Bobby Southworth facts for kids

Bobby Southworth (born December 16, 1969) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division. He was the first Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. Bobby also fought in PRIDE FC and appeared on Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Early Life and Sports

Bobby Southworth was born in Madison, Wisconsin. He was adopted when he was six weeks old. Bobby grew up in Santa Cruz, California with his three sisters. As a kid, he loved playing sports. He enjoyed football and basketball. He also liked surfing and running track.

After finishing high school at Soquel High School, Bobby continued playing basketball. He played at Cabrillo College and then at UC Davis.

Discovering Martial Arts

Bobby became interested in martial arts after watching Royce Gracie compete. This was at the early UFC 1 and UFC 2 events. He was looking for a way to stay fit. A friend invited him to a jiu-jitsu class. Bobby loved it right away.

He joined the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu academy. Later, he moved to Gracie Systems. This gym was started by Cesar's cousin, Ralph Gracie. Bobby then helped teach and train jiu-jitsu at Ralph's own academy. Eventually, Bobby joined American Kickboxing Academy. He even helped start their Brazilian jiu-jitsu program.

Mixed Martial Arts Journey

Bobby Southworth's professional fighting career began in 1999. He faced some big names in the sport.

Fighting in PRIDE FC

Bobby got a big chance to fight in PRIDE FC. This was a major fighting organization in Japan. On March 25, 2001, he fought Vitor Belfort at PRIDE 13. Bobby took the fight on short notice. He lost the match in the first round.

After this, Bobby briefly stopped fighting in late 2003. But he still wanted to compete. About a year later, he returned to the sport.

Competing on The Ultimate Fighter

Bobby then appeared on Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter. This was a popular TV show. He won his first fight against Lodune Sincaid. However, he lost his second fight to Stephan Bonnar. Bobby later fought Sam Hoger on the show's finale. He lost that fight by a decision from the judges.

Strikeforce Champion

Bobby Southworth later joined Strikeforce. This was another big fighting organization. His first fight there was against James "The Sandman" Irvin. The fight ended quickly. It was called a "No-Contest" because of an unusual accident. Both fighters pressed against the cage door, and it opened. Irvin fell out of the ring!

In his next fight, Bobby got a chance to become champion. He fought Vernon "Tiger" White for the first-ever Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship. Bobby won the fight by decision. He controlled the match by taking White down often.

Bobby then had a non-title fight against Anthony Ruiz. Ruiz won this fight. A rematch was set up, but this time it was for Bobby's championship. On June 27, 2008, Bobby Southworth defeated Ruiz again. He won by a unanimous decision after five rounds. This made him the only fighter to successfully defend the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship.

In his next title defense, Bobby lost his championship. He fought Renato Sobral on November 21, 2008. Sobral won the fight in the first round. Bobby was doing well in the round. But a cut above his eye caused the fight to be stopped.

Later Career

After Strikeforce, Bobby Southworth tried out for Season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter. However, that season focused only on Middleweight fighters.

Bobby's last professional fight was on July 31, 2010. He faced Aaron Boyes at Xtreme MMA 2. Bobby won the fight by knockout in the first round.

Life After Fighting

Bobby Southworth has four children. He has three daughters and one son.

In 2008, Bobby helped start the American Kickboxing Academy Sunnyvale. In 2015, he began coaching at UFC Gym Hollow Brook in San Antonio, Texas.

Achievements

• Strikeforce
  • Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship (One time, First champion)
  • One Successful Title Defense
  • The only fighter to have successfully defended the Light Heavyweight Championship

Mixed Martial Arts Record Summary