Emanuel Newton facts for kids

Emanuel Newton (born February 1, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist. He was a top fighter in the Bellator organization. There, he became the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion. He also fought for other major groups like WEC and King of the Cage. Emanuel was also a MFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

Emanuel Newton: A Champion Fighter

Early Life and Sports

Emanuel Newton was born in Inglewood, California. He grew up in Torrance, California. As a kid, he loved swimming, surfing, and being a lifeguard. His father had trained in boxing and Muay Thai. Sadly, his father passed away when Emanuel was only 10 years old.

Emanuel played football as a defensive end and wrestled at North High School (Torrance, California). Six years later, his mother also passed away. This made it hard for Emanuel to focus on school. His grades dropped, and he couldn't play football anymore. But he worked hard and was able to continue wrestling. After high school, he went to Cerritos College. There, he started training with Paul Herrera, a former UFC fighter.

Starting His MMA Journey

Emanuel Newton began his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career in 2003. MMA combines different fighting styles. Even though he lost his first two fights, he kept going. His first win came in August 2004 against André Mussi. He won that fight by a unanimous decision.

First Fights and a Big Challenge

Newton also fought for KOTC. He had a draw against experienced fighter Hector Ramirez. He also won a fight against Richard Montoya. After a win against Jeff Quinlan, Emanuel bought a motorcycle to celebrate.

However, he was in a serious motorcycle accident. He broke his arm and needed five surgeries. He also got a bad infection that almost caused him to lose his arm. Luckily, the infection got better, but the accident left a space between two bones in his arm.

Winning Championships

With a record of 10 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw, Newton joined MFC.

Becoming a Champion at MFC

In his first MFC fight, Newton faced David Heath for a chance to fight for the Light Heavyweight title. He won by submission in the second round. On December 5, 2008, he fought Roger Hollett for the title at MFC 19. Emanuel won by unanimous decision and became the new MFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

He later lost his MFC title to Trevor Prangley in May 2009. Newton continued to fight in MFC, winning two more fights. He also fought for Shark Fights, winning against Ilir Latifi and Ricky Shivers. In late 2011, after five wins in a row, he signed with Bellator.

Fighting in Bellator MMA

Emanuel Newton joined Bellator MMA in June 2012. He quickly showed his skill. He won his first fight by submission and moved on in the Bellator 2012 Summer Series Light Heavyweight Tournament. He lost in the semifinals but came back strong in the next tournament.

In January 2013, he won his quarterfinal match at Bellator 85. Then, in the semifinals, he defeated former champion Muhammed Lawal with a spinning back fist. This was a big win! In the finals, he beat Mikhail Zayats by unanimous decision, winning the Bellator Season Eight Light Heavyweight Tournament.

Newton was set to fight the Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, Attila Végh. But Végh got injured. So, Newton had a rematch with Muhammed Lawal for the interim (temporary) Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship. He won this fight by unanimous decision, becoming the interim champion.

On March 21, 2014, Newton finally faced Attila Végh to unify the titles. He won by split decision, becoming the official Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion.

He successfully defended his title twice. First, he beat Joey Beltran with another spinning back fist. Then, he defended it against Linton Vassell with a rear-naked choke submission. In February 2015, he lost his title to Liam McGeary in a tough fight.

Emanuel continued to fight in Bellator tournaments. He had a rematch with Linton Vassell in February 2016 but lost by unanimous decision. In October 2016, he left Bellator.

Post-Bellator Career

After leaving Bellator, Emanuel Newton had a few more fights. His last recorded fight was in October 2017 against Nikita Krylov, which he lost.

Championships and Accomplishments

• Bellator Fighting Championships
  • Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship (One time; former)
    • Two successful title defenses
  • Interim Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
  • Bellator Season Eight Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner
• Maximum Fighting Championship
  • MFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
• Gladiator Challenge
  • GC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

See also

• List of Bellator MMA alumni