79-506: Kenneth Duane Robertson (born February 14, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist . A professional mixed martial artist since 2008, he has also competed for the UFC and Bellator . In high school he wrestled for Metamora Township High School . Robertson excelled in wrestling, where he was a three time NCAA Division I qualifier for Eastern Illinois University . While competing for the Panthers he
158-409: A combat -based style which blended wrestling , kickboxing and submission grappling . Another promotion formed around the same time by Akira Maeda called Fighting Network RINGS initially started as a shoot-style professional wrestling promotion but it also promoted early mixed martial arts contests. From 1995 onwards it began identifying itself as a mixed martial arts promotion and moved away from
237-449: A fencer , and his fight against Taiwanese kung fu master Wu Ming Jeet. Wong combined boxing and kickboxing into his kung fu, as Bruce Lee did. Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki took place in Japan in 1976. The classic match-up between professional boxer and professional wrestler turned sour as each fighter refused to engage in the other's style, and after a 15-round stalemate it was declared
316-656: A gyaku-ude-garami armlock, which later became known as the "Kimura" in Brazilian jiu jitsu. In 1963, a catch wrestler and judoka " Judo " Gene Lebell fought professional boxer Milo Savage in a no-holds-barred match. Lebell won by Harai Goshi to rear naked choke, leaving Savage unconscious. This was the first televised bout of mixed-style fighting in North America. The hometown crowd was so enraged that they began to boo and throw chairs at Lebell. On February 12, 1963, three karatekas from Oyama dojo ( kyokushin later) went to
395-633: A 1905 fight between French savateur George Dubois and a judo practitioner Re-nierand which resulted in the latter winning by submission, as well as the highly publicized 1957 fight between French savateur and professional boxer Jacques Cayron and a young Japanese karateka named Mochizuki Hiroo which ended when Cayron knocked Hiroo out with a hook . Catch wrestling appeared in the late 19th century, combining several global styles of wrestling , including Indian pehlwani and English wrestling. In turn, catch wrestling went on to greatly influence modern MMA. No-holds-barred fighting reportedly took place in
474-552: A career in mixed martial arts. Curtis amassed a record of 18–5 in the North American regional circuit while capturing Welterweight Championships in CES MMA , Z Promotions and Premier MMA Championship. Curtis was then invited to face Sean Lally at Dana White's Contender Series 9 on June 12, 2018. He won the fight via third-round knockout but retired after he was not awarded a UFC contract. Curtis would however return to fight for
553-506: A contest was held in France between French savateurs and English bare-knuckle boxers in which French fighter Rambaud alias la Resistance fought English fighter Dickinson and won using his kicks. However, the English team still won the four other match-ups during the contest. Contests occurred in the late 19th to mid-20th century between French savateurs and other combat styles. Examples include
632-522: A draw. Muhammad Ali sustained a substantial amount of damage to his legs, as Antonio Inoki slide-kicked him continuously for the duration of the bout, causing him to be hospitalized for the next three days. The fight played an important role in the history of mixed martial arts. The basis of modern mixed martial arts in Japan can be found across several shoot-style professional wrestling promotions such as UWF International and Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi , both founded in 1991, that attempted to create
711-416: A few days later at UFC Fight Night 46 after his opponent Ryan LaFlare was removed from the card. Subsequently, Robertson eventually faced Ildemar Alcântara on July 5, 2014, at UFC 175 . He won the fight via unanimous decision. Robertson faced Sultan Aliev on January 24, 2015, at UFC on Fox 14 . He won the fight via knockout in the first round. The win also earned Robertson his first Performance of
790-549: A mixed match, which catch wrestler Steele won in 35 seconds. 27 years later, Ray Steele's protégé Lou Thesz fought boxer Jersey Joe Walcott twice in mixed style bouts. The first match was a real contest which Thesz won while the second match was a work, which Thesz also won. In the 1940s in the Palama Settlement in Hawaii, five martial arts masters, under the leadership of Adriano Emperado, curious to determine which martial art
869-673: A new peak of popularity in North America in December 2006: a rematch between then UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and former champion Tito Ortiz , rivaled the PPV sales of some of the biggest boxing events of all time, and helped the UFC's 2006 PPV gross surpass that of any promotion in PPV history. In 2007, Zuffa LLC , the owners of the UFC MMA promotion, bought Japanese rival MMA brand Pride FC , merging
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#1733094522732948-399: A result of an increased number of competitors, organized training camps, information sharing, and modern kinesiology , the understanding of the effectiveness of various strategies has been greatly improved. UFC commentator Joe Rogan claimed that martial arts evolved more in the ten years following 1993 (the first UFC event ) than in the preceding 700 years combined. "During his reign atop
1027-482: A rooftop fight scene in the 1950s and 1960s, where gangs from rival martial arts schools challenged each other to bare-knuckle fights on Hong Kong's rooftops, in order to avoid crackdowns by colonial British Hong Kong authorities. The most famous fighter to emerge from Hong Kong's rooftop fight scene was Bruce Lee , who combined different techniques from different martial arts schools into his own hybrid martial arts system called Jeet Kune Do . Lee went on to popularize
1106-501: A teacher at Eureka High School in Eureka, Illinois , teaching industrial arts. He has also previously taught woodshop at Metamora High School . Mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts ( MMA ) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling , incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place throughout Japan and
1185-539: A total of just five minutes. sparking a revolution in martial arts. The first Vale Tudo Japan tournaments were held in 1994 and 1995 and were both won by Rickson Gracie . Around the same time, International Vale Tudo competition started to develop through (World Vale Tudo Championship (WVC), VTJ , IVC , UVF etc.). Interest in mixed martial arts as a sport resulted in the creation of the Pride Fighting Championships (Pride) in 1997. The sport reached
1264-606: Is an American professional mixed martial artist . He currently competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2009, he has also competed for the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Curtis was born and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio . He has a sister and a brother. Despite aspirations of becoming a lawyer, he dropped out of school in pursuit of
1343-441: Is not schooled in both striking and grappling arts reach the highest levels of competition. MMA fighters are ranked according to their performance and outcome of their fights and level of competition they faced. The most popular and used, ranking portals are: The rules for modern mixed martial arts competitions have changed significantly since the early days of vale tudo , Japanese shoot wrestling , and UFC 1 , and even more from
1422-500: The Fight of the Night award. Curtis faced Nassourdine Imavov on June 10, 2023, at UFC 289 . The bout ended in a no contest in the second round after an accidental clash of heads left Curtis unable to continue due to a severe cut above his eye. Curtis was scheduled to face Anthony Hernandez at UFC Fight Night 227 on September 16, 2023. However, Curtis withdrew due to a rib injury and
1501-438: The UFC came to prominence in mainstream media in 2006, and with their 2007 merger with Pride FC and purchases of WEC and Strikeforce , it has been the most significant MMA promotion in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent , and level of competition. According to Fight Matrix , these are the promotions with the top ranked talent as of November 2024: There are hundreds of MMA training facilities throughout
1580-555: The karateka was allowed to use his fists, feet and knees, while the boxer could only use his fists. Hadley won the fight via knockout on the first round. In 1988 Rick Roufus challenged Changpuek Kiatsongrit to a non-title Muay Thai vs. kickboxing super fight. Roufus was at the time an undefeated Kickboxer and held both the KICK Super Middleweight World title and the PKC Middleweight U.S. title. Kiatsongrit
1659-626: The "Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts". The motion passed unanimously. In November 2005, the United States Army began to sanction mixed martial arts with the first annual Army Combatives Championships held by the US Army Combatives School . Canada formally decriminalized mixed martial arts with a vote on Bill S-209 on June 5, 2013. The bill allows for provinces to have the power to create athletic commissions to regulate and sanction professional mixed martial arts bouts. Since
