Karl James Noons
Encyclopedia
Karl James "K.J." Noons (born December 7, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist
, boxer
, and kickboxer
who currently competes in the Strikeforce
lightweight division and was also the first as well as last EliteXC Lightweight Champion. He Holds Notable Victories over Yves Edwards
, Jorge Gurgel
, Conor Heun
, and Nick Diaz
. Noons is not a member of any fight team as he trains all over areas of San Diego, Los Angeles
, and Tijuana
, at various gyms.
—mixed ethnicity of Native Hawaiian (from his mother's side) and Caucasian
(from his father's side). Born and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, K.J. comes from a family history of fighting. His father Karl was a professional kickboxer and was a top contender during the time he fought. Karl's passion for fighting and competing in combat sports influenced him to introduce K.J. to martial arts at a young age. At the age of 5, Noons started in Kenpō Karate. While competing in Karate tournaments, K.J. was often disqualified for fighting too hard, then eventually started training in Boxing and Muay Thai at the age of 8 out of interest for full contact fighting. He competed as an amateur fighter and became the first student in the state of Hawaii to earn a junior black belt under Ed Parker at the age of 11.
During his high school years, Noons moved to Houston, Texas due to the location of his father's job. While continuing to compete as a fighter, he also started playing football at Clements High School. At age 17, K.J. won the ISKA Super Middleweight International Championship as an amateur in Sanshou. After winning the title and graduating from Clements High School, K.J. decided to pursue a career in combat sports, rather than go to college and continue with football. While Noons is currently a two-sport professional combatant, he states his goal is to become the first world champion in Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts.
, and lightweight top contender, Joachim Hansen. Noons felt he was not ready to compete at the highest level that early in his career and chose a more conservative route. After three combined wins under the ICON Sport and Superbrawl banner, Noons would move on to compete in bigger promotions.
After rebounding from his loss to Bennett with a KO win over James Edson Berto
at EliteXC's first ShoXC
event, he would then face Nick Diaz
for the promotion's first 160 pound title at EliteXC: Renegade
. Noons dominated the fight using his outstanding boxing and striking against the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert, Nick Diaz. Diaz attempted to take the fight to the ground but was unsuccessful with his takedown attempts and was also countered with a knee strike to the face on one occasion. Midway through the first round, Diaz was finally successful with a takedown, but Noons got back to his feet instantly. Moments later, the referee would hault the fight and send Diaz to his corner to check on his cuts over his right eye. Diaz was given the o.k. and continued to fight. Noons would keep the fight standing and dropped Diaz with a straight right punch around the 2:07 mark of the round. After round one finally ended, the doctors in Diaz's corner would stop the fight due to how badly his face was cut. Noons was then be declared the winner of the fight by way of TKO due to cuts, and would become EliteXC's new Lightweight Champion.
On June 14, 2008 Noons was successful in his first and only title defense with a TKO win over Yves Edwards
in Hawaii at EliteXC: Return of the King
. Following the fight, Nick Diaz, whom fought on the event's co-main event, would step into the cage to confront Noons for a rematch during K.J.'s post-fight interview with Bill Goldberg
. After Noons asked the fans if Diaz deserved the rematch, Diaz grabbed a hold of Goldberg's microphone and said "Don't be scared homie." An in-cage melee then ensued while incited by Noons's father, whom appeared to be inebriated at the time. About two months later, Noons would be stripped of the title for refusing a rematch with Nick Diaz. The promotion would then go defunct before a new champion could be crowned.
On December 2, 2009, Noons signed with mixed martial arts promotion, Strikeforce
. In March 2010, Noons made his Japanese MMA debut as he represented Strikeforce at Dream 13. In his first MMA fight in nearly 2 years, Noons defeated Andre Amade
via unanimous decision.
KJ was set to make his Strikeforce MMA debut against undefeated prospect Billy Evangelista
at Strikeforce: Miami
, but the fight was withdrawn after Evangelista suffered an undisclosed injury during training.
Noons would then be scheduled to compete in a rematch against Charles Bennett at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum
. After Bennett pulled out of the fight due to scheduling conflicts, Noons was rescheduled to face Conor Heun
at Strikeforce: Los Angeles
in a catchweight bout of 160 lbs, which would take place ten days before the date he was originally set to rematch Bennett. Noons would go on to win in a closely contested split decision by the judges' score of 29-28, 27-30, and 29-28.
At weigh-ins, the day before the bout with Gurgel, Noons weighed in at 156.25 lbs, a quarter of a pound over the maximum weight limit. Gurgel accepted the fight and waived off the extra weight, so the fight was continued as a lightweight bout. On August 21 Noons fought Jorge Gurgel
at Strikeforce: Houston. As the final seconds of the first round were coming to an end, Gurgel threw a flurry of punches while Noons responded with a left hook that landed and dropped Gurgel just a split second after the bell at the end of the round. The crowd reacted to what appeared to be a late punch while a wobbled Gurgel was struggling to find his corner. Right at the opening bell for round number two, Noons landed a right hand followed by a left hook that dropped Gurgel to the canvas once again. Noons looked to the referee expecting a stoppage and received no response. As Noons then continued to land punches on Gurgel, he threw a knee that appeared to land to the head of a still downed opponent, finally prompting the referee to stop the fight. Replay showed that the knee Noons threw did not land, although Noons's foot tapped Gurgel on the chin as it followed through. KJ Noons would be decided as the winner of the fight by KO at 0:19 of round number two.
Noons moved up one weight class to fight Nick Diaz
in a grudge rematch for the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship on October 9, 2010. Noons and Diaz previously fought at EliteXC: Renegade
where Noons won by TKO due to cuts. Noons lost by Unanimous Decision, giving Noons his second MMA career loss and first loss by decision. After the fight Noons revealed that he had sustained a broken jaw in the first round and a broken hand in the second.
Noons faced Jorge Masvidal
at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum
. Noons-Masvidal is set as a lightweight title eliminator, which will grant the winner of the bout a title shot against reigning Strikeforce lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez
. Originally headlining the preliminary card on HDNet
, the bout was promoted to the Showtime portion of the main card after women's MMA superstar, Gina Carano
, was pulled from the card. Noons would lose a unanimous decision.
He is next set to face Billy Evangelista
at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal
in December 2011.
When not training for a fight, K.J. likes to enjoy the beach with his family, friends, and dogs. He also likes to surf, golf, and relax. Noons is engaged to model, Melany Lorenzo, who used to play for the San Diego Seduction
in the Lingerie Football League
.
| Loss
|align=center| 10-4
| Jorge Masvidal
| Decision (unanimous)
| Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Dallas, Texas
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 10–3
| Nick Diaz
| Decision (unanimous)
| Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II
|
|align=center| 5
|align=center| 5:00
|San Jose, California
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–2
| Jorge Gurgel
| KO (punches)
| Strikeforce: Houston
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 0:19
|Houston, Texas
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–2
| Conor Heun
| Decision (split)
| Strikeforce: Los Angeles
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Los Angeles, California
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–2
| Andre Amade
| Decision (unanimous)
| Dream 13
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 5:00
|Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–2
| Yves Edwards
| TKO (punches and elbows)
| EliteXC: Return of the King
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:48
|Honolulu, Hawaii
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–2
| Nick Diaz
| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| EliteXC: Renegade
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:00
|Corpus Christi, Texas
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–2
| James Edson Berto
| KO (knee)
| ShoXC
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 0:45
|Santa Ynez, California
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 4–2
| Charles Bennett
| KO (punch)
| EliteXC: Destiny
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:43
|Southaven, Mississippi
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–1
| Harris Sarmiento
| TKO (punches)
| ICON Sport 44: Opposites Attract
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 4:37
|Honolulu, Hawaii
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–1
| Bryson Kamaka
| KO (head kick)
| Superbrawl 41: ICON
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:20
|Honolulu, Hawaii
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2-1
| Malik Williams
| TKO (punches)
| Superbrawl 39: Destiny
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:43
|Honolulu, Hawaii
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 1-1
| Buddy Clinton
| Submission (heel hook)
| Renegades Extreme Fighting
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:25
|Houston, Texas
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1-0
| Raul Guerra
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Renegades Extreme Fighting
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| N/A
|Houston, Texas
, United States
|
|-
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Res.
