Ricco Rodriguez
| Ricco Rodriguez | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 19, 1977 San Jose, California, United States |
| Other names | Suave |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 229.75 lb (104.2 kg; 16.4 st) |
| Division | Light Heavyweight (205 lb) Heavyweight (265 lb) |
| Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Freestyle wrestling |
| Team | American Fight Club |
| Rank | 2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Years active | 1999-present |
| Professional boxing record | |
| Total | 2 |
| Wins | 1 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 63 |
| Wins | 48 |
| By knockout | 13 |
| By submission | 24 |
| By decision | 11 |
| Losses | 15 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 10 |
| Other information | |
| Boxing record from Boxrec | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Submission Grappling | ||
Competitor for the  United States |
||
| ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship | ||
| Silver | 2000 Abu Dhabi | 2000 ADCC World Championships (+99kg) |
| Bronze | 1999 Abu Dhabi | 1999 ADCC World Championships (Absolute) |
| Gold | 1999 Abu Dhabi | 1999 ADCC World Championships (+99kg) |
Ricco Rodriguez (born August 19, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion. He has also competed in Pride Fighting Championship, EliteXC, International Fight League, BAMMA, World Extreme Cagefighting and King of the Cage.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Rodriguez grew up in the projects in Paterson, New Jersey. He got into a lot of street fights as a half Puerto Rican/half Mexican in a primarily Italian neighborhood.[1] Rodriguez wrestled at Tottenville High School while living in Staten Island, New York. He later moved to California and began training in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Rigan and Jean Jacques Machado.[2] He competed and won many Jiu Jitsu tournaments before moving on to MMA.[3]
[edit] Mixed martial arts career
In 1997, Ricco Rodriguez became one of the small group of Americans to win a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, taking the Blue Belt Absolute title.[4] He took gold in +99 kg in the first ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in 1998, bronze in the in the Absolute (open weight) division in 1999[5] and Silver in the +99 kg category in 2000. That same year Rodriguez began his MMA career with a win against Rocky Batastini. He won several of his first matches before losing to Bobby Hoffman at the Superbrawl 13 event in Hawaii. He later fought in the PRIDE Fighting Championship before moving on to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
[edit] Ultimate Fighting Championship
Rodriguez's first UFC match was at UFC 32 against Andrei Arlovski which he won by TKO. He was scheduled to fight Lion’s Den fighter Pete Williams at UFC 33, but the fight was postponed until UFC 34 due to an injury suffered by Williams during training.
Rodriguez went on to beat Williams, Jeff Monson (UFC 35) and Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (UFC 37) to earn a shot for the vacant heavyweight championship against Randy Couture at UFC 39 becoming the first person of Mexican descent to win the UFC Heavyweight title. Rodriguez was losing on the scorecard in the initial rounds. In the fifth round Rodriguez was able to achieve a ground-and-pound victory with a stoppage by verbal tapout. In his first title defense, he was knocked out by Tim Sylvia in the first round, losing the belt.
[edit] Post-UFC
Following the end of his UFC contract, Rodriguez fought for a number of regional and national promotions. He also gained a significant amount of weight, at one point weighing 350 pounds (160 kg).[2] On July 22, 2006, in a rematch of their August 2005 bout in the WEC, he avenged a loss to Ron Waterman at WFA: King of the Streets. He fought as a superheavyweight, weighing in at 300 pounds (140 kg), and was quoted as saying "I'm fat but I still got skills."[6]
Following his win against Imani Lee on November 17, 2006, Rodriguez was put under indefinite suspension by the California State Athletic Commission.[7] The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Rodriguez had tested positive for both marijuana and cocaine and was subsequently given a six month suspension for the failed drug test.[8]
On July 27, 2007, Ricco Rodriguez, in his first fight after his suspension, defeated Lloyd Marshbanks by first round TKO at MMA Xtreme 13, which was held in Puebla, Mexico. At the IFL championship finals, he lost to Ben Rothwell by unanimous decision.
Rodriguez fought in the YAMMA Pit Fighting one-night heavyweight tournament as a late replacement. He defeated George Bush in the first round by unanimous decision, but was beaten by eventual champion Travis Wiuff in the semi-finals by unanimous decision.
Ricco Rodriguez was scheduled to replace an injured Kevin Randleman in a fight against Jeff Monson at the inaugural Godz of War show.[9] That event was canceled, however, and the fight was rescheduled for the inaugural Mixed Fighting Alliance (MFA) event, which Rodriguez lost by unanimous decision.
At the 2009 ADCC qualifiers Rodriguez weighed in at a svelte 218 lb, down well over 100 lb from his peak in the mid-2000s.
Rodriguez missed weight for his first attempt at fighting at 205 pounds at the inaugural Israel Fighting Championship event on Nov. 9. He still fought and won his fight over Daniel Tabera, however, and then promptly challenged his friend, Jeff Monson, to a fight at 205 pounds.[10]
Ricco Rodriguez made his BAMMA Debut and faced TUF and UFC vet James McSweeney who is also made his BAMMA debut. Dana White has claimed if Rodriguez wins this bout he will consider resigning him to the UFC. Rodriguez missed weight for the fight, weighing in a full 2 pounds over the contracted 215-pound catchweight.[11]
[edit] Bellator
Ricco made his Bellator debut against Seth Petruzelli at Bellator 48. He lost the fight via KO (punches) in the first round after getting caught with a overhand right, and ending his 12 fight winning streak.
[edit] Boxing career
Rodriguez made his professional boxing debut on October 12, 2006, beating 19-year-old Cruiserweight Brandon Baker by knock out. On July 8, 2008, Rodriguez fought his second professional boxing bout losing via split decision to Chad Davies, who came into the fight with a 0-1 record.
Rodriguez next fight was against boxing newcomer Ricky Cureline of nzffa Dunedin New Zealand losing via 2nd round TKO due to unreconised groin strikes.
[edit] Other appearances
Rodriguez appeared in an episode of the History Channel series Human Weapon', in which he faced Bill Duff in a draw. He also appears in bonus footage of The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr DVD.[12]
[edit] Personal life
Rodriguez is of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent.[2] He has a daughter and one son.[13][14]
Rodriguez has appeared on season one of the VH1 reality television show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, which documented his struggle with substance abuse.[15]
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
- YAMMA Pit Fighting
- YAMMA Heavyweight Tournament Semifinalist
- ADCC
- ADCC 1998 Absolute Division - Gold Medalist
- ADCC 1998 Over 99KG Division - Silver Medalist
[edit] Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 63 matches | 48 wins | 15 losses |
| By knockout | 13 | 4 |
| By submission | 24 | 1 |
| By decision | 11 | 10 |
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 48–15 | Blagoi Ivanov | TKO (retirement) | CMMAT: Chekhov MMA Tournament | December 24, 2011 | 3 | 3:33 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 48–14 | Bashir Yamilkhanov | TKO (punches) | FEFoMP: Battle of Empires | December 17, 2011 | 2 | 2:56 | Khabarovsk, Russia | |
| Loss | 47–14 | Glover Teixeira | Submission (punches) | MMAAD: MMA Against Dengue | November 27, 2011 | 1 | 1:58 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Loss | 47–13 | Michał Kita | Decision (unanimous) | MMA Attack | November 5, 2011 | 2 | 5:00 | Warszawa, Poland | |
| Loss | 47–12 | Seth Petruzelli | KO (punches) | Bellator 48 | August 20, 2011 | 1 | 4:21 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Catchweight (230 lb) bout |
| Win | 47–11 | Doug Williams | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Shark Fights 17: Horwich vs. Rosholt 2 | July 15, 2011 | 1 | 2:16 | Frisco, Texas, United States | Catchweight (230 lb) bout |
| Win | 46–11 | James McSweeney | Decision (unanimous) | BAMMA 5 | February 26, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Manchester, England | Catchweight (215 lb) bout |
| Win | 45–11 | Daniel Tabera | Decision (unanimous) | Israel FC: Genesis | November 9, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Catchweight (215 lb) bout |
| Win | 44–11 | John Juarez | Decision (split) | USA MMA: Stacked! | July 31, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States | |
| Win | 43–11 | Bobby Martinez | Submission (heel hook) | Absolute Fighting Alliance: Parking Lot Beatdown | July 17, 2010 | 1 | 1:03 | Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States | |
| Win | 42–11 | Ken Sparks | TKO (punches) | USA MMA: Legends | May 22, 2010 | 1 | 2:32 | Kinder, Louisiana, United States | |
| Win | 41–11 | Travis Fulton | KO (head kick) | Cage Thug MMA | May 1, 2010 | 1 | N/A | Waterloo, Iowa, United States | |
| Win | 40–11 | Brian Ryan | TKO (punches) | XKL: Evolution 1 | March 20, 2010 | 2 | 2:05 | Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States | |
| Win | 39–11 | Patrick Miller | TKO (punches) | STFC 10: Annihilation | February 26, 2010 | 2 | 2:20 | Mcallen, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 38–11 | Moise Rimbon | Decision (split) | IAFC: Mayor's Cup 2009 | November 27, 2009 | 3 | 3:00 | Novosibirsk, Russia | ProFC Mayor's Cup Opening Round |
| Win | 37–11 | Justin Howard | Submission (punches) | KOK 7: Judgement Day | August 29, 2009 | 1 | 2:05 | Austin, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 36–11 | John Brown | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Reality Combat: The Return | July 25, 2009 | 3 | 2:34 | Slidell, Louisiana, United States | |
| Loss | 35–11 | Mario Rinaldi | Decision (unanimous) | WFC: Battle Of The Bay 8 | July 10, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Tampa, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 35–10 | Doug Williams | Submission (anaconda choke) | Armagedon Fighting Championships 09 | June 27, 2009 | 1 | 1:02 | Tyler, Texas, United States | |
| Loss | 34–10 | Jeff Monson | Decision (unanimous) | Mixed Fighting Alliance "There Will Be Blood" | December 13, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Miami, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 34–9 | Robert Beraun | Decision (unanimous) | Rage in the Cage 117 | November 8, 2008 | 3 | 3:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 33–9 | Rob Broughton | Submission (kneebar) | Cage Gladiators 9 | October 4, 2008 | 2 | 3:39 | Liverpool, England | |
| Win | 32–9 | Titus Campbell | Submission (guillotine choke) | Silver Crown Fights | August 8, 2008 | 2 | 3:06 | Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States | |
| Win | 31–9 | Johnathan Ivey | Decision (unanimous) | Xp3: The Proving Ground | July 26, 2008 | 3 | 3:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 30–9 | Chris Guillen | Submission (armbar) | Ultimate Combat Experience 1 | June 27, 2008 | 1 | 4:30 | West Valley City, Utah, United States | |
| Loss | 29–9 | Travis Wiuff | Decision (unanimous) | YAMMA Pit Fighting | April 11, 2008 | 1 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | YAMMA Heavyweight Tournament Semi-Final |
| Win | 29–8 | George Bush | Decision (unanimous) | YAMMA Pit Fighting | April 11, 2008 | 1 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | YAMMA Heavyweight Tournament Qaurter-Final |
| Loss | 28–8 | Antonio Silva | Decision (split) | EliteXC: Street Certified | February 16, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Miami, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 28–7 | Kevin Filal | KO (head kick) | PFP: Ring of Fire | December 9, 2007 | 1 | N/A | Manila, Philippines | |
| Loss | 27–7 | Ben Rothwell | Decision (unanimous) | IFL 2007 World Championship Finals | September 20, 2007 | 3 | 4:00 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 27–6 | Lloyd Marshbanks | TKO (punches) | MMA Xtreme 13 | July 28, 2007 | 1 | 3:11 | Tijuana, Mexico | |
| Win | 26–6 | Imani Lee | Submission (rear-naked choke) | BIB: Beatdown in Bakersfield | November 17, 2006 | 1 | 2:12 | Bakersfield, California, United States | |
| Win | 25–6 | Abdias Irisson | TKO (punches) | MMA Xtreme 7 | November 11, 2006 | 1 | N/A | Tijuana, Mexico | |
| Win | 24–6 | Ron Waterman | TKO (doctor stoppage) | WFA: King of the Streets | July 22, 2006 | 1 | 5:00 | Los Angeles, California, United States | |
| Win | 23–6 | Taylor Brooks | Submission (armbar) | MMA Xtreme 1 | March 25, 2006 | 1 | N/A | Tijuana, Mexico | |
| Loss | 22–6 | Robert Beraun | Decision (unanimous) | RITC 78: Back with a Vengeance | January 14, 2006 | 3 | 3:00 | Glendale, Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 22–5 | Tyler Brooks | Submission (armbar) | Pro Fight League | March 25, 2005 | 1 | 4:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 21–5 | David Mori | Decision (unanimous) | MMA Fighting Challenge 4 | December 3, 2005 | 3 | 5:00 | Guadalajara, Mexico | |
| Win | 20–5 | Corey Salter | Submission (armbar) | Ultimate Texas Showdown 3 | November 26, 2005 | 2 | 0:17 | Dallas, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 19–5 | Jimmy Ambriz | Submission (punches) | WEC 17: Halloween Fury 4 | October 14, 2005 | 1 | 4:13 | Lemoore, California, United States | |
| Loss | 18–5 | Ron Waterman | Decision (unanimous) | WEC 16: Clash of the Titans 2 | August 18, 2005 | 3 | 5:00 | Lemoore, California, United States | |
| Win | 18–4 | Andy Montana | Submission (armbar) | Independent event | July 15, 2005 | 1 | 1:50 | Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 17–4 | Ruben Villareal | Submission (armbar) | Extreme Wars: X-1 | July 2, 2005 | 1 | 2:38 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Win | 16–4 | Scott Junk | Submission (front choke) | Rumble on the Rock 7 | May 7, 2005 | 2 | 0:42 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Win | 15–4 | Mike Seal | Submission (rear-naked choke) | MMA Mexico: Day 2 | December 18, 2004 | 1 | 1:06 | Juarez, Mexico | |
| Loss | 14–4 | Pedro Rizzo | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 45 | November 21, 2003 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Loss | 14–3 | Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira | Decision (unanimous) | Pride Total Elimination 2003 | August 10, 2003 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Loss | 14–2 | Tim Sylvia | KO (punches) | UFC 41 | February 28, 2003 | 1 | 3:09 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Lost UFC Heavyweight Championship |
| Win | 14–1 | Randy Couture | Submission (elbow) | UFC 39 | September 27, 2002 | 5 | 3:04 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Won vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship |
| Win | 13–1 | Tsuyoshi Kohsaka | TKO (punches) | UFC 37 | May 10, 2002 | 2 | 3:25 | Bossier City, Louisiana, United States | |
| Win | 12–1 | Jeff Monson | TKO (punches) | UFC 35 | January 11, 2002 | 3 | 3:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Win | 11–1 | Pete Williams | TKO (punches) | UFC 34 | November 2, 2001 | 2 | 4:02 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 10–1 | Andrei Arlovski | TKO (punches) | UFC 32 | June 29, 2001 | 3 | 1:23 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 9–1 | Paul Buentello | Submission (kneebar) | KOTC 7: Wet and Wild | February 24, 2001 | 2 | 4:21 | San Jacinto, California, United States | Won KOTC Heavyweight Championship |
| Win | 8–1 | John Marsh | Decision (unanimous) | Pride 12 | December 9, 2000 | 2 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 7–1 | Takayuki Okada | Submission (smother choke) | Pride 10 | August 27, 2000 | 1 | 6:04 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 6–1 | Gary Goodridge | Decision (unanimous) | Pride 9 | June 4, 2000 | 2 | 10:00 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Win | 5–1 | Travis Fulton | Submission (armbar) | KOTC 2: Desert Storm | February 5, 2000 | 1 | 4:49 | San Jacinto, California, United States | |
| Win | 4–1 | Sam Adkins | Submission (forearm choke) | Armageddon 2 | November 23, 1999 | 1 | 4:32 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Loss | 3–1 | Bobby Hoffman | KO (punches) | SuperBrawl 13 | September 7, 1999 | 1 | 3:13 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Steve Shaw | Submission (armbar) | Rage in the Cage 6 | July 10, 1999 | 1 | 1:34 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Rocky Batastini | Submission (armbar) | Extreme Cage | March 25, 1999 | 1 | 4:58 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Scott Adams | Decision | Extreme Cage | March 25, 1999 | 3 | 4:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States |
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.8countnews.com/news/117/ARTICLE/1223/2008-12-17.html
- ^ a b c Frias, Daniel (July 21, 2006). "Ricco ready for the next chapter". Press-Telegram. http://www.presstelegram.com/mixedmartialarts/ci_4077061. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ "Ricco "Suave" Rodriguez". PriceFC. http://www.pridefc.com/pride2005/index.php?mainpage=fighters&fID=136. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ "IBJJF Mundials results 1997". www.ibjjf.org. http://www.ibjjf.org/results/1997mundial.htm. Retrieved Feb 22, 2010.
- ^ "ADCC 1999 Absolute". http://www.adcombat.com/. http://www.adcombat.com/adcc-results?year=1999&weight=Absolut. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
- ^ Bliss, Kim. "WFA 07/21/2006". BoutReviewsUSA.com. http://www.boutreviewusa.com/RingSide/WFA/7-22.html. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ Cotterill, Andy (January 12, 2007). "Suspension forces Ricco off Rumble In the Cage". Sherdog.com. http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=6504. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ Trembow, Ivan (February 16, 2007). "In-Depth: Commission Hearings for Randleman, Yvel, Alves, Toughill, & Carvalho". MMAWeekly.com. http://admin.mmaweekly.com/in-depth-commission-hearings-for-randleman-yvel-alves-toughill-carvalho-2. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ "Rodriguez to replace Randleman against Monson". MMAFighting.com. June 5, 2008. http://www.mmafighting.com/news/2008/06/05/rodriguez-replace-randleman-against-monson. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ "Former UFC Champion Ricco Rodriguez Sets Up Bout With Jeff Monson". MMAWeekly.com. November 9, 2010. http://mmaweekly.com/former-ufc-champion-ricco-rodriguez-sets-up-bout-with-jeff-monson-at-ifc. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
- ^ "BAMMA 5 Weigh-in Results and Pics: Paul Daley and Ricco Rodriguez Miss Weight". MMAWeekly.com. February 25, 2011. http://mmaweekly.com/bamma-5-weigh-in-results-and-pics-paul-daley-and-ricco-rodriguez-miss-weight.
- ^ Ristow, Richard (December 25, 2003). "The Smashing Machine DVD Review". MMARingReport.com. http://www.mmaringreport.com/reviews/reviews/the-smashing-machine-dvd-review.html. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ "Interview with Mr Suave, Ricco Rodriguez". TRIPOD.com. 2001-04-26. http://sfuk.tripod.com/interviews_01/adcc_ricco.html. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
- ^ "Positive energy helps Ricco Rodriguez battle the odds". TBO.com. 2009-07-10. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jul/10/positive-energy-helps-ricco-rodriguez-battle-odds/sports/. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
- ^ "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, Season 1, Cast Bios". VH1.com. http://www.vh1.com/shows/celebrity_rehab_with_dr_drew/season_1/cast.jhtml. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
[edit] External links
- Ricco Rodriguez on Twitter
- Professional MMA record for Ricco Rodriguez from Sherdog
- Professional boxing record for Ricco Rodriguez from BoxRec
| Previous champion Josh Barnett |
8th UFC Heavyweight Champion September 27, 2002-February 28, 2003 |
Next champion Tim Sylvia |
- 1977 births
- Living people
- American mixed martial artists
- Heavyweight mixed martial artists
- American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent
- American people of Puerto Rican descent
- American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Participants in American reality television series
- People self-identifying as substance abusers
- Ultimate Fighting Championship champions
