Male Athletes

Someone who I miss so much Evan Loyd Tanner (February 11, 1971 – c. September 5, 2008) was an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. He was a former UFC Middleweight and USWF Heavyweight champion with a professional record of 32 wins and 8 losses. He was also the first American to win the Pancrase Neo-Blood tournament in Tokyo, Japan. Tanner won his first championship when he defeated Heath Herring at USWF 7, and went on to successfully defend that title five times. Tanner then won the UFC Middleweight title at UFC 51, stopping David Terrell with strikes in the first round. Biography Tanner was born in Amarillo, Texas and graduated from Caprock High Sch…

Timothy Deane Sylvia (born March 5, 1976) is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and former Ultimate Fighting Championship Heavyweight Champion. He trains as a member of the Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) camp and is part of their MFSE (Miletich Fighting System Elite) group. He presently fights for Adrenaline MMA (previously known as M-1 Global). Martial arts background Sylvia joined a karate school as a child, and began wrestling in high school. After graduation, he worked construction, community gardening, hanging sheet rock, a bouncer for Shane Reids bar, and painting houses. He was playing semi-pro football when he became interested in MMA, a…

Ricardo Arona (born July 17, 1978 in Niteroi, Brazil) is a Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter and PRIDE FC Middleweight Grand Prix finalist. He has competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships and RINGS in his mixed martial arts career. He is a member of Brazilian Top Team. Abu Dhabi and RINGS Ricardo Arona's popularity came from competing in the Abu Dhabi Combat Club submission wrestling competitions, where he won an open weight tournament as well as the 92 kg (202 pound) tournament. Arona is the only competitor in Abu Dhabi to have won a championship and to be undefeated so far. ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship. Soon after Abu Dhabi Combat Club, Arona joine…

Another fighter I want! Mauricio Milani Rua (born November 25, 1981) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he is the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Nicknamed Shogun, Rua was the winner of the PRIDE Fighting Championship's 2005 Middleweight (205 lb) Grand Prix. He holds notable wins over Lyoto Machida, Chuck Liddell, Mark Coleman, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Alistair Overeem (on two occasions), Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. He received a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Nino Schembri. He is currently ranked as the #1 Light Heavyweight fighter in the world by Sherdog.com. He became famous for …

Lee Arnold Petty (March 14, 1914 – April 5, 2000) was an American stock car driver in the 1950s and 60s. He was one of the pioneers of NASCAR, and one of its first superstars. He was born near Randleman, North Carolina. Career Lee Arnold Petty was thirty-five years old before he began racing. He began his NASCAR career at NASCAR's first race at Charlotte Speedway (not Charlotte Motor Speedway). He finished in the Top 5 in season points for NASCAR's first eleven seasons. He won the NASCAR Championship on three occasions and the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. 1959 Daytona 500 In the first race at Daytona International Speedway, Petty battled with Johnny Beauchamp duri…

Full name Mesut Özil Date of birth 15 October 1988 (1988-10-15) (age 21) Place of birth Gelsenkirchen, West Germany Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] Playing position Attacking midfielder / Winger Current club Werder Bremen Number 11 Özil's brother Mutlu is also a footballer, playing for Heßler 06 in Gelsenkirchen. Currently, he is in a relationship with Anna Maria Lagerblom, sister of German singer Sarah Connor. (Source:Wikipedia)

David Gene Pearson (born December 22, 1934) is a former American stock car racer from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Pearson began his NASCAR career in 1960 and ended his first season by winning the 1960 NASCAR Rookie of the Year award. He won three championships (1966, 1968, and 1969) in NASCAR's Grand National Series (now Sprint Cup Series).NASCAR described his 1974 season as an indication of his "consistent greatness"; that season he finished third in the season points having competed in only 19 of 30 races. At his finalist nomination for NASCAR Hall of Fame's inaugural 2010 class, NASCAR described Pearson as "... the model of NASCAR efficiency during his career. With l…

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr. (April 29, 1951 – February 18, 2001) was an American race car driver, best known for his career driving stock cars in NASCAR's top division. Earnhardt is notable for his success in the Winston Cup Series (now the Sprint Cup Series), winning seventy-six races (including one Daytona 500 victory in 1998). Earnhardt's seven championships are tied for most all-time with Richard Petty. His aggressive driving style led to controversy and earned him the nickname "The Intimidator". Earnhardt died in a last-lap crash during the 2001 Daytona 500. He is inducted in numerous halls of fame, including the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Early lif…

Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937) is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. "The King", as he is nicknamed, is most well-known for winning the NASCAR Championship seven times (Dale Earnhardt is the only other driver to accomplish this feat), winning a record 200 races during his career,winning the Daytona 500 a record seven times, and winning a record 27 races (ten of them consecutively) in the 1967 season alone. (A 1972 rule change eliminated races under 250 miles (400 km) in length, reducing the schedule to 30 [now 36] races.) Petty is widely considered one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all ti…

Jens Johnnie Pulver (born December 6, 1974) is an American retired mixed martial artist (MMA). He was the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion and was a coach on the The Ultimate Fighter 5 reality show, which aired on Spike TV. He was formerly signed as a featherweight with World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), which is owned by Zuffa (the parent company of the UFC). Pulver holds notable wins over BJ Penn, Caol Uno, Rob Emerson and Joe Stevenson. He is one of two men to defeat BJ Penn at lightweight, the other being current #1 LW in the world Frank Edgar Early life The son of a licensed horse jockey, Jens Pulver grew up in Maple Valley, Washingt…

Rich Jay Franklin II (born October 5, 1974,) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion. Biography Prior to becoming a full time MMA fighter, Franklin graduated from William Henry Harrison High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and later earned a master's degree in education at the University of Cincinnati, and taught mathematics at the Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Franklin and American Fighter President Jeff Adler created The Keep It In The Ring Foundation to advocate non-violence and build character in youth. This is done through after school sports, martial arts and life s…

Vitor Vieira Belfort (born April 1, 1977) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Belfort was born in Rio de Janeiro and studied jiu-jitsu with the Gracie family, namely Carlson Gracie. He received a black belt under Carlson. He currently trains out of Xtreme Couture and is now fighting in the middleweight division. Belfort is considered to be one of the top-ten middleweights in the world according to multiple MMA publications. MMA career At the age of 19, Belfort came to the United States to compete. In his first sanctioned mixed martial arts match, an event called Superbrawl in Hawaii, his opponent was Jon Hess, who the young Brazi…

Quinton Ramone Jackson (born June 20, 1978), also known as Rampage Jackson, is an American mixed martial artist and actor. He is a former UFC Light-Heavyweight title holder. Jackson rose to prominence in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships where he was noted for his powerful body slams including a famous knockout victory over Ricardo Arona. In the United States, he is known for his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Jackson is the first person to unify any of the UFC and Pride FC championship belts, defeating Pride Fighting Championships Light-Heavyweight title holder Dan Henderson in 2008. Jackson appeared for a second time as a coach on the reality ser…

Another fighter I wanna bang Diego J. Sanchez (born December 31, 1981) is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist (MMA) with a background in wrestling and Gaidojutsu, system of submission wrestling developed by his longtime, but now former, trainer Greg Jackson.Sanchez is the winner of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter reality series and currently fights as a welterweight with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He trains at The Arena MMA gym and Throwdown San Diego, where his coaches are Saulo Ribeiro and Tony Palafox. Mixed martial arts career Diego Sanchez wrestled for Del Norte High school in Albuquerque, New Mexico before starting training MMA whil…

Georges St-Pierre (born May 19, 1981), often referred to as GSP, is a French-Canadian mixed martial artist and the current Welterweight Champion of the UFC. St-Pierre is ranked as the top "pound for pound" fighter by Yahoo Sports. St-Pierre has been praised by many media outlets for his well-rounded skill and he is currently ranked by multiple MMA publications as the number-one welterweight in the world. In 2008 and in 2009, he was named the Canadian Athlete of the Year by Rogers Sportsnet, as well as the 2008–2009 Most Outstanding Fighter by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Georges St-Pierre also won the Fighter of the Year award by the 2009 World MMA Awards. Biograp…

Urijah Christopher Faber (born May 14, 1979) is a mixed martial arts fighter currently fighting as a featherweight in the World Extreme Cagefighting organization. Faber won the WEC featherweight championship at WEC 19 on March 17, 2006 and held the title for over two years until his loss to Mike Brown at WEC 36 on November 5, 2008. Currently Faber is ranked the #4 featherweight in the world by Sherdog. Faber is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt under Fabio "Pateta" Prado, who is a 3rd degree black belt under Moises Muradi. Early life Born in Isla Vista, California (near the University of California, Santa Barbara), Faber was raised in Sacramento. Faber attended Lincol…

Chris Leben (born July 21, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist (MMA) best known for his appearance on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality television series produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and broadcast on Spike TV. He is also well known for his wild brawling style with heavy hands and iron jaw. The Ultimate Fighter Leben was one of the most controversial and outspoken fighters on The Ultimate Fighter 1 due to his tough-guy attitude contrasted by his propensity to shed tears. In the first episode he got drunk and urinated on future teammate Jason Thacker's bed,[1] stealing his pillow afterward. One night when everyone in the ho…

Roberto Durán Samaniego (born June 16, 1951) is a retired professional boxer from Panama of Mexican and Panamanian descent, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" (or "Hands of Stone") during his career. In 2002, he was chosen by The Ring to be the 5th greatest fighter of the last 80 years. , Bert Sugar rates him as the 8th greatest fighter of all-time and many consider him the greatest lightweight of all time. He held world titles at four different weights - lightweight (1972–79), welterweight (1980), junior middleweight (1983–84) and middleweight (1989). He was the second boxer to ha…

Personal information Full name Benny Feilhaber Date of birth January 19, 1985 (1985-01-19) (age 25) Place of birth Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) Playing position Centre/Attacking midfielder Club information Current club AGF Aarhus Number 17 Youth career 2003–2005 UCLA Bruins 2005–2006 Hamburger SV Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2005–2007 Hamburg 9 (0) 2007–2008 Derby County 10 (0) 2008– AGF Aarhus 36 (1) National team‡ 2007– United States 33 (2) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 02 June 2010. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals corr…

Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English footballer who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team. Aged 10, Rooney joined the youth team of Everton, making his professional debut in 2002. He spent two seasons at the Merseyside club, before moving to Manchester United for £25.6 million in the 2004 summer transfer window. Since then, he has won the Premier League three times, the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League and also two League Cups. Rooney made his England debut in 2003 and, at UEFA Euro 2004, he briefly became the competition's youngest goalscorer. He is frequently selected for the England squad and…

Vinny Paz, formerly Vinny Pazienza (born Vincenzo Edward Pazienza on December 16, 1962 in Cranston, Rhode Island) is an Italian-American former boxer and world champion in the lightweight and light middleweight weight classes. He boxed under the nickname of "The Pazmanian Devil." After building a reputation around the Eastern coast and a streak of wins over people like Roberto Elizondo (KO in 10), the Rhode Island native's first title try came on June 7, 1987 in Providence, where he outpointed Greg Haugen over 15 rounds to become the IBF's world lightweight champion. The pair would meet two more times, Haugen recovering the title in an immediate rematch, but Paz prevaili…

Julio César Chávez (born Julio César Chávez González on July 12, 1962 in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico) is a retired Mexican professional boxer. He is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions, and for several years he was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. In a career that spanned over twenty-five years, Chávez won six world titles in three weight divisions: WBC Super Featherweight in 1984, WBA Lightweight in 1987, WBC Lightweight in 1988, WBC Super Lightweight in 1989, IBF Light Welterweight in 1990, and WBC Super Lightweight in 1994. Julio César Chávez was known for his outstanding punching power, devastating body attack and the relentl…

Héctor Camacho (born May 24, 1962), nicknamed "Macho Camacho", is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. His son, Héctor Camacho Jr., is also a boxer. Early life and amateur career Camacho was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, but his family moved to Spanish Harlem when he was a child. He ran into trouble there as a teen, getting into fights and landing in jail at 15. He also learned boxing and karate as a teenager, and since he demonstrated talent as a boxer, he chose that sport as a career. He is the first fighter to win in seven different divisions. Camacho won three New York Golden Gloves Championships. Camacho won the 1978 112 lb Sub-Novice Championship, 1979 118 lb Open Cha…

Nicholas Robert Diaz (born August 2, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. He is the current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion and a former WEC and IFC Welterweight champion. He has also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships, and Elite Xtreme Combat before it ceased operations. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Cesar Gracie on May 8, 2007. Diaz is affiliated with the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Pleasant Hill, California, where he trains under Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie. Biography Diaz was born in Stockton, California. He went to Tokay High School in Lodi for o…

Arne Friedrich (Bad Oeynhausen, 29 de Maio de 1979) é um futebolista alemão. Atualmente joga pelo Hertha BSC Berlin, e representa a seleção alemã na Copa do Mundo de 2006.