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Benny Urquidez (born June 20, 1952) is an American
kickboxer Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and 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 practiced for self-defense, general ...
,
martial arts choreographer Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet pr ...
and actor. Nicknamed "The Jet", Urquidez was a non-contact
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 ...
competitor who later pioneered
full-contact Contact sports are sports that emphasize or require physical contact between players. Some sports, such as mixed martial arts, are scored on impacting an opponent, while others, including rugby football, gridiron football and Australian rules foot ...
fighting in the United States. He made the transition from point to full-contact karate in 1974, the year of its inception in the US, frequently fighting in bouts where the rules were ambiguous and contrasts in styles were dramatic. Urquidez is also known for once holding the rare achievement of six world titles in five different weight divisions, and remained largely undefeated in his 27-year career. His only loss came in a
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 ...
match which was shrouded in controversy, as Urquidez had only agreed to a no-decision exhibition, a clause which was ignored when the fight had ended. Between 1974 and 1993, he amassed a documented professional record of 49–1–1 (win-loss-draw) with 35 knockouts and two controversial no-contests, although he is also supposed to have an additional record of 10–0–1 (10 KOs) in undocumented professional fights, making a total of 59–1–2–2 (45 KOs). However, sources vary with ''Ratings'' listing Urquidez as 63–0–1, (57 knockouts) and on his own official webpage, Urquidez lists his fight record as 200–0, and says he was 63–0, with 57 knockouts in title defenses. Also, he claims to have been undefeated in the "Adult Black Belt Division" prior to entering full-contact karate. ''
Black Belt Black Belt may refer to: Martial arts * Black belt (martial arts), an indication of attainment of expertise in martial arts * ''Black Belt'' (magazine), a magazine covering martial arts news, technique, and notable individuals Places * Black B ...
'' magazine voted Urquidez "Competitor of the Year" in 1978. He has appeared in occasional acting roles, including the Jackie Chan movies '' Wheels on Meals'' (1984) and '' Dragons Forever'' (1988), and played a hitman in George Armitage's '' Grosse Pointe Blank'' (1997).


Early life, family and education

Urquidez was born in
Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...
, the son of a Wrestling mother and a Boxing father. His parents are of Spanish-Mexican and Blackfoot Indian ancestry. Benny began competing in 1958, at the age of five, in "peewee" boxing and wrestling in Los Angeles. His martial arts instruction started when he was seven years old; his first formal teacher was
Bill Ryusaki , nationality = People of the United States, American , birth_date = , birth_place = Kamuela, Hawaii, US Torazo Ryusaki held black belts in both Kodokan Judo and Shotokan Karate, and made it mandatory that all of his sons train in ...
. Urquidez received his
black belt Black Belt may refer to: Martial arts * Black belt (martial arts), an indication of attainment of expertise in martial arts * ''Black Belt'' (magazine), a magazine covering martial arts news, technique, and notable individuals Places * Black B ...
at the age of 14, a highly unusual feat in the 1960s. His siblings also achieved the rank of black belt. His sister Lilly Rodriguez was a pioneer in kickboxing for women, and their late brother Reuben Urquidez appeared with Benny in a documentary on the combination martial art budojujitsu.


Career

At the age of 12, Urqidez attended the Long Beach International Karate Championships in 1964. He witnessed a demonstration by
Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...
, including the one-inch punch which sent a 245-pound man flying back. This demonstration by Lee inspired a young Urqidez to start entering martial arts tournaments. He entered the point circuit in 1964 and earned a reputation as a colorful fighter. At the 1972 Santa Monica Kempo Open, Urquidez lost in the finals to Brian Strian. In the 1973 Internationals, he fought John Natividad in what is considered one of the greatest non-contact bouts in history. In an unprecedented 25-point overtime match, Natividad won the match 13–12, receiving the Grand Title and the $2,500 purse. In May 1974, at the PAWAK Tournament, Urquidez lost a 4–1 decision to Joe Lewis. He also competed in England and Belgium as a member of
Ed Parker Edmund Kealoha Parker (March 19, 1931 – December 15, 1990) was an American martial artist, actor, senior grandmaster, and founder of American Kenpo Karate. Life Born in Hawaii, Parker began training in Judo at an early age and later studied ...
's 1974 US team. Also in 1974, he began his move away from the non-contact style by entering and winning the World Series of Martial Arts Championship, effectively a tough-man contest with few rules. Over the next two decades, he fought under various kickboxing organizations (NKL, WPKO,
Professional Karate Association The Professional Karate Association (PKA), later Professional Karate & Kickboxing Association, now--effective March 1, 2022 PKA Worldwide--was originally a martial arts sanctioning organization, now transformed into a martial arts promotion compa ...
(PKA), World Kickboxing Association (WKA), AJKBA, Shin-Kakutojutsu Federation, NJPW and MTN) to amass a record of 58 wins with no losses. This undefeated record, though official, is controversial and highly disputed. In 1977, Urquidez traveled to Japan and fought under the WKA's compromise US–Japan rules which included leg kicks and knees to the body. He defeated
Katsuyuki Suzuki Katsuyuki (written: , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese table tennis player *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese racing driver *, Japanese film director ...
by KO in the 6th round (August 1977) as part of the professional wrestling event in which
Antonio Inoki Muhammad Hussain Inoki (born ; February 20, 1943 – October 1, 2022) was a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, politician, and promoter of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. He was best known by the ring name , a homag ...
fought Everett Eddy in what was said to be a wrestler/karate fighter mixed match but was a pre-determined pro wrestling match. The Suzuki fight materialized because the newly formed WKA organization could not compete against the PKA in the US. At the same time, Japanese professional wrestler
Antonio Inoki Muhammad Hussain Inoki (born ; February 20, 1943 – October 1, 2022) was a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, politician, and promoter of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. He was best known by the ring name , a homag ...
, who gained the worldwide fame by fighting
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
in the controversial 1976 boxer/wrestler mixed-match in Japan, had been looking for new opponents for what he called the world martial arts championship series. Eventually, promoter Ron Holmes discovered Everett Eddy for Inoki. By that time, Eddy had been coached by Arnold Urquidez, and lost in a knockout in the 1st round to PKA world heavyweight champion Ross Scott in the previous year. In the same event, Benny Urquidez knocked out Howard Jackson, but soon his lightweight title was stripped by the PKA, and so both Eddy and Urquidez had no action in the US, and had to look for fights overseas. Even though the Inoki/Eddy bout was successful, it was the fight between Urquidez and Suzuki, which shocked Japan, where Japanese kickboxing had been very popular. Though never tested for or achieved any rank in Japanese karate, Urquidez has decided to bestow upon himself the title of '' sensei'', a Japanese honorific term which is given to experts and instructors meaning: "someone who precedes you in knowledge". The All-Japan Kickboxing Association, for which Suzuki had been rated as No. 2, became interested in the American sport of full-contact karate, decided to promote series of mixed-rules bouts between the American full-contact karate fighters and Japanese kickboxers. On November 14, 1977, the AJKF held the first of such event which featured Benny Urquidez, his brother-in-law Blinky Rodriguez, Marc Costello, Brendan Leddy, Tony Lopez, Leonard Galiza and Freddy Avila. Only Benny Urquidez and Costello came out as the winners for the American team. Urquidez's victory over Kunimitsu Okao convinced the Japanese fight fans, and eventually began to be featured as the central figure for what was supposed to be the documentary comic book, ''The Square Ring'', until he declined to avenge his loss against the
Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...
opponent Prayout Sittiboonlert. Urquidez's second loss came in August 1980 in Florida. American Billye Jackson dominated seven rounds including knocking Urquidez down. Urquidez protested the decision and petitioned the WKA's Howard Hansen to classify it as a non-contest. After 1980, Urquidez' ring appearances became less frequent. Between 1981 and 1984 he fought only sporadically. In 1984, he fought
Ivan Sprang Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...
in Amsterdam under modified
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 ...
rules (no elbows), winning by 6th-round TKO. His ring career largely came to a halt after 1985, and he retired after facing
Yoshihisa Tagami Yoshihisa Tagami ( ''Tagami Yoshihisa'', usually written in hiragana ) is a Japanese manga artist. Tagami was born on December 9, 1958, in Komoro, Nagano. He was the older brother of another manga artist, Iku Oyamada, who died in 2016. In 1978, T ...
at the age of 41. Subsequently, Urquidez became devoted to
acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad r ...
, teaching kickboxing and martial arts choreography. Urquidez's late brother Reuben was also a competitive martial artist and actor; they appeared together in a 1982 training video, ''World Of Martial Arts'', along with
Steve Sanders (karate) Sijo Saabir Quwi Muhammad (born Steve Sanders; July 2, 1939) is an American martial artist and police officer. Early life Sanders was born in Indianola, Mississippi on July 2, 1939. He was the youngest of several siblings. As a youth, he learn ...
, Chuck Norris and John Saxon. Van Halen lead singer
David Lee Roth David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1954) is an American rock singer. Best known for his wild, energetic stage persona, he was the original lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen across three stints, from 1974 to 1985, in 1996 and again fro ...
dedicated the band's hit 1984 song " Jump" to Urquidez, of whom Roth was a student. In 2000, Urquidez and
Emil Farkas Emil Farkas (born 1946) is an American martial arts instructor and writer known for his appearances in numerous films and in television shows. Life Farkas was born in Hungary in 1946. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Farkas' father decid ...
founded the Los Angeles Film Fighting Institute, which was one of the first schools of its kind in the United States to teach martial artists the intricacies of stunt work. Urquidez has had training in nine styles: Judo, Kajukenbo, Shotokan, Taekwondo,
Lima Lama Limalama is a Polynesian art of self-defense, created and founded by Tu’umamao "Tino" Tuiolosega (1931–2011). Tuiolosega created the word "Limalama" as a portmanteau derived from the Samoan language words ''lima'' (hand) and ''malamalama'' (und ...
, White Crane Kung Fu, Jujutsu, Aikido and
American Kenpo American Kenpo Karate (), also known as Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate, American Kenpo and Kenpo Karate, is an all-inclusive system of martial arts based on ancient martial arts methods applied to solve modern-day violent scenarios using logic and pract ...
. He is the founder of Ukidokan Karate. He continued to teach at The Jets Gym in North Hollywood, California. Urquidez has also authored various instructional books and videos. He also has a special friendship with actor/client John Cusack with whom talks of opening up a bigger gym in Santa Monica, targeting former champions as clients and trainers are in the works as Cusack has shown interest in taking part as co-owner. The Jets Gym in the North Hollywood location closed in 2007, to make way for a shopping mall. Today, he is still very active teaching privately, and working as a stunt coordinator in the entertainment business. He teaches ukidokan kickboxing at Team Karate Center in Woodland Hills, California.


Controversies


Varied fights

Benny Urquidez was the first kickboxing champion with an international profile who also operated as a free agent under different rules for different sanctions. Consequently, he fought in several unorthodox match-ups and hotly disputed bouts. In late 1974, in the grand finale of an early mixed martial arts-style tough man contest in Honolulu, Hawaii, a , Urquidez decisioned a , Dana Goodson after scoring a takedown and pin against Goodson in the third and final round. A year later, in Detroit, Urquidez was disqualified for knocking out his opponent with a fourth punch under the subsequently-discontinued three-punch rule. The disqualifying referee was the opponent's own karate instructor. The bout was excoriated on network television, prompting state athletic commissions across the United States to become interested in regulating the sport. Chuck Norris' short-lived International Karate League (IKL) and later the STAR System world ratings reversed this outcome. Another three bouts were eventually ruled no-contests (NC). The first, in Los Angeles on March 12, 1977, was a nine-round NC (WKA) against Thai boxer Narongnoi Kiatbandit as part of the inaugural WKA world title event. Urquidez scored flash-knockdowns against Narongnoi in rounds three and six as well as five legal throws over three other rounds. Narongnoi was warned for illegal knee kicks and groin attacks on four occasions before being assessed with a point deduction in round nine. However, the point deduction came shortly after Narongnoi had scored his sole flash-knockdown which, in turn, provoked a riot among Muay Thai fans in the audience. The audience invaded the ring moments before the final bell. Scores were never collected for round nine. The California State Athletic Commission declared the no-contest. Next, on April 29, 1978, Urquidez faced his fourth Japanese opponent Shinobu Onuki in Tokyo; the event was co-promoted by the AJKBA and Shin-Kakutojutsu Federation. Eventually, Urquidez executed a throw that dislocated Onuki's shoulder. Initially, because of the throw, Urquidez was given a TKO loss, however, the promoters acknowledged that Urquidez used the throw without knowing it was illegal under Japanese rules; the bout was then scored as a no-contest. Following this unsatisfactory result, the two faced each other again in Las Vegas on January 2, 1980. The fight was aired by NBC, and this time Urquidez knocked out Onuki with a left hook to the body. Later, in October 1981, when the AJKBA merged with the WKA, the WKA transmuted the original Onuki no-contest to a TKO victory for Urquidez because, in fact, Urquidez's fight contract had permitted throws. Third, Urquidez fought to a seven-round NC (WKA) against Billye Jackson in West Palm Beach, Florida, on August 8, 1980. This non-title fight was first reported as a seven-round decision for Jackson; then was changed to a seven-round technical draw, and then to a no-contest. The WKA waited until March 1986 to unambiguously transmute this outcome owing to uneven glove assignments and a coerced last-minute rule change that unfairly affected Urquidez's performance in an otherwise close bout. Despite multiple attempts to reschedule a rematch to settle the dispute Urquidez refused to fight Jackson. The no-contest status of these fights has been corroborated in print by Paul Maslak (Chief Administrator of the STAR System world ratings). As a side note, the WKA and Star system ratings were owned and operated by Urquidez brother, Arnold. Meanwhile, on August 2, 1978, Urquidez faced the then fifth-ranked welterweight Thai boxer, Prayout Sittiboonlert, in Tokyo as part of the Shin-Kakutojutsu Organization's first independent event. The rules for the bout included six two-minute rounds, one-minute intervals, and no elbow contact as per agreement with Urquidez. Urquidez lost a heart-stopping decision to the Thai, who controlled the fight with relentless knee attacks and through the masterful use of Thai clinches. Afterward, Urquidez claimed he had been maneuvered into a competitive bout under unaccustomed "new rules" through deliberate misrepresentations. A rematch was set on October 30, 1978, at the Budokan (Martial Arts Hall) as part of the five world championships card for the Shin-Kakutojutsu Organization. However, for unknown reasons, Urquidez canceled the fight on the day of the event. According to one report, Urquidez did travel to Japan, but was unable to recover sufficiently from a high fever which he contracted from an allergic reaction to pain medication being used to treat a lingering left knuckle injury. This sanctioning organization was among several discontinued in 1981 for alleged ties to organized crime. Both the WKA and the STAR world ratings regarded this bout as muay Thai, a separate sport, and did not include it as part of Urquidez's rankings and record count for kickboxing. After a six-year absence from the Japanese ring, Urquidez agreed to fight an exhibition against Nobuya Asuka on April 24, 1989, at the Tokyo Dome as part of the New Japan Pro-Wrestling event. The rules of the bout were five rounds at two-minutes each, one-minute intervals and without elbow or knee contact to the head. Additionally, it was established that, if the fight went the distance, it would automatically be scored as a draw. The bout did go five rounds without knockout or disqualification and a no-decision was immediately declared. After another four-year absence on December 4, 1993, in "The Legend's Final Challenge" at the Mirage Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Urquidez fought Japanese champion Yoshihisa Tagami to establish the vacant WKA super welterweight world title. Despite having injured his left wrist in training, Urquidez proceeded with the bout and narrowly defeated his equally aggressive opponent with kicking attacks. Urquidez slipped to the canvas in round two; and Tagami scored a clean flash knockdown in round nine. Neither contestant was ever in serious trouble. The bout ended in a split decision, two judges scoring for Urquidez, one for Tagami.


Gracie Challenge

In September 1994, Urquidez revealed he had been challenged by Rorion Gracie for a mixed martial arts bout as part of the Gracie Challenge. He claimed to have backed down from the fight, considering it to be just a promotional stunt, due to Rorion demanding to fight for free after having negotiated for a fight purse. In response, in November of the same year, Rorion's brother Royce Gracie challenged Urquidez himself, which Benny rejected on the grounds of being retired. Months later, Royce Gracie wrote an attack piece printed in ''Black Belt'' magazine titled "Message for Urquidez: Actions Speak Louder Than Words" in which he voiced his issues with Urquidez, criticizing Urquidez for not submitting to the Gracies' demands for a fight; Gracie alleged that Rorion had dominated Urquidez in a training bout at Urquidez's Jet Center gym in 1978, taking him down "several times" without being touched. Although Gracie went on to state that "that's how the whole Gracie rivalry with Benny started", he went on to accuse Urquidez of having said he would "help Rorion", but not following through on the offer.Royce Gracie,
The Ultimate Fighter
', Black Belt magazine, March 1995, p.15
He also claimed Urquidez only wanted to fight under
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 ...
rules, to lessen the chance of being defeated, and that Rorion refused on the grounds that he was "not a kickboxer". None of Gracie's claims were independently verified.


Movie roles

Urquidez has played a number of roles in various martial arts movies. The first was '' Force: Five'' (1981), starring Joe Lewis and
Bong Soo Han Han Bong-Soo (Hangul: 한봉수; August 25, 1933 – January 8, 2007), also known as Bong Soo Han, was a Korean martial artist, author, and the founder of the International Hapkido Federation. He was one of the foremost and recognized practit ...
. Later, he made two movies with Jackie Chan, '' Wheels on Meals'' (1984) and '' Dragons Forever'' (1988), wherein he fights against the characters played by Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. Urquidez is depicted as a relentlessly tough opponent who is defeated in the climactic fight scenes of both movies. His final fight with Chan in ''Wheels on Meals'' is considered to be among the finest fights of Chan's career, including by Chan himself. Urquidez cameoed as a kickboxer in the Troma film ''Ragin' Cajun''. The movie, filmed in 1988 and released in 1991, wrongfully asserted that it featured Urquidez's first film appearance, stating in the opening credits, "Introducing Benny 'The Jet' Urquidez". He appeared in the 1989 film '' Roadhouse'' as one of the fighters seen at a car dealership which is partially destroyed in elaborately choreographed mayhem. He trained Patrick Swayze in his own fighting techniques for the film. Urquidez appears in the 1991 film ''Blood Match'', and in 1992, he played a referee in the James Woods and Louis Gossett Jr. film '' Diggstown''. He has a cameo appearance in the movie '' Street Fighter'' (1994), playing one of several prisoners put in a truck with Ken, Ryu, Sagat and Vega. Urquidez was also responsible for the physical training of most of the ''Street Fighter'' cast. He was set to play a different character in the franchise, Raven, in a game based on the movie, but the character was later scrapped. Urquidez performed in the film '' Grosse Pointe Blank'' (1997) as Felix La Poubelle, a hitman sent to kill a character played by John Cusack. He appeared in ''
1408 Year 1408 ( MCDVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 19 – Battle of Bramham Moor: A royalist army defeats the last remnants of ...
'' (2007) as a spectral killer with a hammer, again with Cusack. Urquidez is Cusack's long-time kickboxing trainer. Urquidez also appeared as one of several thugs who accost Kirsten Dunst's character in the first ''
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
'' film during an attempted robbery; Urquidez plays the thug wearing a black-and-white-striped T-shirt who makes kissing noises at Dunst. He was a fight coordinator for an episode of the television drama '' Criminal Minds'', "The Bittersweet Science" (season 7, episode 10), and also appears in the episode in a 30-second role as an underground
MMA 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 ...
referee.


Titles and awards

* World Kickboxing League W.K.L - Hall of Fame 2013 * ''Black Belt'' Magazine ** 1978 Competitor of the Year *KATOGI ** KATOGI super-lightweight (-63.6 kg) world champion (0 title defences - vacated): 1978 *Muay Thai Bond Nederland ** M.T.B.N. welterweight (-66 kg) world champion (0 title defences - vacated): 1984 *National Karate League ** N.K.L. lightweight (-70.5 kg) world champion (3 title defences - vacated): 1974-1975 *
Professional Karate Association The Professional Karate Association (PKA), later Professional Karate & Kickboxing Association, now--effective March 1, 2022 PKA Worldwide--was originally a martial arts sanctioning organization, now transformed into a martial arts promotion compa ...
** P.K.A. lightweight (-65.9 kg) world champion (2 title defences - vacated): 1976-1977 *
STAR System World Kickboxing Ratings The Standardized Tournaments And Ratings System (STAR) was the premier rating service for international kickboxing, from 1980 through 1989, as syndicated in fifteen martial arts and sports magazines throughout the world. It was recognized as the ...
** S.T.A.R. undisputed welterweight (-66.8 kg) world champion: 1985 ** S.T.A.R. undisputed super-welterweight (-70.5 kg) world champion: 1974 * World Kickboxing Association ** W.K.A. super-welterweight (-70 kg) world champion (0 title defences - vacated): 1993 ** W.K.A. welterweight (-66.8 kg) world champion (0 title defences - vacated): 1985 ** W.K.A. super-lightweight (-64.5 kg) world champion (14 title defences - vacated): 1977-1985 ''Note that 1 of the defences were for the W.K.A. lightweight world title (-65.9 kg) but the weight classes were later restructured'' *World Professional Karate Organization ** W.P.K.O. lightweight (-65.9 kg) world champion (0 title defences): 1975 *World Series of Martial Arts Championships ** W.S.M.A.C. lightweight (-79.5 kg) world champion (4 title defences - vacated): 1975-1976 ** W.S.M.A.C. openweight (unlimited weight) world champion (1 title defences - vacated): 1974-1976


Kickboxing record

Note that the record below is the documented professional record of Benny Urquidez from the S.T.A.R. website. He also is believed to have 11 undocumented matches, winning 10, drawing one with all 10 victories by way of KO. , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1993-12-04 , , Win , , align=left, Yoshihisa Tagami , , W.K.A. Event @ Mirage Hotel , , Las Vegas, Nevada, USA , , Decision (split) , , 12 , , , , 48-1-4 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#c5d2ea;" , 1989-08-24 , , No-Decision, , align=left, Shinya Asuka (Nobuya Azuka)"STAR System Authenticated Kickboxing Record: Benny 'The Jet' Urquidez" (24 April 2012). http://www.starsystemkickboxing.net/Pages/BennyUrquidez.aspx . Retrieved on 2 June 2012 , , N.J.P.W. Event @ Tokyo Dome , , Tokyo, Japan , , No-Decision , , 5 , , 2:00 , , 47-1-4 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1985-11-16 , , Win , , align=left, Tom Larouche , , W.K.A. Event , , Northridge, California, USA , , Decision (split) , , 12 , , 2:00 , , 47-1-3 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1984-01-15 , , Win , , align=left, Iwan Sprang , , M.T.B.N. Event , , Amsterdam, Netherlands , , TKO (referee stoppage) , , 4 , , 1:37 , , 46-1-3 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1983-09-12 , , Win , , align=left, "Iron" Fujimoto , , W.K.A. Event , , Tokyo, Japan , , KO , , 6 , , 1:37 , , 45-1-3 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1983-01-08 , , Win , , align=left, Kunimasa Nagae , , W.K.A. Event , , Tokyo, Japan , , KO , , 4 , , , , 44-1-3 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1982-06-21 , , Win , , align=left, Yutaka Koshikawa , , W.K.A. Event , ,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...
, , KO (spinning back kick) , , 6 , , 1:48 , , 43-1-3 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1982-02-02 , , Win , , align=left, Jesse Orrozzo , , W.K.A. Event @ Queen Elizabeth Stadium , , Hong Kong , , Decision , , 6 , , 2:00 , , 42-1-3 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1981-04-09 , , Win , , align=left, Kong Fu Tak , , W.K.A. Event @ Queen Elizabeth Stadium , , Hong Kong , , TKO (cut) , , 4 , , , , 41-1-3 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#c5d2ea;" , 1980-08-09 , , NC , , align=left, Billye Jackson , , W.K.A. Event , , West Palm Beach, Florida, USA , , decision loss , , 7 , , 2:00 , , 40-1-3 , - , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1980-04-19 , , Win , , align=left, Frank Holloway , , W.K.A. Event , ,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...
, , Decision , , 9 , , 2:00 , , 40-1-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1980-01-26 , , Win , , align=left, Shinobu Onuki , , W.K.A. Event @ Tropicana Casino Hotel , , Las Vegas, Nevada, USA , , KO (left hook) , , 7 , , , , 39-1-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1979-?-? , , Win , , align=left, , , W.K.A. Event , , Tijuana, Mexico , , KO , , 4 , , , , 38-1-1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1979-10-01 , , Win , , align=left, Yoshimitsu Tamashiro , , W.K.A. & A.J.K.B.A. Event , , Tokyo, Japan , , Decision , , 9 , , 2:00 , , 37-1-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1979-09-14 , , Win , , align=left, Frank Holloway , , W.K.A. Event , ,
Ensenada, Mexico Ensenada is a city in Ensenada Municipality, Baja California, situated on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Located on the Bahía de Todos Santos, the city had a population of 279,765 in 2018, making it the third-largest city in Baja California. The ...
, , Decision , , 9 , , 2:00 , , 36-1-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1979-?-? , , Win , , align=left, , , W.K.A. Event , , Tijuana, Mexico , , KO , , 2 , , , , 35-1-2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1979-07-05 , , Win , , align=left, Frank Lee , , W.K.A. Event @ Northland Pavilion , , Edmonton, Alberta, Canada , , KO , , , , , , 34-1-2 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1979-05-02 , , Win , , align=left, Rick Simmerly , , W.K.A. Event , , South Lake Tahoe, California, USA , , KO , , 6 , , , , 33-1-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#fbb;" , 1978-08-02 , , Loss , , align=left,
Prayut Sitiboonlert Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; th, ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai politician and retired army officer who has served as the Prime Minister of Thailand since he ...
, , KATOGI Event , , Tokyo, Japan , , Decision , , 6 , , 3:00 , , 32-1-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1978-04-29 , , Win , , align=left, Shinobu Onuki , , W.K.A. & A.J.K.B.A. Event , , Tokyo, Japan , , TKO (injury) , , 3 , , 1:17 , , 32-0-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1978-04-10 , , Win , , align=left, Takeshi Naito , , KATOGI Event , , Osaka, Japan , , KO (spinning back kick) , , 1 , , 1:16 , , 31-0-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1978-04-05 , , Win , , align=left, Dave Paul , , W.K.A. Event , ,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...
, , TKO , , 4 , , , , 30-0-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1977-11-14 , , Win , , align=left, Kunimatsu Okao , , W.K.A. & A.J.K.B.A. Event @
Nippon Budokan The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts con ...
, , Tokyo, Japan , , KO , , 4 , , 1:31 , , 29-0-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1977-08-03 , , Win , , align=left, Katsuyuki Suzuki , , W.K.A. & A.J.K.B.A. Event @
Nippon Budokan The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts con ...
, , Tokyo, Japan , , KO , , 6 , , , , 28-0-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1977-07-? , , Win , , align=left, , , W.K.A. Event , , Tijuana, Mexico , , KO (kick) , , 1 , , , , 27-0-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1977-04-23 , , Win , , align=left, Howard Jackson , , P.K.A. Event @ Hilton Hotel , , Las Vegas, Nevada, USA , , TKO (referee stoppage) , , 4 , , 1:25 , , 26-0-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#c5d2ea;" , 1977-03-12 , , NC , , align=left,
Narongnoi Kiatbandit Narongnoi Kiatbandit ( th, ณรงค์น้อย เกียรติบัณฑิต); is a Thai Muay Thai fighter who competed during the 1970s. Biography and career Amnat Boonrod was born in the Ayutthaya province where he started ...
, , W.K.A. Event , , Los Angeles, California, USA , , No contest (riot in crowd) , , 9 , , , , 25-0-2 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1976-10-01 , , Win , , align=left, Eddie Andujar , , P.K.A. & W.K.A. Event , , Los Angeles, California, USA , , TKO , , 8 , , , , 25-0-1 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1976-08-28 , , Win , , align=left, Earnest Hart, Jr. , , P.K.A. Event @
Neal Blaisdell Center The Neal S. Blaisdell Center is a community center near downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. The complex has a multi-purpose arena, concert hall, exhibition hall, galleria, meeting rooms, Waikiki Shell and others. Constructed in 1964 on the historic Wa ...
, ,
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Honolulu (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of H ...
, , Decision , , 9 , , 2:00 , , 24-0-1 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1976-?-? , , Win , , align=left, , , , , Tijuana, Mexico , , KO (kick) , , 3 , , , , 23-0-1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1976-06-? , , Win , , align=left, Sanun Plypoolsup , , W.S.M.A.C. Event , ,
Dallas, Texas, USA Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wit ...
, , Decision , , 8 , , 3:00 , , 22-0-1 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#c5d2ea;" , 1976-02-14 , , Draw , , align=left, Earnest Hart, Jr. , , , , Los Angeles, California, USA , , Technical draw (Hart cut after throw) , , 1 , , , , 21-0-1 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1976-?-? , , Win , , align=left, , , N.K.L. Event , , Detroit, Michigan, USA , , KO , , 1 , , , , 21-0-0 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-12-? , , Win , , align=left, , , N.K.L. Event , , Detroit, Michigan, USA , , KO , , 2 , , , , 20-0-0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-10-11 , , Win , , align=left, Bill Henderson , , W.S.M.A.C. Event , , Los Angeles, California, USA , , KO , , 3 , , 0:32 , , 19-0-0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-09-21 , , Win , , align=left, Farrel Sojot , , W.S.M.A.C. Event @ Honolulu International Center Arena , ,
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Honolulu (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of H ...
, , TKO , , 3 , , , , 18-0-0 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-08-? , , Win , , align=left, Marcelino Torres , , N.K.L. Event , ,
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
, , KO , , 1 , , 0:30 , , 17-0-0 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-07-26 , , Win , , align=left, Burnis White , , W.S.M.A.C. Event , ,
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Honolulu (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of H ...
, , KO (kick) , , 4 , , , , 16-0-0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-07-? , , Win , , align=left, Sammy Pace , , N.K.L. Event , , Los Angeles, California, USA , , KO , , 1 , , , , 15-0-0 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-06-28 , , Win , , align=left, Eddie Andujar , , N.K.L. Event , , Los Angeles, California, USA , , Decision , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 14-0-0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-06-20 , , Win , , align=left, Ken Riley , , W.S.M.A.C. Event , ,
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Honolulu (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of H ...
, , KO , , 2 , , , , 13-0-0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-05-30 , , Win , , align=left, Sanun Plysoolsup , , W.S.M.A.C. Event , ,
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Honolulu (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of H ...
, , TKO (cut) , , 2 , , , , 12-0-0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-05-16 , , Win , , align=left, Roland Talton , , W.S.M.A.C. Event , , Los Angeles, California, USA , , KO (knee) , , 2 , , 2:04 , , 11-0-0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-05-10 , , Win , , align=left, Tayari Casel , , W.P.K.O. Event @
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
, ,
New York City, New York, USA New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
, , Decision , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 10-0-0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-04-? , , Win , , align=left, Demetrius Havanas , , N.K.L. Event @ Tarrant County Convention Center , , Savannah, Georgia, USA , , Decision , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 9-0-0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-03-? , , Win , , align=left, , , N.K.L. Event , ,
Atlanta, Georgia, USA 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 ...
, , KO (kick) , , 2 , , , , 8-0-0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-03-? , , Win , , align=left, Ken Kolodziej , , , , Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA , , KO (knee) , , 4 , , , , 7-0-0 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1975-02-? , , Win , , align=left, Arthur Butch Bell , , N.K.L. Event , , Savannah, Georgia, USA , , TKO , , 2 , , , , 6-0-0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1974-11-15 , , Win , , align=left, Dana Goodson , , W.S.M.A.C. Event, Final , ,
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Honolulu (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of H ...
, , Decision , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 5-0-0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1974-11-15 , , Win , , align=left, Burnis White , , W.S.M.A.C. Event, Semi Final , ,
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Honolulu (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of H ...
, , Decision , , 3 , , 3:00 , , 4-0-0 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1974-11-14 , , Win , , align=left, Bill Rosehill , , W.S.M.A.C. Event, Quarter Final , ,
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Honolulu (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of H ...
, , TKO (forfeit) , , 3 , , , , 3-0-0 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1974-11-14 , , Win , , align=left, Futi Semanu , , W.S.M.A.C. Event, 2nd Round , ,
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Honolulu (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of H ...
, , KO , , 2 , , , , 2-0-0 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 1974-11-14 , , Win , , align=left, Tom Mossman , , W.S.M.A.C. Event, 1st Round , ,
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Honolulu (; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of H ...
, , KO (foot sweep) , , 3 , , , , 1-0-0 , - , colspan=9 , ''Legend'':


See also

* List of male kickboxers * Gracie Challenge


References

* Benny Urquidez, ''格闘技に生きる (Living On The Martial Arts)''. Sports Life Publications, Inc.(Japan, May 1982) * Corcoran, J. and E. Farkas, ''Martial Arts: Traditions, History, People''. W.H. Smith (New York, 1983) * Benny Urquidez, ''King of The Ring''. Pro Action Publishing (Los Angeles, 1995) * Benny Urquidez, ''Practical Kick-Boxing: Strategy in Training & Technique'' Pro-Action Pub. (December 1982) * Benny Urquidez, ''Karate Dynamics: The Ukidokan System'' Pro-Action Pub. (July 1991) * Benny Urquidez, ''Training and Fighting Skills'' *
Stuart Goldman Stuart Goldman is an American journalist, author and screenwriter. A former critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'' and the '' Los Angeles Daily News'', he later penned a column for the ''Los Angeles Reader''. Career Goldman's early career ini ...
, ''The Baddest Dude In The World'', Hustler Magazine, March 1979.


Notes


External links

*
Benny The Jet's Academy of Stunt Actors
*

from the Paradise Warrior Retreat Center. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Urquidez, Benny 1952 births Blackfoot people Living people American male karateka Shotokan practitioners American male kickboxers Kickboxers from California Lightweight kickboxers Welterweight kickboxers American people of Basque descent Male actors from California Martial arts school founders American male judoka American jujutsuka American aikidoka American kendoka American wushu practitioners American male taekwondo practitioners American kajukenbo practitioners Action choreographers American stunt performers Sportspeople from Los Angeles County, California