Coleman Ruben Escovedo (born August 30, 1981) is an American former

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 ...

from

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...

. He was the inaugural WEC Featherweight Champion.

Mixed martial arts career

Health issues

Escovedo was forced into a well documented semi-retirement in 2007 from a serious staph infection that left him partially paralyzed and in need of spinal surgery. Then, after a nearly three years hiatus from mixed martial arts action, he returned on May 8, 2009, at a

Palace Fighting Championship Palace Fighting Championship (PFC) was a mixed martial arts (MMA) organization based in the United States that was created in 2007 by Christian Printup. It ceased operations in 2009. In 2001, Printup helped promotional newcomers Reed Harris and ...

event at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in

Lemoore, California Lemoore (formerly, La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 25 ...

. Escovedo's comeback to MMA was his first fight in the 135 lb Bantamweight division.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Escodevo made his UFC debut against

Renan Barão Renan Mota do Nascimento Pegado (born 31 January 1987), better known as Renan Barão, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and the former UFC Bantamweight Champion. He held one of the longest unbeaten streaks in MMA history - follo ...

on May 25, 2011, at

UFC 130 ''UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 28, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background This event was to be the third meeting between Frankie Edga ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Escovedo faced

Takeya Mizugaki (born December 16, 1983) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist who most notably competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor from 2005 to 2020, Mizugaki also competed for Absolute ...

UFC 135 ''UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 24, 2011 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountai ...

. He was knocked out by Mizugaki at 4:30 in the second round, giving him two consecutive losses in the

UFC 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 ...

. Escovedo faced

Alex Caceres Alex Caceres (born June 20, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight division of the UFC. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Caceres mostly competed in his regional circuit, before signing with the Ult ...

on November 12, 2011, at UFC on Fox 1. Escovedo lost via unanimous decision (30-27, 30–27, 30–27) after losing the standing exchanges to Caceres for all three rounds. On December 16, 2011, Escovedo announced via the UG forums that he had been released by the

. Author Zac Robinson has written a book titled "Through The Cage Door" about Escovedo's life and career and its expected release date was August 2014.

Championships and accomplishments

Tachi Palace Fights Tachi Palace Fights (TPF) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which hosted events at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. Matchmaker for TPF was former fighter Richard Goodman. Regarded as a regional promotion, ...

** TPF Bantamweight Championship (One time) *

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 mad ...

WEC Featherweight Championship This is a list of World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champions at each weight class. In December 2006 World Extreme Cagefighting was bought by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the UFC, to concentrate on the four smaller weight classes under the ...

(One time; First) IFC Champion 145 Tachi Palace Fights Native American Champion

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 17–9 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–8 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

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Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–7 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–6 , Steven Siler , Technical Submission (triangle choke) , Showdown Fights: New Blood , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:30 ,

Orem, Utah Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Me ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–6 ,

Michihiro Omigawa is a retrired Japanese mixed martial artist, judoka and submission grappler, who mainly competed in the Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, Omigawa competed in the UFC, PRIDE, Cage Rage, World Victory Road, ...

, Submission (straight armbar) , Dream 16 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:30 ,

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most p ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–5 , Michael McDonald , KO (punches) , TPF 5: Stars and Strikes , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:12 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–4 ,

Yoshiro Maeda is a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently competes in DEEP's flyweight division, and formerly fought in DEEP's bantamweight division, the latter of which he is a former champion, recently losing the title to Daiki Hata who is still the r ...

, KO (head kick) , Dream 13 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:29 ,

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 15–4 , Jeff Bedard , Submission (triangle choke) , TPF 3: Champions Collide , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:31 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 , Maurice Eazel , TKO (head kick and punches) , Strikeforce Challengers: Gurgel vs. Evangelista , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:47 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 , Tyler Weathers , Decision (split) , Disturbing the Peace , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4 , Michael McDonald , TKO (punches) , PFC 13: Validation , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:25 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–4 ,

Antonio Banuelos Juan Antonio Banuelos (born September 23, 1979) is an American former mixed martial artist who competed in the Bantamweight division. Mixed martial arts career Banuelos made his professional mixed martial arts debut in June 2001, knocking out D ...