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#17330945227321738-671: The "father of mixed martial arts" stating: "If you look at the way Bruce Lee trained, the way he fought, and many of the things he wrote, he said the perfect style was no style. You take a little something from everything. You take the good things from every different discipline, use what works, and you throw the rest away". A contemporary of Bruce Lee, Wing Chun practitioner Wong Shun Leung , gained prominence fighting in 60–100 illegal beimo fights against other Chinese martial artists of various styles. Wong also fought and won against Western fighters of other combat styles, such as his match against Russian boxer Giko, his televised fight against
1817-695: The 1920s and became renowned through its association with the " Gracie challenge ", which was issued by Carlos Gracie and Hélio Gracie and upheld later by descendants of the Gracie family . The "Gracie Challenges" were held in the garages and gyms of the Gracie family members. When the popularity grew, these types of mixed bouts were a staple attraction at the carnivals in Brazil. In the mid-20th century, mixed martial arts contests emerged in Hong Kong's street fighting culture in
1896-611: The Brawlers contests", and ended the sport. Japan had its own form of mixed martial arts discipline, Shooto , which evolved from shoot wrestling in 1985, as well as the shoot wrestling derivative Pancrase , which was founded as a promotion in 1993. Pancrase 1 was held in Japan in September 1993, two months before UFC 1 was held in the United States in November 1993. In 1993, the sport
1975-502: The Iowa Athletic Commission officially sanctioned Battlecade Extreme Fighting under a modified form of its existing rules for Shootfighting . These rules created the three 'five-minute round/one-minute break' format, and mandated shootfighting gloves, as well as weight classes for the first time. Illegal blows were listed as groin strikes, head butting, biting, eye gouging, hair pulling, striking an opponent with an elbow while
2054-618: The Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Thailand and fought against three Muay Thai fighters. The three kyokushin karate fighters were Tadashi Nakamura, Kenji Kurosaki and AkiFujihira (also known as Noboru Osawa), while the Muay Thai team of three authentic Thai fighter. Japan won 2–1: Tadashi Nakamura and Akio Fujihira both knocked out their opponents with punches while Kenji Kurosaki, who fought the Thai,
2133-421: The Night bonus award. Robertson was expected to face George Sullivan on April 18, 2015, at UFC on Fox 15 . However, Robertson pulled out of the bout citing injury and was replaced by Tim Means . Robertson next faced Ben Saunders on July 25, 2015, at UFC on Fox 16 . He lost the back-and-forth fight by split decision. Robertson faced Roan Carneiro on September 17, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 94 . He lost
2212-506: The United States by CV Productions, Inc. Its first competition, called Tough Guy Contest was held on March 20, 1980, New Kensington, Pennsylvania , Holiday Inn . During that year the company renamed the brand to Super Fighters and sanctioned ten regulated tournaments in Pennsylvania . In 1983, Pennsylvania State Senate passed a bill known as the " Tough Guy Law " that specifically called for: "Prohibiting Tough Guy contests or Battle of
2291-398: The bout citing and injury and was replaced by UFC newcomer Elias Silverio. Robertson faced Thiago Perpétuo on March 23, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 38 . He won the fight via submission in the first round. Robertson was briefly linked to a bout with Zak Cummings on July 16, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 45 . However, Cummings was pulled from that fight in favor of a matchup with Gunnar Nelson
2370-554: The bout via unanimous decision, was eliminated from the season and retired from the sport. However, after their bout Magomedkerimov fell ill and Curtis ended his retirement by stepping in to replace Magomedkerimov against Ray Cooper III in a semifinal bout. He lost the fight via second-round knockout and retired from the sport once again. Curtis would, however, quickly return from retirement to defend his Z Promotions title in January 2020, defeating Darren Smith Jr. via corner stoppage at
2449-460: The concept of mixed martial arts internationally. Early mixed-match martial arts professional wrestling bouts in Japan (known as Ishu Kakutōgi Sen (異種格闘技戦), literally "heterogeneous combat sports bouts") became popular with Antonio Inoki only in the 1970s. Inoki was a disciple of Rikidōzan , but also of Karl Gotch , who trained numerous Japanese wrestlers in catch wrestling . Regulated mixed martial arts competitions were first introduced in
Kenny Robertson - Misplaced Pages Continue
2528-513: The conclusion of the meeting, all parties in attendance were able to agree upon a uniform set of rules to govern the sport of mixed martial arts. The rules adopted by the NJSACB have become the de facto standard set of rules for professional mixed martial arts across North America. On July 30, 2009, a motion was made at the annual meeting of the Association of Boxing Commissions to adopt these rules as
2607-522: The contracted fighters under one promotion. Comparisons were drawn to the consolidation that occurred in other sports, such as the AFL-NFL Merger in American football . The first documented use of the name mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic, Howard Rosenberg , in 1993. The term gained popularity when the website, newfullcontact.com (one of the biggest websites covering
2686-591: The countries of East Asia . At the same time, in Brazil there was a phenomenon called vale tudo , which became known for unrestricted fights between various styles such as judo , Brazilian jiu-jitsu , catch wrestling , luta livre , Muay Thai and capoeira . An early high-profile mixed bout was Kimura vs. Gracie in 1951. In mid-20th century Hong Kong , rooftop street fighting contests between different martial arts styles gave rise to Bruce Lee 's hybrid martial arts style Jeet Kune Do . Another precursor to modern MMA
2765-528: The early 1920s, merged various forms of combat styles such as wrestling, judo and striking into one unique martial art. The popularity of professional wrestling, which was contested under various catch wrestling rules at the time, waned after World War I , when the sport split into two genres: " shoot ", in which the fighters actually competed, and " show ", which evolved into modern professional wrestling . In 1936, heavyweight boxing contender Kingfish Levinsky and professional wrestler Ray Steele competed in
2844-536: The early 1990s, practitioners of grappling based styles such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu dominated competition in the United States. Practitioners of striking based arts such as boxing , kickboxing , and karate , who were unfamiliar with submission grappling, proved to be unprepared to deal with its submission techniques . As competitions became more and more common, those with a base in striking arts became more competitive as they cross-trained in styles based around takedowns and submission holds. Likewise, those from
2923-450: The end of the fourth. On April 14, 2020, it was announced that Curtis had come out of retirement and signed a multi-fight contract with ARES FC. He was scheduled to make his promotional debut against Nassourdine Imavov at ARES FC 2 on April 3, 2020. However, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic to take place on October 30, 2020, before being cancelled altogether. Curtis
3002-513: The fight via split decision and was subsequently released from the promotion. After over four years away from competition, Robertson is scheduled to challenge Dante Schiro for the Caged Aggression Welterweight Championship at Caged Aggression 30 on March 27, 2021. Robertson faced Chris Curtis on July 30, 2021, at XMMA 2. He lost the bout via unanimous decision. Now that his career in fighting has ended he has become
3081-399: The fight via technical knockout in round two. The win earned him a Performance of the Night bonus award. Curtis was then expected to face Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 273 on April 9, 2022. However, Curtis withdrew from the bout due to a wrist injury and was replaced by Anthony Hernandez . Curtis then faced Rodolfo Vieira at UFC on ESPN: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot on June 25, 2022. He won
3160-550: The fight via unanimous decision. Curtis faced Jack Hermansson on July 23, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 208 , replacing the injured Darren Till . He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Curtis faced Joaquin Buckley on December 10, 2022, at UFC 282 . He won the fight via technical knockout in round two. Curtis faced Kelvin Gastelum on April 8, 2023, at UFC 287 . He lost the bout via unanimous decision. This fight earned him
