Marvin Eastman facts for kids

Marvin Lee Eastman (born June 8, 1971) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He was known as "The Beastman" during his career. Marvin competed in many big fighting organizations from 2000 to 2013. These included K-1, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and King of the Cage (KOTC). He even became the Super Heavyweight Champion in KOTC.

Marvin was a very talented athlete. Before his fighting career, he also played football professionally. He was part of the Calgary Stampeders team in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Marvin Eastman's Early Life and Sports

Marvin Eastman was born and grew up in Merced, California. From a young age, he loved sports. He was very good at wrestling and playing football.

Wrestling Success

Marvin started wrestling with his older brother's team when he was young. He became a star on the Merced High School wrestling team. In his final year, he won every single match (42–0). He also won the California State Wrestling Championship in his weight class.

Football Journey

After high school, Eastman continued playing football in college. He played for the Merced College team. There, he earned special "All-American" honors for his great performance. He was offered a scholarship to play for the University of Washington. However, he chose to go to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas instead. He played two excellent seasons as a running back and fullback for the Running Rebels. Later, he played professional football for the Calgary Stampeders in Canada.

After his football career, Marvin decided he wanted a new challenge. He became interested in the growing world of mixed martial arts. He began training in Muay Thai, a type of martial art.

Marvin Eastman's Fighting Career

Marvin Eastman started his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career in June 2000. His first fights were with King of the Cage.

Early MMA Fights

Marvin won his first three fights. One of these wins was against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, who later became a UFC champion. After these wins, he had his first loss to Vernon White.

After this, Eastman fought Rich Franklin, who would also become a UFC champion. Franklin won that fight. But Marvin bounced back with two more wins in other events.

Kickboxing Debut

On August 17, 2002, Marvin tried kickboxing for the first time. He fought against Duke Roufus, a four-time world champion, in a K-1 event. Many people were surprised when Eastman won! He landed two strong knees to Roufus' body, ending the fight in the third round.

UFC and K-1 Challenges

Marvin made his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut at UFC 43. He faced Vitor Belfort. Belfort landed a knee to Eastman's forehead, causing a deep cut and stopping the fight quickly.

After this, Marvin returned to King of the Cage. He got his revenge against Vernon White, winning their rematch. He also fought in K-1 again. In one fight, he was knocked down three times and lost. In another K-1 match against Ray Sefo, the fight was stopped early, which Marvin disagreed with. There was a heated moment between the two fighters after the match.

Later in 2004, Eastman had another chance in the UFC at UFC 50. He was knocked out by Travis Lutter in the second round. After this, he had a tough period, losing a few more fights.

Comeback and Championships

Marvin then went on a winning streak in smaller shows. He won six out of seven fights. He defeated well-known fighters like Jason MacDonald and Alan Belcher.

In 2006, Eastman won the Elite Fighting Championships Light Heavyweight title. He also fought to a draw against Jorge Oliviera in a big event called WFA: King of the Streets.

He returned to the UFC at UFC 67 for a rematch with Quinton Jackson, but lost. However, he soon won the IFO Middleweight title by defeating Rob Kimmons. In 2008, he had another win in the UFC, beating Terry Martin.

Later Career and Retirement

After these wins, Marvin faced more tough opponents. He lost to Drew McFedries and Denis Kang. He was supposed to fight Ricardo Arona but had to pull out due to a knee injury. He later fought Arona and lost by decision.

Marvin continued to fight in various organizations. He faced strong fighters like Ryan Jimmo and Dwayne Lewis. He had some tough losses during this time. In 2010, he won against Api Hemara, breaking a losing streak. However, he then lost to Glover Teixeira.

In 2012, Marvin won a fight against Dmitry Zabolotny. He also returned to Muay Thai in 2013 for a championship fight in Thailand, but he lost that match. His last professional fight was on September 28, 2013, where he lost to Sean O'Connell. After this, Marvin Eastman retired from professional fighting.

Marvin Eastman's Life Outside Fighting

Besides his exciting fighting career, Marvin Eastman also worked as a corrections officer in Las Vegas. He also owns a gym called Legends MMA, where he likely helps train new fighters.

Marvin Eastman's Achievements and Awards

Marvin Eastman earned many awards and championships throughout his sports career.

Amateur Wrestling

• California Interscholastic Federation
  • California State Wrestling −86.6 kg/191 lb Championship

Mixed Martial Arts

• Elite Fighting
  • Elite Fighting Light Heavyweight (−92.9 kg/205 lb) Championship
• International Fighting Organization
  • IFO Middleweight (−83.9 kg/185 lb) Championship
• King of the Cage
  • KOTC Super Heavyweight (+120.2 kg/265 lb) Championship
• World Extreme Fighting
  • WEF Light Heavyweight (−92.9 kg/205 lb) Championship
• World Fighting Alliance
  • WFA Light Heavyweight Championship

Submission Grappling

• Grapplers Quest
  • Grapplers Quest Heavyweight (−94.8 kg/209 lb) Championship