, Decision (unanimous) , WEC 23: Hot August Fights , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–3 ,

Jens Pulver Jens Johnnie Pulver (born December 6, 1974) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist and undefeated boxer and kickboxer. Pulver was the inaugural UFC Lightweight Champion in addition to serving as the head coach on ''The Ultimat ...

, KO (punch) , International Fight League: Legends Championship 2006 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:56 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–2 ,

Urijah Faber Urijah Faber (born May 14, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist and actor who is signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He competed as a bantamweight and formerly competed as a featherweight. He is also the founder of Team Alpha Ma ...

, TKO (corner stoppage) , WEC 19 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 , Joe Martin , Submission (flying triangle choke) ,

WEC 17 WEC 17: Halloween Fury 4 was a mixed martial arts event promoted by World Extreme Cagefighting on October 14, 2005 at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. A light heavyweight tournament was held with the winner being crowned th ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:05 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 ,

Poppies Martinez Poppies Martinez (born August 19, 1983) is a Native American professional mixed martial artist of the Tachi Yokuts tribe currently competing in the Lightweight division of Bellator. A professional competitor since 2003, he has also formerly com ...

, TKO (leg injury) ,

WEC 15 WEC 15: Judgment Day was a mixed martial arts event promoted by World Extreme Cagefighting on May 19th 2005 at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. The card featured the likes of Joe Riggs, Chris Lytle and James Irvin compete. ...

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:05 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Randy Spence , Submission (triangle choke) , International Fighting Championships: Eve Of Destruction , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:06 ,

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Anthony Hamlett , TKO (punches) ,

WEC 8 WEC 8: Halloween Fury 2 was a mixed martial arts event promoted by World Extreme Cagefighting on October 17, 2003, at the Palace Indian Gaming Center in Lemoore, California. The main event saw Cole Escovedo defend the WEC Featherweight title aga ...

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:30 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–1 ,

Bao Quach Bao Quach (born September 4, 1979) is an American featherweight professional mixed martial artist who has fought for Bellator, Affliction, M-1 Global, EliteXC, Strikeforce, World Extreme Cagefighting, King of the Cage, and Shooto promotions. ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Gladiator Challenge 15 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Porterville, California Porterville is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Tulare County, California, United States. It is part of the Visalia-Porterville metropolitan statistical area. Since its incorporation in 1902, the city's population has grown as it annexed n ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Noah Shinable , Submission (triangle choke) , Gladiator Challenge 14 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:38 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Philip Perez , Submission (triangle choke) , WEC 5: Halloween Havoc , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:07 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Christian Allen , TKO (punches) , Ultimate Athlete 3: Vengeance , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:16 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Paul Morris , Submission (triangle choke) , WEC 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:29 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Jay Valencia , Submission (triangle choke) , Ultimate Athlete 2: The Gathering , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:45 ,

Cabazon, California Cabazon (Spanish: ''Cabazón'') is a unincorporated community in Riverside County, California, United States. Cabazon is on the Pacific Crest Trail. In the 21st century, the area has become a tourist stop, due to the Morongo Casino, Resort & Sp ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 ,

Bart Palaszewski Bart K. Palaszewski (; born May 30, 1983) is a retired Polish-American professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the UFC's Featherweight division. A professional competitor from 2002 until 2014, Palaszewski has also formerly ...

, Submission (punches) , Ultimate Athlete 1: The Genesis , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:10 ,

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, Lake County, Indiana. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern L ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Terry Dull , Submission (triangle choke) , WEC 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:54 ,

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References

External links

Official UFC Profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Escovedo, Cole American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from California Bantamweight mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent World Extreme Cagefighting champions 1981 births Living people Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu