Rousimar Palhares

Rousimar Christian Palhares (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁowziˈmaʁ paˈʎaɾiʃ];, born February 20, 1980) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. His nickname Toquinho (Portuguese pronunciation: [toˈkĩɲu]), Portuguese for "little tree stump", comes from his short, stocky, heavily muscled build. 14 of his 16 wins have come by way of submission, 11 of which have come from leg locks.

Early life and education

Palhares grew up in abject poverty in the Brazilian countryside. He recalls working in the fields to help support his family as young as age seven and said that there were times where there was not enough food for everyone. He eventually had to leave his shanty and move underneath a local bridge in a tent city slum. Palhares began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 15, before moving to Rio de Janeiro to compete professionally.

He claimed the Fury Fighting Championship Middleweight Championship in December 2007 after defeating Flavio Mura, Pan-Am Jiu-Jitsu champion Fabio Negao, and Chute Boxe's Daniel Acacio in a tournament.

Joe Lauzon

Joseph Edward Lauzon Jr. (born May 22, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist competing in the UFC's Lightweight division. He has 13 post-fight bonuses, the most in the UFC history. Joe's younger brother, Dan Lauzon, is also a mixed martial artist.

Background

Lauzon was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, where he lived until he was in the third grade, when he moved to East Bridgewater. Lauzon lived on a small farm and enjoyed bull riding. The young Lauzon and his friends had an interest in professional wrestling, and would re-enact moves on Lauzon's trampoline. Lauzon did not begin training in the martial arts until his junior year at East Bridgewater High School, after seeing a demonstration that piqued his interest. Lauzon graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology in 2006 with a Bachelor's degree in computer science. He worked as a network administrator in Cambridge, Massachusetts before he began training in mixed martial arts full-time.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Dana White

Dana Frederick White, Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the President of the mixed martial arts organization Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Early life

Dana Frederick White, Jr. was born to Dana White, Sr. and June White on July 28, 1969 in Manchester, Connecticut. White and his sister Kelly were raised by his mother and her family the majority of his childhood. Dana is Irish-American. He began boxing at age 17 and graduated from Hermon High School in Maine in 1987.

Career

Ultimate Fighting Championship (2001–present)

While working as a manager for Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, White learned that Semaphore Entertainment Group, the parent company of the UFC, was looking for a buyer for the UFC. White contacted childhood friend Lorenzo Fertitta, an executive at Station Casinos and a former commissioner of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Within a month, in January of 2001, Lorenzo and his older brother Frank bought the UFC with White installed as its president. White owns 9% of Zuffa, LLC, the entity the Fertitta brothers created to own and manage the UFC.

Jake Shields

Jake Sequoyah Shields (born January 9, 1979) is an American male mixed martial artist, currently fighting in the welterweight division for the World Series of Fighting. He was the last Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion, the only Elite XC Welterweight Champion, a former Shooto Welterweight Champion and former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion. He also fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

He has trained extensively with Fairtex SF and Cesar Gracie, and is a member of the "Skrap Pack" which includes fellow Cesar Gracie students Dave Terrell, Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz and Gilbert Melendez. After his loss to Akira Kikuchi he won 15 consecutive fights over six years, until his loss to Georges St-Pierre. He describes his style as American Jiu-jitsu.

Early life

Shields was raised near Mountain Ranch, California in the Sierra Nevada. He was home schooled up to junior high. He and his two older brothers grew up at the end of a dirt road on the rim of the Jesus Maria Canyon. Their nearest friends were a 45-minute hike down one side of the canyon and up the other. Their activities included mountain biking, wild caving, snowboarding, clearing brush, bucking firewood, climbing mountains, exploring the high country, and wrestling.