Martial Artists, Mixed Martial Artists (MMA), Kickboxers, BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu), vale tudo, luta livre fighters
MMA fighters, kickboxers, martial artists, other combat sports athletes and contemporary martial artists who have been influential.
MMA blends all these styles-Kickboxing, boxing, submission grappling, and wrestling-into one and a lot of athletes coming into the sport today are training in a way that combines them as well.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the hybrid Judo style taught by Mitsuyo Maeda, a naturalized Japanese-Brazilian citizen who was a 7th Dan in Kodokan Judo, to Carlos Gracie and his family during the early 20th century, it has become the dominant style of grappling taught to most MMA fighters.
Vale tudo had been on Brazilian TV for decades but the Gracie helped create the UFC as a way of showing the effectiveness of their family's martial art. Royce Gracie was picked by his father Helio to compete at the first UFC and won the tournament.
Luta Livre is a style of grappling that developed in Brazil, evolving from freestyle wrestling and Judo.
Catch, freestyle, folkstyle (collegiate) and Greco-Roman wrestling have all been seen in MMA as a number of high level college wrestlers and even some Olympians have competed in MMA and submission grappling. Catch wrestling refers to the catch-as-catch-can style of grappling that originated in England and spread across America after the Civil War, later finding it's way to Japan via Karl Gotch, a Belgian freestyle and Greco-Roman competitor-turned pro wrestler, who trained Japanese pro wrestlers that began the shoot style of pro wrestling that became immensely popular there.
Pro Wrestling played it's role, particularly in Japan where PRIDE FC was co-founded by pro wrestler Nobuhiko Takada and filled arenas in Japan with the series of Pro Wrestling vs. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu grudge matches that played out there. Kazushi Sakuraba, a former collegiate wrestler-turned pro and catch wrestler, emerged as one of the biggest stars in his victories over different members of the Gracie family. His nickname was The Gracie Hunter and I.Q. Wrestler. He often fought at heavyweight and openweight against much larger opponents as well. Josh Barnett may be the most well known catch wrestling practitioner still competing in MMA today with his past appearances in PRIDE, UFC, and New Japan Pro Wrestling events.
Kickboxing is a hybrid of the popular full contact styles used in K-1, Glory, WKA, or WBC Muaythai-Boxing, Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Shootboxing, Wushu or Sanshou.
MMA weight classes as follows:
Atomweight-105 lbs
Strawweight-115 lbs
Flyweight-125 lbs
Bantamweight-135 lbs
Featherweight-145 lbs
Lightweight-155 lbs
Welterweight-170 lbs
Middleweight- 185 lbs
Light Heavyweight-205 lbs
Heavyweight-265 lbs
MMA blends all these styles-Kickboxing, boxing, submission grappling, and wrestling-into one and a lot of athletes coming into the sport today are training in a way that combines them as well.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the hybrid Judo style taught by Mitsuyo Maeda, a naturalized Japanese-Brazilian citizen who was a 7th Dan in Kodokan Judo, to Carlos Gracie and his family during the early 20th century, it has become the dominant style of grappling taught to most MMA fighters.
Vale tudo had been on Brazilian TV for decades but the Gracie helped create the UFC as a way of showing the effectiveness of their family's martial art. Royce Gracie was picked by his father Helio to compete at the first UFC and won the tournament.
Luta Livre is a style of grappling that developed in Brazil, evolving from freestyle wrestling and Judo.
Catch, freestyle, folkstyle (collegiate) and Greco-Roman wrestling have all been seen in MMA as a number of high level college wrestlers and even some Olympians have competed in MMA and submission grappling. Catch wrestling refers to the catch-as-catch-can style of grappling that originated in England and spread across America after the Civil War, later finding it's way to Japan via Karl Gotch, a Belgian freestyle and Greco-Roman competitor-turned pro wrestler, who trained Japanese pro wrestlers that began the shoot style of pro wrestling that became immensely popular there.
Pro Wrestling played it's role, particularly in Japan where PRIDE FC was co-founded by pro wrestler Nobuhiko Takada and filled arenas in Japan with the series of Pro Wrestling vs. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu grudge matches that played out there. Kazushi Sakuraba, a former collegiate wrestler-turned pro and catch wrestler, emerged as one of the biggest stars in his victories over different members of the Gracie family. His nickname was The Gracie Hunter and I.Q. Wrestler. He often fought at heavyweight and openweight against much larger opponents as well. Josh Barnett may be the most well known catch wrestling practitioner still competing in MMA today with his past appearances in PRIDE, UFC, and New Japan Pro Wrestling events.
Kickboxing is a hybrid of the popular full contact styles used in K-1, Glory, WKA, or WBC Muaythai-Boxing, Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Shootboxing, Wushu or Sanshou.
MMA weight classes as follows:
Atomweight-105 lbs
Strawweight-115 lbs
Flyweight-125 lbs
Bantamweight-135 lbs
Featherweight-145 lbs
Lightweight-155 lbs
Welterweight-170 lbs
Middleweight- 185 lbs
Light Heavyweight-205 lbs
Heavyweight-265 lbs
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Bruce Lee remains the greatest icon of martial arts cinema and a key figure of modern popular media. Had it not been for Bruce Lee and his movies in the early 1970s, it's arguable whether or not the martial arts film genre would have ever penetrated and influenced mainstream North American and European cinema and audiences the way it has over the past four decades. The influence of East Asian martial arts cinema can be seen today in so many other film genres including comedies, action, drama, science fiction, horror and animation... and they all have their roots in the phenomenon that was Bruce Lee.
Lee was born Lee Jun Fan November 27, 1940 in San Francisco, the son of Lee Hoi Chuen, a singer with the Cantonese Opera. Approximately one year later, the family returned to Kowloon in Hong Kong and at the age of five, a young Bruce begins appearing in children's roles in minor films including The Birth of Mankind (1946) and Fu gui fu yun (1948). At the age of 12, Bruce commenced attending La Salle College. Bruce was later beaten up by a street gang, which inspired him to take up martial arts training under the tutelage of Sifu Yip Man who schooled Bruce in wing chun kung fu for a period of approximately five years. This was the only formalized martial arts training ever undertaken by Lee. The talented and athletic Bruce also took up cha-cha dancing and, at age 18, won a major dance championship in Hong Kong.
