- Maurice Smith (kickboxer)
-
Maurice Smith Born December 13, 1961
Seattle, Washington, United StatesOther names Mo Nationality American Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Weight 100 kg (220 lb; 16 st) Division Heavyweight Style Kickboxing Stance Orthodox Team The Alliance Years active 1980–2008 Professional boxing record Total 2 Losses 2 By knockout 2 Kickboxing record Total 71 Wins 53 Losses 13 Draws 5 Mixed martial arts record Total 25 Wins 12 By knockout 6 By submission 3 By decision 3 Losses 13 By submission 10 By decision 3 Other information Boxing record from Boxrec Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog last updated on: March 16, 2011 Maurice Smith (born December 13, 1961) is a retired American boxer, kickboxer, mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Contents
Biography
Kickboxing career
Smith won his first professional kickboxing title in 1983 for the World Kickboxing Council by defeating light heavyweight champion Tony Morelli by knockout in the seventh round. Later that year, he won the World Kickboxing Association heavyweight title from Travis Everett with a KO via low kicks. Smith then went ten straight years without a loss.
He also had a notable win in 1991 over Stan Longinidis who, at the time, was tearing through the ranks and was regarded as a super up and coming fighter. Maurice won this 12 round match by split decision after coming back from a knock down in the first round by Stan and surviving an early onslaught.
In 1993, Smith was invited to the K-1 Grand Prix '93 along with seven of the world's best light heavyweight and heavyweight kickboxers. Smith won his first match by defeating Japanese fighter Toshiyuki Atokawa in the quarter finals by unanimous decision. In the semifinals he met Dutch fighter and future K-1 legend, Ernesto Hoost, where after a hard fought battle Smith was knocked out by left highkick in the final round, ending his tournament.
Mixed martial arts career
After a stint in Japanese promotions Pancrase and RINGS, accumulating a 4-7 record, Smith joined Battlecade Extreme Fighting in 1996 to fight against the heavyweight champion Marcus "Conan" Silvira. Throughout the fight Maurice showed excellent use of the sprawl technique which negated the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter's attempts at takedowns. Smith then knocked Conan out in the third round with a kick to the head. In doing so, he became the Extreme Fighting Heavyweight Champion and became the first legitimate striker to win a top end MMA event.
He then defended his title in the fourth show against judo exponent Kazunari Murakami with a first round knockout. After the win, the company folded and Maurice joined the largest MMA promotion in the United States, the UFC.
Smith developed a close relationship with Frank Shamrock, who he met while training at the Lion's Den. Shamrock and Smith worked synergistically; Shamrock, a submission specialist, vastly improved Smith's ground game while Smith, in return, vastly improved Shamrock's striking. Smith and Shamrock eventually formed their own MMA team, called the Alliance.
At UFC 14 on July 27, 1997, Smith faced UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Coleman in a title fight. Smith was considered to be a massive underdog for the bout, but shocked the mixed martial arts world with a unanimous decision victory to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship. With this win, Smith became the first striker to survive the attack of a world class wrestler. He then successfully defended his belt against David "Tank" Abbott winning via strikes due to leg kicks, before losing his belt to MMA legend Randy Couture by majority decision, in a close fight.
Return to MMA
On May 19, 2007 Maurice Smith had his first MMA bout in almost seven years when he defeated Marco Ruas by TKO at an International Fight League show held in Chicago. On February 23, 2008 at a Strikeforce event entitled Strikeforce: At The Dome held at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, Smith defeated kickboxer Rick Roufus, who was making his MMA debut, by submission at 1:53 of the first round.
Maurice Smith was the coach of the Seattle Tiger Sharks of the International Fight League from 2006 to 2007. He is currently associated with Team Alliance.
Championships and accomplishments
Kickboxing
- K-1
- 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix Preliminary USA winner
- International Sport Karate Association
- I.S.K.A. World Muay Thai Heavyweight Champion (1996)
- World Kickboxing Association
- W.K.A. World Kickboxing Heavyweight Champion (1983)
- Other
- W.K.C. Light-Heavyweight World Champion (1983)
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Heavyweight Championship (1 Time)
- Extreme Fighting
- Extreme Fighting Heavyweight Champion
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- 1997 Most Outstanding Fighter
- 1997 Fight of the Year vs. Mark Coleman on July 27
- Black Belt Magazine
- 2001 Full-Contact Fighter of the Year [1]
Kickboxing record
Maurice Smith (kickboxer) kickboxing record 53 Wins, 13 losses, 5 draws[1]Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes
Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown 25 matches 12 wins 13 losses By knockout 6 0 By submission 3 10 By decision 3 3 Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes Loss 12–13 Hidehiko Yoshida Submission (neck crank) World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 3 June 8, 2008 1 2:23 Saitama, Saitama, Japan Win 12–12 Rick Roufus Submission (straight armbar) Strikeforce: At The Dome February 23, 2008 1 1:53 Tacoma, Washington, United States Win 11–12 Marco Ruas TKO (corner stoppage) IFL: Chicago May 19, 2007 4 3:43 Chicago, United States Loss 10–12 Renato Sobral Decision (unanimous) UFC 28 November 17, 2000 3 5:00 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Win 10–11 Bobby Hoffman Decision (majority) UFC 27 September 22, 2000 3 5:00 New Orleans, United States Loss 9–11 Renzo Gracie Submission (armlock) Rings: King of Kings 1999 Block B, 2nd Fight December 22, 1999 1 0:50 Tokyo, Japan Win 9–10 Branden Lee Hinkle Decision (majority) Rings: King of Kings 1999 Block B, 1st Fight December 22, 1999 2 5:00 Tokyo, Japan Loss 8–10 Marcus Silveira Submission (arm triangle choke) WEF 7: Stomp in the Swamp October 9, 1999 2 2:48 Kenner, Louisiana, United States Win 8–9 Branko Cikatić Submission (forearm choke) Pride 7 September 12, 1999 1 7:33 Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan Win 7–9 Marco Ruas TKO (corner stoppage) UFC 21 July 16, 1999 1 5:00 Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States Loss 6–9 Kevin Randleman Decision (unanimous) UFC 19 March 5, 1999 1 15:00 Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, United States Loss 6–8 Randy Couture Decision (majority) UFC Japan December 21, 1997 1 21:00 Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan Lost UFC Heavyweight Championship. Win 6–7 Tank Abbott Submission (strikes) UFC 15 October 17, 1997 1 8:08 Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, United States Defended UFC Heavyweight Championship. Win 5–7 Mark Coleman Decision (unanimous) UFC 14 July 27, 1997 1 21:00 Birmingham, Alabama, United States Won UFC Heavyweight Championship. Win 4–7 Kazunari Murakami KO (punch) Extreme Fighting 4 March 28, 1997 1 4:23 Des Moines, Iowa, United States Loss 3–7 Akira Maeda Submission (front choke) RINGS-Budokan Hall 1997 January 22, 1997 1 5:35 Tokyo, Japan Win 3–6 Marcus Silveira TKO (head kick) Extreme Fighting 3 October 18, 1996 3 1:36 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States Loss 2–6 Kiyoshi Tamura Submission (arm bar) RINGS-Maelstrom 6 August 24, 1996 1 4:34 Tokyo, Japan Loss 2–5 Tsuyoshi Kohsaka Submission (heel hook) RINGS-Budokan Hall 1996 January 24, 1996 1 4:34 Tokyo, Japan Loss 3–4 Bas Rutten Submission (choke) Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 6 November 4, 1995 1 4:34 Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan Loss 2–3 Bas Rutten Submission (kneebar) Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 4 May 13, 1995 1 2:10 Chiba, Chiba, Japa Loss 2–2 Ken Shamrock Submission (arm triangle choke) Pancrase - King of Pancrase Tournament Opening Round December 16, 1994 1 4:23 Tokyo, Japan Win 2–1 Takaku Fuke KO Pancrase - King of Pancrase Tournament Opening Round December 16, 1994 1 2:48 Tokyo, Japan Loss 1–1 Minoru Suzuki Submission (armbar) Pancrase: Road to the Championship 1 May 31, 1994 3 0:36 Tokyo, Japan Win 1–0 Minoru Suzuki KO (punches) Pancrase - Yes, We are Hybrid Wrestlers 3 November 8, 1993 1 6:52 Tokyo, Japan References
- ^ "Maurice Smith". The Best Fighters.com. http://www.thebestfighters.com/maurice_smith.htm. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
External links
- Professional MMA record for Maurice Smith from Sherdog
- Professional boxing record for Maurice Smith from BoxRec
- Profile at K-1
Preceded by
Mark Coleman2nd UFC Heavyweight Champion
July 27, 1997 - December 21, 1997Succeeded by
Randy CoutureCategories:- 1961 births
- Living people
- American mixed martial artists
- African American boxers
- African-American mixed martial artists
- Mixed martial artists from Washington (state)
- Heavyweight mixed martial artists
- American kickboxers
- Kickboxers from Washington (state)
- Light heavyweight kickboxers
- Heavyweight kickboxers
- Ultimate Fighting Championship champions
- K-1
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
