Ben Rothwell (born October 17, 1981) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

who competes as a Heavyweight. He most notably had a 17 bout stint in 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 ...

and competed for the Quad Cities Silverbacks of the

IFL IFL may refer to: ;American football *Intense Football League, (2004–2008) in the United States, merged into the Indoor Football League *Indoor Football League, (2008–present) in the United States *Intercontinental Football League, a European l ...

where he held an undefeated 9–0 record before leaving the promotion due to a contract dispute. He has also had one-fight stints in

Affliction Affliction or Afflicted may refer to: Books * ''Affliction'' (novel), a 2013 Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novel by Laurell K. Hamilton * ''Affliction'', a novel by Russell Banks, basis of the 1998 film Film and TV * ''Affliction'' (1997 film), ...

M-1 Global M-1 Global (Mixfight-1) or MMA-1 (Mixed martial arts-1) is a mixed martial arts promotion based in St. Petersburg, Russia which organizes between 10 and 20 competitions per year. It hosted its first major show (rather than co-promoting with othe ...

, and

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

Background

Rothwell is from

Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenos ...

, and both of his parents work in the restaurant business. His parents own a catering company. He is of

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

and

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

descent. Rothwell was an active child but suffered a bout with spinal meningitis when he was six years old. He was in a coma and temporarily blind, while the disease made him almost obese. The young Rothwell, who struggled with his weight and identity in his adolescent years, was also troubled growing up and was often involved in fighting and violence at Westosha Central High School. By the time he was a junior in high school, Rothwell knew that he enjoyed fighting, and in 1999, at the age of 17, he began learning

self-defense Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force ...

. In July of that same year, after he had been in three professional fights, he and a friend were involved in a car accident with a drunk driver. Rothwell's friend, who was 19 years old, died two weeks later, and Rothwell suffered a significant head injury, in addition to broken ribs. The event changed Rothwell's life, causing him to feel as though he has a purpose to complete.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Rothwell began his training in September 1999, before joining Miletich Fighting Systems in 2002. Rothwell made his professional debut in early 2001 in his home state of Wisconsin and dominated his opponent, winning by TKO only 21 seconds into the fight. He then won his next three fights, all under two minutes into the first round and all with strikes. Rothwell then faced future two-time

UFC Heavyweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

and fellow

Miletich Fighting Systems Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) was a mixed martial arts (MMA) training organization. It was recognized as an excellent training camp. It has been the training camp for fighters such as Matt Hughes, Tim Sylvia, Jens Pulver, Robbie Lawler, a ...

fighter,

Tim Sylvia Timothy Deane Sylvia (born March 5, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, professional wrestler, and a former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. He has competed as a Super Heavyweight and Heavyweight. While he is best kn ...

. Rothwell was handed his first career loss in a decision. However, he bounced back and won his next seven fights, all by submission or TKO, before a unanimous decision loss to

Mike Whitehead Michael Joe Whitehead (born June 29, 1981) is a former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight weight classes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, IFL, Affliction, and Strikeforce. Mixed m ...

. After defeating former King of the Cage Super Heavyweight Champion,

Dan Bobish Daniel Emerson Bobish ( ; born January 26, 1970) is a retired American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He was competing in the Super Heavyweight (no limit) division. He is a former King of the Cage Super Heavyweight Champion. ...

by knockout, Rothwell was soon invited to compete in the

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.

to fight for the

Quad City Silverbacks The Quad Cities Silverbacks was an International Fight League team based in the Quad Cities region of the United States. Coached by former UFC Welterweight Champion and founder of the very successful Miletich Fighting Systems camp, Pat Miletich ...

, coached by the legendary

Pat Miletich Patrick Jay Miletich (; born March 9, 1966) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UFC ...

. Like several other fighters in the promotion, Rothwell was competing for the coach who he trained regularly.

International Fight League

On April 29, 2006, Rothwell made his IFL debut against future UFC veteran, the Polish-Canadian fighter,

Krzysztof Soszynski Krzysztof Soszyński (; born August 2, 1977) is a Polish–Canadian actor and retired mixed martial artist. An 11-year competitor from 2003 until 2014, Soszynski fought in the UFC, Strikeforce, the Los Angeles Anacondas of the IFL, and was a co ...

. In the first round, Soszynski surprisingly decided to exchange strikes with Rothwell, and landed a left

uppercut The uppercut (formerly known as the undercut; sometimes also referred to as the ''upper'') is a punch used in boxing that travels along a vertical line at the opponent's chin or solar plexus. It is, along with the cross, one of the two main pun ...

and held his own until he was knocked down by a short left hook from Rothwell, who then slammed Soszynski to the canvas. After working from side control and then standing again, Rothwell landed a series of punches at the end of the round, that knocked down Soszynski, and then followed this up with more punches to his downed opponent. Despite the round ending, referee Dan Miragliotta called a stop to the contest, granting Rothwell the win via TKO. After racking up four consecutive IFL wins, he fought future '' The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights'' winner and IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy Nelson, winning via split decision. His next fight was a rematch from almost five years earlier against veteran

Travis Fulton Travis Jon Fulton (May 29, 1977 – July 10, 2021) was an American mixed martial artist and a professional boxer in the heavyweight division of both sports. Known as a longtime veteran in mixed martial arts, he competed in over 300 sanctioned ...

, owner of 195 career victories. Three minutes into the second round, Rothwell secured a

kimura Kimura (written: lit. "tree village") is the 17th most common Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese novelist *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese botanist *, Japanese idol and singer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanes ...

, causing Fulton to submit. Rothwell then met

in a rematch of his IFL debut. Rothwell once again won via TKO, only 13 seconds into the bout. His last fight in the IFL came against former

Ricco Rodriguez Ricco Rodriguez (born August 19, 1977) is an American semi-retired mixed martial artist currently competing in the heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 1999, he has competed for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, EliteXC, I ...

in the team finals. After controlling the fight and displaying superior striking, Rothwell won the fight via unanimous decision. However, the Silverbacks fell short of a victory and lost the championship to Renzo Gracie's

New York Pitbulls The New York Pitbulls were an International Fight League team based in NYC, New York. Coached by Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert and MMA veteran Renzo Gracie, the Pitbulls were one of four teams competing in the IFL's inaugural season. Record/Roste ...

. This was Rothwell's last appearance in the IFL, as he eventually left the organization due to a contract dispute. During his time in the IFL, Rothwell had a 9–0 record.

Affliction

After leaving the IFL, Rothwell joined Affliction where he appeared in only one bout, against former

Andrei Arlovski Andrei Arlovski (born 4 February 1979) is a Belarusian-American professional mixed martial artist, actor and former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and ho ...

, Rothwell lost the fight via knockout due to an uppercut in the final round. This ended Rothwell's 13-fight win streak and gave him his first defeat in over three years.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Rothwell made his UFC debut on October 24, 2009, at

UFC 104 ''UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on October 24, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Background As with UFC 103, the UFC announced a portion of the preliminary card would ...

against undefeated

Cain Velasquez Caín Ramirez Velasquez (born July 28, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist, currently appearing for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He is widely known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, ...

losing via TKO one minute into round two. The stoppage was controversial because Rothwell seemed to be getting to his feet as Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight. Rothwell was visibly upset with Mazzagatti's decision to stop the fight. After the fight, UFC president

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

stated that Mazzagatti was the "worst referee in the history of combat sports". Rothwell was expected to face

Mirko Filipović Mirko Filipović (; born 10 September 1974), better known by his ring name Mirko Cro Cop, is a retired Croatian professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and amateur boxer. He is mostly known for his time in Pride Fighting Championships. Cro C ...

on February 21, 2010, at

UFC 110 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, Rothwell had to withdraw from the event, just days prior, due to an illness and was replaced by

Anthony Perosh Anthony Perosh (born 5 October 1972) is a retired Australian professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Perosh was born and raised in Sydney, Australia and ...

