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. Larkin has been a professional fighter since 2009. He also fought for Strikeforce and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Contents
About Lorenz Larkin's Early Life
Lorenz Larkin grew up in Riverside, California. He was one of nine children in his family. From a young age, Larkin started training in boxing. He also played football for a while.
However, he soon realized he wasn't very good at team sports. So, he decided to focus more on boxing. His father didn't want him to compete too much. Larkin also felt he was too short to be a professional heavyweight boxer.
This led him to try kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. These martial arts eventually brought him to mixed martial arts. Before becoming an MMA fighter, Larkin also trained in Kung Fu. He once said he loved martial arts movies when he was young. He wanted to be a Kung Fu fighter, just like in the movies.
Lorenz Larkin's MMA Journey
Starting His Professional MMA Career
Lorenz Larkin had a great start in amateur fighting. He won all 5 of his amateur boxing matches. He also won all 10 of his amateur mixed martial arts fights. One of these wins was against future UFC Heavyweight Walt Harris.
Larkin officially became a professional MMA fighter in August 2009. He quickly built an amazing record. He won his first 12 professional fights without any losses.
Fighting in Strikeforce
Larkin joined the Strikeforce fighting league in April 2011. His first fight was against kickboxer Scott Lighty. Larkin stepped in to fight with only one week's notice. He won this fight by technical knockout in the second round. People were very impressed with his performance.
In June 2011, Larkin fought Gian Villante. He won this fight by a unanimous decision. Villante controlled the first round on the ground. But Larkin took over in the second round. He kept the fight standing and landed many strong kicks. Larkin continued this in the third round. He even got an unexpected takedown right at the end.
Larkin was supposed to fight Virgil Zwicker next. But Zwicker got injured and pulled out. So, Larkin fought Nick Rossborough instead. He won that fight by unanimous decision too.
His next big fight was against Muhammed Lawal. Larkin lost this fight by knockout in the second round. This was his first professional loss. However, the result was later changed to a "No Contest." This happened because Lawal tested positive for a banned substance.
After this, Larkin moved down to the Middleweight division. He fought Robbie Lawler in July 2012. Lawler later became a UFC welterweight champion. Larkin won this tough fight by unanimous decision.
Larkin was scheduled to challenge Luke Rockhold for the championship. This fight was planned for November 2012. But the event was canceled. The fight was then rescheduled for January 2013. However, Rockhold got injured again and couldn't fight. Larkin was then set to fight Ronaldo Souza, but that fight also didn't happen.
Joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
In January 2013, the Strikeforce organization closed down. Many of its fighters, including Larkin, moved to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Larkin's first UFC fight was on February 9, 2013, against Francis Carmont. He lost this fight by a unanimous decision. Many people who watched thought Larkin should have won.
For his second UFC fight, Larkin faced Chris Camozzi in November 2013. He won this fight by unanimous decision.
Larkin then fought Brad Tavares in January 2014. He lost this fight by unanimous decision.
Next, Larkin faced Costas Philippou in May 2014. He lost this exciting fight by knockout in the first round.
Larkin was supposed to fight Derek Brunson in August 2014. After some changes, the fight happened. Larkin lost this fight by unanimous decision.
After these fights, Larkin decided to move down to the welterweight division. He fought John Howard in January 2015. Larkin won this fight by TKO in the first round. His great performance earned him a "Performance of the Night" bonus.
Larkin then fought Santiago Ponzinibbio in June 2015. Larkin won by TKO in the second round. This fight was so exciting that it earned both fighters a "Fight of the Night" bonus.
In January 2016, Larkin faced Albert Tumenov. He lost this close fight by split decision.
Larkin fought Jorge Masvidal in May 2016. He won this back-and-forth fight by split decision.
His next opponent was Neil Magny in August 2016. Larkin won this fight by TKO in the first round. He hurt Magny with leg kicks and finished the fight with elbows.
Moving to Bellator MMA
In March 2017, Larkin announced he had signed a new contract. He would now be fighting for Bellator MMA.
His first fight in Bellator was against the welterweight champion, Douglas Lima. This championship fight took place in June 2017. Larkin lost the fight by unanimous decision.
In his second Bellator fight, Larkin faced British fighter Paul Daley in September 2017. Larkin had a strong first round, hurting Daley several times. But he lost the fight by knockout in the second round.
Larkin then fought Fernando Gonzalez in January 2018. He won this fight by unanimous decision.
He was scheduled to fight Erick Silva in October 2018. But Silva got injured. Ion Pascu replaced him. Larkin won this fight by unanimous decision.
Larkin was set to headline an event against Andrey Koreshkov in March 2019. However, Larkin had to pull out due to an injury. The fight with Koreshkov eventually happened in October 2019. Larkin won this close fight by split decision.
Larkin faced Keita Nakamura in December 2019. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
In May 2021, Larkin was scheduled to fight Costello van Steenis. Van Steenis got injured, and Rafael Carvalho stepped in. Larkin won this fight by split decision.
Larkin was supposed to fight Khalid Murtazaliev in May 2022. Both Murtazaliev and his replacement, Anthony Adams, pulled out. Finally, UFC veteran Kyle Stewart fought Larkin. Larkin won in the first round. He used many knees to the body and punches while Stewart was on the ground.
Returning to Welterweight, Larkin fought Mukhamed Berkhamov in July 2022. Larkin landed an elbow to the back of Berkhamov's head. This made Berkhamov unable to continue. The fight was declared a "no contest."
The rematch against Mukhamed Berkhamov happened in February 2023. Larkin knocked out Berkhamov with an elbow in the first round.
Larkin faced Andrey Koreshkov again in July 2023. He lost this fight by split decision.
Larkin made his PFL debut in June 2024 against Alan Dominguez. He won the fight by TKO in the first round.
He then returned to Bellator in September 2024. He fought Levan Chokheli in a fight to decide who would challenge for the Bellator Welterweight title. Larkin won by TKO in the first round.
In November 2024, it was reported that Larkin's contract with PFL/Bellator had ended.
Championships and Awards
- Mez Sports MMA
- MSMMA Light Heavyweight Champion (one time)
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Fight of the Night (one time) against Santiago Ponzinibbio
- Performance of the Night (one time) against John Howard
Lorenz Larkin's Fight 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 he tested positive for drostanolone. |
| 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 |
More About Mixed Martial Arts
- List of male mixed martial artists
