Yves Edwards facts for kids

Yves Edwards (born September 30, 1976) is a retired mixed martial artist from the Bahamas. He is famous for fighting in the UFC's Lightweight division. He competed in 21 fights for the UFC. Edwards started his professional career in 1997. He also fought in other big organizations like PRIDE and WEC. In 2004, he was considered the best Lightweight fighter in the world.

Early Life and Training

Edwards was born in Nassau, Bahamas. He moved to Texas when he was 14 years old. As a young person, Edwards started learning traditional Karate. He then moved on to Kung Fu and Ninjutsu. These styles helped him get ready for mixed martial arts.

He also trained in Muay Thai to improve his standing strikes. Edwards loved old Hong Kong cinema movies and comic books. He wanted to learn skills that made him "physically better than the average person."

Learning to Grapple

Edwards learned some grappling moves during a trip back to the Bahamas at age 17. He also trained with Lewis Wood, a professional boxer. This helped him develop strong boxing skills. He combined this with his Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training. Edwards never wore a traditional uniform (gi) for jiu-jitsu because he always focused on competing.

Mixed Martial Arts Journey

Starting His Career

Yves Edwards began his professional mixed martial arts career in 1997. Before joining the UFC, he had a record of 18 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw.

Fighting in the UFC and WEC

Edwards first fought in the UFC at UFC 33. He lost his first UFC fight to Matt Serra. After that, he won 6 out of his next 7 fights.

At UFC 49, Edwards won by knocking out Josh Thomson. He used an amazing flying head-kick. At that time, there was no champion in the Lightweight division. Because of his skills, many people called Edwards "The Uncrowned Lightweight Champion of the UFC."

After His First UFC Run

After leaving the UFC, Edwards won two fights in the EliteXC promotion. He later lost to K. J. Noons and Duane Ludwig.

He then bounced back with several wins. He won by submission against James Warfield. He also defeated Kyle Jensen and Derrick Noble by TKO.

Returning to the UFC

Edwards came back to the UFC on September 15, 2010, at UFC Fight Night 22. He won his return fight against John Gunderson by decision.

In January 2011, Edwards fought Cody McKenzie at UFC: Fight for the Troops 2. He won by submission in the second round. This fight earned him "Fight of the Night" and "Submission of the Night" awards.

Edwards faced Sam Stout at UFC 131 in June 2011 and lost by knockout. He then defeated Rafaello Oliveira by TKO in October 2011.

In December 2011, Edwards lost a close fight to Tony Ferguson by decision.

Edwards was supposed to fight Donald Cerrone and Jeremy Stephens in 2012. His fight with Stephens was delayed but eventually happened at UFC on Fox 5. Edwards won by knockout in the first round. He was the first fighter to ever stop Stephens with strikes.

He then had a few more fights in the UFC, facing Isaac Vallie-Flagg, Daron Cruickshank, Yancy Medeiros, Piotr Hallmann, and Akbarh Arreola. His fight against Yancy Medeiros was later changed to a "no contest."

Retirement from Fighting

After fighting for 17 years, Yves Edwards announced his retirement from mixed martial arts in November 2014. He shared on Facebook that fighting had been a big part of his life. He said it was time to move on to the next chapter. Edwards is the only fighter to have competed in UFC, PRIDE, WEC, Strikeforce, and Bellator.

Fighting Style: Thugjitsu

Yves Edwards is known for creating a unique fighting style called "Thugjitsu." Many people saw him as an unusual fighter. His famous flying head-kick knockout of Josh Thomson showed this unique style. This led to his nickname, "Thugjitsu Master."

Edwards explained that Thugjitsu combines all parts of fighting. It includes boxing, Thai boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He believed that a fighter needed to be good at many different styles to be successful. UFC Lightweight fighter Dustin Poirier has said he is a Thugjitsu practitioner, honoring Edwards.

Influences on His Style

Edwards has said that UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten is his idol. Rutten even watched Edwards's third professional fight in 1998. Edwards described Rutten as "cool as hell" and "one of the nicest guys in the game."

Life Outside the Ring

Yves Edwards has a daughter and a son.

Film and TV Appearances

Edwards has also worked in movies and television. He has appeared in films like Circle of Pain and Warrior. He also worked as a stunt performer in movies such as Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown and Olympus Has Fallen. He was also a stunt performer in the TV series Westworld.

Achievements and Awards

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (Two times)
  • Knockout of the Night (One time)
  • Submission of the Night (One time)
• HOOKnSHOOT
  • HnS Middleweight Championship (One time)

Mixed Martial Arts Record