However, his temper and quick fists got him in trouble with the Hong Kong police on numerous occasions. His parents suggested that he head off to the United States. Lee landed in San Francisco's Chinatown in 1959 and worked in a close relative's restaurant. He eventually made his way to Seattle, Washington, where he enrolled at university to study philosophy and found the time to practice his beloved kung fu techniques. In 1963, Lee met Linda Lee Cadwell (aka Linda Emery) (later his wife) and also opened his first kung fu school at 4750 University Way. During the early half of the 1960s, Lee became associated with many key martial arts figures in the United States, including kenpo karate expert Ed Parker and tae kwon do master Jhoon Rhee. He made guest appearances at notable martial arts events including the Long Beach Nationals. Through one of these tournaments Bruce met Hollywood hair-stylist Jay Sebring who introduced him to television producer William Dozier. Based on the runaway success of Batman (1966), Dozier was keen to bring the cartoon character the Green Hornet to television and was on the lookout for an East Asian actor to play the Green Hornet's sidekick, Kato. Around this time Bruce also opened a second kung fu school in Oakland, California and relocated to Oakland to be closer to Hollywood.
Bruce's screen test was successful, and The Green Hornet (1966) starring Van Williams aired in 1966-1967 with mixed success. His fight scenes were sometimes obscured by unrevealing camera angles, but his dedication was such that he insisted his character behave like a perfect bodyguard, keeping his eyes on whoever might be a threat to his employer except when the script made this impossible. The show was canceled after only one season (twenty-six episodes), but by this time Lee was receiving more fan mail than the series' nominal star. He then opened a third branch of his kung fu school in Los Angeles and began providing personalized martial arts training to celebrities including film stars Steve McQueen and James Coburn as well as screenwriter Stirling Silliphant. In addition he refined his prior knowledge of wing chun and incorporated aspects of other fighting styles such as traditional boxing and Okinawan karate. He also developed his own unique style Jeet Kune Do (Way of the Intercepting Fist). Another film opportunity then came his way as he landed the small role of a stand over man named Winslow Wong who intimidates private eye James Garner in Marlowe (1969). Wong pays a visit to Garner and proceeds to demolish the investigator's office with his fists and feet, finishing off with a spectacular high kick that shatters the light fixture. With this further exposure of his talents, Bruce then scored several guest appearances as a martial arts instructor to blind private eye James Franciscus on the television series Longstreet (1971).
With his minor success in Hollywood and money in his pocket, Bruce returned for a visit to Hong Kong and was approached by film producer Raymond Chow who had recently started Golden Harvest productions. Chow was keen to utilize Lee's strong popularity amongst young Chinese fans, and offered him the lead role in The Big Boss (1971). In it, Lee plays a distant cousin coming to join relatives working at an ice house, where murder, corruption, and drug-running lead to his character's adventures and display of Kung-Fu expertise. The film was directed by Wei Lo, shot in Thailand on a very low budget and in terrible living conditions for cast and crew. However, when it opened in Hong Kong the film was an enormous hit. Chow knew he had struck box office gold with Lee and quickly assembled another script entitled Fist of Fury (1972). The second film (with a slightly bigger budget) was again directed by Wei Lo and was set in Shanghai in the year 1900, with Lee returning to his school to find that his beloved master has been poisoned by the local Japanese karate school. Once again he uncovers the evildoers and sets about seeking revenge on those responsible for murdering his teacher and intimidating his school. The film features several superb fight sequences and, at the film's conclusion, Lee refuses to surrender to the Japanese police and seemingly leaps to his death in a hail of police bullets.
Once more, Hong Kong streets were jammed with thousands of fervent Chinese movie fans who could not get enough of the fearless Bruce Lee, and his second film went on to break the box office records set by the first! Lee then set up his own production company, Concord Productions, and set about guiding his film career personally by writing, directing and acting in his next film, The Way of the Dragon (1972). A bigger budget meant better locations and opponents, with the new film set in Rome, Italy and additionally starring hapkido expert In-shik Hwang, karate legend Robert Wall and seven-time U.S. karate champion Chuck Norris. Bruce plays a seemingly simple country boy sent to assist at a cousin's restaurant in Rome and finds his cousins are being bullied by local thugs for protection.
By now, Lee's remarkable success in East Asia had come to the attention of Hollywood film executives and a script was hastily written pitching him as a secret agent penetrating an island fortress. Warner Bros. financed the film and also insisted on B-movie tough guy John Saxon starring alongside Lee to give the film wider appeal. The film culminates with another show-stopping fight sequence between Lee and the key villain, Han, in a maze of mirrors. Shooting was completed in and around Hong Kong in early 1973 and in the subsequent weeks Bruce was involved in completing overdubs and looping for the final cut. Various reports from friends and co-workers cite that he was not feeling well during this period and on July 20, 1973 he lay down at the apartment of actress Betty Ting Pei after taking a headache medicine called Equagesic and was later unable to be revived. A doctor was called and Lee was taken to hospital by ambulance and pronounced dead that evening. The official finding was death due to a cerebral edema, caused by a reaction to the headache tablet Equagesic.
Fans worldwide were shattered that their virile idol had passed at such a young age, and nearly thirty thousand fans filed past his coffin in Hong Kong. A second, much smaller ceremony was held in Seattle, Washington and Bruce was laid to rest at Lake View Cemetary in Seattle with pall bearers including Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Dan Inosanto. Enter the Dragon (1973) was later released in the mainland United States, and was a huge hit with audiences there, which then prompted National General films to actively distribute his three prior movies to U.S. theatres... each was a box office smash.
Fans throughout the world were still hungry for more Bruce Lee films and thus remaining footage (completed before his death) of Lee fighting several opponents including Dan Inosanto, Hugh O'Brian and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was crafted into another film titled Game of Death (1978). The film used a lookalike and shadowy camera work to be substituted for the real Lee in numerous scenes. The film is a poor addition to the line-up and is only saved by the final twenty minutes and the footage of the real Bruce Lee battling his way up the tower. Amazingly, this same shoddy process was used to create Game of Death II (1980), with a lookalike and more stunt doubles interwoven with a few brief minutes of footage of the real Bruce Lee.
