Waachiim Spiritwolf facts for kids

Waachiim Spiritwolf is a Native American professional mixed martial artist. He used to compete in the Welterweight division. He fought professionally from 2006 to 2015. During his career, he competed for big organizations like King of the Cage, Tachi Palace Fights, Bellator, and Strikeforce.

About Waachiim Spiritwolf

Waachiim Spiritwolf grew up on the Pala Indian Reservation in California. He is from the Navajo and Yaqui tribes. When he was in high school, he was a very good wrestler. He was also the captain of his football team, where he played as an inside linebacker.

He got into mixed martial arts (MMA) because of his friend, Dean Lister. Dean Lister is also a professional mixed martial artist. Waachiim started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with him. They had known each other since middle school and loved watching UFC fights together. Dean Lister is also the godfather to Waachiim's son. Today, Waachiim Spiritwolf helps coach wrestling at Scripps Ranch High School.

His Mixed Martial Arts Journey

Waachiim Spiritwolf started his professional MMA career in 2006. He quickly made a name for himself by winning some important fights.

Early Fights and Big Wins

After fighting in local events and for King of the Cage, Waachiim got a chance to fight on a big pay-per-view show called Ultimate Chaos. He was not expected to win against his opponent, Brett Cooper. But Waachiim surprised everyone by knocking out Cooper in the first round! He also had another notable win against UFC veteran Crafton Wallace. These wins helped him sign with Strikeforce in late 2010.

Fighting for King of the Cage

In December 2008, Waachiim joined the California-based fighting group called King of the Cage. He won his first fight there by TKO in the second round. Later, he fought for the KOTC Welterweight Championship but lost that match. In another fight for King of the Cage, his match was called a "technical draw." This happened when Waachiim accidentally hit his opponent in the back of the head, and the opponent said he couldn't see clearly.

Time in Strikeforce

Waachiim Spiritwolf then signed with Strikeforce. He fought an undefeated fighter named Billy Evangelista. Waachiim started strong, knocking down Evangelista and using "ground and pound" moves. He also took Evangelista down several times. Even though Waachiim seemed tired in the third round, he kept fighting hard. The judges decided that Evangelista won the fight. Waachiim felt he should have won and said he felt "ripped off."

In another Strikeforce fight, Waachiim faced Marius Zaromskis. This fight ended very quickly, just six seconds in! It was called a "no contest" because Waachiim was accidentally poked in the eye and couldn't continue.

Competing in Bellator

Waachiim joined Bellator in March 2011. He won his first fight there by a "split decision," which means the judges were not all in agreement. This fight was so exciting that Bellator's CEO decided to show it on TV the next week.

He had a rematch with Marius Žaromskis in Bellator. Waachiim was a little overweight for the fight. The fight was stopped between rounds two and three because Waachiim had a cut. This gave Žaromskis the win by TKO. Because this ending was controversial, they had a third fight! Waachiim lost this third match by split decision.

Waachiim returned to Bellator in 2013 to fight Marcus Davis. This fight also ended in a "no contest." In the first round, Davis accidentally hit Waachiim with a knee to the groin, and Waachiim could not keep fighting.

Other Fights

After Bellator, Waachiim fought for other independent groups. He had a tough loss in Denmark, getting knocked out in less than a minute. But he bounced back with a win in Guatemala City, winning by TKO in the second round. He continued to compete until 2015.

Achievements

• World Fighting Championships
  • WFC Welterweight Championship (He won this title one time)