Sam Stout facts for kids

Samuel James Stout (born April 23, 1984) is a retired professional mixed martial artist from Canada. He was known for his exciting fighting style. Stout competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for 20 fights. He won the "Fight of the Night" award seven times. He was also a champion in another league, the TKO Major League MMA, where he held the Lightweight title.

Early Life and Training

Sam Stout was born in London, Ontario, Canada, on April 23, 1984. When he was young, he started learning Karate, following in his father's footsteps. However, he didn't take it very seriously at first.

Around the year 2000, his trainer, Shawn Tompkins, encouraged him to try Kickboxing. This is where Sam found his passion for combat sports. Before becoming a mixed martial artist, he had a good career in professional kickboxing. He won 16 fights and only lost 4. One of his big wins was against Kotetsu Boku in a famous kickboxing event called K-1 Max.

Sam Stout's UFC Journey

Sam Stout began his journey in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on March 4, 2006. His first fight was at an event called UFC 58: USA vs. Canada. He was supposed to fight Kenny Florian, but Kenny got hurt. So, Spencer Fisher stepped in to fight Sam instead.

Sam and Spencer had an exciting fight that lasted three rounds. Sam won by a close decision. Even though their fight wasn't shown live, it was later featured on TV shows. It was even voted as one of the UFC's top 100 greatest fights!

Key Fights and Awards

After his first UFC win, Sam faced Kenny Florian again in June 2006. This time, Sam lost by a submission move called a rear naked choke. But Sam quickly bounced back! He defeated Jay Estrada, which was special because Estrada had beaten him earlier in his career.

Sam also defended his TKO World Lightweight Championship. He won against Fabio Holanda, a skilled grappler from Brazil.

Sam had many memorable fights in the UFC. He fought Spencer Fisher two more times. In their second fight, Sam lost, but their third fight in June 2012, Sam won by a unanimous decision. Both of these fights were so exciting that they won the "Fight of the Night" award.

He also had a big win against Matt Wiman at UFC 97. Sam won by unanimous decision, and this fight also earned him a "Fight of the Night" award. He continued to earn these awards in fights against Joe Lauzon and Jeremy Stephens. This showed how exciting his matches were for the fans.

In June 2011, Sam got his first knockout win in the UFC. He knocked out Yves Edwards with a powerful punch. This earned him the "Knockout of the Night" award.

Sam Stout fought many tough opponents during his career. He faced fighters like John Makdessi, Caros Fodor, and James Krause. His fight against James Krause was another "Fight of the Night" winner, even though Sam lost by submission.

Sam's last few fights in the UFC were tough losses. He fought K. J. Noons, Ross Pearson, and Frankie Perez. After his fight in August 2015, Sam Stout decided to retire from mixed martial arts in September 2015.

Life Outside the Octagon

Sam Stout is married to Jessica Lablanche. He has two daughters, Logan and Sydney.

Sam is also involved in important community work. He has teamed up with other UFC fighters like Sean Pierson, Mark Hominick, and Matt Mitrione. Together, they work on an anti-bullying program in the Toronto area. This program helps teach kids about standing up to bullying.

Sam Stout also co-owns a training center called Adrenaline Training Center. It's located in his hometown of London, Ontario. He runs it with his friends and fellow fighters, Chris Horodecki and Mark Hominick. This center helps train new martial artists and promotes the sport.

Achievements and Honors

Sam Stout had a very successful career in mixed martial arts. Here are some of his main achievements:

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (Six times): This award is given to fighters who put on the most exciting performance of the night.
  • Knockout of the Night (One time): This award is for the best knockout of the event.
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2006: Ranked #10 Fight of the Year (vs. Spencer Fisher 1)
    • 2007: Half-Year Awards: Best Fight of the 1HY & Ranked #5 Fight of the Year (vs. Spencer Fisher 2)
    • 2010: Ranked #10 Fight of the Year (vs. Jeremy Stephens)
    • 2011: Ranked #2 Knockout of the Year (vs. Yves Edwards)
• TKO Major League MMA
  • TKO Lightweight Championship (One time, with four successful defenses): He was the champion in this league and defended his title multiple times.

See also

• List of current UFC fighters
• List of male mixed martial artists
• List of Canadian UFC fighters