. Rothwell then fought

Gilbert Yvel Gilbert Ramon Yvel (born 30 June 1976) is a Dutch professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 1997, Yvel competed in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Affliction, the UFC, Road FC, the RFA, RINGS, M-1 Challenge, Cage ...

on June 15, 2010, at

UFC 115 ''UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 12, 2010 at General Motors Place (now Rogers Arena) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Background This was the fourth UFC ev ...

where he won by unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, and 29–28). Rothwell tore his ACL during his first takedown attempt, which required post-fight surgery. Rothwell also suffered a

deviated septum Nasal septum deviation is a physical disorder of the nose, involving a displacement of the nasal septum. Some displacement is common, affecting 80% of people, mostly without their knowledge. Signs and symptoms The nasal septum is the bone and ...

from a head kick during the first round. After an extended layoff, Rothwell fought

Mark Hunt Mark Richard Hunt (born 23 March 1974) is a New Zealand former mixed martial artist and kickboxer of Samoan descent, currently living in Sydney, Australia. Hunt competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) until 2018 and was the wi ...

on September 24, 2011, at

UFC 135 ''UFC 135: Jones vs. Rampage'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 24, 2011 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Background The Ultimate Fighting Championship had its first ever event in Den ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Rothwell then faced

Brendan Schaub Brendan Peter Schaub (born March 18, 1983) is an American podcast host, former professional mixed martial artist, and stand-up comedian. He is the host of ''The Fighter and the Kid'' podcast, the ''Below the Belt with Brendan Schaub'' podcast, ...

on April 21, 2012, at

UFC 145 ''UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It was the 9th UFC event of the year, and took place on April 21, 2012 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Background The headline fight ...

. He won the fight via knockout in round one. Rothwell also earned '' Knockout of the Night'' honors for his performance. Rothwell was expected to face

Travis Browne Travis Kuualiialoha Browne (born July 17, 1982) is an American retired mixed martial artist who last competed as a Heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Browne was born in Hawaii to a father with Hawaiian Native ...

at UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera, but pulled out due to an injury Rothwell faced

Gabriel Gonzaga Gabriel Gonzaga Santos Nogueira (; born 18 May 1979) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who competed in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is perhaps best known for his upset head-kick knockout of ...

on January 19, 2013, at UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping He lost the fight via submission in the second round. Rothwell faced Brandon Vera at

UFC 164 ''UFC 164: Henderson vs. Pettis 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on August 31, 2013, at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Background The main event was expected to be a UFC Lightweight Championship bout between the c ...

on August 31, 2013. He won the fight via TKO by punches in round three. Subsequent to the bout, Rothwell tested positive for elevated testosterone levels. The UFC suspended Rothwell for nine months, despite the Wisconsin commission only issuing him with an administrative warning. Rothwell was briefly linked to a bout with

Ruslan Magomedov Ruslan Gadzhimagomedovich Magomedov (russian: Руслан Гаджимагомедович Магомедов; born 26 November 1986 in Dagestan) is a Russian mixed martial artist, who competes in the Heavyweight division. Magomedov was the f ...

for on August 30, 2014, at

UFC 177 ''UFC 177: Dillashaw vs. Soto'' was a mixed martial arts event held on August 30, 2014, at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California. Background The event was originally planned to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, ...

. However, on July 9, the UFC announced he would face

Alistair Overeem Alistair Cees Overeem (born 17 May 1980) is a Dutch professional heavyweight mixed martial artist and kickboxer, currently competing in the heavyweight division of Glory. He is a former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Cha ...

on September 5, 2014, at

UFC Fight Night 50 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 ...

. Rothwell won the fight via TKO in the first round. The win also earned Rothwell his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Rothwell faced

Matt Mitrione Matthew Steven Mitrione (born July 15, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist and former American football player, who competed for both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and most recently for Bellator MMA. Prior to embarking on an MM ...

on June 6, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 68 ''UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 68'') was a mixed martial arts event held on June 6, 2015, at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Background The event was expected to be headlined by a l ...

. He won the fight via submission in the first round, the first submission win of his UFC career. Rothwell was expected to face Stipe Miocic on October 24, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 76 ''UFC Fight Night: Holohan vs. Smolka'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 76'') was a mixed martial arts event held on October 24, 2015, at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Background The event was the third that the organization has hosted in Dublin, ...

. However, Miocic pulled out of the fight on October 13 citing injury. Subsequently, Rothwell was removed from the card the following day after the promotion deemed that a suitable opponent could not be arranged on short notice. Rothwell next faced

Josh Barnett Joshua Lawrence Barnett (born November 10, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist, submission grappler, professional wrestler and color commentator currently signed to Bellator MMA, where he competes in their Heavyweight division. Barnett p ...

on January 30, 2016, at

UFC on Fox 18 ''UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 18'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 30, 2016, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background The event was headlined by a potential UFC Light Heavyweight ...

. He won the fight in the second round due to a guillotine choke, making Rothwell the only fighter to ever stop Barnett with a submission hold during Barnett's lengthy MMA career. The win also earned Rothwell his second ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Rothwell faced

Junior dos Santos Junior dos Santos (; born 30 January 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who competes in the Heavyweight division of Eagle FC. As a mixed martial artist, he is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion; as a profession ...

on April 10, 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 86 ''UFC Fight Night: Rothwell vs. dos Santos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 86'') was a mixed martial arts event held on April 10, 2016, at the Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia. Background The event was the first that the organization has host ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Rothwell was expected to face Fabrício Werdum on September 10, 2016, at

UFC 203 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, Rothwell pulled out of the fight on August 11 citing a knee injury and was replaced by

. The bout with Werdum was rescheduled and expected to take place on May 13, 2017, at

UFC 211 ''UFC 211: Miocic vs. dos Santos 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on May 13, 2017, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Background The event was the fourth that the UFC has host ...

. However, the bout was canceled due to Rothwell failing a drug test. On April 6, 2018, it was announced Rothwell had accepted a two-year suspension from

USADA The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, ) is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti- doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent ...

, retroactive to February 6, 2017. Having served his suspension, Rothwell returned to face

Blagoy Ivanov Blagoy Ivanov ( bg, Благой Александров Иванов; born October 9, 1986) is a Bulgarian mixed martial artist and Sambo (martial art), Sambo practitioner. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UF ...

on March 9, 2019, at

UFC Fight Night 146 ''UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 146'' or ''UFC on ESPN+ 4'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on March 9, 2019 at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, ...

. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. A rematch with

took place on July 20, 2019, at

UFC on ESPN 4 UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Edwards (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 4'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 20, 2019 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Background The event ma ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Rothwell faced

Stefan Struve Stefan Jaimy Struve (; born February 18, 1988) is a Dutch former mixed martial artist who competed as a heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). At , he is the tallest fighter in the history of the UFC. Background Growing up in th ...

on December 7, 2019, at

UFC on ESPN 7 ''UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik'' (also known as '' UFC on ESPN 7'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 7, 2019 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., United States ...

. He won the fight via technical knockout in round two. The finish was controversial as Rothwell had accidentally hit Struve in the groin twice and was docked one point for these infractions in the second round. The referee encouraged the compromised Struve to continue, resulting in a finish for Rothwell late in the second round. Rothwell was scheduled to face

Gian Villante Gianpiero Villante (born August 18, 1985) is a retired American mixed martial artist who previously fought in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional from 2009 to 2021, he also has competed for Strikeforce ...

on April 18, 2020, at

UFC 249 ''UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 9, 2020 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It was originally planned to ...

. However, the event and Rothwell's scheduled bout against Villante was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. Rothwell faced

Ovince Saint Preux Ovince Saint Preux (born April 8, 1983) is a Haitian-American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor since 2008, Saint Preux has also formerly competed for Strikef ...

at UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira on May 13, 2020. He won the fight via split decision. Rothwell faced

Marcin Tybura Marcin Tybura (born November 9, 1985) is a Polish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2011, Tybura previously fought fo ...

on October 11, 2020 at

UFC Fight Night 179 ''UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 179'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 37'' and ''UFC Fight Island 5'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 11, 2020 at ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Rothwell was scheduled to face

Philipe Lins Luiz Philipe Lins Pimentel do Amaral (born August 17, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who competes in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He won the 2018 Professional Fighters League heavyweight tourna ...

on March 13, 2021, at

UFC Fight Night 187 ''UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 187'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 45'' and ''UFC Vegas 21'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 13, 2021 at the UF ...

. However, during the week leading up to the event the bout was removed from the card due to undisclosed reasons. The pairing remained intact and the bout was rescheduled on May 8, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 24. While Rothwell made weight without issue, Lins never showed up to the weigh-ins and withdrew from the bout due to an illness. The bout was rescheduled again for May 22, 2021 at UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt. However, yet again, Lins was pulled from the event for undisclosed reason and he was replaced by newcomer Askhar Mozharov. Just hours later, the Ukrainian announced he would not be able to get a

visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...

in time for the event, and he was replaced by Chris Barnett. He won the fight via guillotine choke submission in the second round. Rothwell faced

Marcos Rogério de Lima Marcos Rogério de Lima (born May 25, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2009, he formerly competed for Strikeforce, Shooto, and was a co ...

on November 13, 2021, at

UFC Fight Night 197 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 ...

. After Rothwell was stunned multiple times on the feet, referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight, though he allowed Rothwell to attempt a takedown before officially calling off the fight as a TKO win for Lima. Rothwell was scheduled to face

Alexander Gustafsson Alexander Gustafsson (born 15 January 1987) is a Swedish professional mixed martial artist. Gustafsson currently competes in the light heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gustafsson spent a major part of his MMA ...

on May 21, 2022 at

UFC Fight Night 206 ''UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Vieira'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 206'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 64'' or ''UFC Vegas 55'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 21, 2022, at the UFC Apex ...

. However, at the end of March, it was announced that Rothwell asked for his release and it was granted from the UFC.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

On April 25, 2022 it was announced that Rothwell joined

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promotion based in Philadelphia. BKFC is the first promotion to hold an official state-sanctioned and commissioned bare-knuckle boxing event in the United States since 1 ...

Personal life

Rothwell attended

Waukesha County Technical College Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) is a public community college in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. The college has campuses in Waukesha and Pewaukee. It is a member of the Wisconsin Technical College System. Accreditation WCTC is accredited ...

where he earned a technical degree in collision repair. Aside from working in his parents' restaurant, he worked in a body shop and as a labor union construction worker in Chicago, Illinois. Rothwell is married and has a daughter, and a son Odin (born 2021). Currently, Rothwell and his wife own Rothwell Mixed Martial Arts in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rothwell MMA, established in 2011, teaches MMA, kickboxing, boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, self-defense, yoga, and fitness to children and adults of all ages and experience levels. Rothwell is also the head coach for an MMA competition team of 30 amateur and professional MMA fighters. They often compete as a team at Wisconsin Xtreme Cage Fighting (WXCF) events at Racine Memorial Hall.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** Knockout of the Night (One time) vs.

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

(Two times) vs.

*United States Mixed Martial Arts **USMMA Heavyweight Championship (One time; first) *MMADNA.nl **2016 Submission of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 39–14 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodríguez , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:32 ,

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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Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...

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Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...

, Croatia , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 36–9 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader , , style="text-align:center;", 2 , style="text-align:center;", 3:48 ,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Matt Mitrione Matthew Steven Mitrione (born July 15, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist and former American football player, who competed for both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and most recently for Bellator MMA. Prior to embarking on an MM ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 1:54 ,

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 34–9 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Jacare vs. Mousasi , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 2:19 ,

Mashantucket, Connecticut Mashantucket is a census-designated place (CDP) in the northeast part of the town of Ledyard, New London County, Connecticut, United States. It consists of land held by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. The Foxwoods Resort Casino Foxwoods Resort ...

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 33–9 , Brandon Vera , TKO (punches) ,

, , style="text-align:center;", 3 , style="text-align:center;", 1:54 ,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, United States , , - , Loss , style="text-align:center;", 32–9 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping , , style="text-align:center;", 2 , style="text-align:center;", 1:01 ,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 32–8 ,

, KO (punches) ,

, , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 1:10 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , style="text-align:center;", 31–8 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , style="text-align:center;", 3 , style="text-align:center;", 5:00 ,

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 31–7 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , style="text-align:center;", 3 , style="text-align:center;", 5:00 ,

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

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

, Canada , , - , Loss , style="text-align:center;", 30–7 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , style="text-align:center;", 2 , style="text-align:center;", 0:58 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 30–6 , Chris Guillen , TKO (submission to elbows) , Adrenaline MMA 2: Miletich vs. Denny , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 3:30 ,

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island ...

, United States , , - , Loss , style="text-align:center;", 29–6 ,

, KO (punches) , Affliction: Banned , , style="text-align:center;", 3 , style="text-align:center;", 1:13 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 29–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , IFL: 2007 Team Championship final , , style="text-align:center;", 3 , style="text-align:center;", 4:00 , Hollywood, Florida, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 28–5 , Krzysztof Soszyński , TKO (punches) , IFL: 2007 semifinals , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 0:13 , East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 27–5 ,

, Submission (kimura) , IFL: Chicago , , style="text-align:center;", 2 , style="text-align:center;", 3:11 ,

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 , style="text-align:center;", 26–5 , Roy Nelson , Decision (split) , IFL: Moline , , style="text-align:center;", 3 , style="text-align:center;", 4:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 25–5 , Matt Thompson , TKO (punches) , IFL: Houston , , style="text-align:center;", 2 , style="text-align:center;", 1:47 , Houston, Texas, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 24–5 ,

Devin Cole Devin Cole (born October 1, 1976) is an American mixed martial artist. He is a veteran of the Seattle Tiger Sharks and Portland Wolfpack in the IFL, and has also competed in the WEC, Strikeforce, the World Series of Fighting, and Shark Fight ...

, KO (head kick) , IFL: Championship final , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 3:16 ,

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 ea ...

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 23–5 , Wojtek Kaszowski , Submission (americana) , IFL: World Championship semifinals , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 3:14 ,

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 22–5 , Bryan Vetell , KO (punch) , IFL: Gracie vs. Miletich , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 3:17 ,

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 21–5 , Krzysztof Soszyński , TKO (punches) , IFL: Legends Championship 2006 , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 3:59 , Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 20–5 ,

, KO (knee) , GFC: Team Gracie vs Team Hammer House , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 4:20 , Columbus, Ohio, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 19–5 , Joey Smith , TKO (submission to punches) , ISCF: Gladiators X , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", N/A ,

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 18–5 , Don Richard , TKO (punches) , KOTC: Conquest , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 3:32 , Calgary,

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 17–5 , Allan Weickert , TKO (punches) , GFS: Fight Nite in the Flats , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 3:45 , Cleveland, Ohio, United States , , - , Loss , style="text-align:center;", 16–5 ,

Dan Christison Daniel B. "The Sandman" Christison (born April 26, 1972) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2001 until 2010, he fought for the San Jose Razorclaws of the International Fight League, the Ultimate Fighting Championshi ...

, Submission (kimura) , Euphoria: USA vs World , , style="text-align:center;", 3 , style="text-align:center;", 0:57 , Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 16–4 , Jonathan Wiezorek , TKO (punches) , Euphoria: Road to the Titles , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 1:09 , Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 15–4 , Matt Bear , TKO (submission to punches) , Ultimate Throwdown , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 2:57 ,

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, United States , , - , Loss , style="text-align:center;", 14–4 , Carlos Barreto , KO (head kick) , Heat FC 1: Genesis , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", N/A ,

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 14–3 , Royce Louck , TKO (doctor stoppage) , Freestyle Combat Challenge 11 , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", N/A , Racine, Wisconsin, United States , , - , Loss , style="text-align:center;", 13–3 , Ibragim Magomedov , TKO (retirement) , M-1 MFC: Russia vs. the World 4 , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 10:00 ,

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

, Russia , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 13–2 ,

, TKO (injury) , Freestyle Combat Challenge 8 , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 5:00 , Racine, Wisconsin, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 12–2 , Johnathan Ivey , TKO (doctor stoppage) , USMMA 2: Ring of Fury , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 1:14 ,

Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, It is one of two traditional seats of Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, it was the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts as of ...

, United States , , - , Loss , style="text-align:center;", 11–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , rowspan=2 , SB 24: Return of the Heavyweights 2 , rowspan=2 , , style="text-align:center;", 2 , style="text-align:center;", 5:00 , rowspan=2 ,

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 11–1 , Kerry Schall , TKO (neck injury) , style="text-align:center;", 2 , style="text-align:center;", 2:10 , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 10–1 , Curtis Crawford , Submission (forearm choke) , SB 24: Return of the Heavyweights 1 , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 1:03 ,

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 9–1 , Mike Priest , TKO (injury) , Freestyle Combat Challenge 7 , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", N/A , Racine, Wisconsin, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 8–1 , Mike Radnov , TKO (doctor stoppage) , rowspan=2 , Extreme Challenge 46 , rowspan=2 , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 5:54 , rowspan=2 ,

Clive, Iowa Clive is a city in Dallas and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 18,601. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area. Clive is known for its Greenbelt Park and ...

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 7–1 , Kerry Schall , TKO (foot injury) , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 7:29 , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 6–1 , Mike Marshalleck , TKO (punches) , Freestyle Combat Challenge 6 , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 0:38 , Racine, Wisconsin, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 5–1 , Steve Hutson , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , SC 8: Fight Night , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 3:35 ,

LaSalle, Illinois LaSalle is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States, located at the intersection of Interstates 39 and 80. It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Originally platted in 1837 over , the city's boundaries have grown ...

, United States , , - , Loss , style="text-align:center;", 4–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Extreme Challenge 42 , , style="text-align:center;", 3 , style="text-align:center;", 5:00 , Davenport, Iowa, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 4–0 , Billy Herrington , TKO (submission to knees) , Iowa Challenge 2 , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 1:07 , Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 3–0 , Darren Block , KO (punch) , rowspan=2 , Dangerzone: Auburn , rowspan=2 , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 0:16 , rowspan=2 ,

Auburn, Indiana Auburn is a city in DeKalb County, Indiana, United States. The population was 13,820 at the 2020 census. Founded in 1836 by Wesley Park (1811–1868), the city is the county seat of DeKalb County. Auburn is also known as Home of the Classics. Hi ...

, United States , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 2–0 , Anthony Ferguson , TKO (referee stoppage) , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 1:00 , , - , Win , style="text-align:center;", 1–0 , Rob Shinkle , TKO (corner stoppage) , Freestyle Combat Challenge 3 , , style="text-align:center;", 1 , style="text-align:center;", 0:21 , Racine, Wisconsin, United States , , -

Kickboxing record (Incomplete)

, - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2005-10-21 , , Win , , align=left, Justice Smith , , ISCF: Colosseum Returns , ,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, , DQ (low blows) , , 1 , , N/A , - , - bgcolor="#CCFFCC" , 2005-01-23 , , Win , , align=left,

Nobu Hayashi Nobu Hayashi ( ja, 林伸樹; born April 27, 1978) is a professional Japanese Heavyweight karateka and kickboxer. He is a two-time K-1 Japan tournament runner-up and holds notable wins over Ben Edwards, Sander Thonhauser and Faisal Zakaria. Hay ...

, , Shootboxing 2005: Ground Zero Fukuoka , , Fukuoka, Japan , , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - , colspan=8 , Legend:

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rothwell, Ben Living people 1981 births American people of Irish descent American people of Norwegian descent American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Wisconsin Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing shootboxing Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American male kickboxers Kickboxers from Wisconsin American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Heavyweight kickboxers Sportspeople from Kenosha, Wisconsin Waukesha County Technical College alumni Doping cases in mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters