Other names Little Tiger Name James Berto Reach 69.0 in (175 cm) | Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | |
 | ||
Born James Edson Berto July 5, 1983 (age 41) Haiti ( 1983-07-05 ) Weight 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st) Division FeatherweightLightweight | ||
James Edson Berto, also known as Edson Berto (born July 5, 1983), is a Haitian-American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2004, Berto has formerly competed for Bellator MMA, Strikeforce, and EliteXC. Berto is the brother of professional boxer Andre Berto.
Contents
Background
Originally from Haiti, Berto moved with his family and six younger siblings to Winter Haven, Florida at a young age. Berto began training in the martial arts when he was young, as his father, Diesuel, is a former professional boxer and mixed martial artist who competed at UFC 10. Also like his father, Berto competed in soccer at the professional level in Haiti.
Early career
Berto made his professional MMA debut in 2004 and compiled an overall record of 10-3-1 before being signed by EliteXC.
EliteXC
Berto faced John Shackleford on February 10, 2007 at EliteXC: Destiny. Berto won via TKO in the second round.
Berto next faced Victor Valenzuela at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni in an event co-promoted by Strikeforce and EliteXC on June 22, 2007. Berto won via submission in the first round.
Berto made his next appearance against KJ Noons for ShoXC's Elite Challenger Series on July 27, 2007. Berto was knocked out by a knee in the third round.
Berto made his next EliteXC appearance at EliteXC: Street Certified on February 16, 2008 against Yves Edwards. Berto lost via knockout from a flying knee at the end of the first round.
Berto made his final EliteXC appearance in his next fight against Conor Heun at EliteXC: Heat on October 4, 2008. Berto lost via TKO in the second round.
Independent promotions
After the demise of EliteXC, Berto went 2-4 in the regional circuit before being signed by Bellator MMA.
Bellator MMA
Berto was originally scheduled to make his Bellator debut at Bellator 50 against Luis Palomino on September 17, 2011. However, the bout was cancelled when Palomino had to pull out due to a hand injury.
Berto instead made his Bellator debut at Bellator 94 against Bruno Carvalho on March 28, 2013. Berto won via submission in the first round.
Berto then faced Patricky Freire at Bellator 107 on November 8, 2013. Berto lost via unanimous decision.
Berto made his next appearance and his Featherweight debut against Rad Martinez at Bellator 114 on March 28, 2014. Berto lost via decision.
Personal life
Berto comes from a family of fighters; his father is a former professional boxer and mixed martial artist, his brother is professional boxer Andre Berto, and Berto's sister, Revelina, is a professional mixed martial artist as well. Berto also has another brother, Cleveland, who is a former Florida high school state wrestling champion who placed second in the NCAA national tournament in college.