Joseph Christopher Stevenson (born June 15, 1982 in Torrance, California) is an American mixed martial artist fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Competing as a welterweight, he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament, although he currently fights as a lightweight. Stevenson is noted for his effective use of the guillotine choke.
Personal life[]
Stevenson's father died from bone marrow cancer.[1] Stevenson and his first wife, Lisa, have two sons, Joe Jr. and Tyler.[2]
Stevenson and his second wife Maia have two sons, Frankie and Maximus.[3]
He graduated in the class of 2000 from Silverado High School in Victorville, California.[4]
Training[]
Stevenson began wrestling at the age of 11 and started Jiu Jitsu at the age of 13. He has spent most of his recent training at Marc Laimon's Cobra Kai in Las Vegas. However, in March 2008, Stevenson opened his own school in his hometown of Victorville, CA. "Joe Stevenson's Cobra Kai" teaches MMA as well as boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and Jiu Jitsu. On November 8, 2008, Stevenson earned his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Robert Drysdale. After his loss to Diego Sanchez, Stevenson got a call from Rashad Evans for an invite to check out his camp at Jackson's Submission Fighting. After being reluctant at first, he finally joined Greg Jackson's camp in April 2009.
MMA career[]
Stevenson was one of the more experienced fighters participating in The Ultimate Fighter 2. He had a professional record of 24-6-0 and held the Template:Convert/LoffAonDbSoff. championship at King of the Cage and the Template:Convert/LoffAonDbSoff. at Gladiator Challenge going into the show.
On November 5, 2005, Stevenson defeated Luke Cummo by unanimous decision, winning The Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight tournament and earning a six-figure contract with the UFC, UFC president Dana White said "That this fight was Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar on the ground".
On April 6, 2006, in his first fight after winning The Ultimate Fighter 2, he was upset by Josh Neer at Ultimate Fight Night 4, losing the fight by unanimous decision. Following the loss, Stevenson announced that he would drop down to the lightweight division for future bouts.
On July 8, 2006, at UFC 61, Stevenson won his 155-pound debut against Yves Edwards. After opening up a deep cut on Edwards from the top position, the doctors were forced to pull Edwards from the match.
Stevenson returned to the Octagon at UFC 65, defeating Japanese fighter Dokonjonosuke Mishima by guillotine choke in the first round.
Next, Stevenson was booked for the main event at UFC Fight Night 9 against fellow Season 2 contestant Melvin Guillard. Despite a war of words between the two fighters, particularly by Guillard leading up to the bout, Stevenson made quick work of his opponent, knocking down Guillard with a punch before securing a fight-ending guillotine choke.
At UFC 74, Stevenson defeated Kurt Pellegrino by unanimous decision. After the fight doctors determined that during the course of the fight Stevenson's nose had been fractured.[5] With his string of victories at 155, Stevenson established himself as one of the top contenders in the UFC's very competitive Lightweight division.
UFC Lightweight Championship[]
Stevenson was set to fight BJ Penn for the interim lightweight championship title at UFC 80 due to ongoing litigation regarding Sean Sherk's steroid use.[6] On December 4, 2007, the California State Athletic Commission upheld a reduced suspension for Sherk, prompting the UFC to strip him of the lightweight championship. UFC President Dana White then confirmed that Stevenson and Penn's match would be to fill the vacant lightweight championship, but the winner of that fight would face Sherk at the next opportunity.
Just seconds after the start of the fight, Penn knocked Stevenson down with a right uppercut. From the top position, Penn landed a strong elbow to the head of Stevenson—causing a serious cut on Stevenson's hairline.[7] In the second round, Stevenson fought more aggressively but was still unable to threaten Penn. After taking Stevenson's back, Penn secured a fight-ending rear naked at 4:02 of the second round.[8]
After loss to Penn[]
At UFC 86, Stevenson returned to the Octagon and defeated Gleison Tibau by guillotine choke submission after pulling guard.[9] Tibau tapped quickly at 2:57 in the second round.[10]
At UFC 91 on November 15, 2008, Stevenson was set to face top-contender Kenny Florian in a highly anticipated bout. Despite stating that he was offended to be considered an underdog against Florian, Stevenson was outclassed in the bout. After being taken down early on, Stevenson was mounted and eventually gave up his back to Florian. Florian forced Stevenson, who had just attained his BJJ Black Belt, to submit to a rear naked choke just 4:03 into the first round.[11]
Stevenson returned at UFC 95 in the main event against debuting lightweight Diego Sanchez, and lost via unanimous decision. According to a post-fight statement, he is interested in a rematch.[12].
Stevenson defeated former Ultimate Fighter winner Nate Diaz by unanimous decision at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale. Stevenson showed superior wrestling and controlled the duration of the fight.
Stevenson defeated perrenial contender Spencer Fisher by submission by way of strikes at UFC 104. Stevenson secured the crucifix "beatdown" position and elbowed Fisher into defeat.
Stevenson went on to face George Sotiropoulos on February 21, 2010 at UFC 110 in Sydney, Australia. Stevenson went go on to lose the fight by unanimous decision against the dominating opponent.[13].
Championships and achievements[]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
- The Ultimate Fighter 2 Welterweight Tournament Winner
- 3x Fight of the Night Honors
Mixed martial arts record[]
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 47 | 31 wins | 11 losses |
| By knockout | 6 | 1 |
| By submission | 15 | 4 |
| By decision | 10 | 6 |
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 31-11 |  George Sotiropoulos
|
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez | February 21, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Sydney, Australia
|
Fight of the Night |
| Win | 31-10 |  Spencer Fisher
|
Submission (Elbows) | UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun | October 24, 2009 | 2 | 4:03 | Los Angeles, California
|
|
| Win | 30–10 | Nate Diaz
|
Decision (Unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale | June 20, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada
|
Fight of the Night |
| Loss | 29–10 | Diego Sanchez
|
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson | February 21, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 |  London, England
|
Fight of the Night |
| Loss | 29–9 | Kenny Florian
|
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar | November 15, 2008 | 1 | 4:03 | Nevada, United States
| |
| Win | 29–8 |  Gleison Tibau
|
Submission (Guillotine Choke) | UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin | July 5, 2008 | 2 | 2:57 | Nevada, United States
| |
| Loss | 28–8 | B.J. Penn
|
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | UFC 80: Rapid Fire | January 19, 2008 | 2 | 4:02 | Newcastle, England
|
For UFC Lightweight Championship |
| Win | 28–7 | Kurt Pellegrino
|
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 74: Respect | August 25, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Nevada, United States
| |
| Win | 27–7 | Melvin Guillard
|
Submission (Guillotine Choke) | UFC Fight Night 9 | April 5, 2007 | 1 | 0:27 | Nevada, United States
| |
| Win | 26–7 |  Dokonjonosuke Mishima
|
Submission (Guillotine Choke) | UFC 65: Bad Intentions | November 18, 2006 | 1 | 2:07 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 25–7 |  Yves Edwards
|
TKO (Doctor Stoppage) | UFC 61: Bitter Rivals | July 8, 2006 | 2 | 5:00 | Nevada, United States
|
Lightweight Debut |
| Loss | 24–7 | Josh Neer
|
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC Ultimate Fight Night 4 | April 6, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Nevada, United States
| |
| Win | 24–6 | Luke Cummo
|
Decision (Unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale | November 5, 2005 | 3 | 5:00 | Nevada, United States
|
Won The Ultimate Fighter 2 Welterweight Tournament |
| Win | 23–6 | Joe Camacho
|
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | KOTC 33 – After Shock | February 20, 2004 | 2 | 4:36 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 22–6 | Cory Cass
|
Submission | GC 21 – Gladiator Challenge 21 | December 7, 2003 | 1 | 1:10 | Eagle Mountain Casino | |
| Win | 21–6 | Thomas Schulte
|
KO (Knee) | KOTC 30 – The Pinnacle | November 2, 2003 | 1 | 3:29 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 20–6 | Demitrius Jefford
|
KO | GC 19 – Gladiator Challenge 19 | September 28, 2003 | 1 | 1:09 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 19–6 | Kiko Cassela
|
TKO (Corner Stoppage) | KOTC 27 – Aftermath | August 10, 2003 | 1 | 4:21 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 18–6 | Thomas Denny
|
Submission (Guillotine Choke) | KOTC 23 – Sin City | May 16, 2003 | 1 | 0:15 | Nevada, United States
| |
| Win | 17–6 | Chuck Kim
|
Submission (Armbar) | GC 15 – Gladiator Challenge 15 | April 13, 2003 | 1 | 1:03 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 16–6 | Casey Balkenbush
|
TKO (Elbows) | GC 14 – Gladiator Challenge 14 | February 16, 2003 | 1 | 2:27 | California, United States
| |
| Loss | 15–6 | Romie Aram
|
Decision (Unanimous) | KOTC 17 – San Jacinto | October 19, 2002 | 3 | 5:00 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 15–5 | Jeremy Jackson
|
Submission (Strikes) | KOTC 15 – Bad Intentions | June 22, 2002 | 1 | 1:27 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 14–5 | Cruz Chacon
|
Submission (Kneebar) | ROF 4 – Warriors | March 15, 2002 | 1 | Colorado, United States
| ||
| Win | 13–5 | Jerry Gummo
|
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | KOTC 12 – Cold Blood | February 9, 2002 | 1 | 1:05 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 12–5 | Brad Gumm
|
Decision | UP 1 – Ultimate Pankration 1 | November 11, 2001 | 3 | 4:00 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 11–5 | Gary Aldar
|
TKO | GC 6 – Caged Beasts | September 9, 2001 | 1 | 2:37 | California, United States
| |
| Loss | 10–5 | Brad Gumm
|
Decision | GC 5 – Rumble in the Rockies | August 19, 2001 | 3 | 5:00 | Colorado, United States
| |
| Win | 10–4 | Ryan Painter
|
Decision (Split) | KOTC 10 – Critical Mass | August 4, 2001 | 2 | 5:00 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 9–4 | Edwin Dewees
|
Decision (Unanimous) | GC 4 – Collision at Colusa | June 17, 2001 | 3 | 5:00 | California, United States
| |
| Loss | 8–4 | Ronald Jhun
|
Decision (Unanimous) | Warriors Quest 1 – The New Beginning | May 29, 2001 | 3 | 5:00 | Hawaii, United States
| |
| Win | 8–3 | Maurice Wilson
|
Decision | GC 3 – Showdown at Soboba | April 7, 2001 | 3 | 5:00 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 7–3 | Kai Kamaka
|
Submission | GC 2 – Collision at Colusa | February 18, 2001 | 1 | 2:16 | California, United States
| |
| Win | 6–3 | Eric Meaders
|
Decision | KOTC 6 – Road Warriors | November 29, 2000 | 3 | 5:00 | Michigan, United States
| |
| Win | 5–3 | Mike Berardi
|
Decision | RITC 20 – Rage in the Cage 20 | August 30, 2000 | 3 | 3:00 | Arizona, United States
| |
| Win | 4–3 | David Roberts
|
Submission | HBUP – Huntington Beach Underground Pancrase | May 13, 2000 | 1 | California, United States
| ||
| Win | 3–3 | Toby Imada
|
Decision | KOTC 3 – Knockout Nightmare | April 15, 2000 | 2 | 5:00 | California, United States
| |
| Loss | 2–3 | Maurice Wilson
|
Submission (Guillotine Choke) | EFC – Extreme Fighter Challenge | February 2, 2000 | 2 | |||
| Loss | 2–2 | Chris Brennan
|
Submission (Triangle Choke) | KOTC 1 – Bas Rutten's King of the Cage | October 30, 1999 | 1 | 2:04 | California, United States
| |
| Loss | 2–1 | Jens Pulver
|
KO (Punch) | BRI 3 – Bas Rutten Invitational 3 | June 1, 1999 | 1 | 0:38 | Colorado, United States
| |
| Win | 2–0 | Steve Horton
|
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | BRI 3 – Bas Rutten Invitational 3 | June 1, 1999 | 1 | 2:21 | Colorado, United States
| |
| Win | 1–0 | Joe Camacho
|
Submission | ESF – Empire One | May 15, 1999 | N/A | California, United States
|
References[]
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/20070513015517/www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=3681&zoneid=13
- ↑ [http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-080707stevenson&prov=yhoo&type=lgns He became a professional fighter the day after his 17th birthday and became a father at 18, when his income was about a $1,000 a month. He was divorced from his first wife, but the divorce was anything but simple and he had to drive seven hours one way just to see his children.]
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ Stevenson’S November Title Shot Is Probably Gone « Mr. Sunshine
- ↑ Sherk not stripped; Penn-Stevenson for interim title - MMA Experts Blog - Mixed Martial Arts - Yahoo! Sports
- ↑ http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=13096&pid=405
- ↑ UFC : Ultimate Fighting Championship
- ↑ http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/ufc-86-jackson-vs-griffin-play-by-play-13559
- ↑ http://www.mmanews.com/ufc/UFC-86-RESULTS:-Joe-Stevenson-vs.-Gleison-Tibau.html
- ↑ http://mma.fanhouse.com/2008/11/15/ufc-91-live-blog-florian-stevenson-maia-quarry-gonzaga-hen/
- ↑ http://www.myvideofight.com/ufc/after-smack-talk-ufc-95.html
- ↑ Template:Cite news
External links[]
Professional MMA record for Joe Stevenson from Sherdog Fight Finder- UFC Profile
- Official Website of Joe Stevenson
- Joe Stevenson's Cobra Kai
Template:The Ultimate Fighter 2
ja:ジョー・スティーブンソン sv:Joe Stevenson