Joseph Benavidez: Difference between revisions
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==MMA career== |
==MMA career== |
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===Background=== |
===Background=== |
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Benavidez attended Las Cruces High School where he played varsity football and wrestled varsity for 4 years(1999-2002). In 2000 Benavidez became the State Wrestling Champion of New Mexico at 103 lbs during his sophomore year.<ref name="WEC"/><ref name="Las Cruces Public Schools website">{{cite web|url=http://www.lcps.k12.nm.us/departments/athletics/docs/INDIVIDUAL_STATE_CHAMPIONS.pdf|title=State Champions Individual}}</ref>Benavidez also wrestled one year at a junior college in Iowa before moving back to his hometown [[Las Cruces, New Mexico]]. |
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Benavidez wrestled in high-school and one year in college. He became the State Wrestling Champion of New Mexico in 2000.<ref name="WEC"/> |
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===Team Alpha Male=== |
===Team Alpha Male=== |
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Revision as of 12:52, 7 April 2009
Joseph Benavidez (born October 4, 1985) is an American mixed martial arts fighter. After fighting in smaller shows while working as a screen printer in New Mexico, he joined up with Urijah Faber's Team Alpha Male in 2007. He has since fought in Dream and most recently the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion. He currently fights as a bantamweight in WEC and is undefeated with a 10-0 record. His fighting style has drawn comparisons to training partner and former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber.[1]
MMA career
Background
Benavidez attended Las Cruces High School where he played varsity football and wrestled varsity for 4 years(1999-2002). In 2000 Benavidez became the State Wrestling Champion of New Mexico at 103 lbs during his sophomore year.[2][3]Benavidez also wrestled one year at a junior college in Iowa before moving back to his hometown Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Team Alpha Male
Before joining up with Urijah Faber, Benavidez fought in smaller shows and trained while working as a screen printer in New Mexico. Hoping to eventually make a living fighting MMA, he sought out Faber on a trip to California in January 2007. Unable to find Faber's gym, he visited one in Roseville hoping to locate him. There his fighting ability impressed the members and instructors enough (or, in Faber's words: "[he] basically beat the crap out of everyone")[4] to refer him to Faber. This was only hours before Benavidez' flight home was due and he had to leave for the airport, unable to meet up with him. [4]
"I had finally found him, and it was at the end of my vacation. I went to airport and my friends dropped me off; [I] was ready to go back to New Mexico and my regular life."[4]
His flight was then canceled, giving him the chance to meet up with Faber as he had hoped. Benavidez impressed Faber enough to offer him a job at the front desk of his gym, enabling him to leave New Mexico to come train with him and his team. Benavidez then went back to New Mexico, "jammed everything into his car" and moved to California.[4]
WEC and Dream
After fighting with smaller US-based promotions, Benavidez was offered a fight with Norifumi Yamamoto by Japanese MMA-promoter Dream in July 2008 at Dream 5.[4] The bout was canceled only days before the fight, and Benavidez was instead matched against Junya Kudo whome he defeated by guillotine choke submission. Benavidez was then signed by US-based World Extreme Cagefighting and on December 3, 2008, he fought Danny Martinez at WEC 37 where he won by unanimous decision.
He defeated Jeff Curran by unanimous decision at WEC 40 on April 5, 2009.[4]
MMA record
| 10 matches | 10 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 0 |
| By submission | 6 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 0 |
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 10-0 |  Jeff Curran
|
Decision (Unanimous) | WEC 40: Torres vs. Mizugaki | April 5, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, USA | |
| Win | 9-0 | Danny Martinez
|
Decision (Unanimous) | WEC 37: Torres vs. Tapia | December 3, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | |
| Win | 8-0 |  Junya Kudo
|
Submission (Guillotine Choke) | DREAM.4: Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 Final | July 21, 2008 | 1 | 2:42 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Win | 7-0 | Maurice Eazel
|
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | PFC 8 - A Night of Champions | May 8, 2008 | 1 | 1:02 | Lemoore, California, USA | |
| Win | 6-0 | Jason Georgianna
|
Submission (Guillotine Choke) | PFC 6 - No Retreat, No Surrender | January 17, 2008 | 2 | 0:38 | Lemoore, California, USA | |
| Win | 5-0 | Rocky Del Monte
|
Submission (Triangle Choke) | Independent Event | June 1, 2007 | 2 | n/a | Oxnard, California | |
| Win | 4-0 | Carlos Lovio
|
TKO | Bring it On - Under Destruction | April 28, 2007 | 1 | n/a | Oxnard, California | |
| Win | 3-0 | Justin Smitley
|
TKO (Cut) | WC 2 - Warrior Cup 2 | April 7, 2007 | 3 | 2:18 | Stockton, California | |
| Win | 2-0 | Ramon Rodriguez
|
Submission (Triangle Choke) | BW - Border Warz | October 14, 2006 | 2 | 2:33 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | |
| Win | 1-0 | Brandon Shelton
|
Submission (Kimura) | UFP - Universal Fight Promotions | June 3, 2006 | 2 | n/a | New Mexico |
References
- ^ Dave Doyle (2009-03-01). "WEC notes: Karalexis heeds wake-up call". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 2009-03-02.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
WECwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "State Champions Individual" (PDF).
- ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference
prospectwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).