- Houston Alexander
-
Houston Alexander 
Born March 22, 1972
East St. Louis, Illinois, United StatesOther names We Have a Problem Nationality American Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Weight 202 lb (91.6 kg; 14.4 st) Division Light Heavyweight (205 lb)
Heavyweight (265 lb)Style Muay Thai Stance Orthodox Fighting out of Omaha, Nebraska Team Team Doyle[1] Years active 2001-present Mixed martial arts record Total 22 Wins 13 By knockout 9 By submission 2 By decision 2 Losses 7 By knockout 4 By submission 2 By decision 1 No contests 2 Other information Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog Houston Alexander (born March 22, 1972) is an American professional mixed martial artist, who fights as a light heavyweight and heavyweight. He also works as a DJ in North Omaha, Nebraska.[2] In his MMA career he holds notable victories over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Alessio Sakara and Keith Jardine.
Contents
Mixed martial arts career
Alexander made his UFC debut at UFC 71 on May 26, 2007 against Keith Jardine. He knocked out Jardine in 49 seconds during the first round.[3]
He has since trained full-time; three times a day and seven days a week.[4]
Alexander then signed a new three-fight contract with the UFC. At UFC 75 Alexander beat Alessio Sakara.[5] Just like his previous fight, Sakara threw a couple of early shots before Alexander countered with close-contact strikes. "The way I was taught was that all your strength is inside versus outside,” Alexander said before the fight of his explosive ability when close to an opponent. "My short strikes are really, really good, and that’s from lifting weights and doing a lot of reps."
At UFC 78 Alexander faced then undefeated contender Thiago Silva. Silva won by TKO after the referee stopped the fight at 3:25 in the first round. In the fight Silva achieved mounted position on top of Alexander and landed punches until the referee called a stop to the contest. Many people have criticized Alexander's ground defense.
On April 2, 2008, Alexander fought "The Sandman" James Irvin as the first fight on the televised portion of UFC Fight Night: Kenny Florian vs Joe Lauzon in Broomfield, Colorado.[6] Irvin led off with a superman punch to the jaw that knocked Alexander down. He followed with three more devastating punches to the face that knocked him unconscious[7] and Steve Mazzagatti rushed in to stop the fight. Alexander immediately got to his feet and protested the quick stoppage. The 8 second knockout tied the record for the fastest knockout in the UFC alongside Don Frye's Knockout at UFC 8.[8] The loss was officially ruled as a TKO due to strikes,[9][10][11] although some sources list it as a KO.[12][13] This has generated some controversy as some fans felt that the fight was stopped too quickly.[14]
Alexander fought Eric "Red" Schafer at UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Neer in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.[15] After landing some effective knees early in the fight, Alexander lost the fight via arm triangle submission in the first round.[16]
Alexander was scheduled to face Andre Gusmão at UFC 98, but had to withdraw due to a broken hand suffered in training camp.
With the permission of the UFC, Alexander fought Sherman Pendergarst in a Heavyweight fight at Adrenaline MMA's Fourth Event.[17] Alexander defeated Pendergarst using leg kicks followed by knees from the Muay Thai Clinch and strikes on the ground.
Alexander made his return to the UFC at The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale against Kimbo Slice at a catchweight of 215 pounds.[18] Alexander was defeated by Kimbo Slice by unanimous decision in a bout that many thought would not make it out of the first round. The fight was characterized by Alexander circling away from Kimbo instead of directly engaging him. While the first and third rounds were largely spent at a distance, the most spectacular moment of the fight arguably came in the second round when Slice administered a suplex.
Shortly following the loss, Alexander was cut from the UFC after losing four straight bouts inside the octagon. His overall record with the UFC is 2–4.[19]
Following his cut from the UFC, Alexander then fought Joey Beltran at 5150 Combat League's "New Year's Revolution" on January 16, 2010, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Alexander lost via TKO (Strikes) at 3:49 in the 2nd round.
Alexander next faced Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou on September 11, 2010 at Shark Fights 13: Jardine vs. Prangley. Following a tough first round that saw Alexander staggered on several occasions, he came back in the second round to win via TKO (punches) at 1:31.
Alexander next gets his chance to avenge his loss against James Irvin from UFC Fight Night: Kenny Florian vs Joe Lauzon back in 2008, where Irvin knocked out Alexander 8 seconds into the 1st round by a superman punch. The 8-second knockout tied the record of fastest knockout in UFC history, until UFC 102, where Todd Duffee broke the record with a 7-second KO. It is set to take place at Shark Fights 14: Horwich vs. Villefort on March 11, 2011 in Lubbock, Texas, USA, The fight was cancelled on March 2 due to a training injury suffered by Alexander and a failed drug test by James Irvin.
Alexander faced Razak Al-Hassan at MMA Fight Pit: Genesis. He won the fight via TKO (doctor's stoppage).
Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown 22 matches 13 wins 7 losses By knockout 9 4 By submission 2 2 By decision 2 1 No contests 2 Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes Loss 13–7 (2) 
Steve BosséKO (elbow) Instinct MMA 1 October 7, 2011 2 4:11 Montreal, Quebec, Canada Win 13–6 (2) 
Razak Al-HassanTKO (doctor stoppage) MMA Fight Pit: Genesis August 13, 2011 2 5:00 Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States Doctor stoppage due to dislocated finger Win 12–6 (2) Brian AlbinTKO (doctor stoppage) Caged In The Coliseum: Albin vs Alexander June 25, 2011 3 0:26 Jackson, Mississippi, US Albin was unable to continue due to loss of vision in eye. Win 11–6 (2) 
Rameau Thierry SokoudjouTKO (punches) Shark Fights 13: Jardine vs. Prangley September 11, 2010 2 1:31 Amarillo, Texas, US Win 10–6 (2) David GriffinDecision (unanimous) UFA 1: The Clash at the Coliseum June 11, 2010 3 5:00 Charleston, South Carolina, US NC 9–6 (2) Justin GrizzardNC (eye poke) Extreme Challenge: The Aftermath March 27, 2010 2 Council Bluffs, Iowa, US Alexander was winning on all scorecards before the eye poke Loss 9–6 (1) Joey BeltranTKO (punches) 5150 Combat League/XFL: New Year's Revolution January 16, 2010 2 3:49 Tulsa, Oklahoma, US For the 5150 Combat League Heavyweight Title Loss 9–5 (1) 
Kimbo SliceDecision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale December 5, 2009 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, US Fought at catchweight of 215 lb Win 9–4 (1) Sherman PendergarstTKO (leg kicks and punches) Adrenaline MMA IV September 18, 2009 1 1:51 Council Bluffs, Iowa, US Fought at Heavyweight Loss 8–4 (1) Eric SchaferSubmission (arm triangle choke) UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Neer September 17, 2008 1 4:53 Omaha, Nebraska, US Loss 8–3 (1) James IrvinKO (superman punch) UFC Fight Night 13 April 2, 2008 1 0:08 Broomfield, Colorado, US Loss 8–2 (1) 
Thiago SilvaKO (punches) UFC 78 November 17, 2007 1 3:25 Newark, New Jersey, US Win 8–1 (1) 
Alessio SakaraTKO (knee and punches) UFC 75 September 8, 2007 1 1:01 London, England Knockout of the Night Win 7–1 (1) Keith JardineKO (punches) UFC 71 May 26, 2007 1 0:48 Las Vegas, Nevada, US NC 6–1 (1) Todd AlleeNC (illegal knees) Extreme Challenge 76 March 31, 2007 1 3:23 Sloan, Iowa, US Alexander delivered downed knees to Allee Win 6–1 Jon MurphyTKO (punches) Extreme Challenge 76 March 31, 2007 1 0:56 Sloan, Iowa, US Win 5–1 Demian DecorahDecision (unanimous) Downtown Destruction 1 January 12, 2005 5 3:00 Des Moines, Iowa, US Win 4–1 Brandon QuigleyTKO (punches) Judgment Night 2 November 3, 2004 1 0:41 Des Moines, Iowa, US Win 3–1 Justin ButlerKO (punches) Gladiators 20 March 15, 2003 1 0:38 Des Moines, Iowa, US Win 2–1 Chuck PurdowSubmission (punches) Gladiators 17 August 18, 2001 1 0:58 Hastings, Nebraska, US Win 1–1 Jamie WebbSubmission (punches) Gladiators 16 June 30, 2001 1 2:18 Des Moines, Iowa, US Loss 0–1 Jason MedinaSubmission (Arm Triangle Choke) Extreme Challenge 40 June 16, 2001 2 0:47 Springfield, Illinois, US Television
Alexander made an appearance on the Fox Sports Network's "Sport Science" in 2009.
Music career
Alexander, aka Scrib, Cone-Dome, or FAS/ONE, has long been a bastion of Omaha's underground hip hop scene. In the 1980s he led a hip hop movement in North Omaha called the Scribble Crew as an alliance of graffiti writers who developed a reputation as the top tag artists in the area. The art stands today at 24th and Binney Streets and 16th and Corby Streets among other North Omaha locations, and is still respected by the community. His Midwest Alliance act was active through the 1990s and into the new millennium, and is seen as influential on the Omaha scene.[20]
Today Alexander is a DJ on KOPW 106.9, a local radio station in Plattsmouth. He hosts an independent music show featuring hip hop and facilitates an elementary school program called the "Culture Shock School Tour" which teaches students about hip hop.[2] Alexander has also been vocal about Omaha's lack of support for its hip hop artists.[21]
Personal life
Alexander is a single father raising six children.[22]
Alexander donated one of his kidneys to his oldest daughter in 2000.[23]
See also
- List of male mixed martial artists
- Hip hop in Omaha
References
- ^ Professional MMA record for Houston Alexander from Sherdog
- ^ a b (2007) Exclusive interview with Houston Alexander. MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 6/15/07.
- ^ "Brawl Sports: UFC 71 :: Houston Alexander vs. Keith Jardine". http://blogs.chron.com/fighting/2007/05/ufc_71_houston_alexander_vs_ke.html. Retrieved 2007-06-04.
- ^ Style Wars: An exclusive interview with Houston Alexander at UFC blog for UFC news, results, videos, rumors, fights, pics and tickets — MMAmania.com
- ^ Alexander Inks New Deal; UFC 75 Fight To Be Broadcast | UFC Daily
- ^ " UFC 83 in London; Houston Alexander Accepts Fight with James Irvin", MMAjunkie.com. January 10, 2008. Retrieved 1/18/08.
- ^ Mike Sloan (2008-04-03). "Florian Halts Lauzon; Maynard, Diaz Also Win". Sherdog.com. http://sherdog.com/news/articles/florian-halts-lauzon-maynard-diaz-also-win-12142. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ Ken Pishna (2008-04-02). "UFC FIGHT NIGHT 13: FLORIAN BRINGS THE BIG GUNS". MMAWeekly.com. http://mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6015&zoneid=2. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ Dann Stupp and Bruce Huckfeldt (2008-04-02). "UFC Fight Night 13 Live Results". MMAJunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/4061/ufc-fight-night-13-live-results.mma. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night Kenny Florian vs Joe Lauzon". UFC.com. 2008-04-02. http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=EventDetail.FightCard&eid=1072. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ Michael David Smith (2008-04-02). "James Irvin TKOs Houston Alexander in 8 Seconds: Fastest Knockout in UFC History". Fanhouse. http://mma.fanhouse.com/2008/04/02/james-irvin-kos-houston-alexander-in-8-seconds-fastest-knockout/. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ "UFC FIGHT NIGHT 13 LIVE RESULTS FROM COLORADO". MMAWeekly.com. 2008-04-02. http://mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=5999&zoneid=2. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ "Fight Finder - UFC - Fight Night 13". Sherdog.com. 2008-04-02. http://sherdog.com/events/UFC-Fight-Night-13-6552. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ Michael David Smith (2008-04-05). "Steve Mazzagatti Deserves Credit for Stopping James Irvin-Houston Alexander UFC Fight". Fanhouse. http://mma.fanhouse.com/2008/04/05/steve-mazzagatti-deserves-credit-for-stopping-james-irvin-housto/. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
- ^ On September 17, 2008, Alexander fought Eric Schafer in front of his hometown Omaha, Nebraska crowd at UFN 15 | MMAjunkie.com
- ^ http://www.sportsline.com/mmaboxing/story/10982973
- ^ Tim Sylvia headlines Adrenaline MMA IV against Jason Riley on Sept. 18 in Iowa
- ^ "Houston Alexander applying for NSAC license, meeting Kimbo at TUF 10 Finale?". mmajunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/16659/houston-alexander-applies-for-nsac-license-meeting-kimbo-at-tuf-10-finale.mma. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
- ^ UFC to cut Houston Alexander following "Kimbo Slice" loss
- ^ (1999) Midwest Alliance - Rockin' the B-Boy Language. The Reader. 3/19/99. Retrieved 6/25/07.
- ^ Losa, J. (2006) "On the Town: Fans Should Support Local Hip-Hop." Omaha World-Herald. 11/2/06. Retrieved 7/1/07.
- ^ You’re a UFC fighter, a radio DJ, a hip hop lecturer and enthusiast, and a single dad of six children. What’s it like balancing all that?
- ^ MMA WEEKLY - Your #1 Source for Daily MMA News, Interviews, Multimedia, and More: - HOUSTON ALEXANDER IS ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE
External links
Categories:- 1972 births
- American mixed martial artists
- Mixed martial artists from Nebraska
- African-American mixed martial artists
- Light heavyweight mixed martial artists
- Heavyweight mixed martial artists
- African American radio personalities
- Living people
- People from North Omaha, Nebraska
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