3239-563: The form of rooftop fights. During the early 20th century, there was an influx of migrants from mainland China, including Chinese martial arts teachers who opened up martial arts schools in Hong Kong. In the mid-20th century, soaring crime in Hong Kong , combined with limited Hong Kong Police manpower, led to many young Hongkongers learning martial arts for self-defence . Around the 1960s, there were about 400 martial arts schools in Hong Kong, teaching their own distinctive styles of martial arts. In Hong Kong's street fighting culture, there emerged
Kenny Robertson - Misplaced Pages Continue
3318-499: The founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) promotion company in 1993. The company held an event with almost no rules, mostly due to the influence of Art Davie and Rorion Gracie attempting to replicate mixed contests that existed in Brazil and Japan. They would later implement a different set of rules (example: eliminating kicking a grounded opponent), which differed from other leagues which were more in favour of realistic, "street-like" fights. The first documented use of
3397-405: The historian E. Norman Gardiner, "No branch of athletics was more popular than the pankration." There is also evidence of similar mixed combat sports in ancient Egypt , India and Japan . The mid-19th century saw the prominence of the new sport savate in the combat sports circle. French savate fighters wanted to test their techniques against the traditional combat styles of its time. In 1852,
3476-478: The historic style of pankration . As the knowledge of fighting techniques spread among fighters and spectators, it became clear that the original minimalist rule systems needed to be amended. The main motivations for these rule changes were protection of the health of the fighters, the desire to shed the perception of "barbarism and lawlessness", and to be recognized as a legitimate sport. Chris Curtis (fighter) Christopher Alan Curtis (born July 15, 1987)
3555-674: The jurisdiction of the CSAC, rendering the vote meaningless. On September 30, 2000, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (NJSACB) began allowing mixed martial arts promoters to conduct events in New Jersey. The first event was an IFC event titled Battleground 2000 held in Atlantic City. The intent was to allow the NJSACB to observe actual events and gather information to establish a comprehensive set of rules to regulate
3634-411: The kickboxing rules already accepted by most state athletic commissions. These modified kickboxing rules allowed for take downs and ground fighting and did away with rounds, although they did allow for fighters to be stood up by the referee and restarted if there was no action on the ground. These rules were the first in modern MMA to define fouls, fighting surfaces and the use of the cage. In March 1997,
3713-448: The late 1880s when wrestlers representing the style of catch wrestling and many others met in tournaments and music-hall challenge matches throughout Europe. In the US, the first major encounter between a boxer and a wrestler in modern times took place in 1887 when John L. Sullivan , then heavyweight world boxing champion, entered the ring with his trainer, wrestling champion William Muldoon , and
3792-464: The late 1960s to early 1970s, the concept of hybrid martial arts was popularized in the West by Bruce Lee via his system of Jeet Kune Do . Lee believed that "the best fighter is not a boxer, karate or judo man. The best fighter is someone who can adapt to any style, to be formless, to adopt an individual's own style and not following the system of styles." In 2004, UFC President Dana White would call Lee
3871-579: The name "MMA" at the UFC 17 rules meeting in response to increased public criticism. The question as to who actually coined the name is still in debate. The first state-regulated MMA event was held in Biloxi, Mississippi on August 23, 1996, with the sanctioning of IFC's Mayhem in Mississippi show by the Mississippi Athletic Commission under William Lyons. The rules used were an adaptation of
3950-406: The need for the incorporation of strikes on the ground as well as on the feet, and incorporated ground striking into their grappling-based styles. Mark Coleman stated at UFC 14 that his strategy was to "Ground him and pound him", which may be the first televised use of the term. Since the late 1990s, both strikers and grapplers have been successful at MMA, although it is rare to see any fighter who
