Bubba Jenkins (born February 5, 1988) is an American
mixed martial artist
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 striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...
and former
amateur wrestler
Amateur wrestling is a variant of wrestling practiced in collegiate, school, or other amateur level competitions. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games: freestyle and Greco-Roman. Both styles are under the ...
. He currently competes in the
featherweight division of
Professional Fighters League
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promo ...
. He has also notably competed for
Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Glob ...
,
Absolute Championship Berkut
Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA), formerly known as Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB), is a Russian mixed martial arts, kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu organization and one of the leading promotions in Europe. To date, most events have been ...
and
Brave Combat Federation
BRAVE Combat Federation is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in the Middle East. The organization was established on 23 September 2016 by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa. BRAVE Combat Federation features mixed martial artists from ...
, where he was a former champion. As an amateur wrestler, Jenkins was a
freestyle junior World Champion and an
NCAA Division I champion.
Wrestling
High school
Jenkins attended
Cox High School for three years before transferring to
First Colonial High School as a
senior
Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to:
* Senior (name), a surname ...
, where he won a
VHSL state wrestling championship and a National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Senior National Championship.
College
In 2006, Jenkins committed to the
Penn State Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions are the athletic teams of Pennsylvania State University, except for the women's basketball team, known as the Lady Lions. The school colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot is the Nittany Lion. The interc ...
.
2006-07
''
Freshman
A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions.
A ...
'': Competing at 157 pounds, Jenkins went 23-12 during regular season. Post-season, he placed sixth at the Big Ten Conference with 3 victories and 3 defeats. in which he went 1–2 at the 157-pounds division.
2007-08
''
Sophomore
In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educati ...
'': Before the season started, Jenkins won a gold medal at the Junior World Championships in
freestyle at 66 kilograms. Competed at 149 pounds in college, during the season he downed the accomplished
Jordan Burroughs
Jordan Ernest Burroughs (born July 8, 1988) is an American freestyle wrestler and former folkstyle wrestler who currently competes at 79 kilograms, and previously competed at 74 kilos. In freestyle, he was the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, is t ...
in a close 3-2 ending match. Went 2–2 at the Big Ten's, downing
Lance Palmer
Lance Palmer (born February 7, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former collegiate wrestler. He currently competes in the featherweight division of Professional Fighters League, where he is the 2019's tournament champio ...
twice and losing to
Brent Metcalf and Josh Churella, placing fifth and going to the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...
's where he did exceptionally well going 4-1 and becoming the