Tom Lawlor - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Thomas Joseph "Tom" Lawlor (born on May 15, 1983) 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...

. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir is the eighth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter, which went into production in late May 2008 and premiered on September 17, 2008 on Spike TV...

.

Mixed martial arts

Lawlor lives in Providence, RI. He, along with TUF alumni and K-1 vet Seth Petruzelli

Seth Petruzelli

Seth Petruzelli is an American mixed martial artist, former kickboxer and entrepreneur. He is infamously known as the first man to defeat Kimbo Slice in mixed martial arts competition, knocking him out in 14 seconds. Seth went to school at the University of Central Florida to study Psychology...

and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Mike Lee, owned and coached at The Jungle MMA - Orlando BJJ, MMA, Muay Thai The Jungle MMA and Fitness. Lawlor has recently relocated to Providence, Rhode Island and trains under Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Tim Burrill, as well as working with the Team Aggression mixed martial arts team at Lauzon MMA in Bridgewater, MA.

Lawlor has made himself known by imitating other fighters (Art Jimmerson

Art Jimmerson

Art Jimmerson is a retired boxer who competed at super middleweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight. As an amateur, Jimmerson was the 1983 National Golden Gloves Middleweight champion. He finished his boxing career in 2002, with a record of 33–18.-Biography:In November 1993,...

, 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...

and Harold Howard

Harold Howard

Harold Clarence Howard is a Canadian martial artist who earned a blackbelt in Jujutsu under O-Sensei Steve Reynolds and in Gōjū-ryū karate under Yogi Israel and was the first World Sport Jujutsu Heavyweight Champion in 1984...

) during the weigh-ins and octagon entrances. These impersonations, along with his tongue-in-cheek ring entrance routines (paying homage to Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan

Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....

and Apollo Creed

Apollo Creed

Apollo Creed is a fictional character from the Rocky films, initially portrayed as the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World. He was played by Carl Weathers. Many believe his character was modeled after Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali while Rocky Balboa was based on relatively unknown...

amongst others) have made Lawlor something of a cult figure among fans. In 2010, Lawlor announced his intention to tone down his pre-fight antics. .

The Ultimate Fighter

Lawlor appeared on the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir is the eighth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter, which went into production in late May 2008 and premiered on September 17, 2008 on Spike TV...

. He submitted Ryan Lopez with a rear naked choke

Rear naked choke

The Rear naked choke is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. Depending on the context, the term may refer to one of two variations of the technique, either arm can be used to apply the choke in both cases...

in the elimination round to earn his spot in the TUF house. He was chosen by Frank Mir

Frank Mir

Francisco Santos Miranda 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...

to be a part of Team Mir.

He was selected to fight first against Ryan Bader

Ryan Bader

Ryan DuWayne Bader is an American professional mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir. On December 13, 2008, Bader defeated Vinicius Magalhães to win a contract with the UFC and the title of The Ultimate Fighter...

and despite a good showing, Lawlor lost by KO in the first round, due to a ground and pound punches.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Lawlor won his UFC debut against former Ultimate Fighter
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir is the eighth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter, which went into production in late May 2008 and premiered on September 17, 2008 on Spike TV...

cast-mate Kyle Kingsbury

Kyle Kingsbury

Kyle Loren Kingsbury is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir. Currently, Kyle is signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championships , fighting in their light heavyweight division.- Early life :Kingsbury attended Monta...

. They fought on the preliminary card at the UFC: The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir is the eighth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter, which went into production in late May 2008 and premiered on September 17, 2008 on Spike TV...

. After the fight with Kingsbury, Lawlor moved down in weight after realizing he was too small for light heavyweight.

Lawlor had his second fight for the UFC, when he took on C.B. Dollaway

C.B. Dollaway

Clarence Byron Dollaway is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter 7 making it to the finale where he was defeated by an armbar from Amir Sadollah.-Early life:...

at 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:...

. Tom won in an upset, after putting Dollaway to sleep using a guillotine choke at 55 seconds in the first round and was awarded Submission of the Night.

Lawlor fought Aaron Simpson

Aaron Simpson (fighter)

Aaron Michael Simpson is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Before starting his mixed martial arts career, Simpson was a standout wrestler. In high school, Simpson compiled a 142–1 record wrestling for Antelope Union High School...

on January 11, 2010, at UFC Fight Night 20. Lawlor showed off his improved striking skills in the first round by dominating Simpson, but lost a controversial split decision after gassing in the third round. However, the decision of the fight was met with widespread criticism toward the current scoring system in Mixed Martial Arts.

Lawlor was scheduled to face Tim Credeur

Tim Credeur

Timothy Wallace Credeur II is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter 7 and was defeated by fellow cast member Jesse Taylor in the semi-finals. He was then brought back into the competition following the disqualification of Taylor. He fought C.B...

on May 8, 2010, at UFC 113

UFC 113

UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 8, 2010, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Background:...

, but Credeur was forced off the card with an injury. Lawlor instead faced Joe Doerksen

Joe Doerksen

Joseph Daniel Doerksen is a Canadian mixed martial artist from New Bothwell, Manitoba. He is a former middleweight contender of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and a veteran of the International Fight League...

, losing via submission in the second round.

Lawlor earned a much needed victory over Patrick Cote

Patrick Côté (fighter)

Patrick Côté is a French-Canadian mixed martial artist. He currently fights as a middleweight, most recently in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and was the TKO Major League MMA middleweight champion...

at UFC 121

UFC 121

UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 23, 2010 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States...

in a performance that once again displayed Lawlor's superior ground game by successfully executing 5 takedowns, threatening with submissions (nearly finishing Cote in the first round with an arm-triangle choke before Cote blatantly grabbed the fence to escape) in every round and showing his improved cardio as he easily cruised to a 30-27 unanimous decision victory.

Lawlor was expected to face Maiquel Falcão

Maiquel Falcão

Maiquel José Falcão Gonçalves is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who is best known for his one-fight stint with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fighting in the middleweight division.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:...

on August 27, 2011 at UFC 134

UFC 134

UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 27, 2011 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...

but Falcao was suddenly released from the promotion on May 11. Lawlor was expected to remain on the Brazilian card, but instead took a bout against Kyle Noke

Kyle Noke

Kyle Noke is an Australian professional mixed martial artist who currently fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Noke has also fought for EliteXC and the Australian fighting promotion Spartan Reality Fight...

on August 14, 2011 at UFC on Versus 5

UFC on Versus 5

UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 14, 2011, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The event was the first that the UFC has hosted in Wisconsin...

. However, Lawlor pulled out of the fight in early July 2011.

Lawlor lost to Chris Weidman

Chris Weidman

Chris Weidman is an American mixed martial artist and former collegiate wrestler. He is currently signed as a Middleweight with the UFC. Weidman attended Baldwin high school on Long Island where he was a Nassau County and New York State wrestling Champion...

on November 19, 2011 at UFC 139

UFC 139

UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 19, 2011 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, USA...

due to a d'arce choke in 2:07 of the first round.

Mixed martial arts record

|-
| Loss
|align=center| 7–4 (1)
|

Chris Weidman

| Technical submission (d'arce choke)
| UFC 139

UFC 139

UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 19, 2011 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, USA...

San Jose, California

San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...

, U.S.
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–3 (1)
|

Patrick Côté

Patrick Côté (fighter)

| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 121

UFC 121

UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 23, 2010 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States...

Anaheim, California

Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...

, U.S.
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 6–3 (1)
|

Joe Doerksen

| Submission (rear naked choke)
| UFC 113

UFC 113

UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 8, 2010, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Background:...

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 6–2 (1)
|

Aaron Simpson

Aaron Simpson (fighter)

Fairfax, Virginia

The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....

, U.S.
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–1 (1)
|

C.B. Dollaway

| Technical submission (guillotine choke)
| 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

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| 5–1 (1)
|

Kyle Kingsbury

| Decision (unanimous)
| The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs Team Mir Finale

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs Team Mir Finale

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir Finale, also referred to as The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale, was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 13 2008...

Las Vegas, Nevada

, U.S.
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–1 (1)
|

Foxborough, Massachusetts

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile...

, U.S.
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 3–1 (1)
|

Shane Primm

Shane Christopher Primm is an American mixed martial arts fighter. He was a cast member of Spike's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir.-Biography:...

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

, U.S.
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0 (1)
|

Mansfield, Massachusetts

Mansfield is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population is 23,184. Mansfield is in the south-southwest suburbs of Boston and is also close to Providence, Rhode Island....

, U.S.
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0 (1)
|

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

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

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

, U.S.
|
|-
| NC
|align=center| 0–0 (1)
|

Fort Myers, Florida

Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....

, U.S.
|

External links

UFC Profile

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.