Javier Mendez (mixed Martial Arts Trainer)
Javier Mendez (born September 18, 1970) is a Mexican American mixed martial arts (MMA) coach and founder of the MMA Gym American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). A former ISKA kickboxing World Champion, he is best known for training multiple MMA world champions. History Javier Mendez was born in Mexico and moved to the United States with his family at the age of 6. He was raised in San Jose, California and attended Andrew Hill High School. His father spent most of his money on alcohol and gambling and told Mendez that he would never amount to anything which gave Mendez motivation to achieve success. Like most of his peers of his generation, Mendez grew up admiring the late Bruce Lee. Mendez started training in martial arts in 1978, studying the discipline of Tang Soo Do. From there, he went to West Coast Tae Kwon Do and trained under Scott Coker (former CEO of Strikeforce and current president of Bellator MMA). Mendez started his kickboxing career in 1985 and shortly thereaft ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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American Kickboxing Academy
The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) is a martial arts gym based in San Jose, California. It is one of the pioneering schools of mixed martial arts (MMA). In 2014, AKA opened the ''AKA Thailand'' gym in Phuket, Thailand. Prominent trainers include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Leandro Vieira, Bob Cook, Derek Yuen, Javier Mendez, and Andy Fong. Within the facility, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling and Boxing classes are taught. Additional programs include conditioning and circuit training with TRX Suspension and Combat Circuit. American Kickboxing Academy is one of the top professional MMA training camps. Dispute with the Ultimate Fighting Championship In 2008, the AKA was involved in a brief dispute with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White over the exclusive license rights for a UFC video game. Members of the AKA who were signed with the UFC, including Jon Fitch, Christian Wellisch, Josh Koscheck, and former UFC heavyweight ch ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. The first documented use of the term ''mixed martial arts'' was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993. The question of who actually coined the term is subject to debate. During the early 20th century, various interstylistic contests took place throughout Japan and in the countries of the Four Asian Tigers. In Brazil, there was the sport of Vale Tudo, in which The Gracie family was known to promote Vale Tudo matches as a way to promote their own Brazilian jiu-jitsu style. A precursor to modern MMA was the 1976 Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki, Ali vs. Inoki exhibition bout (which ended in a draw after 15 rounds), fought between bo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Maurice Smith (kickboxer)
Maurice L. Smith (born December 13, 1961) is a retired American kickboxer and mixed martial artist. In kickboxing, he held the WKC (World Kickboxing Council) world light heavyweight championship, the WKA (World Kickboxing Association) world heavyweight championship, and the ISKA (International Sport Karate Association) world heavyweight championship. In mixed martial arts, he held the Heavyweight championship in Battlecade Extreme Fighting and the UFC, and became a member of the UFC Hall of Fame in 2017. A professional competitor since 1980, Smith has formerly competed in kickboxing for the companies All Japan Enterprise and K-1, Pancrase, RINGS, PRIDE, Strikeforce, International Fight League and RFA. Career Raised in Seattle, Washington, Smith got into martial arts at the age of 13 after watching Bruce Lee's ''Chinese Connection'', and having had to retreat from a fight. He trained in karate, taekwondo and wing chun, until he found the sport of kickboxing at age 18. Smith ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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List Of Pancrase Champions
This is a list of Pancrase champions at each weight class. Pancrase is a Japan-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promoting and sanctioning organization founded in 1993. The champions of Pancrase are referred to by the title of "King of Pancrase". Men's Title Histories Heavyweight Championship ::''Weight limit: '' ::''On January 30, 2008 Pancrase revised this weight class limit from to its current limits.'' Light Heavyweight Championship ::''Weight limit: '' ::''Formerly known as Cruiserweight until 2008'' ::''On January 30, 2008 Pancrase revised this weight class limit from to its current limits.'' Middleweight Championship ::''Weight limit: '' ::''On January 30, 2008 Pancrase revised this weight class limit from to its current limits.'' Welterweight Championship ::''Weight limit: '' ::''Formerly known as Lightweight until 2006'' ::''On January 30, 2008 Pancrase revised this weight limit from to its current limits.'' Lightweight Championship ::''Weight limit: '' Fe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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World Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: , and . To accommodate the smaller fighters, WEC's cage was in diameter— smaller than the standard UFC cage. The smaller cage is now used by UFC for selected events. History Scott Adams and Reed Harris started the organization in 2001. Between 2001 and 2006, most of their events were held at Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California, and aired on HDNet. In December 2006, Zuffa purchased WEC. With the purchase, WEC continued as a separate promotion with its own roster of fighters. Adams was retained after the purchase as the organization's matchmaker. Harris and Adams were named co-General Managers and were both active in the new WEC. In 2008, Sean Shelby was named the new match-maker for the promot ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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List Of Strikeforce Champions
Strikeforce was an American mixed martial arts organization. It crowned male champions in the lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, and female champions in featherweight and bantamweight. World champions Men's championships Heavyweight Championship '' to '' Light Heavyweight Championship '' to '' Middleweight Championship '' to '' Welterweight Championship '' to '' Lightweight Championship '' to '' Women's championships Women's Featherweight Championship '' to '' ''Formerly known as the Women's Lightweight Championship and the Women's Middleweight Championship'' Women's Bantamweight Championship '' to '' ''Formerly known as the Women's Welterweight Championship'' U.S. champions Middleweight U.S. Championship '' to '' Lightweight U.S. Championship '' to '' Tournament winners Records Most wins in title bouts Most consecutive title defenses Champions by nationality The division champions include only linear ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA promotion company in the world as of 2011. It produces events worldwide that showcase 12 weight divisions (eight men's and four women's) and abides by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. , it had held over 600 events. Dana White has been its president since 2001. Under White's stewardship, it has grown into a global multi-billion-dollar enterprise. The UFC was founded by businessman Art Davie and Brazilian martial artist Rorion Gracie, and the first event was held in 1993 at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of the early Ultimate Fighting Championship competitions was to identify the most effective martial art in a contest with minimal rules and no weight classes between competitors of different fight ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Middleweight (MMA)
The middleweight division in mixed martial arts refers to different weight classes: *The UFC's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb (77.5 to 84 kg) *The Shooto's middleweight class, which refers to competitors between 155 and 170 lb (70.3 and 77.1 kg) *The ONE Championship's middleweight division follows the Pride FC PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ... model, with an upper limit of *The Road FC's middleweight division, with an upper limit of 185 lb (84 kg) Ambiguity and clarification For the sake of uniformity, many mixed martial arts websites refer to competitors between 171 and 185 lb (77.5 and 84 kg) as middleweights. This encompasses Shooto's light heavyweight division of the same weight limit. The ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Heavyweight (MMA)
The heavyweight division in mixed martial arts (MMA) generally groups fighters between . Although many ambiguities exist within the lowerweight classes regarding division naming and weight limits, the Heavyweight division is, for the most part, uniform. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and most other North American MMA organizations such as Bellator MMA, WSOF, and King of the Cage (KOTC) abide by this interpretation to their 206–265 lb athletes as heavyweights. ONE Championship's heavyweight division is at 226–265 lb. Pancrase Pancrase Inc. is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. The name was based on pankration, a fighting sport in the Ancient Olympic Games. Suzuki and Funaki ...'s overweight division was before being revised to its current . The heavyweight upper weight limit, as defined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the Association of Boxing Comm ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Welterweight (MMA)
The welterweight division in mixed martial arts contains different weight classes: *The Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC's welterweight division, which groups competitors within 156 to 170 Pound (mass), lb (71 to 77 kg) *The ONE Championship's welterweight division, with upper limit at Ambiguity and clarification Many other sports that use the welterweight class, such as boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai, define it as below about 147 lb (67 kg). The MMA welterweight class is therefore significantly heavier than the welterweight class of these other sports. For the sake of uniformity, many United States, American mixed martial arts websites refer to competitors between 156 and 170 lb (71 and 77 kg) as welterweights. This encompasses the Shooto middleweight division (167 lb / 76 kg). The welterweight limit, as defined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the Association of Boxing Commissions is 170 lb (77kg). Professional Champions Current champions ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Lightweight (MMA)
The lightweight division in mixed martial arts contains different weight classes: * The UFC's lightweight division, which groups competitors within 146 to 155 lb (66 to 70 kg) * The Shooto lightweight division, which limits competitors to 145 lb (65.8 kg) *The ONE Championship's lightweight division, with an upper limit at *The Road FC's lightweight division, with an upper limit at 154 lb (70 kg) Ambiguity and clarification For the sake of uniformity, most American mixed martial arts media outlets consider Lightweight competitors to be between 146 and 155 lb (66 and 70 kg). This encompasses The Shooto Welterweight division (154 lb / 70 kg). The UFC's lightweight division was reinstated at ''UFC 58'' after falling into disuse following '' UFC 49''. Sean Sherk, a former welterweight contender, defeated Kenny Florian at ''UFC 64'', becoming the first UFC lightweight champion since 2002. The lightweight limit, as defined by the Nevada State Athlet ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |