Mark Kerr (fighter): Difference between revisions

{{short description|American wrestler and mixed martial artist (born 1968)}}

| height = 6  ft 3 in

|weight=255  lb

{{MedalSport | [[Collegiate wrestling]]}}{{MedalCountry|}} the [[Syracuse Orange]] {{MedalCompetition|[[NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships|NCAA Division I Championships]]}} {{MedalGold|1992 Oklahoma City|190 lb<ref name=":1"/>}}

{{MedalGold|1989 Bethlehem|190 lb}<ref name=":3"/>}}

}}'''Mark Kerr''' (born December 21, 1968) is an American former [[wrestler]] and [[mixed martial artist]]. During his MMA career, he was a two-time [[Ultimate Fighting Championship|UFC]] Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, and a [[Pride Fighting Championships|PRIDE FC]] competitor. In [[collegiate wrestling]], Kerr was a [[NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships|NCAA Division I champion]]. In [[freestyle wrestling]], he won [[Gold medal|gold]] and [[Silversilver medal|silver medals]]s at the [[Wrestling World Cup|World Cup]] and silver at the [[Pan American Games]]. In [[submission wrestling]], Kerr is a four-time [[ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship|ADCC World Champion]], winning his weightclass twice along with the absolute division and the [[ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship#List of ADCC Superfight Champions|Superfight Championship]].

Mark Kerr was born in [[Toledo, Ohio]] to Tom and Mary Kerr.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hudson|first1=David|title=Combat Sports: An Encyclopedia of Wrestling, Fighting, and Mixed Martial Arts|date=13 May 2009|publisher=Greenwood|isbn=978-0313343834|page=169|edition=1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LmhFCQAAQBAJ&q=mark+kerr+born+in+toledo&pg=PA169|access-date=21 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Thomas V. Kerr Obituary|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/toledoblade/obituary.aspx?n=thomas-v-kerr&pid=95305311&fhid=5503|website=legacy.com|access-date=21 November 2016}}</ref> His father was [[Irish Americans|Irish]], and his mother was [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]].<ref>{{Cite webmagazine |last=Gross |first=Josh |title=Former MMA champ Mark Kerr reflects on his career |url=https://www.si.com/mma/2015/05/21/mark-kerr-former-mma-champ-reflects-on-career-future |access-date=2022-08-09 |websitemagazine=Sports Illustrated |date=21 May 2015 |language=en-us}}</ref> From early childhood, he would dream of being in the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]] and would hold mock fights with his younger siblings in the back yard.

In 1983, Kerr began his wrestling career in [[Bettendorf, Iowa]] as a freshman at [[Bettendorf High School]] where he shared the wrestling room with another future MMA champion [[Pat Miletich]], a senior at the time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/mma/2015/05/21/mark-kerr-former-mma-champ-reflects-on-career-future?page=2|title=Former MMA champ Mark Kerr reflects on his career|date=21 May 2015 }}</ref> After his freshman year at Bettendorf, Kerr and his family moved to [[Toledo, Ohio]] where he became a high school state champion for [[Waite High School (Toledo, Ohio)|Toledo Waite]].<ref name="presspubs">[http://www.presspublications.com/sports/37-sports/6109-half-century-of-waite-wrestling-comes-to-sudden-halt Half century of Waite wrestling comes to sudden halt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420172908/http://www.presspublications.com/sports/37-sports/6109-half-century-of-waite-wrestling-comes-to-sudden-halt |date=2017-04-20 }}. Presspublications.com (2011-01-24). Retrieved on 2012-06-17.</ref>

At [[Syracuse University]], Kerr was the [[NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships|Division I champion]] at 190 pounds and an [[All-America#Wrestling|All-American]] in 1992,<ref name="presspubs"/><ref name=":1">[http://www.wrestlingstats.com/ncaa/pdf/brackets/NCAA%201992.pdf 62nd NCAA Wrestling Tournament 3/19/1992 to 3/21/1992 at Oklahoma City]. wrestlingstats.com</ref> defeating [[Randy Couture]] 12-4 in the final.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Mark Kerr |url=https://www.eiwawrestling.org/HOF/Hall_of_Fame/Kerr_Mark |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association |language=en}}</ref> He was also a three-time [[Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association|EIWA]] champion at 190 &nbsp;lbs (1989, 1991, 1992) and a runner-up in 1988, and won the Fletcher Award for scoring the most team points in 1991 and 1992.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=84th EIWA Tournament At Syracuse 3/4 - 3/5/88 |url=http://www.wrestlingstats.com/eiwa/pdf/brackets/EIWA%201988.pdf |website=wrestlingstats.com |format=PDF}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=85th EIWA Tournament At Lehigh 3/3 - 3/4/89 |url=http://www.wrestlingstats.com/eiwa/pdf/brackets/EIWA%201989.pdf |website=wrestlingstats.com |format=PDF}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=87th EIWA Tournament At Lehigh 3/1 - 3/2/91 |url=http://www.wrestlingstats.com/eiwa/pdf/brackets/EIWA%201991.pdf |website=wrestlingstats.com |format=PDF}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=88th EIWA Tournament At Pennsylvania 3/6 - 3/7/92 |url=http://www.wrestlingstats.com/eiwa/pdf/brackets/EIWA%201992.pdf |website=wrestlingstats.com |format=PDF}}</ref> In 1992, Kerr came second at the [[Wrestling World Cup|World Cup]], ahead of [[Kurt Angle]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Kerr, Mark (USA) |url=https://whatsmat.uww.org/daten.php?spid=D4E47FF71F0A4C2D8C87B6DFA9561241 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=whatsmat.uww.org}}</ref> Kerr won the USA World Team Trials in 1993 and 1994, finishing 7th at the [[1993 World Wrestling Championships|1993 World Championships]].<ref name=":0" /> In 1994, he won gold at the World Cup in [[Edmonton]] along with the USA Senior Freestyle Championship but did not medal at the [[1994 World Wrestling Championships|World Championships]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" /> Kerr won silver in freestyle at the [[1995 Pan American Games]].<ref name=":6" /> After missing out on the [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Olympics]], Kerr decided to focus on MMA.<ref name=":0" />

While training as an amateur wrestler, Kerr became interested in [[mixed martial arts]] as a way to earn money. He, his long-time friend and training partner [[Mark Coleman]] and [[Tom Erikson]] were initially scouted by Richard Hamilton, who had managed [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]] fighter [[Don Frye]] until a falling out and was now offering a place in [[UFC 10]] against him.<ref name=Total>Jonathan Snowden, ''Total Mma: Inside Ultimate Fighting''</ref> However, nothing came from it, and Coleman ended up hunting down the chance.<ref>Jeremy Wall, ''UFC's Ultimate Warriors: The Top 10''</ref><ref>Bret Aita, Erich Krauss, ''Brawl: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Mixed Martial Arts Competition''</ref> Eventually, Kerr and Hamilton arranged for the former to train with Coleman and fight at the [[Brazil|Brazilian]]ian event World Vale Tudo Championship 3 in January 1997. His appearance was highly anticipated, as other wrestlers like Coleman or Erikson were already known in the MMA community, though there were doubts about Kerr's true skills.<ref name=Rel>[https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Vale-Tudo-Relics-The-Birth-of-The-Smashing-Machine-87723 Vale Tudo Relics: The Birth of The Smashing Machine]</ref><ref name=si>[https://www.si.com/mma/2015/05/21/mark-kerr-former-mma-champ-reflects-on-career-future His Smashing Machine days over, Mark Kerr reflects on then and now]</ref> Kerr himself was doubtful about it, to the point Hamilton had to force him to fight under the threat the Brazilian crowd might riot and kill him if he didn't show up.<ref name=si/>

Kerr was very successful at the [[ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship|ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships]]s. At the 1999 tournament, he won the +99 &nbsp;kg division by defeating [[Carlos Barreto (fighter)|Carlos Barreto]], [[Josh Barnett]], [[Chris Haseman]], and [[Sean Alvarez]].<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |title=ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship 1999 |url=https://adcombat.com/adcc-events/adcc-1999-results/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=adcombat.com}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |title=1999 ADCC World Championships |url=https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/events/74225-1999-adcc-world-championships |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=Tapology |language=en}}</ref> Kerr returned for the 2000 tournament, winning the +99 &nbsp;kg division again as well as the absolute division. In the +99 &nbsp;kg division, he defeated Josh Barnett again, Anthony Netzler, [[Rigan Machado]], and [[Ricco Rodriguez]]. In the absolute division, he defeated [[Léo Vieira]], [[Mike van Arsdale]], [[Ricardo Almeida]], and Sean Alvarez again.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |title=ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship 2000 |url=https://adcombat.com/adcc-events/adcc-2000-results/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=adcombat.com}}</ref> This earned him a [[ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship#List of ADCC Superfight Champions|Superfight Championship]] match in 2001 against [[Mário Sperry]], which Kerr won.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |title=ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship 2001 |url=https://adcombat.com/adcc-events/adcc-2001-results/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=adcombat.com}}</ref> He lost the Superfight Championship to [[Ricardo Arona]] at the 2003 edition.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |title=ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship 2003 |url=https://adcombat.com/adcc-events/adcc-2003-results/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=adcombat.com}}</ref>

**[[NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships|NCAA Division I Champion]] - 1992 at 190 &nbsp;lbs <small>out of [[Syracuse University]]</small><ref name=":1" />

**Champion - 1989, 1991, 1992 at 190 &nbsp;lbs <small>out of [[Syracuse University]]</small><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" />

**Runner-up - 1988 at 190lbs190&nbsp;lbs <small>out of [[Syracuse University]]</small><ref name=":2" />

**1992 World Cup - Silver medalist at 100 &nbsp;kg<ref name=":6" />

**1994 World Cup - Gold medalist at 100 &nbsp;kg<ref name=":6" />

**1993 World Team Trials - Winner at 100 &nbsp;kg<ref name=":0" />

**1994 World Team Trials - Winner at 100 &nbsp;kg<ref name=":0" />

**1994 Senior Freestyle Championship - Winner at 100 &nbsp;kg<ref name=":0" />

**Champion - 1999 at +99 &nbsp;kg<ref name=":9" />

**Champion - 2000 at +99 &nbsp;kg<ref name=":10" />

| align=center| {{nowrap|15–11 (1)}}

|rowspan=4|+99  kg

|<small>Final, won +99 &nbsp;kg division</small>

|rowspan=4|+99  kg

|<small>Final, won +99 &nbsp;kg division</small>