Mark Coleman - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Mark Coleman (born December 20, 1964) is an American

United States

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

mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, former NCAA collegiate wrestler

Collegiate wrestling

Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...

and former Olympic amateur wrestler

Amateur wrestling

Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...

. In MMA, he was the UFC 10

UFC 10

-External links:***...

and UFC 11

UFC 11

UFC 11: The Proving Ground was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 20th, 1996, at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Georgia...

tournament champion, the first 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...

heavyweight

Heavyweight (MMA)

The heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally groups fighters between .Although many ambiguities exist within the lower weight classes regarding division naming and weight limits, the Heavyweight division is, for the most part, uniform...

champion, and the Pride Fighting Championships 2000 Open Weight Grand Prix champion

PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals

The Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on May 1, 2000. The event concluded the Pride open-weight tournament of 2000. It is famous for containing one of the most anticipated matches...

. At UFC 82

UFC 82

UFC 82: Pride of a Champion was a mixed martial arts event that took place on 1st March, 2008 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio....

Coleman was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. His most notable victories came against Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua

Mauricio Rua

Maurício Milani Rua is a Brazilian mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion...

, Igor Vovchanchyn

Igor Vovchanchyn

Igor Yaroslavovich "Ice Cold" Vovchanchyn is a retired Ukrainian mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He won seven mixed martial arts tournaments, as well as acquiring a 37 fight unbeaten streak, and reaching the final of the Pride Grand Prix 2000....

, Don Frye

Don Frye

Donald Frye is a retired American mixed martial artist, actor, and professional wrestler. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments...

(2x) and Dan Severn

Dan Severn

Daniel DeWayne Severn is an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, notable for his success in the early years of Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments. Severn has fought and wrestled for many mixed martial arts and professional wrestling promotions, including King of the...

.

Coleman is credited with proving the ability of wrestlers to dominate in the developing sport of mixed martial arts, and with being one of the first in American MMA to successfully use the strategy that came to be known as ground-and-pound, earning him the distinction as "The Godfather of Ground & Pound".

Background

Coleman was born in Fremont, Ohio

Fremont, Ohio

Fremont Public Schools enroll 4,450 students in public primary and secondary schools. The district administers 9 public schools including seven elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, Fremont Ross. In addition, the city is home to one private catholic high school, Saint Joseph...

, U.S.

United States

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

in 1964. He began freestyle wrestling

Freestyle wrestling

Freestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practised throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history...

as a teenager, and wrestled for Miami University

Miami University

Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...

, in Ohio, where he was a two time Mid-American Conference wrestling champion. In his senior year, he transferred to Ohio State University

Ohio State University

The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...

and won an NCAA championship. Out of college, he was awarded a spot on the US Wrestling team, placing second (100 kg) at the 1991 FILA Wrestling World Championships

1991 FILA Wrestling World Championships

The following is the final results of the 1991 FILA Wrestling World Championships. Men's competition were held in Varna, Bulgaria and Women's competition were held in Tokyo, Japan.-Medal table:-Freestyle:-Greco-Roman:-Freestyle:-See also:...

in Varna

Varna

Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...

, Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

, and placing seventh overall in the 1992 Summer Olympics

1992 Summer Olympics

The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...

in Barcelona

Barcelona

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Following his amateur career, Coleman made the transition to the then-new sport of 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...

, winning his first two tournaments in dominating fashion, including a win over UFC 8 champion Don Frye

Don Frye

at UFC 10
UFC 10
-External links:***...

in 1996, and becoming the first UFC Heavyweight Champion after submitting UFC Superfight Champion Dan Severn

Dan Severn

via a complex submission lock known as the neck crank at UFC 12

UFC 12

UFC 12: Judgement Day was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 7, 1997 at the Dothan Civic Center in Dothan, Alabama...

.

Coleman made his first UFC Heavyweight Championship title defense at UFC 14

UFC 14

-External links:***...

, facing kickboxer (and heavy underdog

Underdog (competition)

An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...

) Maurice Smith. In what turned out to be a long battle, Coleman lost a decision after 21:00 (regulation plus two overtimes). This was considered to be one of the largest upsets in UFC history at that time, largely because of the way Coleman had dominated his opponents in his previous fights.

Coleman took nearly a year off after having to get ACL

Anterior cruciate ligament

The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...

surgery and returned at UFC 17

UFC 17

-External links:**...

. Coleman was originally scheduled to face Randy Couture

Randy Couture

Randy Duane Couture is a retired American mixed martial artist, Greco-Roman wrestler, actor, a three-time former heavyweight champion, two-time former light-heavyweight champion, former interim light heavyweight champion and UFC 13 tournament winner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

in a title match for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, but Couture was injured during training and was forced to pull out of the fight. Coleman instead faced a relatively unknown (at that time) last minute replacement fighter, up and coming Lion's Den

Lion's Den (mixed martial arts)

The Lion's Den is a mixed martial arts team and training facility that was based out of Susanville, California and San Diego, California but has recently moved its headquarters to Reno, Nevada. The team was founded in the early 1990s by UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock, and was the most dominant...

product Pete Williams. In what turned out to be another long and strenuous battle, Coleman appeared to be completely exhausted after 10 minutes; he was fatigued to the point of resting his hands on his knees during the fight. In what is still considered to be one of the largest upsets in UFC history, Williams took advantage of Coleman's fatigue and landed a heavy kick to the face, knocking 'The Hammer' out for the first time in his career.

After his shocking loss to Pete Williams, Coleman went to train with former UFC champion Ken Shamrock

Ken Shamrock

Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...

and his Lion's Den

Lion's Den (mixed martial arts)

training camp for his upcoming bout with feared Brazilian striker 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...

at UFC 18

UFC 18

UFC 18: The Road to the Heavyweight Title was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 8, 1999 in New Orleans, Louisiana...

. The fight with Rizzo was part of the "Road to the Heavyweight Title", which was a four man tournament between Coleman, Rizzo, Bas Rutten

Bas Rutten

Sebastiaan "Bas" Rutten is a retired Dutch mixed martial artist, Karate and Taekwondo blackbelt, and kickboxer. He was a UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three time King of Pancrase world champion, and finished his career on a 22 fight unbeaten streak...

and Tsuyoshi Kosaka

Tsuyoshi Kosaka

is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist. He has competed in notable mixed martial arts promotions like the Ultimate Fighting Championship, RINGS, and Pancrase. He holds notable wins over Kimo Leopoldo, Mario Sperry, Volk Han, Gilbert Yvel and Egan Inoue. He is one of only four fighters to defeat...

that would crown the next UFC Heavyweight Champion. After 15:00 the fight went to the judges, and they gave a split decision win to Rizzo. This bout was a source of controversy to many, including Coleman himself, who felt that he was robbed of the decision win. In a recent interview, Coleman said he still feels the effects of the controversial decision loss to Rizzo.

Pride Fighting Championships

From 1999 through 2006, The Hammer continued his career with Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese promotion, Pride Fighting Championships while also making appearances with the professional wrestling

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

promotion HUSTLE.

At Pride 5

PRIDE 5

Pride 5 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. This was the first Pride event to be promoted by Dream Stage Entertainment, which took over from Kakutougi Revolution Spirits. The event took place at the Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Nagoya, Japan, on April 29, 1999. This...

, Coleman fought Nobuhiko Takada

Nobuhiko Takada

Nobuhiko Takada is a Japanese mixed martial arts fighter and professional wrestler. He is best known for helping to popularize shoot-style professional wrestling, as one of the biggest stars of the Universal Wrestling Federation and Union of Wrestling Force International in the '80s and '90s. He...

, HUSTLE's owner and booker. Though thought to be the much better fighter, Coleman was caught by a heel hook from Takada and submitted. The validity of this fight has been questioned by many fans. In response to questions about the fight's legitimacy, Coleman said, "It was what it was. I needed to support my family. They guaranteed me another fight after that and I needed that security. It was what it was. I'm going to leave it at that."

Coleman won the Pride 2000 Open Weight Grand Prix tournament defeating Masaaki Satake

Masaaki Satake

is a Japanese former super heavyweight karateka, kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He was one of the pioneering heavyweight fighters in K-1, after being a member of Kazuyoshi Ishii's Seido-Kaikan school and organization.-Biography and career:...

, Akira Shoji, Kazuyuki Fujita

Kazuyuki Fujita

is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and a former amateur wrestler. He has fought in mixed martial arts promotions including PRIDE, K-1 and currently fighting in Sengoku....

, and Igor Vovchanchyn

Igor Vovchanchyn

. The Hammer's training and 2000 tournament victory are depicted in the documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr

The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr

The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr is a documentary about the mixed martial arts career and personal life of Mark Kerr...

.

After a quick TKO victory over Allan Goes

Allan Goes

Allan Goes is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He last fought for the Seattle Tiger Sharks of the International Fight League.-Biography:...

at Pride 13

PRIDE 13

Pride 13: Collision Course was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. This was the first Pride event allowing knee strikes to the head of someone in the "four-points" position . It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on March 25, 2001...

, Coleman faced possibly his toughest challenge ever in Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira is a Brazilian mixed martial artist known for his technical mastery of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is a former UFCInterim Heavyweight Champion...

at Pride 16

PRIDE 16

Pride 16: Beasts From the East was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships on September 24, 2001 at the Osaka Castle Hall in Japan. The fight card featured 7 fights that night, including the return of Don Frye to MMA...

. "Minotauro" was able to catch the Hammer in a triangle/armbar at 6:10 of the first round, breaking Coleman's six fight winning streak.

Coleman would take nearly two years off following the fight with Nogueira, spending time with his wife and children, and focusing on developing his martial arts training facility and stable of fighters at Team Hammer House

Team Hammer House

Team Hammer House is a mixed martial arts team operating out of Columbus, Ohio, made up of mostly former NCAA wrestlers. While Hammer House focuses on amateur wrestling they do have cross training deals with notable fighters and camps such as Matt Serra, Pat Miletich and Xtreme Couture Mixed...

. Training such fighters as Kevin Randleman

Kevin Randleman

Kevin Christopher Randleman is a retired American mixed martial arts fighter and a former UFC heavyweight champion. Randleman's background is in Collegiate wrestling. Wrestling at 177 pounds, Randleman was a two time Division I NCAA Champion for The Ohio State University...

, Wes Sims

Wes Sims (fighter)

Wesley Edward Sims is an American mixed martial artist. He is one of the tallest MMA combatants in recent times at 6 ft 8 in and is known for his unorthodox fighting style. He is currently a member of Team Hammer House. Sims began training to compete in MMA after meeting Mark Coleman...

, Brandon Lee Hinkle and Phil Baroni

Phil Baroni

Philip George Baroni is an American mixed martial artist. He has a professional MMA record of 14–14–0. Baroni has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he holds a record of 3–7–0. Also he has fought in the PRIDE FC where he holds a record of 4–2–0...

, Team Hammer House quickly gained a reputation of turning out world class fighters.

Mark Coleman returned to MMA competition at Pride 26

PRIDE 26

Pride 26: Bad to the Bone was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on June 8, 2003....

to face Don Frye

Don Frye

in a rematch of their meeting at UFC 10

UFC 10

-External links:***...

; this proved to be a much tougher battle. Coming back from a career threatening neck injury, Coleman ultimately won a unanimous decision victory after 20 minutes. Following the fight, Coleman apologised to the fans for the lack of action during the fight, in which he had spent the majority of the time in taking down and maintaining positional dominace of Frye with his superior wrestling ability.

Between training fighters and spending time with his family, the Hammer was now fighting roughly once a year. He returned to competition to take place in the Pride 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix, as the returning Grand Prix champion in the Open Weight Division. His first round match at Pride Total Elimination 2004

PRIDE Total Elimination 2004

Pride Total Elimination 2004 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. This event consisted of the first round of the 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix...

was against Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko) is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial artist. He has won numerous tournaments and accolades in multiple sports, most notably the Pride 2004 Grand Prix and the World Combat Sambo championship on four occasions, as well as medaling in the Russian national Judo...

. In what turned out to be a short bout, Coleman was submitted by armbar at 2:11 of the first round, eliminating him from the tournament.

Coleman returned to the Pride ring in February 2005, this time facing Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović

Mirko Filipovic

Mirko Filipović is a former Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, mixed martial artist, politician, and law enforcement officer. Filipović was a member of the Croatian Parliament from 2003 through 2007...

at Pride 29
PRIDE 29
Pride 29: Fists of Fire was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. The event took place on February 20, 2005 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.- Mario Sperry vs Hirotaka Yokoi:...

: Fists of Fire. Suffering the second knockout of his career, the Hammer fell to strikes by "Cro Cop" in the first round. In November 2005, Mark Coleman appeared in Bushido Europe-Rotterdam Rumble, Europe's first Bushido event, and choked out Milco Voorn at 0:56 of the first round.

The Hammer returned to action at Pride 31

PRIDE 31

Pride 31: Unbreakable was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships on February 26, 2006 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan...

with a victory over Chute Boxe team member Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

Mauricio Rua

Maurício Milani Rua is a Brazilian mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion...

after the fight was stopped when Shogun suffered a dislocated elbow during a Coleman takedown. With Team Hammer House member Phil Baroni

Phil Baroni

in his corner, Coleman began the match by taking Shogun to the ground. At 0:49 of the first round, Rua got up and as he took the first step Coleman grabbed his feet. Rua fell awkwardly and broke his arm. Coleman continued to fight, peppering Rua with strikes before the referee stopped the fight but not before the Coleman threw the referee aside and began to shout at Murilo Rua, Mauricio's brother, who entered the ring following the injury. With the referee still holding the Coleman, Chute Boxe members come charging to the ring to protect their teammate. In the flash of an eye, amongst the hordes of managers, trainers, Pride officials, judges, referees and security people all in the ring trying to separate everyone, Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei César da Silva , nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship . Silva is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in...

charged into the ring and went after Coleman. Then in the next instant, Colemans training partner Phil Baroni

Phil Baroni

went after Silva.

Backstage in his post-fight interview, Coleman stated that the whole melee happened in the heat of the moment and that he did not blame the Chute Boxe team for coming in and backing their fighter. He then added that similar to Chute Boxe, Hammer House is also like a family, and thanked Baroni for coming in and watching his back. An outraged Chute Boxe refused to accept Coleman's backstage apology. The Chute Boxe team was assigned a yellow card for instigating this infraction.

On October 21, 2006, Mark Coleman again faced Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Emelianenko

at Pride's first American

United States

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

show, Pride 32: The Real Deal

PRIDE 32

Pride 32: The Real Deal was a mixed martial arts event and was held by the Pride Fighting Championships. The event took place on October 21, 2006, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

, and lost via submission (armbar) at 1:17 of round two.

Mark Coleman appeared with teammate, Kevin Randleman

Kevin Randleman

, on the US

United States

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

pay-per-view

Pay-per-view

Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...

broadcast of the final Pride event, Pride 34
PRIDE 34
Pride 34: Kamikaze was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships on April 8, 2007 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.-Background:...

: Kamikaze, stating that he intended to keep fighting.

Return to UFC (2008–2010)

At UFC 82

UFC 82

UFC 82: Pride of a Champion was a mixed martial arts event that took place on 1st March, 2008 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio....

, Mark Coleman was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, making him the 5th inductee. Coleman announced that he was not retiring and would return to the octagon to fight Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar

Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...

on August 9 in Minneapolis at UFC 87. However, Coleman injured his knee while training, and was forced to pull out of the event. Heath Herring

Heath Herring

Heath Herring is an inactive American Heavyweight professional mixed martial artist who attained popularity fighting for PRIDE FC in Japan and most recently fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

replaced Coleman for the fight.

At UFC 109

UFC 109

UFC 109: Relentless was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 6, 2010 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

, Coleman faced fellow UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture

Randy Couture

, after originally being scheduled to meet at UFC 17

UFC 17

-External links:**...

in 1998 twelve years prior, in which an injury forced Couture to drop out of the fight. Coleman went on record, multiple times during the build-up for the fight, in which he claimed this was his dream bout. After being outboxed on the feet, Coleman was taken down and defeated shortly after by (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:09 in round 2. The bout marked the first time two UFC Hall of Fame inductees had fought.

Following Coleman's loss to Couture in the main event

Main Event

Main Event is Australia's only pay-per-view channel. It transmits through Foxtel, Optus Television and Austar, which jointly own the channel...

of UFC 109

UFC 109

UFC 109: Relentless was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 6, 2010 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

, his sixth loss in his last 10 fights, he was released by the promotion.

Personal life

Coleman has two daughters.

He appeared in the documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Mark Kerr alongside fellow fighter and former friend Mark Kerr.

In June 2006, it was announced that Coleman was one of the new coaches 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...

, but unable to assemble a team, he was replaced by Ken Shamrock

Ken Shamrock

Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...

Mixed martial arts record

|-
| Loss
|align=center| 16–10
|

Randy Couture

| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| UFC 109

UFC 109

UFC 109: Relentless was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 6, 2010 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center 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...

, U.S.
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 16–9
|

Stephan Bonnar

Stephan Patrick Bonnar is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...

| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 100

UFC 100

UFC 100 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.-Background:...

Las Vegas, Nevada

, U.S.
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 15–9
|

Mauricio Rua

Maurício Milani Rua is a Brazilian mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion...

| TKO (punches)
| UFC 93

UFC 93

UFC 93: Franklin vs. Henderson was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 17, 2009 at The O2, Dublin in Dublin, Ireland....

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

Fedor Emelianenko

| Submission (armbar)
| Pride 32

PRIDE 32

Las Vegas, Nevada

, U.S.
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 15–7
|

Mauricio Rua

Maurício Milani Rua is a Brazilian mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion...

| TKO (broken arm)
| Pride 31

PRIDE 31

Pride 31: Unbreakable was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships on February 26, 2006 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan...

Saitama, Saitama

' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 14–7
|

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 13–7
|

Mirko Filipović

Mirko Filipovic

| KO (punches)
| Pride 29

PRIDE 29

Pride 29: Fists of Fire was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. The event took place on February 20, 2005 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.- Mario Sperry vs Hirotaka Yokoi:...

Saitama, Saitama

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 13–6
|

Fedor Emelianenko

| Submission (armbar)
| Pride Total Elimination 2004

PRIDE Total Elimination 2004

Pride Total Elimination 2004 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. This event consisted of the first round of the 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix...

Saitama, Saitama

, Japan

Japan

| Pride FC 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix Opening Round
|-
| Win
|align=center| 13–5
|

Don Frye

| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride 26

PRIDE 26

Pride 26: Bad to the Bone was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan on June 8, 2003....

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 12–5
|

Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

| Submission (triangle armbar)
| Pride 16

PRIDE 16

Japan

|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12–4
|

Allan Goes

Allan Goes is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. He last fought for the Seattle Tiger Sharks of the International Fight League.-Biography:...

| TKO (knees)
| Pride 13

PRIDE 13

Saitama, Saitama

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 11–4
|

Igor Vovchanchyn

| Submission (knees)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals

PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals

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

Japan

| Pride FC 2000 Openweight Grand Prix final; won Pride FC 2000 Openweight Grand Prix
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–4
|

Kazuyuki Fujita

is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and a former amateur wrestler. He has fought in mixed martial arts promotions including PRIDE, K-1 and currently fighting in Sengoku....

| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals

PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals

Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

| Pride FC 2000 Openweight Grand Prix semifinal
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–4
|

Akira Shoji
| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals

PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals

Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

| Pride FC 2000 Openweight Grand Prix quarterfinal
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–4
|

Masaaki Satake

| Submission (neck crank)
| Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round

PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round

The Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 30, 2000. The event began the Pride Openweight tournament of 2000.-Results:...

Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

| Pride FC 2000 Openweight Grand Prix Opening Round
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–4
|

Ricardo Morais

Ricardo "The Mutant" Morais is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist, who competed in Pride Fighting Championships, Jungle Fight, and Rings - MMA...

| Decision (unanimous)
| Pride 8

PRIDE 8

Pride 8 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place on November 21, 1999, at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan.-Results:...

Tokyo

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 6–4
|

Nobuhiko Takada

| Submission (heel hook)
| Pride 5

PRIDE 5

Nagoya, Aichi

is the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan.Located on the Pacific coast in the Chūbu region on central Honshu, it is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba, and Moji...

, Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 6–3
|

Pedro Rizzo

| Decision (split)
| UFC 18

UFC 18

UFC 18: The Road to the Heavyweight Title was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 8, 1999 in New Orleans, Louisiana...

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

, U.S.
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 6–2
|

Pete Williams
| KO (head kick)
| UFC 17

UFC 17

-External links:**...

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...

, U.S.
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 6–1
|

Maurice Smith
| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 14

UFC 14

-External links:***...

Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...

, U.S.
| Lost UFC Heavyweight Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–0
|

Dan Severn

| Submission (choke)
| UFC 12

UFC 12

UFC 12: Judgement Day was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 7, 1997 at the Dothan Civic Center in Dothan, Alabama...

Dothan, Alabama

Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...

, U.S.
| Won inaugural UFC Heavyweight Championship unified with UFC Superfight Championship
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0
|

Brian Johnston
| Submission (strikes)
| UFC 11

UFC 11

UFC 11: The Proving Ground was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 20th, 1996, at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Georgia...

Augusta, Georgia

Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...

, U.S.
| Won UFC 11

UFC 11

UFC 11: The Proving Ground was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 20th, 1996, at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Georgia...

Tournament
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–0
|

Julian Sanchez
| Submission (choke)
| UFC 11

UFC 11

UFC 11: The Proving Ground was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 20th, 1996, at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Georgia...

Augusta, Georgia

, U.S.
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0
|

Don Frye

| TKO (punches)
| UFC 10

UFC 10

-External links:***...

Birmingham, Alabama

, U.S.
| Won UFC 10

UFC 10

-External links:***...

Tournament
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
|

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 (exhaustion)
| UFC 10

UFC 10

-External links:***...

Birmingham, Alabama

, U.S.
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
|

Moti Horenstein

Moti Horenstein is an Israeli-American martial artist.-Early Training and Fight History:Beginning his training at the age of five, Horenstein captured three Junior Champion of Israel titles before induction in the army in 1983. Serving his required service but in no special capacity in the army,...

| Submission (punches)
| UFC 10

UFC 10

-External links:***...

Birmingham, Alabama

, U.S.
|

Amateur wrestling

1986 NCAA Division I Championships: (190lbs 4th Place)
1988 NCAA Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...

Championships: (190lbs 1st Place)
1988 NCAA Division I Championships: (190lbs 1st Place)
1990 Pan American Championships Freestyle Wrestling: (90kg 1st Place)
1991 Pan American Championships Freestyle Wrestling: (100kg 1st Place)
1991 Pan American Games
Wrestling at the 1991 Pan American Games
This page shows the results of the Men's Wrestling Competition at the 1991 Pan American Games, held from August 2 to August 18, 1991 in Havana, Cuba...

Freestyle Wrestling: (100kg 1st Place)
1991 U.S.A. National Freestyle Wrestling Championships: (100kg 1st Place)
1991 FILA World Freestyle Wrestling Championships: (100kg 2nd Place)
1992 Pan American Championships Freestyle Wrestling: (100kg 1st place)
1992 Summer Olympics
Wrestling at the 1992 Summer Olympics
At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, 20 wrestling events were contested, for men only. There were 10 weight classes in each of the freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling disciplines.-Freestyle:-Greco-Roman:-Medal table:...

Freestyle Wrestling: (100kg 7th Place)

Mixed martial arts

PRIDE Fighting Championships

Pride 2000 Grand Prix Openweight Tournament Winner
PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals
The Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on May 1, 2000. The event concluded the Pride open-weight tournament of 2000. It is famous for containing one of the most anticipated matches...

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...

UFC 10
UFC 10
-External links:***...

Tournament Champion
UFC 11
UFC 11
UFC 11: The Proving Ground was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 20th, 1996, at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Georgia...

Tournament Champion
UFC Heavyweight Championship (1 Time, First)
UFC Hall of Fame
UFC Viewer's 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...

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Fight of the Year (1997) vs. Maurice Smith on July 27

External links

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