Carmelo Marrero (born January 26, 1981) is an American former professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

who competed in the

Heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...

and

Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

divisions. He has competed for the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

, WEC,

Bellator Fighting Championships Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Global. ...

, the

IFL IFL may refer to: ;American football *Intense Football League, (2004–2008) in the United States, merged into the Indoor Football League *Indoor Football League, (2008–present) in the United States *Intercontinental Football League, a European l ...

, and the

XFC Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) is a premier international mixed martial arts (MMA) organization based in Spring Lake, Michigan, with offices throughout the United States and South America. The XFC showcases both male and female fighters, ad ...

Background

Marrero was born in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

and raised in

Douglassville, Pennsylvania Douglassville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Amity Township in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. Douglassville is situated along U.S. Route 422 and Pennsylvania Route 724. Developments include the Amity Gardens subdivision, the W ...

. He was diagnosed with cancer at a young age and eventually was able to overcome the illness. Marrero began

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

for Daniel Boone High School in

Berks County, Pennsylvania Berks County ( Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading. The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware Ri ...

and placed sixth in the state tournament as a Heavyweight. Marrero had originally wanted to attend

Rider University Rider University is a private university in Lawrence Township, New Jersey. It consists of four academic units: the Norm Brodsky College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Education and Human Services, and West ...

after graduating from high school, decided to attend

Gloucester County College Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) is a public community college with two campuses in New Jersey, including one in Sewell (Gloucester Main Campus) and one in Vineland and Millville (Cumberland Branch Campus). The college was established in ...

for two and a half years where he set multiple records. Marrero was sidelined by a near-fatal car accident which took him six months to recover, but later came back to win over 40 matches and qualify for the Junior College National Tournament. Marrero later transferred to

where he became the team captain and was a two-time national qualifier. After college, Marrero began venturing into mixed martial arts.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Marrero's first five professional bouts were against local opponents in small fight promotions along the New Jersey shore. Marrero would go on to win and dominate all five bouts before being signed by the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Marrero made his UFC debut against a much larger and more experienced opponent in

Cheick Kongo Cheick Kongo is a French heavyweight Mixed Martial artist and former Kickboxer who fights in Bellator MMA. A professional MMA competitor since 2001, he has also competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of May 10, 2022, he is #4 in the ...

who already had two wins for the organization. Marrero used his superior grappling skills to control the bout and won via a split decision. In his next fight he faced

Gabriel Gonzaga Gabriel Gonzaga Santos Nogueira (; born 18 May 1979) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who competed in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is perhaps best known for his upset head-kick knockout of ...

, with the winner to get a shot to fight Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović for the #1 contender spot; Marrero lost this fight in the first round via submission due to an

armbar An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armlock that hyper-extends the arm is known as an armbar, and it includes the traditional armbar, pr ...

submission. He dropped down to the

division to face

Wilson Gouveia Wilson Gouveia (born October 3, 1978) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist. Gouveia formerly fought in the UFC. He is a 4th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and is a member of American Top Team. Mixed martial arts career Gouveia h ...

UFC 71 ''UFC 71: Liddell vs. Jackson 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place on Saturday, May 26, 2007, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event was the rem ...

, but was again defeated via first-round submission and was then released from the UFC.

International Fight League

Marrero competed for

American Top Team American Top Team (ATT) is one of the primary teams in mixed martial arts. The gym was founded by Dan Lambert, who brought in former members of Brazilian Top Team Marcus "Conan" Silveira, Marcelo Silveira and Ricardo Liborio, but there is no fo ...

's camp in the International Fight League and made his debut for the organization on April 4, 2008 at IFL: New Jersey where he faced Mike Ciesnolevicz. The fight was ruled a no-contest after an accidental

headbutt A headbutt is a targeted strike with the head, typically (when intentional) involving the use of robust parts of the headbutter's cranium as the area of impact. The most effective headbutts strike the most sensitive areas of an opponent, such as ...

in the first round.

World Extreme Cagefighting

Marrero made his WEC debut on November 5, 2008 at

WEC 36 ''WEC 36: Faber vs. Brown'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on November 5, 2008 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The event aired live on the Versus Network. Bac ...

against Steve Steinbess and won via split decision.

Return to the UFC

Following his win against Steinbess, Marrero returned to the UFC on April 1, 2009 facing

Ryan Bader Arizona State Sun Devils Ryan DuWayne Bader (born June 7, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to Bellator MMA where he is the current Bellator Heavyweight Champion, the former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, an ...

UFC Fight Night 18 ''UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 18'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on April 1, 2009. Background The event was broadcast on Spike TV and served as a lead ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision, and was released from the promotion once again.

Bellator

Carmelo was set to make his promotional debut with Bellator at

Bellator 69 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so i ...

against

Seth Petruzelli Seth Christopher Petruzelli (born December 3, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist, kickboxer, professional wrestler and entrepreneur. Petruzelli competed in the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions for the UFC, WEC, Eli ...

, however the bout was canceled the day of the event due to Petruzelli not being medically cleared to fight. Marrero made his Bellator debut on October 19, 2012 at

Bellator 77 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so ...

against Lew Polley and lost via unanimous decision.

Championships and accomplishments

Cage Fury Fighting Championships Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion primarily operating in the Northeastern United States. Founded by Felix and Amy Martinez, they promoted their first shows in Atlantic City, New Jersey, l ...

**CFFC Heavyweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

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Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 19, ...

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Reading, Pennsylvania Reading ( ; Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Reddin'') is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city had a population of 95,112 as of the 2020 census and is the fourth-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philade ...

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Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

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Mark Holata Mark Holata (born August 25, 1982) is an People of the United States, American former mixed martial artist. A professional from 2007 until 2014, he is best known for his appearances in Bellator MMA, Bellator. Background Holata was born in Clarem ...

, Decision (unanimous) , C3 Fights: SlamFest , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Newkirk, Oklahoma Newkirk is a city and county seat of Kay County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,172 at the 2020 census. History Newkirk is on land known as the Cherokee Outlet (popularly called the "Cherokee Strip"), which belonged to the Chero ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 (1) , Steven Banks , Submission (guillotine choke) , WCC 3: Brawl at the Hall , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:33 ,

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4 (1) , Brian Heden , Decision (unanimous) , C3 Fights: Knockout-Rockout Weekend 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

Clinton, Oklahoma Clinton is a city in Custer County, Oklahoma, Custer and Washita County, Oklahoma, Washita counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 9,033 at the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census. History The community began in 1899 when ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–4 (1) , Wayne Cole , Submission (guillotine choke) , C3 Fights: Slammin Jammin Weekend 4 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:37 ,

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–4 (1) ,

Antwain Britt Antwain Britt (born May 9, 1978) is an American professional mixed martial artist who last competed in Strikeforce's Middleweight division. While perhaps best known for his stint with the Strikeforce organization, he also fought in YAMMA Pit Fi ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Vendetta Fighting Championship: A Night of Vengeance , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Oranjestad, Aruba , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–3 (1) ,

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Steve Steinbeiss Steve Thomas Steinbeiss (born May 5, 1981) is an American mixed martial artist who recently fought in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts career Ultimate Fighting Championship Steinbeiss was pa ...

, Decision (split) ,

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Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 (1) , Chuck Huus , Submission (ankle lock) , C3 Fights: Clash in Concho , , align=center, N/A , align=center, N/A ,

Concho, Oklahoma Concho is an unincorporated community in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States. It is north of the Concho Indian Boarding School. The post office opened April 20, 1915. The ZIP code is 73022. The school and post office were named for Indian agen ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 (1) , Rader McHugh , Submission (rear-naked choke) , C3 Fights: Showdown 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:48 ,

Cherokee, North Carolina Cherokee ( chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, translit=Tsalagi) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Swain County, North Carolina, Swain and Jackson County, North Carolina, Jackson counties in Western North Carolina, United States, within the Qualla Boundar ...

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UFC 66 ''UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 30, 2006 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background ''UFC 66s main event was a championshi ...

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References

External links

Carmelo's Official Website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Marrero, Carmelo American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Pennsylvania Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling 1981 births Living people Rider Broncs People from Coconut Creek, Florida Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American male sport wrestlers People from Berks County, Pennsylvania Sportspeople from Philadelphia College wrestlers in the United States