Rory Michael Singer (born May 28, 1976) is an American

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 ...

and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt. Although Rory had made a name for himself as a 185-pound prospect; his big break came after meeting the producers of TUF. They were filming

Forrest Griffin Forrest Griffin (born July 1, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013 and currently serves as the Vice President of Athlete Development at the ...

at The HardCore Gym for his fight against

Stephan Bonnar Stephan Patrick Bonnar (April 4, 1977 – December 22, 2022) was an American mixed martial artist. Bonnar competed as a Light Heavyweight in the UFC for most of his career. Bonnar was the runner-up on The Ultimate Fighter 1, his TUF Ultimate Fi ...

in the finals of season 1. Forrest went on to win Season 1 and Rory was approached soon after to appear on Season 3.

Mixed martial arts career

Singer has a background in many different styles of fighting, being involved in

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

since he was 11 years old. He was taught

kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...

by his brother and then added

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

Taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...

, and other traditional

. He wrestled in high school, and is a former local

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nation ...

and

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

champion. Singer is also a Black Belt in

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

. He is the co-owner of the noted MMA Gym SBG Athens along with his brother and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Adam Singer. The HardCore Gym had produced such fighters as

and Brian Bowles. Singer's MMA career includes fighting for several local organizations as well as the AFC,

KOTC King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...

PRIDE Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...

and 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 ...

. He gained fame from his appearance on

Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles. The channel was o ...

's series ''

The Ultimate Fighter 3 ''The Ultimate Fighter 3'' was the third season of the mixed martial arts reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. It premiered on April 6, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of '' Ultimate Fight Night 4''. The season featured sixte ...

, making it to the semi-finals where he would lose to Ed Herman.'' After a 5-year break from MMA, Singer was scheduled to fight

Lodune Sincaid Lodune Ki Sincaid (May 7, 1973 – April 7, 2019) was an American professional mixed martial artist. He was WEC Light Heavyweight Champion in 2006, and was featured on the UFC's ''The Ultimate Fighter 1'' reality show, losing to Bobby Southwo ...

on September 26, 2014. However, Sincaid was pulled from the fight due to suspension by the California State Athletic Commission. Singer currently resides in Athens, Georgia, where he coaches BJJ, MMA, and Youth Martial Arts for people of all walks of life.

Personal life

Singer married in August 2008. Singer is

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. He attended the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

where he earned a degree in

biological engineering Biological engineering or bioengineering is the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically-viable products. Biological engineering employs knowledge and expertise from a number o ...

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 11–9 , Bryan Baker , TKO (punches) ,

MFC 20 ''MFC 20: Destined for Greatness'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) on February 20th, 2009 in Enoch, Alberta. Fight Card See also * Maximum Fighting Championship * List of Maximum Fight ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:56 ,

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchor ...

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Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–7 ,

Jason MacDonald Jason Anthony MacDonald (born June 3, 1975) is a Canadian former mixed martial artist. A professional from 1999 until 2013, he is perhaps best remembered for his two stints in the UFC, but also fought for King of the Cage, and the Maximum Fight ...

, TKO (punches) ,

UFC 72 ''UFC 72: Victory'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event took place Saturday, 16 June 2007 at The Odyssey in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Background ''UFC 72'' continued the UFC's expansion into Eu ...

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:18 ,

Belfast, Northern Ireland Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, , - , Win , align=center, 11–6 , Matt Masterson , Decision (unanimous) , Wild Bill's Fight Night 8 (

ISKA The ISKA (originally International Sport Karate Association, later also called the International Sport Kickboxing Association) is one of the major international bodies regulating sport karate and kickboxing matches, and is based in the United ...

) , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–6 ,

Yushin Okami is a Japanese mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2002, Okami has competed for the UFC, PRIDE, Pancrase, M-1 Global, World Series of Fighting, DEEP, Professional Fighters League, and ONE Championship. Mixed martial arts caree ...

, Submission (punches) , UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:03 ,

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, 10–5 ,

Josh Haynes Joshua Lee Haynes (born July 30, 1977) is an American former mixed martial artist. He fought out of Las Vegas, Nevada, with Xtreme Couture where he was also a coach. His MMA record is 17 wins, 11 losses. He was also a contestant on the third sea ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, 9–5 ,

Ross Pointon ''The Ultimate Fighter 3'' was the third season of the mixed martial arts reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. It premiered on April 6, 2006, immediately after the conclusion of '' Ultimate Fight Night 4''. The season featured sixte ...

, Submission (triangle choke) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Ortiz vs. Team Shamrock Finale , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:44 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–5 , Josh Tamsen , Submission (triangle choke) , Full Throttle 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:23 ,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, U.S. , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–5 ,

Dennis Hallman Dennis Lloyd Hallman (born December 2, 1975) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed from 1996 to 2015. A veteran of 75 fights, he competed in various promotions including the UFC, Strikeforce, IFL, the World Series o ...

, Submission (rear naked choke) , Absolute Fighting Champions 11 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–4 , Jason Hathaway , Submission (rear naked choke) , ISCF: Domination at the DAC , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:06 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–4 , Diego Vitosky , Submission (rear naked choke) , Absolute Fighting Championships 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:58 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–4 ,

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 ...

, KO (knee) , KOTC 32: Bringing Heat , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:55 ,

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–4 , James Wakefield , Submission (armbar) , ISCF: Anarchy in August , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–4 , Ted Govola , Decision (split) , Hardcore Fighting Championships 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, N/A ,

Revere, Massachusetts Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately from Downtown Crossing, downtown Boston. Founded as North Chelsea in 1846, it was renamed in 1871 after the American Revolutionary War Patriot (American Re ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–3 ,

Daijiro Matsui is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. A professional MMA competitor since 1998, he has competed for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Cage Rage, DEEP, Pancrase, and King of the Cage. Professional wrestling career Afte ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Pride FC: The Best, Vol. 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Tokyo, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–2 , Dustin Denes , Submission (armlock) , WEFC 1: Bring It On , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:42 ,

Marietta, Georgia Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Cobb County, Georgia, United States. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 60,972. The 2019 estimate was 60,867, making it one of Atlanta's largest suburbs. Marietta is the fourth largest ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Kelly Williams , TKO (submission to strikes) , ISCF: Battle at the Brewery , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:54 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 , Scott Shipman , Decision (unanimous) , RSF 7: Animal Instinct , , align=center, 3 , align=center, N/A ,

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Butch Bacon , Decision (unanimous) , RSF 6: Mayhem in Myers , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Ludwig Strydom , Submission (triangle choke) , Pride and Honor , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:16 , South Africa ,

References

External links