Lorenz Larkin - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Lorenz Larkin is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

, who competes in the light heavyweight

Light Heavyweight (MMA)

The light heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally refers to competitors weighing between 186 and 205 lb . It sits between the lighter middleweight division, and the heavyweight division....

division for the Strikeforce

Strikeforce

Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...

promotion.

Early life

Larkin grew up as one of nine siblings in Riverside, California

Riverside, California

Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...

. His parents frowned upon contact sports for fear of the damage they might inflict upon his son. Despite his parental objections, Larkin took up American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

initially, but gave it up soon afterwards because he "sucked at it". Afterwards, he began boxing

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

but was not able to compete as much as he would like to his parents. He also felt that he was too short to be a professional boxer in the heavyweight

Heavyweight

Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...

division, so he took up kickboxing

Kickboxing

Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....

and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...

which led him to mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

Career

Larkin holds records of 5-0 and 10-0 in amateur boxing

Amateur boxing

Amateur boxing is practised at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, and in many other venues sponsored by amateur boxing associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration and fighters wear head protection, so this type of competition prizes point-scoring rather...

and amateur mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

, respectively, with one of those wins coming against heavyweight prospect Walt Harris

Walt Harris (fighter)

Walter "The Big Ticket" Harris is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter and former college basketball player for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks men's basketball team...

. He also has a background in Kung Fu. Making his professional

Professional sports

Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...

MMA debut in August 2009, he won his first ten bouts, eight of which were by knock out.

He made his debut in the Strikeforce

Strikeforce

Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...

promotion on April 1, 2011 against kickboxer Scott Lighty

Scott Lighty

Scott Lighty is an American super heavyweight kickboxer and light heavyweight mixed martial artist, from San Luis Obispo, California. He currently trains at The Pit alongside UFC veterans, Chuck Liddell and Glover Teixeira...

at Strikeforce Challengers: Wilcox vs. Damm

Strikeforce Challengers: Wilcox vs. Damm

Strikeforce Challengers: Wilcox vs. Damm was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce. The fifteenth Challengers episode took place on April 1, 2011 at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.-Background:...

, replacing Japanese judoka Satoshi Ishii

Satoshi Ishii

is a Japanese judoka and mixed martial artist noted for winning a gold medal in Olympic Judo at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, a silver medal at the 2006 Asian Games and two All-Japan Judo Championships...

on a week's notice. Larkin won the fight via technical knockout in the second round and earned praise for his impressive performance against a veteran fighter, while being largely unheard of himself.

Larkin returned to the promotion in June 2011 at Strikeforce Challengers: Terry vs. Fodor. He faced Gian Villante and won the fight via unanimous decision. Villante controlled the first round from top position but Larkin turned it around in the second round by keeping the fight on the feet and landing many strong kicks to the legs of his opponent. Larkin kept this up in the third round while also scoring an unexpected takedown in the last ten seconds.

Larkin headlined the next challengers card. He was originally scheduled to face Virgil Zwicker

Virgil Zwicker

Virgil Zwicker, , is an American mixed martial artist of Native American descent who fights in the heavyweight division. He currently is signed with Strikeforce.-Early life:...

but Zwicker pulled out due to an injury. Larkin instead faced Nick Rossborough and won the fight via unanimous decision.

Mixed martial arts record

|-
| Win
|align=center|12-0
| Nick Rossborough
| Decision (unanimous)
| Strikeforce Challengers: Larkin vs. Rossborough

Strikeforce Challengers: Larkin vs. Rossborough

Strikeforce Challengers: Larkin vs. Rossborough was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce. The nineteenth Challengers episode took place on September 23, 2011 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center|11-0
| Gianpiero Villante

Gianpiero Villante

Gianpiero Villante is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently the heavyweight champion for Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat promotion. Fighting out of Long Island, New York, he trains at Bellmore Kickboxing Academy under trainer Keith Trimble, as well as Long Island MMA...

| Decision (unanimous)
| Strikeforce Challengers: Fodor vs. Terry

Strikeforce Challengers: Fodor vs. Terry

Strikeforce Challengers: Fodor vs. Terry was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce. The sixteenth Challengers episode took place on June 24, 2011 at ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington.-Background:...

Kent, Washington

Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...

, United States
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|10-0
|Scott Lighty

Scott Lighty

|TKO (punches)
|Strikeforce Challengers: Wilcox vs. Damm

Strikeforce Challengers: Wilcox vs. Damm

Stockton, California

Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...

Riverside, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...

Pomona, California

-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...

Lancaster, California

Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...

Irvine, California

Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...

, United States
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