Other names Showtime Name Javier Vazquez Wins by knockout 1 Height 5 ft 7.5 in (1.71 m) | Nationality CubanAmerican Spouse Rose Gracie (m. 2005) Residence Rancho Cucamonga CA Role Fighter | |
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Weight 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st) Similar People Rorion Gracie, Ralek Gracie, Ryron Gracie Profiles | ||
Ufc jiujitsu fighter javier vazquez
Luis Javier Vazquez (born April 27, 1976) is a retired Cuban-American mixed martial artist. He is the son-in-law of Rorion Gracie.
Contents
- Ufc jiujitsu fighter javier vazquez
- Ufc 3 cub swanson vs javier vazquez
- Early life
- Early career
- World Extreme Cagefighting
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Personal life
- Instructor Lineage
- Championships and accomplishments
- References
Ufc 3 cub swanson vs javier vazquez
Early life
Born in Santiago, Cuba, on April 27, 1976, Javier Vazquez came to the United States at the age of four. He grew up in El Monte, California, and started wrestling as a sophomore at Arroyo High School at the age of 15. In 1994, he placed 3rd at the CIF wrestling tournament and continued his stellar high school career by placing 4th in the Southern Section Masters tournament. He was just one match away from placing in the high school state wrestling championships, ending up in the top 12 in the state at 130 lbs. He was voted team captain in both his junior and senior years. He continued his wrestling career at Mt. San Antonio College where he again proved himself to be one of “the best of the best” by finishing 7th in the state and being voted team captain for his leadership on and off the mat.
In 1997, Vazquez started learning jiu-jitsu with the renowned Carlson Gracie Team. He competed in every jiu-jitsu and submission tournament he could and eventually found himself participating in mixed martial arts (MMA). His first no-holds-barred matches wer at Neutral Grounds 5 in 1998. Several more fights in smaller venues followed, and he then took time off from fighting to train and compete in jiu-jitsu. After only five years of training, he earned his black belt from the Carlson Gracie Team. In 2005, Vazquez won the North American trials for the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, but dropped out before competition due to a groin injury.
Early career
In December 2009, Vazquez was named the "most inspirational performance of the decade" in MMA by Sports Illustrated magazine for his fight against Alberto Crane where he fought three rounds with a torn ACL. He went on to fight for Elite XC and was able to break free from his contract before the company folded. He signed to fight against LC Davis at Affliction: Trilogy, but the event folded 10 days before the fight was supposed to take place.
World Extreme Cagefighting
Vazquez then signed with WEC and made his promotional debut against Davis at WEC 42, In a major upset, Vazquez lost a controversial split decision to Davis. Vazquez rebounded quickly as he replaced an injured Mark Hominick against Deividas Taurosevicius at WEC 43 but lost another split decision.
Vazquez faced and defeated former UFC Lightweight Champion and former WEC featherweight title challenger Jens Pulver via armbar on March 6, 2010, at WEC 47. He defeated decorated grappler Mackens Semerzier via second round submission on August 18, 2010, at WEC 50. Vazquez was defeated by Chad Mendes via unanimous decision on November 11, 2010, at WEC 52.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In October 2010, WEC merged with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As part of the merger, all WEC fighters were transferred to the UFC. Vazquez defeated The Ultimate Fighter 2 winner and former lightweight title contender Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision on June 26, 2011, at UFC on Versus 4.
On January 13, 2013, Vazquez announced on Sherdog Radio Network’s Rewind show that he has officially retired from MMA competition.
Personal life
On June 22, 2005, Vazquez married Rose Gracie, the daughter of Rorion Gracie and granddaughter of Helio Gracie. Rose is the creator and main force behind the submission only movement in jiu-jitsu referred to as subonly. She hosts several jiu-jitsu competitions throughout the year through her organization, Gracie Tournaments. Gracie has been very outspoken about jiu-jitsu's current rule set problems and has pressured other members of the community to make changes in the sport. Rose and her sister Riane are the only members of the Gracie Family that have both parents being in the Gracie family. Vazquez and Gracie have four daughters. They co-owned and co-operated a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu facility in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Vazquez filed a divorce from his wife Rose in March 2017. As a result of the divorce process, Vazquez stepped away from their jiu-jitsu business.
In mid-2017, Vazquez was diagnosed with colon cancer. Subsequently he had a tumor removed from his intestines but as of August 2017, he was waiting for chemotherapy treatment.
Instructor Lineage
Mitsuyo "Count Koma" Maeda → Carlos Gracie, Sr. → Carlson Gracie, Sr. → Rodrigo Medeiros → Javier Vazquez