Stephen Richard Berger (born May 20, 1973)Mixed Martial Arts show results date: June 22, 2002
/ref> 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, incorpo ...

who competed in the

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

division. Berger is probably best known for fighting in 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 ...

, most notably participating in the first mixed martial arts fight aired on US cable television against

Robbie Lawler Robert Lawler (born March 20, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist who has been competing since 2001. He is the former UFC Welterweight Champion, former EliteXC Middleweight Champion, and has formerly competed in Strikeforc ...

at UFC 37.5.

Background

Berger was born and raised in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

. According to him, he had serious

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

that he tried to relieve by getting into fights in his youth. Berger wrestled in high school, and started

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

at the age of 17. After having boxing for a few years, Berger picked up

judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...

and Brazilian jiu-jitsu as well.

Personal life

Berger and his wife have a son.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 20–23–2 (2) , Scott Cleve , Submission (guillotine choke) , CC 37 - Cage Championships 37 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:02 ,

Washington, Missouri Washington is a city on the south banks of the Missouri River, 50 miles west of St. Louis, Missouri, and the largest in Franklin County, Missouri, United States. The estimated population in July 2021 was 14,916, an increase of 7% since the 2010 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–22–2 (2) , Chris Tickle , TKO (punches) , PCL - Cage Madness , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:56 ,

Glen Carbon, Illinois Glen Carbon is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States, northeast of St. Louis. The population was 13,842 at the 2020 census. History In 1801, Colonel Samuel Judy received a military grant for of land near the base of the bluffs, ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 20–21–2 (2) , Ferrid Kheder , TKO (punches) , Mixed Fight League 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:26 ,

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 20–20–2 (2) , Sal Woods , Submission (guillotine choke) , Premier Combat League 1: Bad Intentions , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:13 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–20–2 (2) ,

Waylon Lowe Michael Waylon Lowe (born October 31, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he has competed for the UFC, Bellator MMA, and the World Series of Fig ...

, KO (punches) , KOTC: Bad Boys II , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:18 ,

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–19–2 (2) , Ryan Scheeper , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Take That Promotions: Warriors Collide , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:10 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–19–2 (2) , Ray Steinbeiss , Decision (unanimous) , Evolution MMA , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–18–2 (2) , Eddy Ellis , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: At The Dome , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Pa ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–17–2 (2) , Diego Gonzalez , Decision (unanimous) , Bodog Fight - Vancouver , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 18–16–2 (2) , Piotr Jakaczynski , Decision (split) , Bodog Fight - Costa Rica , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Costa Rica , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–16–2 (2) ,

Jorge Masvidal Jorge Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Masvidal has been competing professionally since 2003; h ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Bodog Fight - St. Petersburg , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–15–2 (2) ,

Jake Shields Jake Sequoyah Shields (born January 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist and submission grappler. He was the last Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion, the only Elite XC Welterweight Champion, a former Shooto Welterweight ...

, TKO (punches) , FCP: Malice at Cow Palace , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:36 , Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA. , , - , Loss , align=center, 17–14–2 (2) , Victor Moreno , TKO (doctor stoppage) , Diesel Fighting Championships 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:00 ,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–13–2 (2) , Mark Long , TKO (punches) , TFC 4: Memorial Mayhem , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:38 ,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–13–2 (2) , Nuri Shakur , Decision (unanimous) , APEX: Undisputed , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–12–2 (2) ,

Heath Sims Heath Sims (born October 14, 1971) is an American mixed martial artist, Olympic wrestler and MMA trainer. He is a long time training partner of Dan Henderson and a highly respected MMA coach who was the wrestling instructor for the US team on T ...

, TKO (cut) , SF 9: Respect , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:23 ,

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–11–2 (2) ,

Keith Wisniewski Keith Wisniewski (born October 25, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. He has competed for the UFC, IFL, M-1 Global, Ironheart Crown, and BodogFIGHT. Mixed martial arts career ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Combat - Do Fighting Challenge 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–10–2 (2) , Fritz Paul , Submission (punches) , APEX: Genesis , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:46 ,

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–10–2 (2) , Phil Johns , Decision , RSF - Shooto Challenge 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–9–2 (2) ,

Din Thomas Din Yero Thomas (born September 28, 1976) is an American former mixed martial artist who was featured on '' The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback''. In the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Thomas is a UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament Semifinalist. H ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Absolute Fighting Championships 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–8–2 (2) , Nuri Shakur , Submission (guillotine choke) , USMMA 2: Ring of Fury , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:59 ,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–8–2 (2) ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC 37.5 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:27 ,

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 14–7–2 (2) ,

Benji Radach Benji Russell Radach (born April 5, 1979) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the middleweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2001, Radach has also formerly competed for the UFC, th ...

, No Contest (Overturned by State Commission) ,

UFC 37 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 ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:27 ,

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, United States , Radach was declared the winner by TKO at 0:27 of the first round, but the fight was later ruled a No Contest by the Louisiana State Athletic Commission , - , Win , align=center, 14–7–2 (1) ,

Pete Spratt Aaron Dewain "Pete" Spratt (born January 9, 1971) is a former American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 1999, Spratt has formerly competed for the UFC, the MFC, Legacy ...

, TKO (cut) , UA 1: The Genesis , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:14 ,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–7–2 (1) ,

Chris Brennan Chris "The Westside Strangler" Brennan (born October 12, 1971) is an American mixed martial artist who last competed in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor from 1996 until 2012, he competed for the UFC, PRIDE, Cage Rage, King o ...

, Decision (unanimous) , KOTC 11 - Domination , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–6–2 (1) ,

Seichi Ikemoto is a Japanese mixed martial artist. He is a veteran of Shooto, PRIDE and DEEP. His specialty is a "double punch", in which he puts his hands together and throws them at his opponent. Biography and career Ikemoto is a former holder of the DEE ...

, Submission (triangle/armbar) , Shooto - To The Top 7 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:09 ,

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–6–2 (1) ,

Tony DeSouza Anton Nicolas de Souza (born July 26, 1974) is a Peruvian professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Biography and career His style of fighting is a blend of freestyle wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. De Souza compe ...

, Decision (unanimous) ,

UFC 31 ''UFC 31: Locked and Loaded '' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey on May 4, 2001. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and late ...

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

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–5–2 (1) , Nick Cardenez , Submission (armbar) , TPA - Tom Proctor's Absolute , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:10 , United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–5–2 (1) , Karl Schmidt , TKO (cut) , Reality Submission Fighting 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 22:38 , Belleville, Illinois, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–4–2 (1) ,

Rich Clementi Richard Thomas Clementi (born March 31, 1977) is a former American mixed martial artist. Clementi has fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championships, Bellator, K-1 Hero's DREAM, King of the Cage, and Titan FC. Background Clementi was born in ...

, Submission (armbar) , Dangerzone - Insane In Ft. Wayne , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:14 ,

Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 10–4–2 (1) , Jutaro Nakao , Draw , HOOKnSHOOT: Fusion , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–4–1 (1) , Riley McIlhon , Submission (armbar) , rowspan=2, Reality Submission Fighting 1 , rowspan=2, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:12 , rowspan=2, Belleville, Illinois, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–4–1 (1) ,

Shonie Carter Mearion Shonie Bickhem III (born May 3, 1972), better known as Shonie Carter, is an American mixed martial artist. He is a former WEC Welterweight Champion, a UFC veteran, and a contestant on ''The Ultimate Fighter 4'' reality show. He has als ...

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:41 , , - , Win , align=center, 8–4–1 (1) , Brian Geraghty , Submission (armbar) , Submission Fighting Championships 11 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:01 ,

Collinsville, Illinois Collinsville is a city located mainly in Madison County, and partially in St. Clair County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 25,579, an increase from 24,707 in 2000. Collinsville is approximately from St. Louis, Mi ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–4–1 (1) , Aaron Riley , Decision , HOOKnSHOOT: Triumph , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–3–1 (1) ,

Jason Black Jason Douglas Black (born August 15, 1972) is an American retired mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight and welterweight divisions. He is a veteran of the King of the Cage, UFC, and PRIDE Fighting Championships organizations, a ...

, Decision (split) , Extreme Challenge 32 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 15:00 , Springfield, Illinois, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 7–2–1 (1) , Andy Sanders , Draw , HOOKnSHOOT - Double Fury 2 , , align=center, N/A , ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2 (1) ,

Shannon Ritch Shannon Grey Ritch (born September 27, 1970) is an American professional mixed martial artist, boxer, grappler, professional wrestler and kickboxer. In mixed martial arts competition he is the former King of the Cage Middleweight Champion and th ...

, Submission (guillotine) , Submission Fighting Championships 9 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:30 , Belleville, Illinois, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2 (1) , Jason Glabus , Decision , rowspan=2, Ironheart Crown 1 - Genesis , rowspan=2, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:00 , rowspan=2,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 (1) ,

, Decision (split) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:00 , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–2 (1) , Ben Harrison , Decision , HOOKnSHOOT: Beyond , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 15:00 , , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 (1) , James Wade , Submission (triangle choke) , Submission Fighting Championships 8 , , align=center, 1 , , Belleville, Illinois, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–1 (1) ,

Jeremy Horn Jeremy Graham Horn (born August 25, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist. Horn is best known for fighting in smaller American promotions, he has also competed in some of the premiere mixed martial arts organizations around the world, inclu ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Submission Fighting Championships 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 24:00 , Belleville, Illinois, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 3–0 (1) , Greg James , No Contest , rowspan=2, UCC - Universal Challenge Championship , rowspan=2, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:38 , rowspan=2, , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , David Beason , Submission (front choke) , align=center, 1 , align=center, 8:58 , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , James Wade , Decision , Submission Fighting Championships 2 , , align=center, N/A , ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Ryan McBride , Submission (armbar) , Submission Fighting Championships 1 , , align=center, N/A , ,

, United States ,

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, Steve 1973 births Living people American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Missouri Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters