Kevin Randleman

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1 Profile
2 Early Career
3 UFC
4 PRIDE
5 Sengoku and Strikeforce
6 Mixed martial arts record
7 Gallery
8 External links

Profile

Kevin "The Monster" Randleman (born August 10, 1971) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former two-time Division 1 NCAA Champion for The Ohio State University.

He stands 5 ft. 10 in. (178 cm) tall and fights in the light heavyweight (205 lbs.) division.

Randleman is a former UFC heavyweight champion with his last fight taking place in World Victory Road's Sengoku promotion in May of 2008.

Early Career

Kevin Randleman made his professional mixed martial arts debut as part of a one night, 8-man tournament put on by the Brazil based, Universal Vale Tudo Fighting organization on October 22, 1996. Randleman made his debut against Luis Carlos Maciel, who he defeated via submission due to punches at 5:14 of round 1. That win was followed by two more that night, culminating in a submission (punches) victory over Dan Bobish to claim the tournament.

A little over four months later, Randleman entered another one night 8-man tournament put on by the UVF promotion. "The Monster" made it to the final after defeating Ebenezer Fontes Braga (decision) and Mario Neto (submission due to punches). However in the final he was put to sleep with a triangle choke from Carlos Barreto after 22:24. The loss marked the first of Randleman's professional career.

In June of 1997, Randleman entered a one night, 4-man tournmanet put on at an event called the Brazil Open. He opened the night with a victory after his opponent submitted following an elbow strike at the 2:21 mark of the fight. In the final however, Randleman faced the much larger, Tom Erikson. He was caught with an uppercut from Erikson that put him to sleep at 1:11 of the fight.

UFC

Due to his friendship and training partnership with former UFC heavyweight champion, Mark Coleman, Randleman was signed to a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

In his debut at UFC 19, he faced the man that took Coleman's heavyweight championship, Maurice Smith. In a lacklustre fight, that saw Randleman use his far superior wrestling to keep the fight on the mat, Randleman was awarded the unanimous decision victory.

At UFC 20, Randleman was given a shot at the vacant UFC heavyweight championship when he was a replacement for Pedro Rizzo after Rizzo pulled out due to his friendship with Randleman's opponent, Bas Rutten. Randleman used his wrestling to get the fight to the mat but didn't attempt much else from Rutten's guard. Rutten worked from the bottom with punches and submission attempts, arguably pushing the action more. After 21 minutes the fight went to the judges and Rutten was adjudged the split decision victor and awarded the UFC heavyweight championship. Randleman's corner protested the decision angrily.

When Rutten vacated the heavyweight title, Randleman was given another shot at UFC 23. Randleman faced Lion's Den fighter, Pete Williams in a horribily lacklustre fight. Williams scored a knockdown in the first round but from there a supreme lack of action for the remaining four rounds which had Randleman doing a slight bit more resulted in a unanimous judge's decision for Randleman, declaring him the UFC heavyweight champion.

Randleman was set to make the first defense of his title against Pedro Rizzo at UFC 24: First Defense. However, backstage during the event, Randleman slipped while warming up and knocked himself unconscious on the concrete floor and had to be taken to hospital, thus cancelling the bout. The bout was rescheduled for UFC 26 and in another excruciatingly boring fight, Randleman was awarded the unanimous decision victor.

In November of 2000, Randleman faced former UFC heavyweight champion, Randy Couture in the second defense of his title. Randleman scored a takedown early in the first round and fended off some submission attempts from Couture on the bottom. The second round was similar to the first, but the third was a different story as Couture got a takedown of his own and passed to mount where he rained down punches until the fight was stopped at 4:13 of round 3.

Following the loss to Couture, Randleman decided to drop to the light heavyweight division where he was at less of a size disadvantage. In his first bout at the weight class, at UFC 31, he faced Chuck Liddell. After a Randleman takedown attempt was shrugged off by Liddell, Randleman was crumpled with an uppercut from Liddell and halted with follow up punches.

Randleman halted the two fight slide in his final UFC appearance at UFC 35 when he scored a unanimous decision victory over Renato "Babalu" Sobral.

PRIDE

After leaving the UFC and picking up a knockout victory over Brian Foster in July of 2002, Randleman signed with the Japan based, PRIDE Fighting Championships. He made his PRIDE debut at PRIDE 22 where he picked up a unanimous decision over Michiyoshi Ohara.

Two months later at PRIDE 23, Randleman stopped Kenichi Yamamoto in the third round with some flying knees from side control that wowed the Japanese audience.

Under a month later, Randleman faced tough Chute Boxe fighter, Murilo Rua at PRIDE 24. In a closely fought bout, Randleman exploded in the third round with a huge punch that rocked "Ninja" and left a gaping cut on his head. The fight was called shortly after due to the cut.

In March of 2003, Randleman was matched up in a battle of top middleweight (205 lbs.) contenders when he faced Quinton Jackson at PRIDE 25. Randleman attempted to use his wrestling to stifle Jackson in the early going but once space was created, Jackson folded Randleman with some punches that forced the stoppage at 6:58 of the first round.

At PRIDE: Final Conflict 2003, Randleman faced Japanese legend, Kazushi Sakuraba. Randleman controlled Sakuraba for the first two rounds with his wrestling and size advantage but in the third round Sakuraba seized Randleman's back and submitted "The Monster" with an armbar.

Following the loss to Sakuraba, many thought Randleman's career to be over in terms of high profile victories, and when Randleman was matched up against feared heavyweight striker, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in the first round of PRIDE's 2004 open weight tournament at PRIDE: Total Elimination 2004, no one gave him much of a chance. Randleman shocked the world however, when he KO'd "Cro Cop" with punches at the 1:57 mark of round 1.

Two months later, at PRIDE: Critical Countdown 2004, Randleman was matched up against PRIDE heavyweight champion, Fedor Emelianenko in the quarter finals of the tournament. Early in the bout, Randleman grabbed a body lock on Fedor and suplexed the champion onto his head on a horrible angle that many thought had done serious damage to Emelianenko. However, Fedor bounced back immediately and reversed Randleman into side control and submitted him with a Kimura.

Randleman was defeated again at PRIDE: Final Conflict 2004 when he was submitted by Ron Waterman with a keylock at 7:44 of round 1.

At PRIDE's 2004 New Year's Eve show, PRIDE: Shockwave 2004, Randleman rematched Mirko Filipovic and was submitted with a standing guillotine choke at just :41 seconds of the first round.

With a three fight losing streak, Randleman entered PRIDE's 2005 middleweight grand prix. He faced Japanese judoka, Kazuhiro Nakamura in the opening round and lost a unanimous decision after three rounds.

Randleman took a fight outside of PRIDE in October of 2005 in order to snap his four fight losing streak. He did just that as he scored a unanimous decision over Fatih Kocamis at Bushido Europe event.

Upon his return to PRIDE, Randleman was submitted with a kneebar by 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix victor, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at PRIDE 32. After the bout, Randleman submitted a urine sample to the Nevada State Athletic Commission which lacked any hormones, indicating that it was fake. Randleman admitted to it being fake and his license was revoked by the commission, allowing him to reapply one year from the fight with Rua.

Sengoku and Strikeforce

Following the loss to Rua, Randleman spent 1 year and 7 months on the sidelines because of the suspension, kidney illness and a staph infection that was almost life threatening. He made his comeback fight at the Japan based, World Victory Road promotion's Sengoku event. Randleman defeated his opponent, Ryo Kawamura via unanimous decision after three five minute rounds.

A shoulder injury sustained in the Kawamura bout, stopped Randleman from facing former UFC heavyweight title challenger, Jeff Monson at a Godz of War event and was instead replaced by former UFC heavyweight champion, Ricco Rodriguez.

Recently, Randleman has let it be known that he will most likely next fight for the US based, Strikeforce organization and hopes to fight multiple times in 2009.