4029-481: The opponent is on the mat, kidney strikes, and striking the back of the head with closed fist. Holding onto the ring or cage for any reason was defined as a foul. While there are minor differences between these and the final Unified Rules, notably regarding elbow strikes, the Iowa rules allowed mixed martial arts promoters to conduct essentially modern events legally, anywhere in the state. On March 28, 1997, Extreme Fighting 4
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#17330945227324108-542: The original shoot style. Professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki founded Pancrase in 1993 which promoted legitimate contests initially under professional wrestling rules. These promotions inspired Pride Fighting Championships which started in 1997. Pride was acquired by its rival Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2007. A fight between Golden Gloves boxing champion Joey Hadley and Arkansas Karate Champion David Valovich happened on June 22, 1976, at Memphis Blues Baseball Park. The bout had mixed rules:
4187-605: The precursors of modern MMA are mixed style contests throughout Europe, Japan, and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s. In Japan, these contests were known as merikan , from the Japanese slang for "American [fighting]". Merikan contests were fought under a variety of rules, including points decision, best of three throws or knockdowns, and victory via knockout or submission. Sambo , a martial art and combat sport developed in Russia in
4266-510: The school ever had. Robertson compiled a 10–0 professional MMA record before signing with the UFC including a submission win over TUF alum John Kolosci at Bellator XXV . Robertson was expected to make his UFC debut against fellow unbeaten fighter, Pascal Krauss on November 13, 2010, at UFC 122 . However, Robertson was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Mark Scanlon. Robertson eventually made his UFC debut on February 5, 2011, at UFC 126 , losing to Mike Pierce via TKO in
4345-433: The season, subsequently being replaced by André Fialho . Curtis won the bout via third-round knockout. In the second regular season bout Curtis faced PFL Season 2018 Welterweight Champion Magomed Magomedkerimov at PFL 4 on July 11, 2019. He lost the fight via unanimous decision but advanced to the playoffs. In the quarterfinals Curtis faced Magomedkerimov in a rematch at PFL 7 on October 11, 2019. Again he lost
4424-522: The second round. Following the loss, Robertson was released from the promotion. Robertson had his first post-UFC fight against fellow UFC veteran Lúcio Linhares on October 1, 2011. He won via KO due to a spinning backfist in round 1. Robertson made his UFC return against Aaron Simpson on July 11, 2012, at UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman , replacing an injured Jon Fitch . He lost the fight via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). Robertson defeated Brock Jardine on February 23, 2013, at UFC 157 . He
4503-535: The sport at the time), hosted and reprinted the article. The first use of the term by a promotion was in September 1995 by Rick Blume, president and CEO of Battlecade Extreme Fighting, just after UFC 7. UFC official, Jeff Blatnick , was responsible for the Ultimate Fighting Championship officially adopting the name mixed martial arts. It was previously marketed as "Ultimate Fighting" and "No Holds Barred (NHB)", until Blatnick and John McCarthy proposed
4582-469: The sport effectively. On April 3, 2001, the NJSACB held a meeting to discuss the regulation of mixed martial arts events. This meeting attempted to unify the myriad rules and regulations which had been utilized by the different mixed martial arts organizations. At this meeting, the proposed uniform rules were agreed upon by the NJSACB, several other regulatory bodies, numerous promoters of mixed martial arts events and other interested parties in attendance. At
4661-454: The sport in the late 1990s he was the prototype – he could strike with the best strikers; he could grapple with the best grapplers; his endurance was second to none. " The high profile of modern MMA promotions such as UFC and Pride has fostered an accelerated development of the sport. The early 1990s saw a wide variety of traditional styles competing in the sport. However, early competition saw varying levels of success among disparate styles. In
4740-482: The sport. Following these changes, the sport has seen increased popularity with a pay-per-view business that rivals boxing and professional wrestling . In ancient China , combat sport appeared in the form of Leitai , a no-holds-barred mixed combat sport that combined Chinese martial arts , boxing and wrestling. In ancient Greece , there was a sport called pankration , which featured grappling and striking skills similar to those found in modern MMA. Pankration
4819-569: The term mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993. Originally promoted as a competition to find the most effective martial arts for real unarmed combat, competitors from different fighting styles were pitted against one another in contests with relatively few rules. Later, individual fighters incorporated multiple martial arts into their style. MMA promoters were pressured to adopt additional rules to increase competitors' safety, to comply with sport regulations and to broaden mainstream acceptance of
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#17330945227324898-559: The third, Curtis faced Kenny Robertson on July 30, 2021, at XMMA 2. He won the bout via unanimous decision. Curtis was briefly expected to replace Deron Winn against Phil Hawes on day's notice at UFC on ESPN 26 on October 9, 2021, but Hawes ultimately declined the bout. Nevertheless, the bout was later rebooked to take place at UFC 268 on November 6, 2021. Curtis won the fight via first-round knockout. Replacing Roman Dolidze on short notice, Curtis faced Brendan Allen on December 4, 2021, at UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Aldo . He won
4977-435: The vacant Z Promotions Middleweight title against Matt Dwyer on January 21, 2019, winning the bout via majority decision. On April 1, 2019, it was revealed that Curtis would be participating PFL 2019 season in the welterweight division. He was initially set to face PFL Season 2018 Middleweight Champion Louis Taylor at PFL 1 on May 9, 2019. However, Taylor was not able to get medically cleared and had to withdraw from
5056-418: The varying grappling styles added striking techniques to their arsenal. This increase of cross-training resulted in fighters becoming increasingly multidimensional and well-rounded in their skill-sets. The new hybridization of fighting styles can be seen in the technique of "ground and pound" developed by wrestling-based UFC pioneers such as Dan Severn , Don Frye and Mark Coleman . These wrestlers realized
5135-655: The world. MMA gyms serve as specialized training centers where fighters develop their skills across various martial arts disciplines, such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai, and boxing. These gyms provide structured environments for athletes to prepare for competition, offering coaching, sparring, and conditioning programs. Certain gyms, such as the UFC Performance Institute offer facilities like cryotherapy chambers , underwater treadmills , and DEXA machines. The following are popular MMA gyms along with notable fighters that have trained out of them. As
5214-524: Was Bartitsu , which Edward William Barton-Wright founded in London in 1899. Combining catch wrestling , judo , boxing , savate , jujutsu and canne de combat (French stick fighting), Bartitsu was the first martial art known to have combined Asian and European fighting styles, and which saw MMA-style contests throughout England, pitting European catch wrestlers and Japanese judoka champions against representatives of various European wrestling styles. Among
5293-469: Was a four time West Regional conference finalist. He took 3rd his freshman year, 2nd sophomore years in 2005, and then won the championship as a junior and senior in 2006 and 2007. As a junior in 2006, he was one match away from being an All American at the NCAA championships. His senior year was the last year that Eastern Illinois University sponsored a wrestling program, making Robertson the last NCAA qualifier
5372-427: Was best, began testing each other in their respective arts of kenpo, jujitsu, Chinese and American boxing and tang soo do . From this they developed kajukenbo , the first American mixed martial arts. In 1951, a high-profile grappling match was Masahiko Kimura vs. Hélio Gracie , which was wrestled between judoka Masahiko Kimura and Brazilian jiu jitsu founder Hélio Gracie in Brazil. Kimura defeated Gracie using
5451-412: Was finding it increasingly difficult to get fights in Thailand as his weight (70 kg) was not typical for Thailand, where competitive bouts tended to be at the lower weights. Roufus knocked Changpuek down twice with punches in the first round, breaking Changpuek's jaw, but lost by technical knockout in the fourth round due to the culmination of low kicks to the legs that he was unprepared for. This match
5530-463: Was formed by combining the already established wrestling and boxing traditions and, in Olympic terms, first featured in the 33rd Olympiad in 648 BC. All strikes and holds were allowed with the exception of biting and gouging, which were banned. The fighters, called pankratiasts, fought until someone could not continue or signaled submission by raising their index finger; there were no rounds. According to
5609-658: Was held under these rules, making it the first show conducted under a version of the modern rules. In April 2000, the California State Athletic Commission voted unanimously in favor of regulations that later became the foundation for the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts . However, when the legislation was sent to the California capital in Sacramento for review, it was determined that the sport fell outside
5688-477: Was knocked out by elbows. The Japanese fighter who lost, Kenji Kurosaki, was a kyokushin instructor, rather than a contender, and that he had stood in as a substitute for the absent chosen fighter. In June of the same year, karateka and future kickboxer Tadashi Sawamura faced top Thai fighter Samarn Sor Adisorn: Sawamura was knocked down sixteen times on his way to defeat. Sawamura went on to incorporate what he learned in that fight in kickboxing tournaments. During
5767-423: Was reintroduced to the United States by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). UFC promoters initially pitched the event as a real-life fighting video game tournament similar to Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat . The sport gained international exposure and widespread publicity when jiu-jitsu fighter Royce Gracie won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament, submitting three challengers in
5846-526: Was replaced by Roman Kopylov . Curtis faced Marc-André Barriault on January 20, 2024, at UFC 297 . He won in a competitive bout by split decision. Replacing Marvin Vettori , Curtis faced Brendan Allen in a rematch on April 6, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 240 . Curtis lost the fight by split decision. Curtis was scheduled to face Kevin Holland on October 5, 2024 at UFC 307 . However, Curtis withdrew from
5925-524: Was scheduled to face Austin Vanderford on November 5, 2020, at Bellator 251 . However, Curtis had to pull out of the bout due to a positive COVID test and was replaced by Vinicius de Jesus. Curtis faced Kyle Stewart on January 30, 2021, at XMMA 1. He won the bout via TKO in the third round. After winning the next two bouts against Juan Ramon Grano Medina at iKon Fighting Federation 6 via first round TKO and Jarome Hatch at Fierce FC 15 via TKO stoppage in
6004-673: Was slammed to the mat in two minutes. The next publicized encounter occurred in the late 1890s when future heavyweight boxing champion Bob Fitzsimmons took on European wrestling champion Ernest Roeber . In September 1901, Frank "Paddy" Slavin , who had been a contender for Sullivan's boxing title, knocked out future world wrestling champion Frank Gotch in Dawson City , Canada. The judo-practitioner Ren-nierand, who gained fame after defeating George Dubois, would fight again in another similar contest, which he lost to Ukrainian Catch wrestler Ivan Poddubny. Another early example of mixed martial arts
6083-472: Was the 1976 Ali vs. Inoki exhibition bout, fought between boxer Muhammad Ali and wrestler Antonio Inoki in Japan, where it later inspired the foundation of Shooto in 1985, Pancrase in 1993, and the Pride Fighting Championships in 1997. In the 1990s, the Gracie family brought their Brazilian jiu-jitsu style , first developed in Brazil from the 1920s, to the United States—which culminated in
6162-421: Was the first popular fight which showcased the power of such low kicks to a predominantly Western audience. The movement that led to the creation of present-day mixed martial arts scenes emerged from a confluence of several earlier martial arts scenes: the vale tudo events in Brazil, rooftop fights in Hong Kong's street fighting culture, and professional wrestlers , especially in Japan . Vale tudo began in
6241-562: Was victorious in the first round due to a modified kneebar from the back mount position. The submission applies pressure to the hamstring of the opponent by grabbing the ankle and hyperextending at the knee. The finish earned him the Submission of the Night bonus. Robertson faced Sean Pierson on June 15, 2013, at UFC 161 . Pierson defeated Robertson via majority decision. Robertson was expected to face Joao Zeferino on September 4, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 28 . However, Robertson pulled out of
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