Mariusz Ryszard Linke (31 July 1969 – 30 May 2022) was a Polish 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, incorpo ...
and
grappler
Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a Grappling position, position or causing ...
.
Career
He was most notable for being the first Polish born black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the highest ranking active Polish judoka and BJJ practitioner in both mixed martial arts and grappling, and one of the most decorated grapplers in Poland. He was also the first Polish grappler to travel to Brazil and receive training under a Gracie trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Linke notably competed in the European Championship,
NAGA
Naga or NAGA may refer to:
Mythology
* Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions
* Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata''
* Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...
,
Grapplers Quest
Grapplers Quest is an organization mainly concerned with the promotion of Grappling (submission wrestling) and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. Founded in 1998 by Brian Cimins, Grapplers Quest hosts competitions of various division, age, and wei ...
, ADCC, and the Pan American Games. Linke was in talks with top Polish promotion
Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki
Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (English: ''Martial Arts Confrontation'') better known by its initials KSW, is widely considered to be the premiere mixed martial arts organization in Poland and one of the leading in Europe.
History
Martin Lewandowsk ...
to negotiate a two-fight contract to close out his mixed martial arts career by the end of 2015, Linke stated despite retiring from fighting he would still continue his grappling career.
Death
On May 30, 2022 Linke died after contracting a staphylococcal infection earlier in the year, the bacterial infection later spread into his bloodstream and attached to his heart valves causing Linke to develop
infective endocarditis
Infective endocarditis is an infection of the inner surface of the heart, usually the valves. Signs and symptoms may include fever, small areas of bleeding into the skin, heart murmur, feeling tired, and low red blood cell count. Complications ...
Mariusz received his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under former
Strikeforce
Strike Force may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Games
* ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game
*'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game
*'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game
*''Marvel Strike Force'', ...
fighter, coach and fight promoter
Jorge Patino
Jorge Luis Patino (born May 8, 1973) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 1995, Patino has formerly competed in the UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce, ...
, Linke also had two training stints with current
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 ...
fighter
Cristiano Marcello
Cristiano Marcello da Silva (born December 3, 1977) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist and former Chute Boxe BJJ head coach who formerly fought for the UFC. Cristiano competed in the Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship in 1998, 19 ...
during his stay in Brazil between 2001 and 2003 and again in 2005. Linke's nickname "Manolo" was taken from the movie Scarface, his personal friends said that Linke was really laid back and looked and acted like the character Manolo Ribera, played by Steven Bauer.
Linke was part of the BJJ lineage that began with the creator Mitsuyo Maeda and was later passed on to one of the founding instructors of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil,
Carlos Gracie
Carlos Gracie (September 14, 1902October 7, 1994) was a Brazilian martial artist who is credited with being one of the primary developers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Along with his younger brother Hélio Gracie and fellow students Luis França an ...
.
Linke was one of very few BJJ practitioners to start at white belt and skip blue to purple, his instructors
Jorge Patino
Jorge Luis Patino (born May 8, 1973) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 1995, Patino has formerly competed in the UFC, PRIDE, Strikeforce, ...
and
Cristiano Marcello
Cristiano Marcello da Silva (born December 3, 1977) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist and former Chute Boxe BJJ head coach who formerly fought for the UFC. Cristiano competed in the Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship in 1998, 19 ...
mutually decided to skip Linke from white to purple in late 2002 due to his extensive Judo background, this skip in rank is a very rare occurrence and was the first person under Jorge Patino and first BJJ practitioner to join Chute Boxe Academy to do so.
Linke was also known for his outlandish appearance, covered in numerous tattoos and coloring his nails and hair to distract other fighters.
Maruisz produced the most black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Poland, as of 2017 he promoted 43 black belts in BJJ, 77 brown belts and over 200 purple belts.
After winning his gold medal at the
Pan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship
Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship is a no-gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament held annually by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF).
List of Pan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Champions in Adult Male Black Belt division, by Year and We ...
in 2015 Linke became the unofficial record breaking holder for most medals won in professional grappling and contact sports as a Polish competitor.
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.BaranLukasz Baran
, TKO (punches)
, IFC - Tsunami Tournament 1
,
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Debrzno
Debrzno (historically: ''Frydląd Pomorski''; , ''Fréląd'', or ''Frëdląd''; formerly german: Preußisch Friedland) is a town in Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. As of December 2021, the town has a population of 4,983.
History
The first men ...
Pila
Pila may refer to:
Architecture
* Pila (architecture), a type of veranda in Sri Lankan farm houses
Places
*Pila, Buenos Aires, a town in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
*Pila Partido, a country subdivision in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
* ...
Siemiatycze
Siemiatycze ( uk, Сім'ятичі ''Simiatychi'', be, Сямятычы ''Siamiatyčy'') is a town in eastern Poland, with 15,209 inhabitants (2004). It is situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (since 1999); previously it was in Białystok V ...