Marco Antônio de Lima Ruas (ˈmaʁku ˈʁuɐs; born January 23, 1961) is a retired mixed martial arts

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...

 fighter and instructor. Most notably, he was the UFC 7

UFC 7

-External links:***...

 Tournament Champion and is considered one of the earliest examples of the complete mixed martial artist, highly skilled in both striking

Strike (attack)

A strike is an attack with an inanimate object, such as a weapon, or with a part of the human body intended to cause an effect upon an opponent or to simply cause harm to an opponent. There are many different varieties of strikes...

 and grappling

Grappling

Grappling refers to techniques, maneuvers, and counters applied to an opponent in order to gain a physical advantage, such as improving relative position, escaping, submitting, or injury to the opponent. Grappling is a general term that covers techniques used in many disciplines, styles and martial...

.

Biography

Ruas is famous for being the founder of Ruas Vale Tudo

Vale tudo

Vale tudo are full-contact unarmed combat events, with a limited number of rules, that became popular in Brazil during the 20th century. Vale tudo has been considered a combat sport by some observers...

, a hybrid

Hybrid martial arts

Hybrid martial arts refer to martial arts or fighting systems that incorporate techniques and theories from several particular martial arts...

 of Brazilian submission fighting and 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....

. He also used to train in the art of capoeira with renowned Mestre Camisa in Rio de Janeiro at the Santa Luzia club, downtown Rio. He has instructed fighters such as Pedro Rizzo

Pedro Rizzo

Pedro Augusto Rizzo is an Brazilian mixed martial artist and Muay Thai fighter. He has a professional MMA record of 19–9–0 as of July 17, 2010. He holds notable victories over former UFC Champions Mark Coleman, Dan Severn, Josh Barnett, Andrei Arlovski, Ricco Rodriguez and Ken Shamrock.-Mixed...

 and Renato Sobral

Renato Sobral

Renato da Cunha Sobral , also known as "Babalu", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, and former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. He is regarded as one of the best light heavyweights of the night, and noted for his aggressive style, grappling prowess, and high-caliber submissions. Sobral...

.

Some would regard him as one of the earliest pioneers of the now established MMA paradigm of a complete fighter - being able to strike, takedown and finish with submissions as his UFC 7 record indicates.

Ruas competed in early Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...

 events, winning UFC 7

UFC 7

-External links:***...

 in a classic fight against 6'8", 330lb Paul Varelans

Paul Varelans

Paul Varelans is a former professional mixed martial arts fighter. He is famous for his appearances in the Ultimate Fighting Championship from 1995 to 1996, as well as a worked shoot fight against Taz in Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Career:...

. He also faced down opponent Oleg Taktarov

Oleg Taktarov

Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov is a retired Russian mixed martial artist and actor. He is a practitioner of Sambo and Judo and has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships. Taktarov was the UFC 6 tournament champion and holds notable wins over Marco Ruas and David...

 in UFC's Ultimate Ultimate, but lost via unanimous decision. Ruas would go on to a draw with Taktarov a year later, winning the WVC

World Vale Tudo Championship

The World Vale Tudo Championship, or WVC, was a no holds barred-style MMA fighting promotion based in Brazil. The promotion was founded by Brazilian promoter Frederico Lapenda...

 Super Fight belt in the process. He returned briefly to fight former heavyweight champion Maurice Smith in UFC 21

UFC 21

UFC 21: Return of the Champions was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 16, 1999 at the Five Seasons Events Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa...

, but lost by TKO. Ruas suffered an injury in the first round and could not continue.

Personal life

Ruas is married and has three daughters. Marco's first recorded fight was in 1984. Marco's nickname is "The King of the Streets" (Ruas actually means "streets" in Portuguese).

Marco lives in Laguna Niguel, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 and coached the Southern California Condors

Southern California Condors

The Southern California Condors are an International Fight League team based in Orange County, California. Coached by MMA legend Marco Ruas, the Condors were one of four new teams established at the beginning of the 2007 season...

 in the International Fight League

International Fight League

The International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006 and closed on July 31, 2008...

 before the organization's collapse.

Championships and Accomplishments

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC 7 Tournament Winner
  • Ultimate Ultimate 1995 Semi-Finalist
  • UFC Viewers Choice Award
    UFC 45
    UFC 45: Revolution was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on 21 November 2003, at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut...
    
    
• World Vale Tudo Championship
  World Vale Tudo Championship
  The World Vale Tudo Championship, or WVC, was a no holds barred-style MMA fighting promotion based in Brazil. The promotion was founded by Brazilian promoter Frederico Lapenda...
  
  
  • WVC Superfight Championship (one time)

Mixed martial arts record

|-
| Loss
|align=center| 9–4–2
| Maurice Smith
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| IFL: Chicago
|
|align=center| 4
|align=center| 3:43
| Chicago, Illinois, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–3–2
| Jason Lambert
| Submission (heel hook)
| Ultimate Pankration 1
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:56
| Cabazon, California

Cabazon, California

Cabazon is a census-designated place in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 2,535 at the 2010 census, up from 2,229 at the 2000 census.-History:...

, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 8–3–2
| Maurice Smith
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| UFC 21

UFC 21

UFC 21: Return of the Champions was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 16, 1999 at the Five Seasons Events Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:00
| Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...

, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 8–2–2
| Alexander Otsuka

Alexander Otsuka

, better known by his ring name Alexander Otsuka, is a Japanese mixed martial arts fighter and professional wrestler. He competes in the Light Heavyweight division. He won his last fight at VFX - Vale Tudo Fighters Mexico against Masada Masada on May 27, 2006...

| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Pride 4

PRIDE 4

Pride 4 was a mixed martial arts event held by KRS-Pride . It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, on October 11, 1998...

|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 10:00
| Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–1–2
| Gary Goodridge

Gary Goodridge

Gary Goodridge , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian-Canadian former super heavyweight kickboxer and heavyweight mixed martial artist fighting out of Barrie, Ontario. Goodridge is known for his hard-hitting fighting style and showmanship...

| Submission (heel hook)
| Pride 2

PRIDE 2

Pride 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by KRS-Pride . It took place at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on March 15, 1998. Kazushi Sakuraba, Mark Kerr, Vernon White, and Marco Ruas all made their Pride debuts at this event. In addition to the MMA events, there were also two kickboxing events...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 9:09
| Yokohama

Yokohama

is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...

, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–1–2
| Patrick Smith

Patrick Smith (fighter)

Patrick Smith is a retired American kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist. He started his mixed martial arts career by participating in the first two Ultimate Fighting Championship events....

| Submission (heel hook)
| World Vale Tudo Championship 4
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:39
| Brazil
|
|-
| Draw
|align=center| 6–1–2
| Oleg Taktarov

Oleg Taktarov

Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov is a retired Russian mixed martial artist and actor. He is a practitioner of Sambo and Judo and has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships. Taktarov was the UFC 6 tournament champion and holds notable wins over Marco Ruas and David...

| Draw
| World Vale Tudo Championship 2
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 31:12
| Brazil
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–1–1
| Steve Jennum

Steve Jennum

Steve Jennum is a retired American mixed martial artist and Nebraska police officer. He was the winner of the UFC 3 tournament in 1994.-Mixed martial arts career:...

| Submission (punches)
| World Vale Tudo Championship 1
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:44
| Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 5–1–1
| Oleg Taktarov

Oleg Taktarov

Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov is a retired Russian mixed martial artist and actor. He is a practitioner of Sambo and Judo and has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships. Taktarov was the UFC 6 tournament champion and holds notable wins over Marco Ruas and David...

| Decision
| Ultimate Ultimate 1995

Ultimate Ultimate 1995

-External links:***...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 18:00
| Denver, Colorado

Denver, Colorado

The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0–1
| Keith Hackney

Keith Hackney

Keith Hackney , is a retired American mixed martial arts fighter. He competed in two Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments.-Biography:...

| Submission (rear naked choke)
| Ultimate Ultimate 1995

Ultimate Ultimate 1995

-External links:***...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:39
| Denver, Colorado

Denver, Colorado

The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–0–1
| Paul Varelans

Paul Varelans

Paul Varelans is a former professional mixed martial arts fighter. He is famous for his appearances in the Ultimate Fighting Championship from 1995 to 1996, as well as a worked shoot fight against Taz in Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Career:...

| TKO (strikes)
| UFC 7

UFC 7

-External links:***...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 13:17
| Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

, United States
| Won UFC 7 Tournament
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0–1
| Remco Pardoel
| Submission (position)
| UFC 7

UFC 7

-External links:***...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 12:27
| Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0–1
| Larry Cureton
| Submission (heel hook)
| UFC 7

UFC 7

-External links:***...

|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:23
| Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0–1
| Francisco Francisco
| Submission (rear naked choke)
| Ruas Vale Tudo
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:26
| Manaus

Manaus

Manaus is a city in Brazil, the capital of the state of Amazonas. It is situated at the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. It is the most populous city of Amazonas, according to the statistics of Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and is a popular ecotourist destination....

, Brazil
|
|-
| Draw
|align=center| 0–0–1
| Fernando Pinduka
| Draw
| Jiu-Jitsu vs Martial Arts
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 20:00
| Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...

, Brazil
|

External links

• Official GYM Marco Ruas
• Marco Ruas IFL Page