Tragically, his son Brandon Lee, an actor and martial artist like his father, was killed in a freak accident on the set of The Crow (1994). Bruce Lee was not only an amazing athlete and martial artist but he possessed genuine superstar charisma and through a handful of films he left behind an indelible impression on the tapestry of modern cinema.The originator of the no style approach to martial arts and called "Godfather of MMA," martial arts teacher and philosopher, actor, director, martial arts choreographer, script writer and author, trained in Wing Chun by the also legendary teacher Ip Man during his youth, founder of Jeet Kune Do, star of The Big Boss, Enter the Dragon and Game of Death among other films, died of a mysterious illness in 1973 while shooting Game of Death, survived by his wife Linda, son Brandon, and daughter Linda. His son was also making an attempt at an acting career with films like Rapid Fire and the now cult classic The Crow. Brandon also died tragically during production of his last film, The Crow, after an accident with a misfired blank round.- Actor
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Anderson is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Middleweight Champion. Silva was the UFC's longest reigning champion and also holds the longest winning and title defense streak in UFC history, with 16 consecutive wins and 10 title defenses, and is the consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world according to ESPN, Sherdog, Yahoo! Sports and other publications. Silva holds notable victories over former champions Carlos Newton, Hayato Sakurai, Chris Leben, Rich Franklin(x2), Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin and Vitor Belfort. UFC president Dana White has called Silva "the greatest mixed martial artist ever. Anderson Silva was born April 14, 1975, a middle child of four. The son of a poverty stricken family, Silva spent the majority of his childhood with his aunt and uncle, an officer with the Curitiba police force. Silva has three sons and two daughters with his wife, Dayane. Silva appeared in Never Surrender in 2009 and a documentary about his life in the UFC called Like Water, released in 2011.
Silva first began training Jiu Jitsu with neighborhood kids who could afford lessons. By the age of 12, his family was able to set aside enough money to start him in Tae Kwon Do lessons, from which he moved on to Capoeira, before finally settling on Muay Thai at the age of 16.
Before he began his career as a professional fighter, Silva worked at McDonalds, and also as a file clerk. He also considers Spider-Man a personal hero, and has a stated love of comic books and comic book heroes. Film and television is one of his greatest passions and he can see himself heavily immersed in the industry in the future.Former UFC Middleweight Champion, black belts in BJJ, Muay Thai and Taekwondo, yellow rope in Capoeira, had a 15 fight win streak and 10 consecutive title defenses, currently has the most consecutive wins in UFC history, recently lost his title to "All-American" Chris Weidman, 33-6 MMA record, rematched Weidman at UFC 168 and lost after a gruesome leg injury resulting from a checked leg kick.- Georges St-Pierre was born on 19 May 1981 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Cartels (2016) and Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016).2x former UFC Welterweight Champion, vacated his title and is currently taking a sabbatical from MMA claiming he will return to the sport after straightening out some personal issues, 9 fight winning streak, black belts in BJJ, Shotokan and Kyokushin Karate, and Gaidojutsu (which is MMA trainer to the UFC stars Greg Jackson's own personally developed hybrid martial arts style), was the no. 1 ranked welterweight fighter and No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA for 5 years, successfully defended his title though in a somewhat controversial fashion with a split decision over former All-American and national champion collegiate wrestler Johny "Big Rigg" Hendricks, improved his record to 24-2 in MMA, appeared as Batroc the Leaper-a savate using supervillain in upcoming Capt. America: The Winter Soldier due out in 2014, denied false rumors posted by TMZ about an unwanted pregnancy with an unnamed woman and father's supposed terminal illness through spokesman (I'd consider suing for libel and slander if I were GSP), currently embroiled in a multimillion dollar lawsuit with former manager Shari Spencer after splitting in 2010.
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Chris Weidman was born on 17 June 1984 in Baldwin, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Grace Point (2023), A Day in Fight Camp: Chris Weidman (2013) and Kevin Can Wait (2016). He is married to Marivi. They have three children.Current UFC World Middleweight Champion, NCAA D-1 All-American @ Hofstra University and ironically nicknamed "All-American," Brown Belt in BJJ under former UFC Welteweight Champion Matt Serra, trains with Serra-Longo Fight Team, first fighter to beat Anderson Silva in over 6 years by KO to win title, holds MMA wins over Anderson Silva (2X), Mark Munoz, and Tom Lawlor, 11-0 MMA record.- Anthony Pettis is known for WI MMA Today (2012), UFC on Fox (2011) and TNA iMPACT! Wrestling (2004).Current UFC Lightweight Champion and last WEC Lightweight Champ, BJJ Purple Belt and 3rd Dan in Taekwondo, UFC 2x KO of the Night Winner, WEC 2x KO of the Night, 1x Submission of the Night and 1x Fight of the Night winner, 2010 MMA Breakthrough Fighter of the Year, his win over Ben Henderson featuring his off the cage "Showtime Kick" became an instant viral sensation, has a 17-2 MMA record with wins over Donald Cerrone, Jeremy Stephens, Anthony Pettis, Ben Henderson and Danny Castillo, was booked to fight UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo but was pulled due to MCL injury, rematched Ben Henderson and won UFC Lightweight (155lb.) Championship with a technical submission due to an armbar.
- Demetrious Johnson is an American mixed martial artist. Johnson began his career in mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2007 and won his professional debut via first-round knockout. Johnson then appeared on multiple local shows and won his next 8 fights, including four in a row by submission. Johnson fought at the Alaska Fighting Championships in Anchorage and won via head kick KO, which earned him a deal with the WEC.First and Current UFC Flyweight World Champion, winner of UFC Flyweight Championship Tournament, known for his speed and wrestling, nicknamed "Mighty Mouse" due to his 5' 4" height, trains at AMC Pankration with UFC veteran Matt Hume, placed at Washington State Wrestling Championships in high school, was a top 10 ranked bantamweight before dropping to flyweight where he's the no. 1 fighter in the world according to Sherdog and SBNation MMA rankings, has made 3 successful defenses of his belt, UFC Fight of the Night (2x) and Submission and Knockout of the Night (1x each) Award Winner, has last title defense was a brutal second round knockout over no. 2 flyweight Joe Benavidez, 19-2-1 MMA record, currently on a 5 fight win streak with wins Joe Benavidez, John Moraga, John Dodson and Ian McCall.
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Rickson Gracie is considered one of the greatest Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighters in history. A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he comes from the legendary fighting Gracie family. Along with brothers Royce, Royler, and Rorion Gracie, and his father Hélio, Rickson Gracie has won countless tournaments and championships. A master at submissions, Rickson has defeated such fighters as Japanese jiu-jitsu champion Yoshinori Nishi, kick boxing champion Bud Smith, Pankration champion Masakatsu Funaki, and Japanese wrestling champion Nobuhiko Takada. In 1980, Rickson became a legend by defeating famed vale tudo fighter Rei Zulu, who had an alleged record of 140-0. Rickson is said to have a record of 410 wins and no defeats. However, this record is not without controversy. Gracie is reported to have been defeated in the early 1990s in Oklahoma City losing to Dr. Ron Tripp in a Sambo tournament. In addition, critics often cite the fact he has failed to face any recent champions or truly credible opponents. Regardless, Rickson Gracie will always be ranked among the great jiu-jitsu practitioners. He just may be the greatest jiu-jitsu fighter in history, only time will tell.12-0 in MMA, 8th degree red and black belt in BJJ, black belt in judo and aikido, claims to have gone undefeated in over 300 other MMA, vale tudo and competition matches. His only loss came via uchi-mata in 1993 at the US Sambo Championships to Dr. Ron Tripp, a judo and world sambo champion, which was due in part to a misunderstanding of the tournament rules.- Actor
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Randy Couture is a collegiate wrestler and fighter turned actor from Everett, Washington. He served as a four time US Olympic wrestling team alternate as a soldier in the U.S. Army, and is also a 6 time world heavyweight and light heavyweight UFC champion and Hall of Famer. He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a bachelor's degree in foreign language literature and is also fluent in German. Randy's current girlfriend is actress Mindy Robinson. He is best known for starring in all three of The Expendables, Ambushed, and The Scorpion King 2.Former 3x NCAA D-1 All-American at OSU and two-time NCAA title tournament runner-up, 3x Olympic team alternate, 1991 Pan American Games Gold Medalist in Men's Greco-Roman Wrestling at 90kg, Former three-time UFC Heavyweight and two-time Light Heavyweight UFC Champion, UFC 13 Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner, 19-11 MMA record.- Fedor Vladimirovich Emelianenko (born September 28, 1976) Fedor is a Russian heavyweight mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. He is the current World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts Heavyweight Champion and the last holder of the Pride Heavyweight Championship, Pride 2004 Grand Prix winner, four time World Combat Sambo champion. Fighting out of Stary Oskol, Belgorod, Russia, from Red Devil Sport Club team. Fedor is #1 Heavyweight fighter in the world.Pride FC Heavyweight Champion, multiple time World Combat Sambo Champion, undefeated for 10 years in MMA, No. 1 ranked heavyweight and pound-for-pound MMA fighter for years, floundered somewhat in the last two years of his career after his first true MMA loss to Fabricio Werdum, recently retired after his final MMA win over Pedro Rizzo, 34-4 MMA record, is a devout Orthodox Christian and was married in a ceremony in 2010, his fame and success have gained the admiration of Russian President Vladimir Putin as well.
- José Aldo da Silva Oliveira Júnior, commonly anglicized as Jose Aldo, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the Bantamweight division. He also competed at Featherweight, and was the fourth and final WEC Featherweight Champion. He became the first UFC Featherweight Champion following the UFC/WEC merger.UFC World Featherweight Champion, BJJ Black Belt, 24-1 MMA record, is a proficient Muay Thai striker and an accomplished grappler, well known for his devastating knee strikes and punishing leg kicks, hasn't lost in MMA in over 9 years, trains at Nova Uniao with fellow UFC Champion Renan Barao, has wins over Chad Mendes, Ricardo Lamas and Urijah Faber in MMA competition.
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Kenny Florian was born on 26 May 1976 in Westwood, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor, known for The Son of No One (2011), BattleBots (2015) and The Roots of Fight (2012).Retired UFC fighter of Peruvian descent, serves as an analyst and commentator for UFC events, 2nd Dan in BJJ, operates Florian Martial Arts in Boston, MA with brother Keith, a fellow black belt, MMA record 14-6, wins over Joe Stevenson, Joe Lauzon, Diego Nunes, Sam Stout, Clay Guida and Takanori Gomi, fought for 3 championship titles, fought in four different weight divisions (Middleweight, Welterweight, Lightweight and Featherweight) in UFC, original The Ultimate Fighter cast member (TUF) and 185 lb. tournament runner-up.- Actor
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Rorion Gracie is the oldest son of Helio Gracie. Helio, and his oldest sibling, Carlos Gracie, had helped spread the family's reputation in their native Brazil with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), a ground-based martial art they successfully modified from Japanese jujutsu. Helio taught his children, and, with Carlos, the Gracie family members would challenge practitioners of other martial arts with "The Gracie Challenge", and often won. At age seventeen in December 1969, Rorion Gracie traveled to the United States for the first time on vacation, and for a year he toured New York, Los Angeles, and Hawaii. Gracie had kept cash and return trip airline tickets at a YMCA in Hollywood, California. When his money and airline tickets were stolen, he worked in a restaurant, and later at a construction site where he would often sleep. When he became destitute, he begged for money on the streets until he was able to return to Brazil in 1970. He spent five years studying law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and earned a degree.
In 1979, Rorion Gracie returned to the United States and settled in Torrance, California. He trademarked and started using the term "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu" to prevent confusion with that of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. Gracie brought his version of "The Gracie Challenge", which included a $100,000 prize to opponents who could beat him with their fighting style. Gracie met noted kick-boxer Benny Urquidez and demonstrated Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in practice sessions. Gracie challenged Urquidez to a fight, however it did not happen because the two could not settle on terms. While teaching out of his garage, Gracie did various jobs, including cleaning homes. While on a house cleaning job, he met a woman whose husband was a television and film producer. She recommended that Gracie become an actor. It was while working as a background actor on set of Lethal Weapon (1987) that he caught the attention of director Richard Donner, to whom he gave lessons. Donner had seen a video of Gracie fighting and defeating Ralph Alegria, a kick-boxer, and asked Gracie to choreograph fights scenes in the movie.
In 1989, Gracie created the Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California. He gave an interview published in Playboy magazine touting the Gracie Challenge. The article got the attention of Art Davie, a marketing professional. Davie was based in Los Angeles and employed by J &P Marketing, and sought new ideas on what to market. Davie met Rorion at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, California. They met again when Rorion invited Davie to watch Gracie Jiu-Jitsu being used on visiting karate opponents. Davie met film director and screenwriter John Milius, while witnessing Royler Gracie defeating karate opponents. Gracie and Davie became business partners, seeking a large media platform for Gracie Jiu Jitsu. They formed WOW Promotions on May 12, 1993, to seek investors. Davie received interest from Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG) when he sent them fight videos of the Gracies. SEG programmer Campbell McLaren convinced his boss SEG President Robert B. Meyrowitz to invest. There was early friction between Gracie and Meyrowitz. Gracie was a purist in wanting the bouts to emulate real street fights as much as possible without rules or time limits. Meyrowitz, a veteran producer of radio and television content, was conscious of timing and presentation. On November 12, 1993, UFC 1: The Beginning (1993) was held and aired live on Pay-Per-View. Rorion's brother, Royce Gracie, competed in the tournament and defeated Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock and Gerard Gordeau to become UFC's first ever tournament champion. Royce's victory also validated the effectiveness of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu against traditional martial arts. Royce would become tournament winner of UFC 2: No Way Out (1994) and UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors (1994). Seeking to capitalize on Royce Gracie's dominance and popularity, Robert B. Meyrowitz arranged a meeting for him to act in movies and merchandise be made based on him. Meyrowitz wanted a financial share in any such ventures, which Rorion opposed. This further heightened tension between Meyrowitz and Rorion. Rorion later sold his stake in UFC, and Royce stopped competing in the promotion. Rorion continued his family's legacy of teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu through the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy.Co-founder of the UFC, 9th degree red abd black belt in BJJ, eldest son of Helio Gracie, first Gracie family member to teach BJJ in the US, and trained actors like Mel Gibson, who uses a triangle choke in Lethal Weapon to beat Gary Busey, and Ed O'Neil, who has a BJJ black belt from Rorion.- Actor
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Royce Gracie, of the legendary Gracie family, is one of the most prolific and influential MMA fighters in history. He became an 'underdog' hero while changing the landscape of combat sports and revolutionizing martial arts forever. After winning the first UFC Tournament(s) (UFC1, UFC2, UFC4), he proved that with the knowledge of his father's fighting style (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) a "David" could beat a "Goliath". Royce is the only fighter in history to defeat four opponents in the same night; unlike today, these tournaments had no weight divisions, no time limits and no real rules. In Brazil they were called "Vale Todo" in America it became 'no-holds-barred' and was quickly ruled illegal throughout most of the U.S. In 2003, Royce was the first fighter inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. His record of 'victories via submissions' remain untouched. Today he's considered an icon, a pioneer, and "The Godfather" of a sport that will be celebrating it's 20th anniversary, November 12th 2013.Winner of the first 4 UFC tournaments, UFC Hall of Fame member, 7th degree red and black belt in BJJ, half-brother of Rickson and Rorion Gracie, and picked specifically by his father Helio to participate in the early UFC events, 14-2 MMA record.- Frankie Edgar was born on 16 October 1981 in Toms River, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor, known for The Bastard Sons (2023), UFC 200 Greatest Fighters of All Time (2016) and UFC on Fox (2011).Former UFC Lightweight Champion, 1st Dan in BJJ under Ricardo Almeida, NCAA D-1 All-American @ Clarion University, Reality Fighting Championship Lightweight Champion, 6x Fight of the Night Winner, 1x KO of the Night Winner, Fight of the Year Winner (shared with Gray Maynard), ESPY Award Upset of the Year 2010 winner (for wins over B.J. Penn), 15-4 MMA record.
- Wanderlei Silva was born on 3 July 1976 in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. He is an actor, known for Here Comes the Boom (2012), Abestalhados 2 (2022) and Detetive Madeinusa (2021).Nicknamed The Axe Murderer due to aggressive style and proficient use of the Thai clinch to deliver knee strikes, Black Belts in Muay Thai and BJJ, PRIDE FC Middleweight (205 lb.) Champion and 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix Winner, 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Prix Runner-Up, went undefeated in 20 fights, MMA record 35-12, formerly a member of the famed Chute Boxe Academy, came from the infamous No Holds Barred promotion of International Vale Tudo Championship where he was LHW Champion, holds MMA wins over Kazushi Sakuraba, Quinton Jackson (twice), Guy Mezger, Ricardo Arona, Cung Le, Michael Bisping, Dan Henderson and Hidehiko Yoshida, runs Wand Fight Team in Las Vegas.
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"Judo" Gene LeBell the "Godfather of Grappling" was both a renowned ex-world champion in both wrestling/judo, and one of Hollywood's busiest stuntmen. He is highly respected by many martial artists all over the world, and considered a groundbreaker in many aspects of the art of grappling.
Gene started training in judo at a young age, and at the age of 20 in 1954, he won National AAU Heavyweight Judo Championship and the USA Overall Judo Championship title. He went on to win the both the Heavyweight and overall champion title 1955 as well. After an illustrious judo career, he tried his hand at professional wrestling, and actually won the heavyweight title in Amarillo, Texas. However, in his excitement, Gene swung the title belt around his head, which accidentally hit one of the wrestling commissioners on the head, causing a nasty gash. The belt was immediately seized from the shocked Gene, which in later years would cause him to comment, "Well, at least I was the champ for 12 seconds and I retired as champion."
Gene went on to fight numerous opponents over the years including practitioners from other fighting arts that scoffed at his prowess, however they learned the hard way that Gene's superb grappling skills were the real deal. He has trained with numerous other world champion martial artists including Chuck Norris, Bill Wallace, and Benny Urquidez.
He acted and contributed stunt work to Hollywood productions for over fifty years. He can be seen in TV shows including Mission: Impossible (1966), I Spy (1965), The Wild Wild West (1965), Baretta (1975), Married... with Children (1987), and Baywatch (1989). His feature film appearances include Raging Bull (1980), Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), Bad Guys (1986), Ed Wood (1994), and Men in Black II (2002).
