Maurice Smith (kickboxer)
| Maurice Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 13, 1961 Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Other names | Mo |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Weight | 93.44 kg (206.0 lb; 14.714 st) |
| Division | Heavyweight (1993-2008, 2013-present) Light Heavyweight (2012) |
| Team | The Alliance |
| Years active | 1980–2008, 2012-present |
| Professional boxing record | |
| Total | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 71 |
| Wins | 53 |
| Losses | 13 |
| Draws | 5 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 28 |
| Wins | 14 |
| By knockout | 8 |
| By submission | 3 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Losses | 14 |
| By submission | 8 |
| By decision | 4 |
| Unknown | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
|
|
|
Maurice L. Smith[1] (born December 13, 1961) is an American mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion who most recently competed in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 1980, Smith has formerly competed for the UFC, Strikeforce, PRIDE FC, Pancrase, the IFL, RINGS, the RFA, and World Victory Road.
Contents
Career
Raised in Seattle, Washington, Smith got into martial arts after watching Bruce Lee's Chinese Connection and because of fights with other kids during his childhood.[2] He trained in karate, taekwondo and wing chun, and finally moved to kickboxing.
Kickboxing career
Smith won his first seven amateur kickboxing matches and turned professional. His first fight was on March 4, 1982 against World Kickboxing Council's Light Heavyweight Champion Tony Morelli, who defeated him by decision after seventh round. Seeing he had lost due to his lack of cardio, Smith started to train extensively to improve it, and fourteen months later, he went to his rematch as a new fighter. He then defeated Morelli by KO via roundhouse kick also in the seventh round, winning the championship.
Later that year, he was called for a non-title fight in Japan against the renowned Don "The Dragon" Wilson, and although Smith lost the fight, he had led Wilson to the eleventh round and it turned heads in the kickboxing world. Maurce move up a weight and won the World Kickboxing Association Heavyweight Championship from Travis Everett, knocking him out via low kicks.
In 1984, Smith went to compete in Thai boxing rules in Holland, losing his first fight there to Marcel Swank on the first round. It moved him to learn the art, and upon his return to United States, Smith 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 knockdown 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 quarterfinals 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
Smith had his first contact with mixed martial arts when he was invited in November 1989 by the Japanese professional wrestling promotion UWF Newborn. He was scheduled to face up-and-coming wrestler Masakatsu Funaki in a mixed rules fight, but his opponent got injured and was replaced with training partner Minoru Suzuki. During the fight, Smith kept negating Suzuki's takedown attempts by employing the pro wrestling-ruled rope scapes and a rudimentary sprawl ability, knocking him out several times with strike before finishing him with a right punch at the fourth round. The event sold out the Tokyo Dome and broke record gates. On October 4, 1992, Smith would face Funaki in an exhibition fight for Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi, ending in a draw.
In 1993, Smith debuted for the mixed martial arts promotion Pancrase founded by Funaki and Suzuki. He took part in a kickboxing rules fight against Suzuki in the event Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers 3, winning for second time after KOing him multiple times. Later, he was scheduled to compete in a special rules MMA fight, in which the first and third rounds would be fought wearing boxing gloves, the second and fourth barehanded, and the fifth with only Smith wearing them. However, Smith lost the fight when Suzuki took him down at round 3 and made him tap to an armbar. The fight evidenced the grappling as Smith's main weakness, as he was a pure kickboxer and had not grappling training while competing in Pancrase.
The next year, he took part in the King of Pancrase tournament. Maurice beat Takaku Fuke on the first round, but fell to Ken Shamrock via arm triangle choke on the second fight, celebrated the same night. He would go to lost twice to Bas Rutten, a Thai boxer who had learned ground fighting, and got a win in a kickboxing match against Manabu Yamada in which the Japanese fighter got both knocked out and injured. However, his defeat to Shamrock was instrumental to his career, as he became friends with him and was sent to his dojo in United States, the Lion's Den, to learn proper MMA. There he met Frank Shamrock, who he formed a close relationship with. Shamrock and Smith worked synergistically; Shamrock, a submission specialist, improved Smith's ground game, while Smith in return improved Shamrock's striking. Along with Japanese fighter Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, who had befriended Frank after a fight between them in Fighting Network RINGS, Smith and Shamrock eventually formed their own MMA team, called the Alliance.
Smith joined Battlecade Extreme Fighting in 1996 to fight against the Heavyweight Champion Marcus "Conan" Silveira. Throughout the fight Maurice showed excellent use of the sprawl technique which negated the Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter's attempts at takedowns, as well as a remarkable submission defensive whenever Silveira was able to engage him on the ground. Smith then knocked out Silveira in the third round with a roundhouse 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 and pro wrestling exponent Kazunari Murakami. Although Murakami surprisingly dropped Smith with a palm strike at the beginning, Smith escaped from his ground game and hit a barrage of leg kicks against the prone Japanese, and later knocked him out with a single punch. After the win, the company folded and Maurice joined the largest MMA promotion in the United States, the UFC.
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. Through the use of an active guard, Smith was able to negate Coleman's vaunted ground and pound attacks. After nearly 15 minutes of attempting to damage Smith through his guard Coleman was exhausted, allowing Smith to capitalize on the feet. Eventually, he won the decision against an exhausted and damaged Coleman.
Smith 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 in a rematch at an International Fight League show held in Chicago. He saved his energy for the first rounds, making little action, before turning to attack and dropping Ruas thrice with striking combinations for the towel throw.
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.
Smith returned to MMA on March 30, 2012 at the second Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) card against Jorge Cordoba, his first career fight as a Light Heavyweight. After spending the first two rounds picking apart Cordoba with various strikes, Maurice finished the fight with a head-kick knockout. He was scheduled to fight Ryan Lopez on June 30, 2012 at Resurrection Fighting Alliance's third event, RFA 3.[3] Weeks before the fight, though, Lopez was forced to pull out of the fight due to an unspecified illness. This would have been Smith's second career fight at Light Heavyweight.
Smith returned to the Heavyweight division and lost a unanimous decision to Matt Kovacs at Cage Warrior Combat (CWC) 9 on November 2, 2013.[4]
Championships and accomplishments
Kickboxing
- K-1
- 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix Preliminary USA winner
- K-1 World Grand Prix '93 Tournament Semifinalist
- 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 (One time)
- One successful title defense
- Extreme Fighting
- Extreme Fighting Heavyweight Championship 3 Marcus "Conan" Silveira
- Extreme Fighting Heavyweight Championship 4 Murakami Kazanari
- 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
| Kickboxing Record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
53 Wins, 13 Losses, 5 Draws
Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 28 matches | 14 wins | 14 losses |
| By knockout | 8 | 0 |
| By submission | 3 | 8 |
| By decision | 3 | 4 |
| Unknown | 0 | 2 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 14–14 | Matt Kovacs | Decision (unanimous) | CWC 9: Cage Warrior Combat 9 | November 2, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Kent, Washington, United States | Return to Heavyweight division. |
| Win | 14–13 | Jorge Cordoba | KO (head kick) | RFA 2: Yvel vs. Alexander | March 30, 2012 | 3 | 2:05 | Kearney, Nebraska, United States | Drops to Light Heavyweight. |
| Loss | 13–13 | Hidehiko Yoshida | Submission (cobra choke) | World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 3 | June 8, 2008 | 1 | 2:23 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 13–12 | Rick Roufus | Submission (straight armbar) | Strikeforce: At The Dome | February 23, 2008 | 1 | 1:53 | Tacoma, Washington, United States | |
| Win | 12–12 | Marco Ruas | TKO (corner stoppage) | IFL: Chicago | May 19, 2007 | 4 | 3:43 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| Loss | 11–12 | Renato Sobral | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 28 | November 17, 2000 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 11–11 | Bobby Hoffman | Decision (majority) | UFC 27 | September 22, 2000 | 3 | 5:00 | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | |
| Loss | 10–11 | Renzo Gracie | Submission (straight armbar) | RINGS: King of Kings 1999 Block B | December 22, 1999 | 1 | 0:50 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 10–10 | Branden Lee Hinkle | Decision (majority) | RINGS: King of Kings 1999 Block B | December 22, 1999 | 2 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 9–10 | Marcus Silveira | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | WEF 7: Stomp in the Swamp | October 9, 1999 | 2 | 2:48 | Kenner, Louisiana, United States | |
| Win | 9–9 | Branko Cikatic | Submission (forearm choke) | Pride 7 | September 12, 1999 | 1 | 7:33 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Win | 8–9 | Marco Ruas | TKO (corner stoppage) | UFC 21 | July 16, 1999 | 1 | 5:00 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States | |
| Loss | 7–9 | Kevin Randleman | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 19 | March 5, 1999 | 1 | 15:00 | Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, United States | |
| Loss | 7–8 | Randy Couture | Decision (majority) | UFC Japan | December 21, 1997 | 1 | 21:00 | Yokohama, Japan | Lost UFC Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–7 | Tank Abbott | Submission (exhaustion) | UFC 15 | October 17, 1997 | 1 | 8:08 | Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, United States | Defended UFC Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 6–7 | Mark Coleman | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 14 | July 27, 1997 | 1 | 21:00 | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | Won UFC Heavyweight Championship. Fight of the Year (1997). |
| Win | 5–7 | Kazunari Murakami | KO (punch) | Extreme Fighting 4 | March 28, 1997 | 1 | 4:23 | Des Moines, Iowa, United States | Defended Extreme Fighting Heavyweight Championship |
| Loss | 4–7 | Akira Maeda | N/A | RINGS: Budokan Hall 1997 | January 22, 1997 | N/A | N/A | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 4–6 | Marcus Silveira | TKO (head kick) | Extreme Fighting 3 | October 18, 1996 | 3 | 1:36 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | Won Extreme Fighting Heavyweight Championship |
| Loss | 3–6 | Kiyoshi Tamura | Submission (armbar) | RINGS: Maelstrom 6 | August 24, 1996 | 1 | 10:58 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 3–5 | Tsuyoshi Kohsaka | N/A | RINGS: Budokan Hall 1996 | January 24, 1996 | N/A | N/A | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 3–4 | Bas Rutten | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Pancrase: Eyes Of Beast 6 | November 4, 1995 | 1 | 4:34 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Win | 3–3 | Manabu Yamada | KO (punch) | Pancrase: 1995 Anniversary Show[5] | September 1, 1995 | 2 | 1:46 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 2–3 | Bas Rutten | Submission (kneebar) | Pancrase: Eyes Of Beast 4 | May 13, 1995 | 1 | 2:10 | Chiba, Japan | |
| 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 (knee) | Pancrase: King of Pancrase Tournament Opening Round | December 16, 1994 | 1 | 2:48 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 1–1 | Minoru Suzuki | Submission (armbar) | Pancrase: Pancrash! 1 | May 31, 1994 | 3 | 0:36 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 1–0 | Minoru Suzuki | KO (punch) | Pancrase: Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers 3 | November 8, 1993 | 3 | 0:52 | Tokyo, Japan |
Mixed rules
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 1 match | 1 win | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| By submission | 0 | 0 |
| By decision | 0 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Minoru Suzuki | KO (punch) | UWF U-Cosmos | November 29, 1989 | 4 | 1:05 | Tokyo, Japan |
References
- ↑ NSAC report of K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Preliminary USA
- ↑ Jeremy Wall, UFC's Ultimate Warriors: The Top Ten
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Professional MMA record for Maurice Smith from SherdogLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Professional boxing record for Maurice Smith from BoxRec
- Profile at K-1
| Preceded by | 2nd UFC Heavyweight Champion July 27, 1997 - December 21, 1997 |
Succeeded by Randy Couture |
- Boxrec ID different in Wikidata
- 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
- American male boxers
- Male kickboxers
