Ben Saunders (fighter)
| Ben Saunders | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 13, 1983 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States |
| Other names | Killa B |
| Nationality |  American |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
| Division | 170 |
| Reach | 77.5 in (197 cm) |
| Style | Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,Jeet kune do |
| Fighting out of | Coconut Creek, Florida |
| Team | American Top Team |
| Rank | brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 14 |
| Wins | 9 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 4 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Draws | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Last updated on: January 20, 2010 | |
Benjamin Saunders (born April 13, 1983), is an American professional mixed martial artist. His background is in Jeet Kune Do concepts and he was a featured fighter on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra, fighting on Team Serra.[1]
Personal life
Saunders is married to Beth Saunders (born "Elizabeth Victoria Abrahams" on June 21, 1987 in Manhattan, New York), who is the younger sister of American actor Jon Abrahams. They were married on August 7, 2004 at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in Sleepy Hollow, New York in the United States.
The couple have two children. Their son, Hayden Shane Saunders, was born on October 16, 2005 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Their daughter, Skyler Ryan Saunders, was born on December 14, 2008 in Manhattan, New York.
He is also the brother-in-law of Alex Mora (born "Alexandra Elaine Abrahams" on January 4, 1984), who is the wife of Mexican American professional boxer Sergio "The Latin Snake" Mora (born "Sergio Mora" on December 4, 1980 in Los Angeles, California), as well as the uncle of the couple's two children, Dominick Mora (born "Dominick Christian Mora" on May 15, 2002), and Isabella Mora (born "Isabella Marie Mora" on July 29, 2005).
Mixed martial arts
Saunders began training in martial arts at a young age starting with some Jeet Kune Do concepts. He began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with the gi in 2003 and on January 16, 2010, he received his brown belt.[2]
The Ultimate Fighter
Saunders defeated Dan Barrera in the first round of the competition by split decision. Saunders was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Tommy Speer via decision.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Saunders defeated Dan Barrera at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs Team Serra Finale by unanimous decision.
In his second career UFC fight, Saunders defeated UFC newcomer Ryan Thomas by armbar in the second round.
In his third career UFC fight he fought Brandon Wolff, defeating him in the first round with knees from the Thai clinch, by landing 42 knees to his opponent. This left Wolff's face a bloody and swollen mess. After the bout many comparisons were made between him and Anderson Silva, who is also known for his Thai clinch prowess.
Saunders' next fight was supposed to be at UFC 96 against welterweight standout Dustin Hazelett, but due to injury Hazelett pulled out of the match. Saunders was then set to face UFC newcomer Ryan Madigan. However, Saunders later pulled out of the match due to an injured foot.
On February 28, 2009, it was confirmed that Saunders would be facing Mike Swick at UFC 99.[3] Saunders was defeated by Swick by continuous punches to the face. As Swick struck, Saunders ducked into Swick's striking range every time which essentially cost him the fight.
Saunders defeated Marcus Davis on November 21, 2009, via knee strikes 3:24 into the first round at UFC 106 making him the first man to knock out Marcus Davis.[4]
Saunders was expected to face off against top ten welterweight Martin Kampmann at UFC 111 in March. However, an injury forced Kampmann off the card and Saunders was set to face Jake Ellenberger.[5] On March 25, 2010, news broke that Thiago Alves's pre-fight CT scan found an irregularity in his brain, and he was not cleared to fight. Saunders asked to fight Alves's opponent and former #1 contender Jon Fitch, forcing Saunder's opponent Ellenberger out of the match.[6] Saunders lost to Fitch by unanimous decision.
Saunders next faced Dennis Hallman on August 7, 2010 at UFC 117.[7] Ben lost the fight by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28). Following the loss, Saunders was cut from the UFC.[8][9]
Mixed martial arts record
| 14 matches | 9 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 4 | 1 |
| By submission | 4 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 2 |
| Draws | 2 | |
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 9-3-2 | Elijah Harshbarger
|
Submission (Punches and Elbows) | WEF: Saunders vs. Harshbarger | November 6, 2010 | 1 | 4:21 | Kissimmee, Florida, US
| |
| Loss | 8-3-2 | Dennis Hallman
|
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen | 7 August 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Oakland, California, US
| |
| Loss | 8-2-2 | Jon Fitch
|
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy | 27 March 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Newark, New Jersey, US
| |
| Win | 8-1-2 | Marcus Davis
|
KO (Knee) | UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2 | 21 November 2009 | 1 | 3:24 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US
| |
| Loss | 7-1-2 | Mike Swick
|
TKO (Punches) | UFC 99: The Comeback | 13 June 2009 | 2 | 3:47 |  Cologne, Germany
| |
| Win | 7-0-2 | Brandon Wolff
|
TKO (Knees) | UFC: Fight for the Troops | 10 December 2008 | 1 | 1:49 | Fayetteville, North Carolina, US
| |
| Win | 6-0-2 | Ryan Thomas
|
Submission (Arm Lock) | UFC 87: Seek and Destroy | 10 August 2008 | 2 | 2:28 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
| |
| Win | 5-0-2 | Dan Barrera
|
Decision (Unanimous) | The Ultimate Finale 6 | 8 December 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US
| |
| Win | 4-0-2 | Charles Blanchard
|
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | Combat Fighting Championships 3 | 17 February 2007 | 1 | 0:46 | Orlando, Florida, US
| |
| Win | 3-0-2 | Kenny Stevens
|
TKO | Combat Fighting Championships 1 | 15 July 2006 | 3 | 3:05 | Orlando, Florida, US
| |
| Win | 2-0-2 | Rick Delvecchio
|
KO (Kick) | Absolute Fighting Championships 15 | 18 February 2006 | 1 | 0:56 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
| |
| Win | 1-0-2 | Ariel Pena
|
Submission (Triangle Choke) | Absolute Fighting Championships 14 | 12 December 2005 | 1 | 1:12 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
| |
| Draw | 0-0-2 |  Diego Vitosky
|
Draw | Absolute Fighting Championships 12 | 30 April 2005 | 2 | 5:00 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
| |
| Draw | 0-0-1 | Crafton Wallace
|
Draw | Absolute Fighting Championships 8 | 1 May 2004 | 2 | 5:00 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
|
References
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (2007-08-27). "Participants in Ultimate Fighter season six are announced". Los Angeles Times.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
- ^ "Ben Saunders Promoted To BJJ Brown Belt". 2010-01-18.
- ^ Mike Swick vs. Ben Saunders signed for UFC 99
- ^ "UFC 106 Results: Ben Saunders Knees Out Marcus Davis". 2009-11-21. Retrieved 2009-11-22.
- ^ Kampmann out, Ellenberger faces Saunders at UFC 111 in March
- ^ Jon Fitch replaces Jake Ellenberger, meets Ben Saunders on UFC 111 main card
- ^ "Dennis Hallman faces Ben Saunders at UFC 117". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
- ^ "UFC 117: Ben Saunders Cut from the UFC Following Loss to Dennis Hallman". Retrieved 10 November 2010.
- ^ "Ben Saunders Cut By The UFC". Retrieved 10 November 2010.
External links
- Professional MMA record for Ben Saunders from Sherdog
- Ben Saunders' The Ultimate Fighter bio
- Ben Saunders' TUF 6 Blog