Soa Palelei facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Soa Palelei |
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| Born | 12 July 1977 Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |
| Other names | The Hulk |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Weight | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Division | Heavyweight Super Heavyweight |
| Reach | 81 in (210 cm) |
| Style | Wrestling, BJJ, Kickboxing |
| Fighting out of | Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Team | Team Hulk |
| Rank | Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Years active | 2002–2015 (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 27 |
| Wins | 22 |
| By knockout | 18 |
| By submission | 4 |
| Losses | 5 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 1 |
Soa Palelei, born on July 12, 1977, is a retired mixed martial artist from Australia. He was a professional fighter from 2002 to 2015. He is well-known for competing in big events like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and PRIDE Fighting Championships.
Contents
About Soa Palelei
Soa Palelei was born in 1977 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. His family comes from Tonga. He started his fighting journey when he was young.
Early Sports Life
Soa first focused on Wrestling. He was so good that he almost got to compete for Australia in the Olympics in Sydney. But soon, he became very interested in other martial arts. This led him to fall in love with mixed martial arts (MMA).
Helping Others
Soa Palelei has a special program called Hulk Kids MMA. In this program, he helps teenagers with different parts of their lives. He gives them advice on training and healthy eating. Schools and community groups can join this program.
In June 2016, Soa also wrote a book about his life. It is called Face Your Fears.
Acting Career
Soa Palelei has also been in movies. His first movie role was in 2014. It was an Australian film called Son of a Gun. He played a character named Tommy. He acted alongside famous actors like Ewan McGregor.
After that, Soa played the main character in Zombie Ninjas Vs Black Ops. He also appeared in an Australian comedy called Football Breakers. In 2017, he was in the movie 1%.
Mixed Martial Arts Journey
Soa Palelei had an exciting career in mixed martial arts. He fought in many big events around the world.
Starting Out in MMA
Soa began his professional MMA career in September 2002. For the first two years, he was undefeated! He won 7 fights in a row. All of these wins were by TKO (when the referee stops the fight) or by submission (when an opponent gives up). His first loss was in October 2004 at PRIDE 28.
Fighting in the UFC
Soa had a short time in the UFC in 2007. He fought Eddie Sanchez at UFC 79. He lost this fight by TKO in the third round. After this, he left the UFC for a while.
After His First UFC Run
After leaving the UFC in 2007, Soa kept fighting. He won 10 out of 11 fights. He beat other fighters who had also been in the UFC. One big win was against Sean McCorkle. He won that fight by TKO in the first round. This win helped him defend his Australian Fighting Championship (AFC) heavyweight title.
Returning to the UFC
In March 2013, Soa Palelei signed a new contract with the UFC. He was ready to fight again on the big stage.
He was supposed to fight Stipe Miocic at UFC 161. But Miocic was moved to another fight, so Soa was taken off the event.
Soa then fought Nikita Krylov at UFC 164. He won the fight in the third round by TKO. It was later found out that Soa had a broken rib before this fight.
Next, Soa faced Pat Barry in December 2013. He won this fight by knockout in the first round. He got into a strong position and landed many punches.
In May 2014, Soa fought Ruan Potts. He won again by knockout in the first round. This was another strong win from a dominant position.
Soa then fought Jared Rosholt in June 2014. He lost this fight by a decision from the judges.
In November 2014, Soa was set to fight Daniel Omielańczuk. But Omielańczuk had to pull out because of a broken thumb. Walt Harris stepped in to fight Soa. Soa won this fight by TKO in the second round.
His last fight was against Antônio Silva in August 2015 at UFC 190. He lost this fight by TKO in the second round. After this, Soa Palelei announced that he was retiring from MMA on October 19, 2015.
Achievements and Titles
Soa Palelei won many titles during his fighting career. Here are some of them:
- Australian Fighting Championship (AFC) World Heavy Weight Champion
- K-OZ Entertainment World Super Heavy Weight Champion
- IKBF Super Heavy Weight World Champion
- Australian Heavy Weight Mixed Martial Arts Champion
- Australian Heavy Weight Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion
- W.A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Heavy Weight Champion
- W.A Freestyle Wrestling Champion at 120 kg
- W.A MMA Heavy Weight Champion
- Australian Freestyle Wrestling Champion at 120 kg
- ADCC Australian Heavy Weight Submission Champion
- South Pacific MMA Heavy Weight Champion
Images for kids
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Soa Palelei, also known as "The Hulk"
See also
- List of male mixed martial artists
