Lorenz Larkin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lorenz Larkin |
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|---|---|
| Born | September 3, 1986 Riverside, California, United States |
| Other names | The Monsoon |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) |
| Division | Heavyweight (2009–2010) Light Heavyweight (2010–2012) Middleweight (2012–2015, 2021–2022) Welterweight (2015–present) |
| Reach | 72+1⁄2 in (184 cm) |
| Style | Kickboxing, Kung Fu, BJJ |
| Fighting out of | Riverside, California, United States |
| Team | Millennia MMA Gym |
| Rank | Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 37 |
| Wins | 27 |
| By knockout | 15 |
| By decision | 12 |
| Losses | 8 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By decision | 6 |
| No contests | 2 |
Lorenz Larkin (born September 3, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He used to compete in the Welterweight division of Bellator MMA, a major fighting organization. Before that, Larkin also fought in other well-known promotions like Strikeforce and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He started his professional career in 2009.
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About Lorenz Larkin
Larkin grew up in Riverside, California, with eight brothers and sisters. He started training in boxing when he was young. He also tried playing football, but he found he was better at individual sports.
After high school, he continued boxing. However, he felt he was too short to be a professional boxer in the heavyweight division. This led him to explore other martial arts. He began training in kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which eventually led him to mixed martial arts. Larkin also trained in Kung Fu. He once said he loved martial arts movies when he was a kid and wanted to be a Kung Fu fighter.
Lorenz Larkin's Fighting Career
Starting Out in MMA
Before turning professional, Larkin had a great record in amateur boxing and mixed martial arts. He won all 5 of his amateur boxing matches and all 10 of his amateur MMA fights. One of his amateur wins was against future UFC Heavyweight fighter Walt Harris. Larkin officially became a professional MMA fighter in August 2009 and quickly built an impressive undefeated record of 12 wins and no losses.
Fighting in Strikeforce
Larkin joined the Strikeforce fighting promotion in April 2011. In his first fight, he stepped in on short notice to face kickboxer Scott Lighty. Larkin won this fight by a technical knockout in the second round. People were impressed by his performance against an experienced fighter.
He fought again in June 2011 against Gian Villante. Larkin won this fight by a unanimous decision. Even though Villante controlled the first round, Larkin took over in the second and third rounds. He landed many strong kicks and even got an unexpected takedown.
Larkin was supposed to fight Virgil Zwicker next, but Zwicker got injured. So, Larkin fought Nick Rossborough instead and won by unanimous decision.
His next fight was against Muhammed Lawal. Larkin lost this fight by knockout in the second round. However, the result was later changed to a "No Contest" because of a rule violation by Lawal. This meant the fight was officially considered as if it never happened.
After this, Larkin decided to move down to the Middleweight division. In July 2012, he faced the strong fighter Robbie Lawler. Larkin won this fight by unanimous decision.
Larkin was then scheduled to challenge Luke Rockhold for the championship in November 2012. This event was cancelled. The fight was rescheduled for January 2013, but Rockhold got injured again and pulled out. Larkin was then set to fight Ronaldo Souza, but that fight also did not happen.
Joining the UFC
In January 2013, the Strikeforce organization closed down. Many of its fighters, including Larkin, moved to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which is one of the biggest MMA promotions in the world.
Larkin made his UFC debut in April 2013 against Francis Carmont. He lost the fight by a unanimous decision, but many people who watched thought Larkin should have won.
For his second UFC fight in November 2013, Larkin faced Chris Camozzi. He won this fight by unanimous decision.
In January 2014, Larkin fought Brad Tavares and lost by unanimous decision. He then faced Costas Philippou in May 2014 and lost by knockout in the first round.
Larkin was scheduled to fight Derek Brunson in August 2014. He lost this fight by unanimous decision.
After these fights, Larkin decided to move down to the Welterweight division. In January 2015, he faced John Howard. Larkin won this fight by TKO in the first round. His impressive performance earned him his first Performance of the Night bonus award.
Larkin continued his success in June 2015, defeating Santiago Ponzinibbio by TKO in the second round. This exciting fight earned him a Fight of the Night bonus.
In January 2016, Larkin fought Albert Tumenov. It was a very close fight, but Larkin lost by a split decision.
He bounced back in May 2016, winning a split decision against Jorge Masvidal in another close match.
Larkin's last UFC fight was in August 2016 against Neil Magny. He won this fight by TKO in the first round, using strong leg kicks and elbows to finish the fight.
Moving to Bellator MMA
In March 2017, Larkin announced he had signed a new contract with Bellator MMA, another major mixed martial arts organization.
In his first Bellator fight in June 2017, Larkin challenged the Welterweight champion Douglas Lima. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
His second Bellator fight was in September 2017 against British striker Paul Daley. Larkin started well, but he lost the fight by knockout in the second round.
Larkin then faced Fernando Gonzalez in January 2018 and won by unanimous decision.
In October 2018, Larkin was supposed to fight Erick Silva, but Silva got injured. Ion Pascu stepped in as a replacement, and Larkin won that fight by unanimous decision.
Larkin was scheduled to headline an event against Andrey Koreshkov in March 2019 but had to withdraw due to an injury. The fight with Koreshkov eventually happened in October 2019, and Larkin won by split decision.
In December 2019, Larkin fought Keita Nakamura and won by unanimous decision.
In May 2021, Larkin was set to fight Costello van Steenis, but van Steenis got injured. Rafael Carvalho, a former Bellator Middleweight champion, replaced him. Larkin won this fight by split decision.
In May 2022, Larkin was scheduled to fight Khalid Murtazaliev, but Murtazaliev pulled out. Anthony Adams replaced him, but then Adams also pulled out. Finally, UFC veteran Kyle Stewart stepped in. Larkin won the fight in the first round with knees and punches.
Larkin returned to Welterweight in July 2022 to face Mukhamed Berkhamov. The fight was declared a "no contest" in the first round because Larkin accidentally landed an illegal elbow, which made Berkhamov unable to continue.
The rematch against Mukhamed Berkhamov took place in February 2023. This time, Larkin won by knockout in the first round with an elbow.
In July 2023, Larkin faced Andrey Koreshkov again and lost by split decision.
Larkin made his debut in the PFL (Professional Fighters League) in June 2024 against Alan Dominguez, winning by TKO in the first round.
He then returned to Bellator in September 2024 to fight Levan Chokheli in a Bellator Welterweight title eliminator. Larkin won this fight by TKO in the first round.
In November 2024, it was reported that Larkin's contract with PFL/Bellator had ended.
Global Fight League
Larkin was scheduled to fight Carlos Petruzzella in May 2025 at a Global Fight League event. However, all events for this organization were cancelled.
Achievements and Awards
Lorenz Larkin has earned several awards and championships during his career:
- Mez Sports MMA
- MSMMA Light Heavyweight Championship (He won this title one time)
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Fight of the Night (One time) for his fight against Santiago Ponzinibbio
- Performance of the Night (One time) for his fight against John Howard
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 37 matches | 27 wins | 8 losses |
| By knockout | 15 | 2 |
| By decision | 12 | 6 |
| No contests | 2 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 27–8 (2) | Levan Chokheli | KO (punches) | Bellator Champions Series 4 | September 7, 2024 | 1 | 1:53 | San Diego, California, United States | Bellator Welterweight title eliminator. |
| Win | 26–8 (2) | Alan Dominguez | TKO (knee and punches) | PFL 6 (2024) | June 28, 2024 | 1 | 4:46 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States | |
| Loss | 25–8 (2) | Andrey Koreshkov | Decision (split) | Bellator MMA x Rizin 2 | July 30, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 25–7 (2) | Mukhamed Berkhamov | KO (elbow) | Bellator 290 | February 4, 2023 | 1 | 1:41 | Inglewood, California, United States | |
| NC | 24–7 (2) | Mukhamed Berkhamov | NC (illegal elbow) | Bellator 283 | July 22, 2022 | 1 | 2:52 | Tacoma, Washington, United States | Return to Welterweight. An accidental illegal elbow rendered Berkhamov unable to continue. |
| Win | 24–7 (1) | Kyle Stewart | TKO (knees and punches) | Bellator 280 | May 6, 2022 | 1 | 4:44 | Paris, France | |
| Win | 23–7 (1) | Rafael Carvalho | Decision (split) | Bellator 258 | May 7, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Return to Middleweight. |
| Win | 22–7 (1) | Keita Nakamura | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator & Rizin: Japan | December 29, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | Catchweight (173.5 lb) bout; Larkin missed weight. |
| Win | 21–7 (1) | Andrey Koreshkov | Decision (split) | Bellator 229 | October 4, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Temecula, California, United States | |
| Win | 20–7 (1) | Ion Pascu | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 207 | October 12, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |
| Win | 19–7 (1) | Fernando Gonzalez | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 193 | January 26, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Temecula, California, United States | Catchweight (180 lbs) bout. |
| Loss | 18–7 (1) | Paul Daley | KO (punches) | Bellator 183 | September 24, 2017 | 2 | 2:40 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Loss | 18–6 (1) | Douglas Lima | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator NYC | June 24, 2017 | 5 | 5:00 | New York City, New York, United States | For the Bellator Welterweight World Championship. |
| Win | 18–5 (1) | Neil Magny | TKO (elbows) | UFC 202 | August 20, 2016 | 1 | 4:08 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 17–5 (1) | Jorge Masvidal | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Garbrandt | May 29, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 16–5 (1) | Albert Tumenov | Decision (split) | UFC 195 | January 2, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 16–4 (1) | Santiago Ponzinibbio | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Romero | June 27, 2015 | 2 | 3:07 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 15–4 (1) | John Howard | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver | January 18, 2015 | 1 | 2:17 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | Welterweight debut. Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 14–4 (1) | Derek Brunson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 177 | August 30, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Sacramento, California, United States | |
| Loss | 14–3 (1) | Costas Philippou | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Brown vs. Silva | May 10, 2014 | 1 | 3:47 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | |
| Loss | 14–2 (1) | Brad Tavares | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Philippou | January 15, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Duluth, Georgia, United States | |
| Win | 14–1 (1) | Chris Camozzi | Decision (unanimous) | UFC: Fight for the Troops 3 | November 6, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Fort Campbell, Kentucky, United States | |
| Loss | 13–1 (1) | Francis Carmont | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez | April 20, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | San Jose, California, United States | |
| Win | 13–0 (1) | Robbie Lawler | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy | July 14, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Portland, Oregon, United States | Middleweight debut. |
| NC | 12–0 (1) | Muhammed Lawal | NC (overturned) | Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine | January 7, 2012 | 2 | 1:32 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Originally a KO (punches) win for Lawal; overturned after a rule violation. |
| Win | 12–0 | Nick Rossborough | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce Challengers: Larkin vs. Rossborough | September 23, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 11–0 | Gian Villante | Decision (unanimous) | Strikeforce Challengers: Fodor vs. Terry | June 24, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Kent, Washington, United States | |
| Win | 10–0 | Scott Lighty | TKO (punches) | Strikeforce Challengers: Wilcox vs. Damm | April 1, 2011 | 2 | 3:15 | Stockton, California, United States | |
| Win | 9–0 | Mike Cook | TKO (punches) | MEZ Sports: Pandemonium 4 | February 25, 2011 | 2 | 3:32 | Riverside, California, United States | Non-title bout. |
| Win | 8–0 | Hector Carrillo | KO (head kick and punches) | MEZ Sports: Pandemonium 3 | November 19, 2010 | 1 | 2:57 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Won the MEZ Sports Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–0 | Rick Slaton | KO (punches) | MEZ Sports: Pandemonium 2 | September 11, 2010 | 1 | 1:06 | Riverside, California, United States | |
| Win | 6–0 | João Assis | KO (punches) | Respect in the Cage | July 24, 2010 | 1 | 1:43 | Hollywood, California, United States | Light Heavyweight debut. |
| Win | 5–0 | Scott Carson | KO (punches) | MEZ Sports: Pandemonium at the Palladium | June 12, 2010 | 1 | 2:54 | Los Angeles, California, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Rick Guillen | KO (punches) | Champion Promotions: Clash of the Gladiators 2 | May 8, 2010 | 1 | 2:30 | Palm Springs, California, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Mychal Clark | Decision (split) | Respect in the Cage 4 | April 17, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Pomona, California, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Giovanni Sarran | Decision (unanimous) | Chaos in the Cage 6 | February 27, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Lancaster, California, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Lateef Williams | KO (elbow) | Fist Series: SummerFist III | August 15, 2009 | 1 | 0:40 | Irvine, California, United States |
See also
- List of male mixed martial artists
