Timothy Fred Kennedy (born September 1, 1979) is a retired 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, incorpo ...

and current soldier. A professional from 2001 until 2016, he has fought in the UFC, Strikeforce, the WEC, ShoMMA, HDNet Fights, and represented the

Chicago Red Bears The Chicago Red Bears were an International Fight League team based in Chicago, Illinois. Coached by mixed martial artist Igor Zinoviev, the Red Bears were one of four teams established at the beginning of the 2007 season. Record/roster The Red B ...

in the IFL. Kennedy is one of the few fighters simultaneously to serve in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

and fight professionally. He also is a

television host A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for people who garne ...

, producer, and

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...

Background

Kennedy grew up the second son of three children in a Christian family in Atascadero, California. He is of Irish descent. As a youth, Kennedy's mother placed him in cooking and piano lessons. To offset her influence on him, Kennedy's father enrolled Tim and his brother in

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 predetermined ...

lessons,

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 s ...

teams, and Japanese

ju-jitsu Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subd ...

classes.

Military career

Tim Kennedy joined the Army on January 4, 2004, and completed

Basic Combat Training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...

Advanced Individual Training United States Army Basic Combat Training (BCT) is the recruit training program of the United States Army, for service in the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve, or the Army National Guard. Some trainees attend basic combat training along with their ...

, Airborne School, Special Forces Assessment and Selection and the Special Forces Qualification Course. Kennedy was featured in Dick Couch's book about Green Beret selection called ''Chosen Soldier'' under the moniker "Tom Kendall". In 2007, he completed Ranger School and was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group, where he served on an Operational Detachment Alpha. During this time he was also a sniper, sniper instructor, and the principal combatives instructor for C Company, 3rd Battalion,

7th Special Forces Group The 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (7th SFG) (A) is an operational unit of the United States Army Special Forces activated on 20 May 1960. It was reorganized from the 77th Special Forces Group, which was also stationed at Fort Bragg, Nor ...

. Kennedy deployed in support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

and

Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used synonymously by the U.S. government for both the War in Afghanistan (2001–2014) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 a ...

multiple times. In August 2009, Kennedy transitioned from active duty to the

Texas Army National Guard The Texas Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, the United States National Guard and the Texas Military Forces (along with the Texas Air National Guard and the Texas State Guard). Texas Army National Guard units are tra ...

, joined 19th Special Forces Group and served in the position of Special Forces Weapons Sergeant, and has continued to serve with the Texas Army National Guard since then. Among Kennedy's multiple awards are the Army's

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. W ...

. On April 16, 2017, Kennedy announced his reenlistment into the U.S. Army Special Forces, praising the leadership of Secretary of Defense James Mattis and National Security Adviser

H.R. McMaster Herbert Raymond McMaster (born July 24, 1962) is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 25th United States National Security Advisor from 2017 to 2018. He is also known for his roles in the Gulf War, Operation Enduri ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Kennedy began training at Dokan School of Martial Arts in Atascadero, California under Terry Kelly and Barry Smith. He first started fighting in 1996, amassing a record of 30–1 over the next five years. In 1999, Kennedy began training with Chuck Liddell,

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 ...

, Gan McGee, and John Hackleman at The Pit in San Luis Obispo. In 2003 he entered and won a one-night tournament at ''Extreme Challenge 50'', winning all three of his fights. In 2004 he joined the Army. Kennedy only fought once in 2006. He then fought for the now defunct

International Fight League The International Fight League was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion billed as the world's first MMA league. It was founded on January 7, 2006, and closed on July 31, 2008.

in 2007, and did not fight in 2008 due to Army deployments overseas. During this time he wrote a three part series of "Letters from a Foreign Land" that chronicled his time in combat.

Strikeforce

Kennedy returned to mixed martial arts in 2009 with a win over Nick Thompson at '' Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg'' in Kent, Washington. He followed this up with an impressive win over Zak Cummings in the main event of ShoMMA 3. Kennedy fought Trevor Prangley on June 16, 2010, at Strikeforce: Los Angeles. Kennedy won the fight via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in the first round. Since his move to Austin, Texas, Tim has been training at Competitive Training Center and with BJJ black belt

Phil Cardella Phil Ryan Cardella (born July 9, 1976) is an American mixed martial arts fighter. He formerly fought as a lightweight in the World Extreme Cagefighting organization. All but one of Cardella’s triumphs have come by first-round submission. He ...

at the

Relson Gracie Relson "Campeão" Gracie is a professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and martial arts personality. He is a member of the Gracie family. Relson currently lives alternatively in Hawaii and Brazil where he teaches Brazlilian Jiu-Jitsu at his a ...

Jiu-Jitsu Austin Association. Kennedy lost a 5-round decision to Ronaldo Souza for the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight Championship at Strikeforce: Houston on August 21, 2010. He was expected to face Jason Miller again on March 5, 2011, at Strikeforce 32. However, Miller was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Melvin Manhoef. He won via submission in the first round. He returned in July 2011 to face Robbie Lawler at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson. He won the bout via unanimous decision. He faced Luke Rockhold on July 14, 2012, for the Strikeforce Middleweight championship at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Kennedy was expected to face Trevor Smith on November 3, 2012, at Strikeforce: Cormier vs. Mir. However, the event was cancelled due to injuries to headliner Frank Mir, as well to co-headliner and middleweight champion Luke Rockhold. This bout eventually took place on January 12, 2013, at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine. Kennedy won via submission in the third round.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In January 2013, the Strikeforce organization was closed by its parent company Zuffa. A list of fighters scheduled to be brought over to 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 ...

was released in mid-January and Kennedy was one of the fighters listed. Kennedy faced

Roger Gracie Roger Gracie (born Roger Gracie Gomes; 26 September, 1981) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist and former professional Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) competitor. The son of coral belt Mauricio Gomes and grandson of BJJ founder Carlos Graci ...

on July 6, 2013, at

UFC 162 ''UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman'' was a mixed martial arts event on July 6, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The main event was a UFC Middleweight Championship bout between long time title holder Anderson Silva a ...

, he defeated Gracie via unanimous decision after defending Gracie's submission attempts and standing up with Gracie, out striking him. Kennedy was expected to face

Lyoto Machida (born 30 May 1978), is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and karateka, who currently competes in the Light heavyweight division. He formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was a former UFC Light ...

on November 6, 2013, at UFC Fight For The Troops 3. However, Machida was pulled from the bout in favor of a matchup with

Mark Muñoz Oklahoma State Cowboys Mark Kenery Muñoz (born February 9, 1978) is a Filipino-American former professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competito ...

on October 26, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 30, after Muñoz's original opponent,

Michael Bisping Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping (; born 28 February 1979) is an English actor, sports analyst, commentator and retired mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor ...

was forced out of their bout with an injury. Kennedy instead faced

Rafael Natal Rafael Natal Diniz Franca () is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist. A professional from 2005 until 2017, he is best known for his 17-fight stint competing for the UFC. Mixed martial arts career Background Natal started Brazilian Jiu-Jits ...

in the event headliner. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. The win also earned him his first ''Knockout of the Night'' bonus award. For his third fight with the promotion, Kennedy faced

on April 16, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Kennedy faced

Yoel Romero Yoel Romero Palacio (born April 30, 1977) is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division for Bellator MMA. Romero formerly competed in the Middleweight divi ...

on September 27, 2014, at

UFC 178 ''UFC 178: Johnson vs. Cariaso'' was a mixed martial arts event held on September 27, 2014, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was supposed to be headlined by a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship rematch be ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the third round. Kennedy nearly finished Romero in the final seconds of the second round but Romero was saved by the bell. Yoel Romero, his cornermen, the referee and the UFC cutman have all been criticized for their actions resulting in a 28-second delay after the scheduled start for the third round. Romero later responded to the controversy, stating that Tim Kennedy illegally held his glove during the attack which prevented Romero from being able to block the punches that rocked him. Despite the loss, Kennedy earned a ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award. After two years away from the sport, Kennedy was expected to face Rashad Evans on November 12, 2016, at

UFC 205 ''UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor'' was a mixed martial arts event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 12, 2016, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In what was described by UFC president Dana White as t ...

, the first UFC card at

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 Pennsylv ...

. However, on November 8, Evans was pulled from the fight after an undisclosed irregularity was found during his pre-fight medical exam. In turn, Kennedy was removed from the card as well. The bout was quickly rescheduled to take place a month later at UFC 206. Once again, Evans was unable to obtain medical clearance to compete on the card and was pulled from the bout on November 21. Kennedy faced

Kelvin Gastelum Kelvin Gastelum (born October 24, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gastelum has competed for the UFC since he won '' The Ul ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the third round. On January 17, 2017, Kennedy released a social media statement announcing his retirement from MMA. In the post he admitted that he no longer desired to fight professionally and thanked those closest to him for their support. He also thanked the US Army, claiming that there was 'no greater moment' than his victory in the main event of UFC: Fight for the Troops 3.

Personal life

Kennedy is divorced and has three daughters and a son. He is a co-owner of Ranger Up, a military-based clothing company. He's also the owner and “MF”CEO of Sheepdog Response a tactical training and self defense company. In 2020, Kennedy opened an Acton Academy, a K-12 charter school built off of the

Acton School of Business The Acton School of Business is a school for entrepreneurship located in Austin, Texas. Offering a full-time program, the school is based on experiential learning. Students analyze business case studies and participate in simulations, such as buil ...

model.

Film and television career

Kennedy's first major host role was part of the History Channel television series ''

Hunting Hitler ''Hunting Hitler'' is a History Channel television series based on Conspiracy theories about Adolf Hitler's death, the premise that Adolf Hitler escaped from the ''Führerbunker'' in Berlin at the end of World War II. The show was conceived foll ...

'', which explores alternative theories about Adolf Hitler's death. He most recently hosted the show on Discovery Channel ''Hard to Kill'', which he attempted to explore a day in the life of the world's most dangerous occupations. He produced the TV documentary ''Not a War Story'' in 2017 and helped co-produce ''Warriors'' in 2014; also produced and hosted ''Iron Dragon TV''. He's made appearances on ''

Deadliest Warrior ''Deadliest Warrior'' is an American television program in which information on historical or modern warriors and their weapons are used to determine which of them is the "deadliest" based upon tests performed during each episode. The show was c ...

'' and ''The Ultimate Soldier Challenge''. Kennedy played as himself in the Indie film ''

Range 15 ''Range 15'' is a zombie comedy film. Released on June 15, 2016, the movie is a collaboration between the veteran-run, military-themed apparel companies Ranger Up and Article 15 Clothing, and stars many of their staff members. The movie was prod ...

''. He also played Mario and was a producer in the short thriller ''Slaves''. He's also done several military advisor roles & stunt coordinator positions notably with Range 15 as well as works on '' Steve-O:Guilty as Charged'', and short film ''Next to You''.

Military awards

Kennedy's awards include:

Championships and awards

*Extreme Challenge **Extreme Challenge Middleweight Tournament winner *

** Fight of the Night (One time) ** Knockout of the Night (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 18–6 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC 206 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:45 ,

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

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, TKO (punches) ,

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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 Vega ...

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, Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale: Bisping vs. Kennedy , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Quebec City, Quebec, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC: Fight for the Troops 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:40 ,

Fort Campbell Fort Campbell is a United States Army installation located astride the Kentucky–Tennessee border between Hopkinsville, Kentucky and Clarksville, Tennessee (post address is located in Kentucky). Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Airborne Divi ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–4 , Trevor Smith , Submission (guillotine choke) , Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:36 ,

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–4 , Luke Rockhold , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–3 , Robbie Lawler , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–3 , Melvin Manhoef , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:41 ,

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–3 , Ronaldo Souza , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Houston , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 , Trevor Prangley , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Strikeforce: Los Angeles , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:35 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2 , Zak Cummings , Submission (North-South choke) , Strikeforce Challengers: Kennedy vs. Cummings , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:43 , Bixby, Oklahoma, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 , Nick Thompson , TKO (submission to punches) , Strikeforce Challengers: Villasenor vs. Cyborg , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:37 ,

Kent, Washington Kent is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue metropolitan area and had a population of 136,588 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest municipality in greater Seattle and th ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Elias Rivera , KO (punches) , IFL: World Grand Prix Finals , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:00 ,

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 8–2 , Jason Miller , Decision (unanimous) , HDNetFIGHTS: Reckless Abandon , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Dallas, Texas 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 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Ryan McGivern , Submission (guillotine choke) , IFL: Chicago , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:25 ,

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, 7–1 , Dante Rivera , TKO (submission to punches) , IFL: Atlanta , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:29 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital city, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georgia, Fulton County, the mos ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 ,

Héctor Urbina Héctor Urbina (born September 17, 1987) is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist. A professional since 2006 who last competed in 2018, he has fought in the UFC, Bellator, EliteXC, and King of the Cage. Mixed martial arts career Early caree ...

, KO (punches) , Fight Fest 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:28 ,

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Cruz Chacon , TKO (punches) , Extreme Challenge 50 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:21 ,

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, t ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Jason Miller , Decision (unanimous) , Extreme Challenge 50 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Mack Brewer , TKO (punches) , WEC 5: Halloween Havoc , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:03 ,

Lemoore, California Lemoore (formerly, La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 25 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Jody Burke , Submission (forearm choke) , IFC: Warriors Challenge 16 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:44 ,

Oroville, California Oroville (''Oro'', Spanish for "Gold" and ''Ville'', French for "town") is the county seat of Butte County, California, United States. The population of the city was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 in the 2000 census. Following the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Scott Smith , TKO (doctor stoppage) , IFC: Warriors Challenge 15 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:53 ,

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Books published

Kennedy, T., & Palmisciano, N. (2022). ''Scars and Stripes: An Unapologetically American Story of Fighting the Taliban, UFC Warriors, and Myself''. Atria Books.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Tim 1979 births Living people American people of Irish descent People from San Luis Obispo, California American male mixed martial artists Columbia College (Missouri) alumni American jujutsuka Mixed martial artists utilizing jujutsu Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists from California Middleweight mixed martial artists Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu American military snipers Members of the United States Army Special Forces United States Army personnel of the Iraq War United States Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Texas National Guard personnel United States Army soldiers