Gerald Ray Strebendt (born March 1, 1979) is an American retired 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 ...

. A professional competitor from 2001 until 2008, he fought 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 ...

and

Cage Rage Cage Rage Championships, also known as Cage Rage, was a United Kingdom-based, mixed martial arts promotion that premiered on 7 September 2002 in London. Cage Rage went into liquidation and is now no longer trading. Cage Rage had been owned and ma ...

. He is the former Cage Rage World lightweight champion.

Career

A former member of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

,Leveque, Rod. "DA says man used martial arts move to kill lover's husband", The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Canada), July 29, 2005. Strebendt is known for being the first student of the now world-renowned Brazilian Jiu-jitsu practitioner,

Eddie Bravo Edgar A. Bravo (''né'' Cano; born May 15, 1970) is an American martial arts instructor, podcaster, stand-up comedian, and musician. After earning a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2003, Bravo began teaching his own self-developed style ...

where he adopted Eddie's rubber

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

, and twister game. In 2004 he became the first fighter to execute a twister in an MMA match. Strebendt was a key witness in the 2005 murder trial of Rafiel Torre. Torre, whose real name is Ralph Bartel, initially offered Strebendt $10,000 to kill the victim, 32-year-old Bryan Richards, who had a sizable life insurance policy and with whose wife Torre was having an affair. After Strebendt refused, Torre committed the murder himself, then told Strebendt a few days later that he had killed Richards in self-defense with a

rear naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keiko ...

. Torre asked Strebendt to provide him with an alibi, a request which was met with Strebendt's refusal. More than a year after the killing, Strebendt voluntarily came forward and provided his story to detectives, out of concern that Torre would escape punishment for the murder. Torre was convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole; he is appealing the sentence. On January 29, 2014, Strebendt shot and killed 53-year-old David Paul Crofut, also of Springfield, during an altercation following a traffic collision between the two drivers' vehicles.Moran, Jack. "Police investigate deadly shooting"
The Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon) January 31, 2014. Strebendt called 911 following the collision but before shooting Crofut and was still connected with the 911 call when the shot was fired.
The Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon) February 6, 2014 Strebendt claims

self-defense Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...

in the shooting; Strebendt's attorney, Mike Arnold of Eugene, states that Strebendt reached into his vehicle and retrieved his weapon, a loaded .223 caliber

semi-automatic rifle A semi-automatic rifle is an autoloading rifle that fires a single cartridge with each pull of the trigger, and uses part of the fired cartridge's energy to eject the case and load another cartridge into the chamber. For comparison, a bolt-act ...

, because Crofut verbally threatened his life. Carrying a loaded rifle in a vehicle is legal in Oregon.Martin, Damon. "Police investigating deadly shooting involving former UFC fighter Gerald Strebendt"
Fox Sports Haymaker, February 5, 2014 Crofut was unarmed during the altercation, and no weapons other than Strebendt's rifle were found at the scene.
KMTR Newssource 16 (Eugene, Oregon) February 4, 2014 Following the shooting, Strebendt was handcuffed and taken into custody, but was released later that night. According to Strebendt on the 911 call, Crofut hit him "on purpose with his vehicle." Strebendt can be heard on the 911 call instructing Crofut to "back away" and "don't fucking come near me." At the time of his death, Crofut had a blood alcohol content of 0.156%. The legal limit for driving under the influence of alcohol in Oregon is 0.08%. Strebendt was arrested and charged with murder on March 6, 2014, after a grand jury indictment. On May 21, 2015, the murder charge was dismissed and Strebendt pleaded guilty to criminally

negligent homicide Negligent homicide is a criminal charge brought against a person who, through criminal negligence, allows another person to die. Examples include the crash of Aeroperu Flight 603 near Lima, Peru. The accident was caused by a piece of duct tape ...

due to police establishing "some mitigating evidence" favoring Strebendt. His attorney Mike Arnold and co-counsel Emilia Gardner went on to write a book about Strebendt and the case called ''Finishing Machine''. He was released from state prison in 2017. Eight months after his release from prison, Strebendt was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing an underage female on April 25, 2018. He was later sentenced by courts in

Lane County, OR Lane County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 382,971, making it the fourth-most populous county in Oregon. The county seat is Eugene. It is named in honor of Joseph Lane, Orego ...

to two years and four months in prison with two years and eight months of probation.

Mixed martial arts record

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Lyle Beerbohm Lyle Beerbohm (born February 5, 1979) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2007 until 2013, he fought for Strikeforce, the World Series of Fighting, EliteXC, and King of the Cage. Mixed martia ...

, Submission (injury) , EWC 3: Capitol Invasion , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:42 , align=center,

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–6 , Will Shutt , Submission (rear-naked choke) , SF 20: Homecoming , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A , align=center,

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

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Vítor Ribeiro Vítor de Souza Ribeiro (born February 24, 1979 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2001, he has formerly compet ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , Cage Rage 12 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:13 , align=center, London, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–5 ,

Sean Sherk Sean Keith Sherk (born August 5, 1973) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former UFC Lightweight Champion. Sherk competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and was one of the first combatants to have been a championship competitor ...

, TKO (punches) , Extreme Challenge 58 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:52 , align=center,

Medina, Minnesota Medina is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. An outer edge suburb of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, the city has a primarily rural character, with agricultural lands and natural preservation areas. Medina is home to the corporate hea ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–4 , Jean Silva , Submission (triangle choke) , Cage Rage 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, N/A , align=center, London, England , For the vacant Cage Rage World Lightweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 , Dave Elliot , Submission (twister) , Cage Warriors 7: Showdown , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:48 , align=center,

Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 7–3 , Pat Carr , Submission (rear-naked choke) , XFC 2: The Perfect Storm , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 4:53 , align=center,

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–3 ,

Josh Thomson Joshua Joseph Thomson (born September 21, 1977) is an American mixed martial arts podcaster, commentator, analyst and former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2001, Thomson has competed in Bellator MMA, PRIDE, Strikeforce, U ...

, KO (punches) ,

UFC 44 ''UFC 44: Undisputed'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 26, 2003, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in the United States, ...

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2 , Jean Silva , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Cage Rage 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A , align=center,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, Won the vacant Cage Rage World Lightweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 , Carmelo Serrato , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Ultimate Cage Fighting 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A , align=center,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–2 , Charles Bennett , TKO (submission to punches) , GC 7: Casualties of War , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:40 , align=center, Colusa, California, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Noah Shinable , TKO (cut) , GC 6: Caged Beasts , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:23 , align=center,

Colusa, California Colusa is a city and county seat of Colusa County, California, located in the Sacramento Valley region of the Central Valley. The population was 5,971 at the 2010 census, up from 5,402 at the 2000 census. Colusi originates from the local Coru N ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Aaron Anderson , Submission (triangle choke) , GC 5: Rumble in the Rockies , , align=center, N/A , align=center, N/A , align=center,

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Mike Meto , Submission (armbar) , Kage Kombat , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:52 , align=center,

San Pedro, Los Angeles San Pedro ( ; Spanish: " St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...

, California, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–1 ,

Eiji Mitsuoka is a retired Japanese professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2001 until 2012, Mitsuoka fought for the UFC, DREAM, World Victory Road, PRIDE, Shooto, Cage Force, DEEP and King of the Cage promotions. Mitsuoka's nickna ...

, TKO (submission to punches) , KOTC 9: Showtime , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:23 , align=center,

San Jacinto, California San Jacinto ( ; ; Spanish for " St. Hyacinth") is a city in Riverside County, California. It is located at the north end of the San Jacinto Valley, with Hemet to its south and Beaumont, California, to its north. The mountains associated with the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Aaron Herring , Submission (armbar) , Bushido 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:54 , align=center,

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of To ...

, Japan ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Strebendt, Gerald American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Living people People from Coos Bay, Oregon American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu 1979 births United States Marines Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters