Tom Niinimäki (born July 25, 1982) is a Finnish 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 formerly competed in the

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship 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 ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Niinimäki began training in

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 ...

at the age of 15, and

mixed martial arts 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, inc ...

at 19. He made his professional MMA debut in October 2002 in his native Finland. He assembled an impressive record of 9-2 in the first two years of competition, with all but one of his wins coming by way of submission or TKO. Beginning in 2005, Niinimäki hit a rough patch where he lost three fights in a row. After one more win in 2007, he retired from competition, saying that he had "lost his fire" to compete. After a two and a half year hiatus, Niinimäki returned to the sport in February 2010. Since his return he has been unbeaten and maintained an 11-fight winning streak before signing with the

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Niinimäki made his promotional debut against

Rani Yahya Rani Ahmad Yahya (born September 12, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and BJJ practitioner. He won the 66 kg division of the prestigious ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in April 2007. He currently fights in t ...

on November 30, 2013 at

The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate'' (also known as ''The Ultimate Fighter 18'') is the eighteenth U.S.-based installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. Th ...

. He won the fight via split decision. Niinimäki was expected to face

Thiago Tavares Thiago de Mello Tavares (born November 8, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and politician who most recently competed in the Lightweight division. An 18-fight veteran of the UFC, he has also fought in the Professional Fighters League and ...

on May 31, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 41 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 ...

. However, on May 14, Tavares pulled out of the fight due to thigh injury and was replaced by

Niklas Bäckström Niklas Oskar Bäckström (; born 13 February 1978) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender and current goaltending coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He played ten seasons for the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames in the Nation ...

. Niinimäki lost the back-and-forth fight in the first round by submission. Niinimäki next faced

Chas Skelly Chas Lucas Skelly (born May 11, 1985) is an American retired mixed martial artist who competed in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2009, he has also competed for Bellator MMA and Legacy Fighti ...

on August 23, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 49 ''UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 49'') was a mixed martial arts event held on August 23, 2014, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Background The event was headlined by Lightweight contenders Benson ...

. He lost the fight via submission in the first round. On November 7, 2014 Niinimäki announced that he had signed a new four-fight contract with UFC. Niinimäki was expected to face

Rony Jason Rony Mariano Bezerra (born March 21, 1984), better known as Rony Jason, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, B ...

on December 20, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 58 ''UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 58'') was a mixed martial arts event held at the Ginásio José Corrêa in Barueri, Brazil on December 20, 2014. Background The event was the second that the UFC has hoste ...

. However, Jason pulled out of the bout on December 10 and was replaced by promotional newcomer

Renato Moicano Renato Alves Carneiro better known as Renato Moicano (born May 21, 1989) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2010, Moicano made a ...

. Niinimäki lost the bout via submission in the second round. On January 27, 2015, MMAFighting.com reported that Niinimäki had been released from his UFC contract along with four other fighters.

Post-UFC career

In late April 2016, Niinimäki was announced as one of the fighters that had signed on with new

European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

promotion European Fighting Challenge.

Personal life

Before moving to

Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...

, Niinimäki lived his entire life in

Turku Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...

, Finland and worked as a bouncer in several nightclubs.

Management and sponsors

In the early 2012, Niinimäki signed a two-year management contract with Authentic Sports Management. After closing the deal, the management rapidly sent Niinimäki to train at Imperial Athletics gym with a mixed martial arts group later known as

Blackzilians The Blackzilians was a professional team of fighters in mixed martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, amateur wrestling and catch wrestling located in South Florida. The team had included former UFC champions Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Eddie Alvarez ...

. In January 2014, Niinimäki moved to Florida to be able to continue training with Blackzilians at Jaco Hybrid Training Center. In May 2014, online gambling company

Unibet Unibet provides a platform for sports betting, online casino, bingo and online poker to over 11 million customers in over 100 countries. Unibet is a part of Kindred Group–an online gambling operator which consists of 11 brands along with Maria Ca ...

announced a sponsor deal with Niinimäki.

Championships and accomplishments

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 ...

International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

**2011: 1st place - European Championships Grappling No Gi (155 lbs) **2011: 3rd place - European Championships Grappling No Gi (165 lbs) **2010: 3rd place - European Championships Grappling No Gi (155 lbs) **2010: 1st place - European Championships Combat Grappling (155 lbs)

Mixed martial arts

*Cage **Featherweight Champion *TurkuFight **Featherweight Champion *Nordic MMA Awards - MMAviking.com **2013 Fighter of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 22–8–1 ,

Jonathan Brookins Jonathan Quinn Brookins (born August 13, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist who competed as a featherweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, Brookins has mostly fought in Florida, as well as ...

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Espoo Espoo (, ; sv, Esbo) is a city and municipality in the region of Uusimaa in the Republic of Finland. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordering the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, Kirkkonummi, Vihti and Nurmijärvi ...

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Barueri Barueri ( or ) is a Brazilian municipality in the State of São Paulo located in the northwestern part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The population is 276,982 (2020 est.) in an area of . Its boundaries are Santana de Parnaíba to th ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–7–1 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:35 ,

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–6–1 ,

, Submission (bulldog choke) , UFC Fight Night: Munoz vs. Mousasi , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:15 ,

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, Germany , , - , Win , align=center, 21–5–1 ,

, Decision (split) ,

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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, 20–5–1 ,

Walel Watson Walel Watson (born July 17, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist. A professional since 2008, he has fought in the UFC, Titan FC, and Tachi Palace Fights. MMA career Watson made his professional debut in 2008 for MMA Xtreme in Mexico at the a ...

, Submission (kimura) , Cage 23 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:52 ,

Vantaa Vantaa (; sv, Vanda, ) is a city and Municipalities of Finland, municipality in Finland. It is part of the inner core of the Greater Helsinki, Finnish Capital Region along with Helsinki, Espoo, and Kauniainen. With a population of (), Vantaa i ...

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 19–5–1 ,

Chase Beebe Chase Beebe (born March 29, 1985) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist from Chicago, Illinois. He most recently fought for the World Extreme Cagefighting organization, where he was the Bantamweight Champion. He lost that belt ...

, Decision (unanimous) , Cage 22 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 18–5–1 , Vladimir Karasiov , Submission (guillotine choke) , Cage 20: Northern Storm 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:31 ,

Oulu Oulu ( , ; sv, Uleåborg ) is a city, municipality and a seaside resort of about 210,000 inhabitants in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the most populous city in northern Finland and the fifth most populous in the country after: ...

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 17–5–1 , Brian Pearman , Submission (rear-naked choke) , TFC 23: Fight for the Troops , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:48 ,

Fort Riley, Kansas Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Gear ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–5–1 , Johnny Frachey , KO (punch) , Cage 16: 1st Defense , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:09 ,

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5–1 , Sergej Grecicho , Decision (unanimous) , Cage 14: All Stars , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5–1 , Dave Hill , Decision (unanimous) , TF 2: Champions are Here , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 13–5–1 , Ben Boekee , Submission (kimura) , Cage 13: Spring Break , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:47 ,

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 12–5–1 , Yunus Evloev , Submission (kimura) , TF: Resurrection , , align=center, 1 , align=center, ,

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 11–5–1 , Lautaro Arborelo , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Cage 12: Champions are Born , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:26 ,

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, , Bogdan Cristea , Decision (unanimous) , CW 7: Scotland The Brave , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, Scotland , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–5–1 , Tristan Yunker , Submission (rear-naked choke) , IHC 11: Apocalypse , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:34 ,

, Finland , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–4–1 ,

Hatsu Hioki (, born July 18, 1983) is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist competing in the featherweight division. He is the former Shooto Lightweight Champion, Sengoku Featherweight Champion, and TKO Featherweight Champion. Hioki is a long time ...

, Technical Submission (armbar) , Shooto 2005: 11/6 in Korakuen Hall , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:03 ,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–3–1 , Danny Batten , Decision (majority) , CWFC: Strike Force 2 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...

, England , , - , Draw , align=center, 9–2–1 ,

Bendy Casimir Bendy Casimir (born June 10, 1980) is a French professional Lightweight mixed martial artist. He has competed for the WEC and M-1 Global. WEC career He made his WEC debut against Ricardo Lamas on March 6, 2010 at WEC 47, losing via first-round ...

, Draw , Shooto Sweden: Second Impact , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Andre Soares , Decision (unanimous) , Cage Warriors 9: Xtreme Xmas , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 , Patrick Rahael , TKO , FF 8: FinnFight 8 , , align=center, , align=center, ,

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2 , Vincent Latoel , TKO , Shooto Finland: Ragnarok , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:25 ,

Tampere Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city in the Pirkanmaa region, located in the western part of Finland. Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. It has a population of 244,029; the urban area has a population o ...

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2 , Carlos Carrasco , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Shooto: Switzerland 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, , Zurich, Switzerland , , - , Win , align=center, 5–2 , Vincent Latoel , Submission (triangle Choke) , Shooto Finland: Capital Punishment 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:03 ,

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 4–2 , Ville Honkala , TKO , FF 7: FinnFight 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 8:39 ,

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 , Teemu Nurkkala , TKO (injury) , FF 7: FinnFight 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:15 ,

, Finland , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–2 , Mikael Lahdesmaki , Decision (unanimous) , Shooto Finland: Capital Punishment , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Finland , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 ,

Per Eklund Per Torsten Eklund (born 21 June 1946) is a Swedish Rally and Rallycross driver. His nickname is "Pekka". In rallying he never made it to the very top but he has been very successful in his later rallycross career. Biography Saab works dr ...

, TKO (punches) , FF 6: FinnFight 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:53 ,

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Janne Salminen , KO (knees) , FF 6: FinnFight 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:32 ,

, Finland , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Mikael Lahdesmaki , TKO (corner stoppage) , Shooto Finland: The First Time , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Finland ,

References

External links

*
Facebook pageTom Niinimäki on TwitterUFC ProfileFight Matrix RankingProfile on Sherdog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Niinimaki, Tom 1982 births Living people Featherweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Finnish male mixed martial artists Finnish practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Finnish submission wrestlers Finnish male sport wrestlers Sportspeople from Turku Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters