) | UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 4:02 | Indianapolis, Indiana | |- | Loss | align="center" | 13–5 | Shane Carwin | KO (punches) | UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 3:48 | Newark, New Jersey | For UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship. |- | Win | align="center" | 13–4 | Cheick Kongo | Technical submission (guillotine choke) | UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 1:12 | Memphis, Tennessee | |- | Loss | align="center" | 12–4 | Brock Lesnar | TKO (punches) | UFC 100 | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 1:48 | Las Vegas, Nevada | For Unified UFC Heavyweight Championship. |- | Win | align="center" | 12–3 | Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira | TKO (punches) | UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 1:57 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Won UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship. |- | Win | align="center" | 11–3 | Brock Lesnar | Submission (kneebar) | UFC 81: Breaking Point | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 1:30 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Submission of the Night,Submission of the Year (2008) |- | Win | align="center" | 10–3 | Antoni Hardonk | Submission (kimura) | UFC 74: Respect | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 1:17 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |- | Loss | align="center" | 9–3 | Brandon Vera | TKO (punches) | UFC 65: Bad Intentions | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 1:09 | Sacramento, California | |- | Win | align="center" | 9–2 | Dan Christison | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 61: Bitter Rivals | | align="center" | 3 | align="center" | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |- | Loss | align="center" | 8–2 | Márcio Cruz | TKO (punches and elbows) | UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 4:10 | Las Vegas, Nevada | First fight after the motorcycle accident. |- | Win | align="center" | 8–1 | Tim Sylvia | Technical submission (armbar) | UFC 48: Payback | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:50 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Won UFC Heavyweight Championship. Later vacated after he was unable to defend. |- | Win | align="center" | 7–1 | Wes Sims | KO (punches) | UFC 46: Supernatural | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 4:21 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |- | Win | align="center" | 6–1 | Wes Sims | DQ (kicking a downed opponent) | UFC 43: Meltdown | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 2:55 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |- | Win | align="center" | 5–1 | Tank Abbott | Submission (toe hold) | UFC 41: Onslaught | February 28, 2003 | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:46 | Atlantic City, New Jersey

| |- | Loss | align="center" | 4–1 | Ian Freeman | TKO (punches) | UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 4:35 | London, England | |- | Win | align="center" | 4–0 | Pete Williams | Submission (Modified Shoulder lock) | UFC 36: Worlds Collide | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:46 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Pete Williams retired after the bout. |- | Win | align="center" | 3–0 | Roberto Traven | Submission (armbar) | UFC 34: High Voltage | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 1:05 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |- | Win | align="center" | 2–0 | Dan Quinn | Submission (triangle choke) | International Fighting Championships Warriors Challenge 15 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 2:15 | Oroville, California | |- | Win | align="center" | 1–0 | Jerome Smith | Decision (unanimous) | HOOKnSHOOT – Showdown | | align="center" | 2 | align="center" | 5:00 | Evansville, Indiana |

See also

List of current UFC fighters

Ultimate Fighting Championship

List of male mixed martial artists

References

External links

FrankMir - facebook

FrankMir.com - Official Website

TEAMMIR.com - Official Team Website

Official UFC Profile

|-

Category:American mixed martial artists Category:Mixed martial artists from Nevada Category:Heavyweight mixed martial artists Category:American karateka Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:People from the Las Vegas metropolitan area Category:American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Category:American Muay Thai practitioners Category:American mixed martial artists of Cuban descent Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Category:Mixed martial arts broadcasters Category:American people of Russian descent Category:American people of Cuban descent Category:American people of Moroccan descent

de:Frank Mir es:Frank Mir fr:Frank Mir it:Frank Mir ja:フランク・ミア no:Frank Mir pl:Frank Mir pt:Frank Mir ru:Мир, Фрэнк fi:Frank Mir sv:Frank Mir uk:Френк Мір

name	David Abbott
other names	Tank
birth date	April 26, 1965
birth place	Huntington Beach, California, U.S.
nationality	American
height
weight lb	269
weight class	Super Heavyweight (no limit) Heavyweight (265 lb)
style	Pit Fighting, Wrestling
fighting out of	Huntington Beach, California
years active	1995 - present
mma kowin	6
mma subwin	3
mma decwin	1
mma koloss	6
mma subloss	6
mma decloss	2
sherdog	110
updated	}}

David Lee "Tank" Abbott (born April 26, 1965) is an American mixed martial arts fighter and former professional wrestler. He has described his fighting style, which he developed brawling in the bars and streets of Huntington Beach, California, as "street fighting". Abbott was the first fighter to regularly wear what would be known as traditional MMA gloves in the UFC.

Mixed martial arts career

1995–1998

Abbott was a frequent participant in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Abbott made his mixed martial arts debut in 1995 at UFC 6 Clash of the Titans in Casper, Wyoming. In his opening fight, he knocked out John Matua, who weighed 400 lb, in 18 seconds. Later that night he fought Oleg Taktarov for over 17 minutes before succumbing to a rear naked choke. Both men collapsed in exhaustion after the fight, and Taktarov had to be carried out of the cage. In his first 4 UFC tournament appearances, Abbott advanced at least 1 round in all of them. Around the same time the UFC began switching away from the tournament format, his fortunes declined, as he won only 2 of 5 bouts in '97-'98 before retiring from MMA.

2003–present

Abbott waged an unsuccessful UFC comeback in the mid 2000's, losing fights to Frank Mir, Kimo Leopoldo and Wesley "Cabbage" Correira. He later defeated Cabbage by K.O. in a rematch. Abbott would lose several more matches in regional shows. In February 2008, he had a first round knockout loss to Kimbo Slice at Elite XC's Street Certified event. His next fight—against Mike Bourke on February 13, 2009 at The Selland Arena in Fresno, California—was a part of the Valentine's Eve Massacre Event. Abbott knocked out Bourke in the first round and secured a victory for the first time in nearly four years.

Professional wrestling career (1999–2001)

Abbott worked as a professional wrestler with World Championship Wrestling (WCW); initially he was brought in as an opponent for Goldberg, on the understanding he was a "legitimate" fighter—who could render any opponent unconscious with a single punch, which became his wrestling finisher, 'The Phantom Right'—and could boost Goldberg's reputation. This feud, however, never developed.

Mere days prior to the Souled Out pay-per-view in 2000, WCW head writer Vince Russo was given the responsibility of booking a match to crown a new WCW World Heavyweight Champion. This came at the news that both WCW Champion Bret Hart and Jeff Jarrett, two of the company's top performers, were injured and could not participate at the event. To the dismay of company officials, Russo suggested having the mid-card Abbott win the Championship albeit only to hold it briefly. The scenario would not take place, and Russo was consequently released from WCW while other bookers composed the Souled Out card. Abbott instead faced Jerry Flynn, a legitimate black belt in taekwondo and defeated him at the pay-per-view.

He was then featured in segments with the boy band parody stable, 3 Count as their "biggest fan". He began feuding with the stable after they would not let him join the band; the feud ended when Abbott was released from WCW.

Acting career

In 1997, Abbott appeared as a UFC fighter in the TV show ''Friends'', defeating Jon Favreau's character, the billionaire Pete Becker, who was dating Monica at the time.

Nickname

Abbott claims his nickname of “Tank” was given to him by UFC officials after the character of “Tank Murdock“ from the 1978 Clint Eastwood movie Every Which Way but Loose.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship

*UFC 6 Tournament Runner-Up

*Ultimate Ultimate 1996 Tournament Runner-Up

*Ultimate Ultimate 1995 Semifinalist

Viewer's Choice Award

Amateur wrestling

NJCAA All American

California High School State Champion

Mixed martial arts record

|- |Win |align=center|10–14 | Mike Bourke |KO (punch) |War Gods/Ken Shamrock: Valentine's Eve Massacre | |align=center|1 |align=center|0:29 |Fresno, California, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|9–14 | Kimbo Slice |KO (strikes) |EliteXC: Street Certified | |align=center|1 |align=center|0:43 |Miami, Florida, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|9–13 | Gary Turner |TKO (punches) |Cage Rage 21 | |align=center|1 |align=center|2:27 |London, England | |- |Loss |align=center|9-12 | Paul Buentello |KO (punch) |Strikeforce: Tank vs. Buentello | |align=center|1 |align=center|0:43 |Fresno, California, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|9–11 | Hidehiko Yoshida |Submission (gi choke) |PRIDE Final Conflict 2005 | |align=center|1 |align=center|7:40 |Saitama, Japan | |- |Win |align=center|9–10 | Wesley Correira |KO (punch) |Rumble on the Rock 7 | |align=center|1 |align=center|1:23 |Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|8–10 | Wesley Correira |TKO (cut) |UFC 45 | |align=center|1 |align=center|2:14 |Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|8–9 | Kimo Leopoldo |Submission (arm triangle choke) |UFC 43 | |align=center|1 |align=center|1:59 |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|8–8 | Frank Mir |Submission (toe hold) |UFC 41 | |align=center|1 |align=center|0:46 |Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|8–7 | Pedro Rizzo |KO |UFC Brazil | |align=center|1 |align=center|8:07 |São Paulo, Brazil | |- |Win |align=center|8–6 | Hugo Duarte |TKO (strikes) |UFC 17 | |align=center|1 |align=center|0:43 |Mobile, Alabama, United States | |- |Win |align=center|7–6 | Yoji Anjo |Decision |UFC Japan | |align=center|1 |align=center|15:00 |Yokohama, Japan | |- |Loss |align=center|6–6 | Maurice Smith |Submission (strikes) |UFC 15 | |align=center|1 |align=center|8:08 |Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, United States |For UFC Heavyweight Championship. |- |Loss |align=center|6–5 | Vitor Belfort |TKO (strikes) |UFC 13 | |align=center|1 |align=center|0:52 |Augusta, Georgia, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|6–4 | Don Frye |Submission (rear naked choke) |UU 96 | |align=center|1 |align=center|1:22 |Birmingham, Alabama, United States | |- |Win |align=center|6–3 | Steve Nelmark |KO |UU 96 | |align=center|1 |align=center|1:03 |Birmingham, Alabama, United States | |- |Win |align=center|5–3 | Cal Worsham |Submission (strikes) |UU 96 | |align=center|1 |align=center|2:51 |Birmingham, Alabama, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|4–3 | Scott Ferrozzo |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 11 | |align=center|1 |align=center|15:00 |Augusta, Georgia, United States | |- |Win |align=center|4–2 | Sam Adkins |Submission (neck crank) |UFC 11 | |align=center|1 |align=center|2:06 |Augusta, Georgia, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|3–2 | Dan Severn |Decision (unanimous) |UU 95 | |align=center|1 |align=center|18:00 |Denver, Colorado, United States | |- |Win |align=center|3–1 | Steve Jennum |Submission (neck crank) |UU 95 | |align=center|1 |align=center|1:14 |Denver, Colorado, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|2–1 | Oleg Taktarov |Submission (rear naked choke) |UFC 6 | |align=center|1 |align=center|17:47 |Casper, Wyoming, United States | |- |Win |align=center|2–0 | Paul Varelans |TKO (Strikes) |UFC 6 | |align=center|1 |align=center|1:53 |Casper, Wyoming, United States | |- |Win |align=center|1–0 | John Matua |KO (punches) |UFC 6 | |align=center|1 |align=center|0:18 |Casper, Wyoming, United States |

References

Further reading

External links

Professional wrestling record for Tank Abbott from The Internet Wrestling Database

Category:1965 births Category:American mixed martial artists Category:Heavyweight mixed martial artists Category:Super heavyweight mixed martial artists Category:Mixed martial artists from California Category:American professional wrestlers Category:Living people Category:People from Huntington Beach, California

da:Tank Abbott de:Tank Abbott es:Tank Abbott fr:David L. Abbott it:Tank Abbott ja:タンク・アボット pt:Tank Abbott fi:Tank Abbott sv:Tank Abbott

name	Tim Sylvia
other names	The Maine-iac
birth name	Timothy Deane Sylvia
birth date	March 05, 1976
birth place	Ellsworth, Maine, United States
nationality	American
height
weight lb	280.5
weight class	Heavyweight Super Heavyweight ''(2009 - present)''
reach in	80
style	Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
fighting out of	Bettendorf, Iowa
team	Team Wolfpack
rank	Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
url	http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID1061
title	Fight Finder: Tim Sylvia
year	2007
accessdate	August 15, 2007
publisher	Sherdog
years active	2001 - present (MMA)
mma win	29
mma kowin	19
mma subwin	4
mma decwin	6
mma loss	7
mma koloss	2
mma subloss	4
mma decloss	1
sherdog	1061
updated	}}

Timothy Deane Sylvia (born March 5, 1976) is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, professional wrestler, and former Ultimate Fighting Championship Heavyweight Champion. He trains as a member of the Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) camp and is part of their MFSE (Miletich Fighting System Elite) group. After years of hard work, Sylvia received his blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Pedro Silveira on April 22, 2010. He holds notable victories over Brandon Vera, Andrei Arlovski (2x), Jeff Monson, Ricco Rodriguez, Ben Rothwell, Paul Buentello and former world's strongest man Mariusz Pudzianowski.

MMA career

Martial arts background

Sylvia joined a karate school as a child, and began wrestling in high school. After graduation, he worked construction, community gardening, hanging sheet rock, a bouncer for Shane Reids bar, and painting houses. He was playing semi-pro football when he became interested in MMA, and began to train with Marcus Davis. During this time he decided to take up boxing and grappling. After training for a year, he got the opportunity to fight in a Rhode Island no-holds-barred amateur event, in which he knocked out his opponent in 17 seconds.

A long time UFC fan, Sylvia and some friends attended ''UFC 28'' in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 2000. In late 2000 Sylvia sold all of his belongings and moved to Bettendorf, Iowa, to train with Team Miletich.

Early professional career

Sylvia made his professional MMA debut in 2001 fighting for the IFC. He went on to rack up thirteen consecutive wins with ten knockouts in organizations such as SuperBrawl, and Extreme Challenge. In 2002, Sylvia signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and won a TKO victory over Wesley "Cabbage" Correira at ''UFC 39'' when Correira's corner threw in the towel. Sylvia then went on to defeat Ricco Rodriguez at ''UFC 41'', winning his first UFC heavyweight championship. Soon after Sylvia defended his title with another quick victory over Gan McGee at ''UFC 44''.

Controversy

After the fight with McGee, Sylvia tested positive for the banned substance Stanozolol. He voluntarily forfeited his title and was handed a six-month suspension, and fined $10,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). He later commented that the steroid usage was for shedding excess weight. Sylvia apologized and made no effort to claim innocence.

Injury

At ''UFC 48'' in June 2004, Sylvia returned to face Frank Mir for the vacant UFC heavyweight championship; he lost. Early on in the fight Mir trapped Sylvia's right arm in an armbar submission attempt. As Sylvia tried to escape the hold, Sylvia's right radius bone snapped about three inches below his elbow. Referee Herb Dean immediately stopped the fight and declared Sylvia unable to continue. Sylvia took exception to the decision and repeatedly claimed his arm was not broken (though the break could be explicitly seen on the slow-motion replay of the fight), even touching it and moving it around to demonstrate. Sylvia was taken to a local hospital where an x-ray revealed that his arm was in fact broken; he then took several months off to recuperate. Afterward, Sylvia said he was glad the referee stopped the fight, thereby saving his arm from further damage.

Return

Six months after his loss to Frank Mir, Sylvia returned (a titanium plate had been attached to his forearm) to the UFC in February 2005, taking on Andrei Arlovski to crown an interim UFC heavyweight champion as Mir, while still the nominal UFC champion, had suffered numerous injuries from a motorcycle accident that left him unable to defend his title. Sylvia was knocked to the ground by an overhand right punch, and while on the ground was caught in an achilles lock. He tapped.

In May 2005, Sylvia defeated Mike Block in the IFC by TKO, then went on to face MMA veteran Tra Telligman at ''UFC 54''. With one second left in the first round, Sylvia landed a left head kick which knocked out Telligman. Sylvia made his cable television debut next, fighting Assuerio Silva at ''Ultimate Fight Night 3'' on Spike TV, winning a unanimous decision after three rounds in a match that was intended to decide the next number one contender.

Reclaiming the title

At ''UFC 59'', Sylvia was finally awarded his rematch with the then-outright champion Andrei Arlovski. During the fight Sylvia was knocked down by Arlovski, only to immediately stand up. Within ten seconds Sylvia dropped Arlovski with an uppercut, followed by ground and pound, securing a TKO victory and once again taking the UFC heavyweight title. Soon after the match, Sylvia requested, and was given, a rematch with Arlovski. Their third match took place at ''UFC 61'', with Sylvia remaining champion by unanimous decision.

Sylvia next fought Jeff Monson at ''UFC 65''. Billed as a classic "striker vs. grappler" match, Sylvia won again by unanimous decision. The fight showcased Sylvia's growth as a mixed martial artist as he avoided danger from Monson on the ground, and even attempted a triangle choke submission himself.

On March 3, 2007, Sylvia lost the UFC heavyweight championship to Randy Couture via unanimous decision. The judges all scored the bout 50-45, giving Couture his fifth UFC championship.

On October 20, 2007 at UFC 77, Sylvia defeated Brandon Vera via unanimous decision, All three judges scored the bout 30–27. In the post-fight interview he called out Cheick Kongo to fight for the spot as number one contender for the heavyweight championship belt.

On February 2, 2008 Sylvia lost via guillotine choke to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 81 in Las Vegas, Nevada for the interim heavyweight championship.

Early in 2008, Sylvia requested and was granted a release from his UFC contract, which still had one fight remaining on it. Sylvia cited unhappiness with pay, desire to face Fedor Emelianenko, the non-exclusive contracts of other organizations, and the opportunity to fight more often as his reasons for leaving.

Post UFC

On March 28, 2008, Sylvia signed with Adrenaline MMA, formerly M-1 Global, to a two-year contract that allowed him to fight for other organizations while under contract with Adrenaline. A few weeks later he was offered to fight Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction Clothing's inaugural event Affliction: Banned for the newly created WAMMA Heavyweight Championship. The fight took place on July 19, 2008, and saw the former Pride Heavyweight Champion dropping Sylvia and taking his back before securing a rear naked choke, forcing Sylvia to submit at 0:36 of the first round.

On February 25, 2009, Sylvia's manager (and Adrenaline MMA CEO) Monte Cox announced that Sylvia would face former boxing world heavyweight champion and 1988 Olympic gold medalist Ray Mercer in a boxing main event at ''Adrenaline MMA III'' on May 30, 2009, at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City. However, after the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board refused to sanction the fight the event was moved to Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center in Birmingham, Alabama and rescheduled to June 13. Only days before the bout it was changed to be contested under MMA rules, again because of sanctioning problems. When they finally met, Mercer knocked Sylvia out with a single punch nine seconds into the first round. Sylvia Weighed in at 310.6 pounds for the Superheavyweight fight.

Before his bout with Mercer, Sylvia was scheduled to face Paul Buentello at ''Affliction: Trilogy.'' But after the devastating KO loss, manager Monte Cox and Affliction decided it would be best for Sylvia to sit out the next few months because of his recent losses.

After Affliction folded, Sylvia defeated Jason Riley Via TKO (Punches) 2:32 into the first round at the ''Adrenaline IV'' main event on September 18, 2009 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was later revealed through Sherdog.com that Sylvia broke his right hand about a minute and a half into his fight with Jason Riley stalling an October 25 debut with the Japan promotion Dream.

Sylvia's next fight was expected to be a rematch with The Ultimate Fighter alumni Wes Sims on March, 20th in Ohio. However, the Ohio State Athletic Commission refused to sanction the bout, saying that the fight was "non-competitive", resulting in the bout being rescheduled to June 6, 2010, in Nova Scotia, Canada, for the IFC Superheavyweight title.

In the meantime, Sylvia fought five time World's Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski at Moosin: God of Martial Arts‎ on May 21, 2010, winning by Submission (punches).

The Sims fight (and another against UFC veteran Pedro Rizzo) were scuttled again, when it was discovered that Sylvia broke his foot at Moosin.

Sylvia defeated Paul Buentello by Knockout due to an uppercut at Powerhouse World Promotions: War on the Mainland on August 14. As heavyweight fighter Pedro Rizzo entered the ring during the post fight interview, Powerhouse World Promotions announced Sylvia will make his first title defense against the fellow UFC veteran. Since requesting release from the UFC roster, Sylvia has gone 4-3.

Sylvia fought Vince Lucero at CFX/Extreme Challenge on December 11. Sylvia won the fight by submission due to Punches.

Sylvia was originally scheduled to face Shayne Adams (1-2) on August 13 at a Fight Tour event at the Rockford Metro Centre in Rockford, Illinois. But due to a scheduling conflict with the athletic commission the event will now take place on August 20. Sylvia was then scheduled to face Brian Heden at the August 20 Fight Tour event because the Illinois Athletic Commission would not approve the fight between Adams and Sylvia. However the bout between Sylvia and Heden was later scrapped for unknown reasons and Sylvia will now face submission specialist Patrick Barrentine. Sylvia defeated Barrentine via TKO in the first round. Sylvia weighed in at 280.5 pounds for the bout, 30 pounds lighter than his previous bout against Abe Wagner.

Titan Fighting Championship

Sylvia fought Abe Wagner at Titan Fighting Championships 16 (Sylvia replaced Todd Duffee), Sylvia weighed in at 311 pounds and was defeated 32 seconds into the first round, ending his 4 fight win streak. The super heavyweight matchup served as the main event of Friday night's HDNet-broadcast event, which took place at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan.

Wagner's speed advantage was evident in the opening seconds, and he looked to pepper Sylvia with strikes on multiple levels as he retreated and stayed away from his opponent's length. Then a right hand brought about the beginning of the end.

Wagner caught Sylvia on the temple, and the former UFC champ was visibly staggered. As "The Maine-iac" tried to recover, Wagner went on the assault with jackhammer punches that chased Sylvia across the cage. Sylvia avoided the shots as he retreated, but once he reached the cage, Wagner landed a four-punch combination that saw his opponent slump to the canvas. Referee Jason Herzog wasted little time in rushing in to call the fight, and the decision was justified when Sylvia stumbled as he returned to his feet. The entire process took just 32 seconds.

Sylvia has since claimed "It was stopped way too early" and that "the ref told the promoter and my corner he was sorry because he knew he made a mistake and stopped it a little early."

Pro Wrestling

On September 25, 2010, Sylvia made his pro wrestling debut against fellow mixed-martial-artist Josh Barnett, at IGF's Genome 13 event.

Personal life

Recently, Sylvia has confirmed that he is a Police Officer in the State of Illinois on a part time basis (one day a month). Being a Police officer is something Sylvia has always aspired to do.

Sylvia appears as Monster in the 2011 film Oxy-Morons, a gritty film about oxycontin abuse in Charlestown, MA.

Championships and accomplishments

Powerhouse World Promotions

*Powerhouse World Promotions Heavyweight Championship (One time, Current)

Ultimate Fighting Championship

*UFC Heavyweight Championship (Two times)

*Tied (Randy Couture) for most successful Heavyweight title defenses (three)

*Won Fight of the Night bonus (One time)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

*Fight of the Year (2007) vs. Randy Couture on March 3

Mixed martial arts record

| Win |align=center| 29–7 | Patrick Barrentine | TKO (punches and elbows) | Fight Tour | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 2:09 | Rockford, Illinois, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 28–7 | Abe Wagner | TKO (punches) | Titan FC 16: Sylvia vs. Wagner | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 0:32 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 28–6 | Vince Lucero | Submission (punches) | CFX/Extreme Challenge 170 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 2:44 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 27–6 | Paul Buentello | KO (punch) | Powerhouse World Promotions: War on the Mainland | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 4:57 | Irvine, California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 26–6 | Mariusz Pudzianowski | Submission (punches) | Moosin: God of Martial Arts | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 1:43 | Worcester, Massachusetts, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 25–6 | Jason Riley | TKO (punches) | Adrenaline MMA IV | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 2:32 | Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 24–6 | Ray Mercer | KO (punch) | Adrenaline MMA 3: Bragging Rights | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 0:09 | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 24–5 | Fedor Emelianenko | Submission (rear naked choke) | Affliction: Banned | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 0:36 | Anaheim, California, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 24–4 | Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC 81 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 1:28 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 24–3 | Brandon Vera | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 77 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 23–3 | Randy Couture | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 68 | |align=center| 5 |align=center| 5:00 | Columbus, Ohio, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 23–2 | Jeff Monson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 65 | |align=center| 5 |align=center| 5:00 | Sacramento, California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 22–2 | Andrei Arlovski | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 61 | |align=center| 5 |align=center| 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 21–2 | Andrei Arlovski | TKO (punches) | UFC 59 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 2:43 | Anaheim, California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 20–2 | Assuerio Silva | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Ultimate Fight Night 3 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 19–2 | Tra Telligman | KO (head kick) | UFC 54 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 4:59 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 18–2 | Mike Block | TKO (punches) | International Fighting Championships: Caged Combat | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 1:26 | Columbus, Ohio, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 17–2 | Andrei Arlovski | Submission (achilles lock) | UFC 51 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 0:47 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 17–1 | Wes Sims | TKO (punches) | Superbrawl 38 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 1:32 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 16–1 | Frank Mir | Technical submission (armbar) | UFC 48 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 0:50 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 16–0 | Gan McGee | TKO (punches) | UFC 44 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 1:54 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 15–0 | Ricco Rodriguez | TKO (punches) | UFC 41 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 3:09 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 14–0 | Wesley Correira | TKO (corner stoppage) | UFC 39 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 1:43 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 13–0 | Jeff Gerlick | TKO (punches) | Extreme Challenge 48 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 3:17 | Tama, Iowa, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 12–0 | Mike Whitehead | TKO (knee and punches) | Superbrawl 24: ROTH 2 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 2:38 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 11–0 | Jason Lambert | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Superbrawl 24: ROTH 2 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 4:13 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 10–0 | Boyd Ballard | KO (knee) | Superbrawl 24: ROTH 2 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 3:21 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 9–0 | Mike Whitehead | TKO (punches) | Superbrawl 24: ROTC 1 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 3:46 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 8–0 | Matt Fremmbling | Decision (unanimous) | Extreme Challenge 47 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 5:00 | Orem, Utah, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 7–0 | Gino de la Cruz | TKO (punches) | Extreme Challenge 47 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 0:43 | Orem, Utah, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 6–0 | Ernest Henderson | TKO (fell out of the ring) | Extreme Challenge 47 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 0:36 | Orem, Utah, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 5–0 | Greg Wikan | Submission (choke) | Extreme Challenge Trials | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 2:20 | Davenport, Iowa, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 4–0 | Ben Rothwell | Decision (unanimous) | Extreme Challenge 42 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Davenport, Iowa, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 3–0 | Greg Wikan | TKO (corner stoppage) | UW: Ultimate Fight Minnesota | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 5:00 | Bloomington, Minnesota, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 2–0 | Gabe Beauperthy | Submission (choke) | GC 3: Showdown at Soboba | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 4:16 | Friant, California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 1–0 | Randy Durant | TKO (strikes) | International Fighting Championships: Battleground 2001 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 2:05 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |

See also

List of male mixed martial artists

List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

References

External links

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:People from Ellsworth, Maine Category:American mixed martial artists Category:Heavyweight mixed martial artists Category:Super heavyweight mixed martial artists Category:American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Category:American sportspeople in doping cases Category:People from Bettendorf, Iowa Category:Doping cases in mixed martial arts Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship champions

fr:Tim Sylvia ja:ティム・シルビア no:Tim Sylvia pl:Tim Sylvia pt:Tim Sylvia ru:Сильвия, Тим sv:Tim Sylvia uk:Тім Сильвія

name	Ricco Rodriguez
other names	Suave
birth date	August 19, 1977
birth place	San Jose, California, United States
nationality	American
height ft	6
height in	3
weight lb	229.75
weight class	Light Heavyweight (205 lb) Heavyweight (265 lb)
style	Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Freestyle wrestling
team	American Fight Club
rank	''2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu''
years active	1999-present
mma kowin	12
mma subwin	24
mma decwin	11
mma koloss	3
mma decloss	9
box win	1
box kowin	1
box loss	1
sherdog	8
boxrec	373281
updated	}}

}} Ricco Rodriguez (born August 19, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion. He has also competed in PRIDE Fighting Championship, EliteXC, International Fight League, BAMMA, World Extreme Cagefighting and King of the Cage. He holds notable wins over Andrei Arlovski, Jeff Monson, Randy Couture, Paul Buentello and Rob Broughton.

Early life

Rodriguez grew up in the projects in Paterson, New Jersey. He got into a lot of street fights as a half Puerto Rican/half Mexican in a primarily Italian neighborhood. Rodriguez wrestled at Tottenville High School while living in Staten Island, New York. He later moved to California and began training in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Rigan and Jean Jacques Machado. He competed and won many Jiu Jitsu tournaments before moving on to MMA.

Mixed martial arts career

In 1997, Ricco Rodriguez became one of the small group of Americans to win a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, taking the Blue Belt Absolute title. He won the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in the Absolute (open weight) division in 1998. In the following year Rodriguez began his MMA career with a win against Rocky Batastini. He won several of his first matches before losing to Bobby Hoffman at the ''Superbrawl 13'' event in Hawaii. He later fought in the PRIDE Fighting Championship before moving on to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Rodriguez's first UFC match was at UFC 32 against Andrei Arlovski which he won by TKO. He was scheduled to fight Lion’s Den fighter Pete Williams at UFC 33, but the fight was postponed until UFC 34 due to an injury suffered by Williams during training.

Rodriguez went on to beat Williams, Jeff Monson (UFC 35) and Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (UFC 37) to earn a shot for the vacant heavyweight championship against Randy Couture at UFC 39 becoming the first person of mexican descent to win the UFC Heavyweight tittle. Rodriguez was losing on the scorecard in the initial rounds. In the fifth round Rodriguez was able to achieve a ground-and-pound victory with a stoppage by verbal tapout. In his first title defense, he was knocked out by Tim Sylvia in the first round, losing the belt.

Post-UFC

Following the end of his UFC contract, Rodriguez fought for a number of regional and national promotions. He also gained a significant amount of weight, at one point weighing . On July 22, 2006, in a rematch of their August 2005 bout in the WEC, he avenged a loss to Ron Waterman at WFA: King of the Streets. He fought as a superheavyweight, weighing in at , and was quoted as saying "I'm fat but I still got skills."

Following his win against Imani Lee on November 17, 2006, Rodriguez was put under indefinite suspension by the California State Athletic Commission. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Rodriguez had tested positive for both marijuana and cocaine and was subsequently given a six month suspension for the failed drug test.

On July 27, 2007, Ricco Rodriguez, in his first fight after his suspension, defeated Lloyd Marshbanks by first round TKO at MMA Xtreme 13, which was held in Puebla, Mexico. At the IFL championship finals, he lost to Ben Rothwell by unanimous decision.

Rodriguez fought in the YAMMA Pit Fighting one-night heavyweight tournament as a late replacement. He defeated George Bush in the first round by unanimous decision, but was beaten by eventual champion Travis Wiuff in the semi-finals by unanimous decision.

Ricco Rodriguez was scheduled to replace an injured Kevin Randleman in a fight against Jeff Monson at the inaugural Godz of War show. That event was canceled, however, and the fight was rescheduled for the inaugural Mixed Fighting Alliance (MFA) event, which Rodriguez lost by unanimous decision.

At the 2009 ADCC qualifiers Rodriguez weighed in at a svelte 218 lb, down well over 100 lb from his peak in the mid-2000s.

Rodriguez missed weight for his first attempt at fighting at 205 pounds at the inaugural Israel Fighting Championship event on Nov. 9. He still fought and won his fight over Daniel Tabera, however, and then promptly challenged his friend, Jeff Monson, to a fight at 205 pounds.

Ricco Rodriguez made hisBAMMA Debut and faced TUF and UFC vet James McSweeney who is also made his BAMMA Debut. Dana White has claimed if Rodriguez wins this bout he will consider resigning him to the UFC. Rodriguez missed weight for the fight, weighing in a full 2 pounds over the contracted 215-pound catchweight.

Bellator

Ricco made his Bellator debut against Seth Petruzelli at Bellator 48. He lost the fight via TKO(punches) in the first round after getting caught with a overhand right, and ending his 12 fight winning streak.

Boxing career

Rodriguez made his professional boxing debut on October 12, 2006, beating 19-year-old Cruiserweight Brandon Baker by knock out. On July 8, 2008, Rodriguez fought his second professional boxing bout losing via split decision to Chad Davies, who came into the fight with a 0-1 record.

Other appearances

Rodriguez appeared in an episode of the History Channel series ''Human Weapon', in which he faced Bill Duff in a draw. He also appears in bonus footage of ''The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr'' DVD.

Personal life

Rodriguez is of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent. He has a daughter and one son.

Rodriguez has appeared on season one of the VH1 reality television show ''Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew'', which documented his struggle with substance abuse.

Championships and accomplishments

King of the Cage

*KOTC Heavyweight Championship (One time)

Ultimate Fighting Championship

*UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time)

YAMMA Pit Fighting

*YAMMA Heavyweight Tournament Semifinalist

ADCC

*ADCC 1998 Absolute Division - Gold Medalist

*ADCC 1998 Over 99KG Division - Silver Medalist

Mixed martial arts record

| Loss |align=center| 47-12 | Seth Petruzelli | TKO (punches) | Bellator 48 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 4:21 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Catchweight (230 lb) bout |- | Win |align=center| 47-11 | Doug Williams | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Shark Fights 17: Horwich vs. Rosholt 2 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 2:16 | Frisco, Texas, United States | Catchweight (230 lb) bout |- | Win |align=center| 46–11 | James McSweeney | Decision (unanimous) | BAMMA 5 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Manchester, England | Catchweight (215 lb) bout |- | Win |align=center| 45–11 | Daniel Tabera | Decision (unanimous) | Israel FC: Genesis | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Catchweight (215 lb) bout |- | Win |align=center| 44–11 | John Juarez | Decision (split) | USA MMA: Stacked! | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 43–11 | Bobby Martinez | Submission (heel hook) | Absolute Fighting Alliance: Parking Lot Beatdown | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 1:03 | Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 42–11 | Ken Sparks | TKO (punches) | USA MMA: Legends | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 2:32 | Kinder, Louisiana, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 41–11 | Travis Fulton | KO (head kick) | Cage Thug MMA | |align=center| 1 |align=center| N/A | Waterloo, Iowa, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 40–11 | Brian Ryan | TKO (punches) | XKL: Evolution 1 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 2:05 | Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 39–11 | Patrick Miller | TKO (punches) | STFC 10: Annihilation | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 2:20 | Mcallen, Texas, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 38–11 | Moise Rimbon | Decision (split) | IAFC: Mayor's Cup 2009 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 3:00 | Novosibirsk, Russia | ProFC Mayor's Cup Opening Round |- | Win |align=center| 37–11 | Justin Howard | Submission (punches) | KOK 7: Judgement Day | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 2:05 | Austin, Texas, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 36–11 | John Brown | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Reality Combat: The Return | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 2:34 | Slidell, Louisiana, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 35–11 | Mario Rinaldi | Decision (unanimous) | WFC: Battle Of The Bay 8 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Tampa, Florida, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 35–10 | Doug Williams | Submission (anaconda choke) | Armagedon Fighting Championships 09 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 1:02 | Tyler, Texas, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 34–10 | Jeff Monson | Decision (unanimous) | Mixed Fighting Alliance "There Will Be Blood" | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Miami, Florida, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 34–9 | Robert Beraun | Decision (unanimous) | Rage in the Cage 117 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 3:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 33–9 | Rob Broughton | Submission (kneebar) | Cage Gladiators 9 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 3:39 | Liverpool, England | |- | Win |align=center| 32–9 | Titus Campbell | Submission (guillotine choke) | Silver Crown Fights | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 3:06 | Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 31–9 | Johnathan Ivey | Decision (unanimous) | Xp3: The Proving Ground | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 3:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 30–9 | Chris Guillen | Submission (armbar) | Ultimate Combat Experience 1 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 4:30 | West Valley City, Utah, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 29–9 | Travis Wiuff | Decision (unanimous) | YAMMA Pit Fighting | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | YAMMA Heavyweight Tournament Semi-Final |- | Win |align=center| 29–8 | George Bush | Decision (unanimous) | YAMMA Pit Fighting | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | YAMMA Heavyweight Tournament Qaurter-Final |- | Loss |align=center| 28–8 | Antonio Silva | Decision (split) | EliteXC: Street Certified | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Miami, Florida, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 28–7 | Kevin Filal | KO (head kick) | PFP: Ring of Fire | |align=center| 1 |align=center| N/A | Manila, Philippines | |- | Loss |align=center| 27–7 | Ben Rothwell | Decision (unanimous) | IFL 2007 World Championship Finals | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 4:00 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 27–6 | Lloyd Marshbanks | TKO (punches) | MMA Xtreme 13 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 3:11 | Tijuana, Mexico | |- | Win |align=center| 26–6 | Imani Lee | Submission (rear-naked choke) | BIB: Beatdown in Bakersfield | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 2:12 | Bakersfield, California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 25–6 | Abdias Irisson | TKO (punches) | MMA Xtreme 7 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| N/A | Tijuana, Mexico | |- | Win |align=center| 24–6 | Ron Waterman | TKO (doctor stoppage) | WFA: King of the Streets | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 5:00 | Los Angeles, California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 23–6 | Taylor Brooks | Submission (armbar) | MMA Xtreme 1 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| N/A | Tijuana, Mexico | |- | Loss |align=center| 22–6 | Robert Beraun | Decision (unanimous) | RITC 78: Back with a Vengeance | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 3:00 | Glendale, Arizona, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 22–5 | Tyler Brooks | Submission (armbar) | Pro Fight League | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 4:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 21–5 | David Mori | Decision (unanimous) | MMA Fighting Challenge 4 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Guadalajara, Mexico | |- | Win |align=center| 20–5 | Corey Salter | Submission (armbar) | Ultimate Texas Showdown 3 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 0:17 | Dallas, Texas, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 19–5 | Jimmy Ambriz | Submission (punches) | WEC 17: Halloween Fury 4 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 4:13 | Lemoore, California, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 18–5 | Ron Waterman | Decision (unanimous) | WEC 16: Clash of the Titans 2 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Lemoore, California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 18–4 | Andy Montana | Submission (armbar) | Independent event | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 1:50 | Arizona, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 17–4 | Ruben Villareal | Submission (armbar) | Extreme Wars: X-1 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 2:38 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 16–4 | Scott Junk | Submission (front choke) | Rumble on the Rock 7 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 0:42 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 15–4 | Mike Seal | Submission (rear-naked choke) | MMA Mexico: Day 2 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 1:06 | Juarez, Mexico | |- | Loss |align=center| 14–4 | Pedro Rizzo | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 45 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 14–3 | Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira | Decision (unanimous) | Pride Total Elimination 2003 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | |- | Loss |align=center| 14–2 | Tim Sylvia | KO (punches) | UFC 41 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 3:09 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Lost UFC Heavyweight Championship |- | Win |align=center| 14–1 | Randy Couture | Submission (elbow) | UFC 39 | |align=center| 5 |align=center| 3:04 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Won vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship |- | Win |align=center| 13–1 | Tsuyoshi Kohsaka | TKO (punches) | UFC 37 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 3:25 | Bossier City, Louisiana, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 12–1 | Jeff Monson | TKO (punches) | UFC 35 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 3:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 11–1 | Pete Williams | TKO (punches) | UFC 34 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 4:02 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 10–1 | Andrei Arlovski | TKO (punches) | UFC 32 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 1:23 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 9–1 | Paul Buentello | Submission (kneebar) | KOTC 7: Wet and Wild | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 4:21 | San Jacinto, California, United States | Won KOTC Heavyweight Championship |- | Win |align=center| 8–1 | John Marsh | Decision (unanimous) | Pride 12 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | |- | Win |align=center| 7–1 | Takayuki Okada | Submission (smother choke) | Pride 10 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 6:04 | Saitama, Japan | |- | Win |align=center| 6–1 | Gary Goodridge | Decision (unanimous) | Pride 9 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 10:00 | Nagoya, Japan | |- | Win |align=center| 5–1 | Travis Fulton | Submission (armbar) | KOTC 2: Desert Storm | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 4:49 | San Jacinto, California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 4–1 | Sam Adkins | Submission (forearm choke) | Armageddon 2 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 4:32 | Houston, Texas, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 3–1 | Bobby Hoffman | KO (punches) | SuperBrawl 13 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 3:13 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 3–0 | Steve Shaw | Submission (armbar) | Rage in the Cage 6 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 1:34 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 2–0 | Rocky Batastini | Submission (armbar) | Extreme Cage | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 4:58 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 1–0 | Scott Adams | Decision | Extreme Cage | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 4:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States |

References

External links

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:American mixed martial artists Category:Heavyweight mixed martial artists Category:American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship champions

fr:Ricco Rodriguez ja:リコ・ロドリゲス (格闘家) pl:Ricco Rodriguez uk:Рікко Родрігес