LeBell was still teaching grappling and doing stunts in his 70s. He was a Nevada and California Athletic Commission judge. He judged UFC 74 (Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga) plus he had a highly popular website visited by martial arts and film fans all over the globe.
Gene LeBell had three children including stuntman son David LeBell and FBI agent daughter Monica LeBell Pandis. He also had 8 grandchildren.Judoka, actor, stuntman, early MMA pioneer, and pro wrestler. Gene Lebell has done it all. He's a 9th Dan in Kodokan Judo and a 10th Dan in Jiujitsu. He's well known for his pink gi and his demonstrations where he chokes a volunteer unconscious. He was an AAU National Judo Champion in 1954 and '55. He owns a victory over boxer Milo Savage in an early mixed rules bout. He was the ref in the bizarre mixed rules fight between Antonio Inoki and Muhammad Ali. Gene also allegedly choked Steven Seagal out as a lesson about courtesy during an aikido demonstration. Gene ran the NWA Hollywood Wrestling promotion from 1968-82. He received the Karl Gotch Award and is an honorary member of the Cauliflower Alley Club with the likes of James Cagney, Kirk Douglas and Karl Malden. He also teaches at Hayastan Studio in Hollywood, CA working with MMA instuctor and LeBell student Gokor Chivichyan to help train fighters like UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey, Karo Parysian, & Manny Gamburyan.- Born in Hounslow, England, Alistair Cees Overeem spent most of his life in Holland. Along with his older brother, Valentijn Overeem, Alistair was brought by his mother to Holland at age 6 after she and their father divorced. Alistair's interest in combat sports began at 15, when Valentijn took him to a gym to learn self-defense.
Overeem's first time in combat sports competition happened in a 1997 kick-boxing bout, under K-1 rules. His first professional kick-boxing bout was in March 1999 with a decision win over Paul Hordijk. Another first happened that year: he fought in a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bout that October against Ricardo Fyeet, winning by a first round submission. His second MMA fight happened with Japan's Rings organization. Although he lost the decision to Yuriy Kochkine, he was offered a Rings contract.
In his second Rings fight, he defeated Chris Watts by TKO. Overeem had several fights in the Dutch promotion 2 Hot 2 Handle. Later in his first fight with Pride Fighting Championships (2006), he defeated Yusuke Imamura by TKO within a minute. Overeem would experience two more victories in Pride, before a knock loss to Chuck Liddell in 2003. Overeem recovered from the defeat with victories in 2 Hot 2 Handle and Pride, but would get submitted by Maurício Rua in his third bout during the 2005 Pride light-heavyweight Grand Prix.
Overeem's first fight for Strikeforce (2006) happened at the 2006 event named "Revenge," where he won a unanimous decision over Vitor Belfort, an opponent whom he had previously defeated in Pride. It was his last win before Overeem would endure a career setback--later attributed to "private circumstance"--by decisively losing to three successive opponents in Pride: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Ricardo Arona, and Maurício Rua. Although he had intended to start his career at light-heavyweight then become a heavyweight, it was these losses that Overeem permanently moved to heavyweight. He said it was due to difficulties in cutting and maintaining weight as a light heavyweight fighter. However, his massive weight and muscle gain lead to speculation among some fans that it was the results of using banned substances. Furthermore, the speculation was compounded by his lengthy absence from the American-based Strikeforce (2006),with allegations by that he was avoiding American athletic commissions which conducts stringent testing of fighters not present in Japan and Europe.
In 2007, Overeem returned to competition as a heavyweight in two mixed martial arts bouts held by K-1 with a win then a loss--submitting Michael Knapp then getting knocked out by Sergei Kharitonov. Despite the loss, Overeem was invited for a second Strikeforce (2006) fight, putting him against Paul Buentello at the 2007 event "Four Men Enter, One Man Survives" to crown its first heavyweight champion. Overeem won the Strikeforce heavyweight championship after submitting Buentello by knee strikes in the second round. Due to the non-exclusivity of Strikeforce's contracts--and the dearth of opponents in its heavyweight division--Overeem fought in the Japanese organization Dream, which has a business relationship with Strikeforce (2006).
In Dream fights held in 2008, Overeem defeated Tae-Hyun Lee, Mark Hunt and fought Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic to a "No Contest" as a result of illegal groin strikes by Overeem. The winner may have faced Fedor Emelianenko however the fight's outcome removed it from consideration. That year Overeem fought in Ultimate Glory with a submission victory against Gary Goodridge. A month later in December 2008, Overeem fought Badr Hari in a K-1 kick-boxing fight.
A rivalry had developed between Hari and Overeem after Overeem's Dream 6 fight with Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic. Hari, who was in the audience, entered the ring thereafter and challenged Overeem to a kick-boxing fight, which Overeem refused. Instead, Overeem wanted to fight Hari under MMA rules, which Hari declined. That December at the 2008 K-1 World Grand Prix Final, Hari was disqualified for illegally attacking Remy Bonjasky on the ground in a kick-boxing fight, making Bonjasky the tournament champion. It was Overeem who then challenged Hari to a mixed martial arts fight, however, Hari wanted a kick-boxing bout. Overeem decided he would face Hari first in kick-boxing, if Hari would agree to a later MMA fight, which Hari accepted. They fought later that month at Dynamite 2008!! in Saitama, Japan, where Overeem earned his biggest K-1 kick-boxing victory at the time by knocking out Hari in first round. In March 2009, Overeem lost a K-1 decision to Remy Bonjasky.
After losing to Bonjasky, Overeem withdrew from a scheduled MMA title fight against Fabricio Werdum at the 2009 event Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg (2009), due to a hand injury sustained in an altercation at a club. This furthered his absence from Strikeforce and invited further criticisms--with suggestions that company founder and CEO Scott Coker should crown a new Strikeforce (2006) heavyweight champion.
Overeem returned to competition in September 2009 as a kick-boxer in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 tournament. Despite his decision loss to Remy Bonjasky earlier in the year, he was selected in a fan vote to compete in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Final 16 in South Korea. He won the decision over the legendary Peter Aerts, also of Holland. The following month he had a second MMA appearance in Ultimate Glory where he submitted Tony Sylvester. A few days later at Dream 12, he submitted James Thompson. In December he resumed the K-1 competition and knocked out Ewerton Teixeira to meet Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic again in the semifinals. Hari won the rematch by a first round TKO, ending Overeem's prospects of winning that year's K-1 World Grand Prix Final.
A few weeks later, Overeem returned to MMA, and fought at "K-1/Dynamite!! Power of Courage 2009" against Kazuyuki Fujita. He won by knock out in the first round. After Fedor Emelianenko signed with Strikeforce and defeated Brett Rogers at CBS Strikeforce M-1 Global Saturday Night Fights (2009) in November 2009, he was expected to be Overeem's first title challenger. However a renegotiation of Emelianenko's contract by his M-1 Global management company put a stop to speculations of a title fight with Overeem.
In the ensuing months, Strikeforce (2006) made a controversial decision and declared Brett Rogers-- after losing his last fight to Emelianenko--the contender for the title held by Overeem. A month before fighting Rogers, Overeem competed at the the K-1 World Grand Prix event in Yokohama, knocking out Dzevad Poturak in round one. At Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery (2010),Overeem dominated Rogers to win by technical knockout in the first round. Soon after, Overeem was in attendance at Strikeforce M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum (2010), where the bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum would determine Overeem's next title challenger. Overeem looked forward to a victory by Emelianenko, whom he had publicly challenged several times. After what was considered a significant submission upset of Emelianenko by Werdum, uncertainty loomed after Werdum's elbow surgery removed him from competition for the remainder of 2010.
Further complicating matters were Werdum's suggestion he was more interested in a rematch with Emelianenko than a title fight with Overeem, whom he defeated by submission in a 2006 Pride fight. Meanwhile, Emelianenko--who had one fight left with Strikeforce--entered into further contract negotiations, leaving his return date uncertain. After nothing became of a proposed Dream bout between Overeem and Ricco Rodriguez, Overeem committed himself to compete in the K-1 World Grand Prix kick-boxing tournament.
In October, he defeated Ben Edwards at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 Final 16 in South Korea to advance to the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix tournament at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan. In a competitive first fight, Overeem won a decision over Tyrone Spong. Overeem then got by Gökhan Saki in the first round due to injury. Within 67 seconds of the final bout, Overeem hurt legendary K-1 fighter Peter Aerts leading to a fight stoppage and being declared the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion. Overeem made combat sports history by holding major championships in kick-boxing and mixed martial arts. Overeem successes would continue as he remained in Japan for his second MMA fight that year. At "K-1 Dynamite!! Power of Courage 2010," Overeem won Dream's interim heavyweight championship by knocking out Todd Duffee in 19 seconds.
In June 2011, Alistair Overeem returned to Strikeforce as a competitor in its Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament. In a quarter-final bout, Overeem fought Fabricio Werdum at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum (2011). Overeem won by unanimous decision, advanced, and was scheduled for a later meeting against Antonio Silva in a semi-final bout. Overeem was replaced by Daniel Cormier after being released from his contract by Zuffa. Zuffa, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), had purchased Strikeforce in March 2011. Zuffa took the action due to a dispute with Overeem's management team, Golden Glory. After separating from Golden Glory, Overeem signed a contract with UFC that same year. In his UFC debut, Overeem fought Brock Lesnar at UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem (2011). Overeem defeated Lesnar in the first round as a result of a kick followed up by punches.2010 K-1 Grand Prix Champion, Former DREAM and Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, 36-13 (1) in MMA and 10-4 in kickboxing, owns wins over Sergei Kharitonav, Brock Lesnar, and Vitor Belfort in MMA and Tyrone Spong, Badr Hari, Peter Aerts and Remy Bonjasky in kickboxing, suspended for failing a pre-fight drug test after showing highly elevated testosterone levels but successfully reapplied for MMA license. Suffered brutal KO losses to Antonio "Pezao" Silva and Travis "Hapa" Browne in MMA after return from suspension, defeated Frank Mir by decision. - Kazushi Sakuraba was born on 14 July 1968 in Japan. He is an actor, known for Nagurimono (2005), Wrestle-1 Events (2013) and Baton (2009).Former amateur and professional wrestler for All Japan Pro Westling, UWFi, and Kingdom Pro Wrestling, trained extensively in the art of catch wrestling, fought in the UFC, Pride FC, and K-1 Hero's, defeated Royler, Renzo, Ryan, and Royce Gracie in a series of "pro wrestling vs. Brazilian Jiu Jistu" MMA fights which earned him "The Gracie Hunter" nickname, his fight with Royce lasted nearly 90 minutes and he broke Renzo's arm with a kimura armlock, 28-14 MMA record, he also holds MMA victories over Vitor Belfort, Ken Shamrock, Masakatsu Funaki, Ken Shamrock, and Quinton Jackson, won the UFC Ultimate Japan Heavyweight Tournament and was a semi-finalist in the 2000 Pride Openweight Grand Prix.
- Penn was born to Jay Dee Penn, an Irish American and Loraine Shin, a third generation Korean-American. At the age of seventeen, Penn began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu after being introduced to it by his neighbor, Tom Callos. Callos had put up fliers in local gyms looking for people to train with, and B.J.'s father Jay Dee Penn had called Callos and said his boys were interested. Callos then taught B.J. and his brother what he knew. Shortly thereafter, B.J. moved to San Jose, California to begin training at AKA with Dave Camarillo and Bob Cooke, who he lived with and became close friends with. It was here during his time in San Jose that he decided to pursue a career in martial arts (albeit not mixed martial arts at the time).Black belt in BJJ from Nova Uniao, World BJJ Champion (Mundials), received his BJJ black belt after 3 years of training, former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight Champion, 16-9 MMA record, holds MMA wins over Takanori Gomi, Matt Hughes, Sean Sherk, Din Thomas, Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez and Joe Stevenson.
- Peter Aerts was born on 25 December 1970 in Netherlands. He is an actor, known for New Kids Nitro (2011), New Kids Turbo (2010) and De Familie Slim (2017).2x K-1 World Grand Prix Winner, Multiple time K-1 Grand Prix runner-up, K-1 World Grand Prix in Las Vegas Tournament Winner, IKBF World Heavyweight Champion, MTBN World Heavyweight Muay Thai Championship, 1994 The Night of the Stars tournament champion, WMTA World Heavyweight Muay Thai Championship and Super Heavyweight Champion, Mr. K-1.
- Junior Dos Santos is known for Vai que Cola: O Filme (2015), UFC 25 Years in Short (2018) and UFC on Fox (2011).Former UFC Heavyweight Champion, BJJ Black Belt, No. 2 MMA Heavyweight in the world, 3x KO of the Night Winner, has longest Heavyweight win streak in UFC history at nine in a row, 2008 Fight! Magazine Upset of the Year Winner for TKO win over Fabricio Werdum, holds MMA wins over Fabricio Werdum, Stefan Struve, Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin, and Roy Nelson.
- Actor
- Producer
- Stunts
Bas Rutten is a world-renowned mixed martial artist who has also made a name for himself outside the ring as an actor, host, and television personality.
As an actor Rutten can be seen co-starring in the Kevin James feature film Here Comes the Boom (2012) for Columbia Pictures. Rutten previously appeared in Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009) and lent his talents to the voice cast of Zookeeper (2011).
Rutten is the co-host of the weekly MMA news program Inside MMA on HDNet, and he can be seen this fall hosting the self-defense show Punk Payback for Fuel TV. Rutten has provided color commentary for several fight organizations including the former Pride Fighting Championships.
Rutten is a former three-time King of Pancrase World Champion and UFC Heavyweight Champion. Born and raised in Holland, his devotion to martial arts began after sneaking into a movie screening of Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. First known as a devastating stand up striker with 11 career wins by knockout, Rutten also dominated with 14 wins by submission and went undefeated in his final 22 fights.UFC Heavyweight Champion and Openweight King of Pancrase, 2nd degree black belts in Kyokushin Karate and Taekwando, Former Pride commentator, Host of Inside MMA and commentator for AXS TV Fights with Kenny Rice and Punk Payback, 28-4 MMA and 14-2 Muay Thai kickboxing records, holds MMA victories over Masakatsu Funaki, Frank Shamrock and Kevin Randelman.- Actress
- Producer
From pioneering women's MMA to blazing a trail in movies, GINA CARANO is one of Hollywood's most unique rising stars. Carano began her training with Muay Thai to competitive MMA, where she competed in Strikeforce and EliteXC. Her popularity led to her being called the "Face of Women's MMA" and she was the fastest-rising search on Google and third-most-searched person on Yahoo and ranked 5th on a list of the "Top 10 Influential Women" of 2008. In August 2009, Carano fought Cris Cyborg in Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, the first time two women headlined a major MMA event and at the time was the highest rated fight in Showtime history. Carano compiled a competitive record of 12-1-1 in Muay Thai and a 7-1 in women's MMA.[4]
Outside the ring, Carano served as a mentor to aspiring fighters in the 2007 Oxygen reality series Fight Girls and performed as 'Crush' in the revamped television series American Gladiators before her breakout performance in Steven Soderbergh's film HAYWIRE, holding her own against the likes of Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Bill Paxton and Antonio Banderas. Gina's authenticity to making the Action look real earned her performance a Critics Choice Award Nomination for Best Actress in an action film. Hot on the heels came a role in the worldwide hit FAST AND FURIOUS 6 for Universal Pictures opposite Dwayne Johnson furthering her appeal as an Action Star. Next up, she co-starred alongside Robert DeNiro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Dave Bautista in Lionsgate's film HEIST followed by the role of 'Angel Dust' in the smash hit MARVEL/FOX film DEADPOOL opposite Ryan Reynolds based on the popular comic book. The film grossed over $870 Million dollars at the Box Office. After starring in the independent films DAUGHTER OF THE WOLF opposite Richard Dreyfuss and the dark comedy MADNESS IN THE METHOD with Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, Gina had secured a lead role in Jon Favreau's highly reviewed Star Wars TV show THE MANDALORIAN for Disney +. Gina played 'Cara Dune', a former Rebel Shock Trooper in the series. However, after sharing a controversial post on social media, Gina was fired by Lucas Film and her character was written out of the show.
Carano was born in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of Dana Joy (née Cason) and professional football player Glenn Carano who played for the Dallas Cowboys and was the backup quarterback to Roger Staubach. She has two sisters, one older and one younger.
*Gina became the first recipient of ActionFest's Chuck Norris (Best Female Action Star) Award, given to the female action star of the year.
*Gina received the Artemis Action Warrior Award for her contributions to the female action genre and women's MMA. The award was presented to her by Action legend Zoe Bell12-1-1 as a Muay Thai kickboxer, 7-1 MMA record, in her last fight she was defeated via TKO by Cristian 'Cyborg' Justino for the Strikeforce Women's Featherweight Championship in 2009, appeared in ESPN Magazine's Body Issue, starred in 'Haywire' with Antonio Banderas and Michael Fassbender and is currently pursuing acting. Is now appearing in Deadpool.- Actor
- Sound Department
- Additional Crew
Pat Miletich was born on 9 March 1968 in Bettendorf, Iowa, USA. He is an actor, known for Bobby Z (2007), Combat Fighting Championships (2007) and Strikeforce Challengers (2009).Black belt in BJJ and 3rd degree black belt in Shuri-ryu Karate, Former and 1st UFC Welterweight Champion, founder of Miletich Fighting Systems and former coach of Tim Sylvia, Matt Hughes, Robbie Lawler and Jens Pulver. Former commentator for Strikeforce on Showtime and current commentator for AXS TV Fights. National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum 1st Annual George Tragos Award recipient.- Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kick-boxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and other combat sports. A member of the UFC Hall of Fame, Shamrock is widely regarded as icon and pioneer of the sport. He has headlined over 15 main events and co-main events in the UFC and Pride FC and set numerous MMA pay-per-view records. In the early part of his UFC career, Shamrock was named "The World's Most Dangerous Man" by ABC News in a special called "The World's Most Dangerous Things". The moniker has stuck as his nickname.Former Openweight King of Pancrase, UFC Superfight (Openweight) Champion and Hall of Fame member, learned the lost art of catch wrestling from Masakatsu Funaki in a tradition going back to the great Karl Gotch, and a former WWE and TNA pro wrestler. He's something of a sad cautionary tale in MMA, having made and lost a fortune and was busted for steroids. Despite his past problems, he's currently headlining in Bellator having lost to former street fighter Kimbo and Slice and is rematching Royce Gracie in Feb. 19.