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Record
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponnent
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Type
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Rd., Time
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|11-2
| Julio Perez
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2009-10-10
| Arena Theatre, Houston, Texas
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|10-2
| Randy Pogue
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2009-08-22
| Pala Casino Spa and Resort
, Pala, California
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|9-2
| Enrique Gallegos
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2009-05-28
| Arena Theatre, Houston, Texas
|
|-
| style="background: Loss
| align=center|8-2
| James Countryman
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2009-03-21
| U.S. Bank Arena
, Cincinnati, Ohio
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|8-1
| Alejandro Bogarin
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2008-11-13
| Expo Center, El Monte, California
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|7-1
| Anthony Cannon
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2007-06-01
| Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, California
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|6-1
| Roberto Estrada
| align=center|TKO
| align=center|2 (6), 0:55
| align=center|2006-09-15
| Quiet Cannon, Montebello, California
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|5-1
| Velvet Malone
| align=center|TKO
| align=center|4 (4), 1:01
| align=center|2006-05-19
| Quiet Cannon, Montebello, California
|
|-
| style="background: Loss
| align=center|4-1
| Daniel Stanislavjevic
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2006-02-02
| Henry Fonda Theater, Hollywood, California
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|4-0
| Damon Franklin
| align=center|TKO
| align=center|3 (4), 1:24
| align=center|2005-09-22
| Henry Fonda Theater, Hollywood, California
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|3-0
| Thomas Rittenbaugh
| align=center|UD
| align=center|4
| align=center|2005-08-26
| Golden Acorn Casino, Campo, California
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|2-0
| Ray Seja
| align=center|TKO
| align=center|3 (4), 1:30
| align=center|2005-06-17
| Table Mountain Casino, Friant, California
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|1-0
| Ernest Lesure
| align=center|TKO
| align=center|4 (4), 2:55
| align=center|2004-06-18
| Dodge Arena, Hidalgo, Texas
|
|-
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
, boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, and kickboxer
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
who currently competes in the Strikeforce
Strikeforce
Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
lightweight division and was also the first as well as last EliteXC Lightweight Champion. He Holds Notable Victories over Yves Edwards
Yves Edwards
|-| Win| align="center" | 41-17-1| Rafaello Oliveira| TKO | UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson| | align="center" | 2| align="center" | 2:44| Washington, D.C||-| Loss| align="center" | 40-17-1| Sam Stout| KO...
, Jorge Gurgel
Jorge Gurgel
Jorge Valente Gurgel is a Brazilian-American Mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner who currently competes in Strikeforce's lightweight division.- Early life :...
, Conor Heun
Conor Heun
Conor Heun is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Lightweight division.-Mixed martial arts career:...
, and Nick Diaz
Nick Díaz
Nicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...
. Noons is not a member of any fight team as he trains all over areas of San Diego, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
, at various gyms.
Biography
KJ Noons is hapa kanaka, hapa haoleHapa
Hapa is a Hawaiian language term used to describe a person of mixed Asian or Pacific Islander racial or ethnic heritage.-Etymology:In the Hawaiian language, hapa is defined as: portion, fragment, part, fraction, installment; to be partial, less. It is a loan from the English word half...
—mixed ethnicity of Native Hawaiian (from his mother's side) and Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
(from his father's side). Born and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, K.J. comes from a family history of fighting. His father Karl was a professional kickboxer and was a top contender during the time he fought. Karl's passion for fighting and competing in combat sports influenced him to introduce K.J. to martial arts at a young age. At the age of 5, Noons started in Kenpō Karate. While competing in Karate tournaments, K.J. was often disqualified for fighting too hard, then eventually started training in Boxing and Muay Thai at the age of 8 out of interest for full contact fighting. He competed as an amateur fighter and became the first student in the state of Hawaii to earn a junior black belt under Ed Parker at the age of 11.
During his high school years, Noons moved to Houston, Texas due to the location of his father's job. While continuing to compete as a fighter, he also started playing football at Clements High School. At age 17, K.J. won the ISKA Super Middleweight International Championship as an amateur in Sanshou. After winning the title and graduating from Clements High School, K.J. decided to pursue a career in combat sports, rather than go to college and continue with football. While Noons is currently a two-sport professional combatant, he states his goal is to become the first world champion in Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts.
PRIDE, ICON Sport, and Superbrawl
In 2005, Noons won the PRIDE Fighting Championship's "Best Striker" auditions. Although, he never fought for the promotion, he fought for PRIDE's subleased promotion called Superbrawl. Noons chose not to fight for PRIDE Fighting Championships because the promoters wanted to feature him in bouts against the top lightweights in the world, such as PRIDE's reigning lightweight champion, Takanori GomiTakanori Gomi
, is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Gomi is a former Shooto Welterweight Champion and was the last and only Pride Lightweight Champion. He is also a four-time All Japan Combat Wrestling champion. During his time in Pride he was considered...
, and lightweight top contender, Joachim Hansen. Noons felt he was not ready to compete at the highest level that early in his career and chose a more conservative route. After three combined wins under the ICON Sport and Superbrawl banner, Noons would move on to compete in bigger promotions.
Elite Xtreme Combat
In 2006, Noons signed a deal with promoter Gary Shaw that allowed him to participate in both boxing and mixed martial arts. Soon after, Noons was set to face Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett in EliteXC's inaugural event in February 2007. After a few minutes of action into round number one, Bennett would land a right hook that would send Noons crashing down to the canvas. Noons was not unconscious, but was hurt enough for referee Herb Dean to step in and immediately stop the fight. Charles Bennett won the bout via KO in just 3:43 into round number one, giving Noons his first loss in his professional mixed martial arts career.After rebounding from his loss to Bennett with a KO win over James Edson Berto
James Edson Berto
James Edson Berto is a Haitian professional mixed martial artist and the former Real Fighting Championship Lightweight Champion who has fought for the EliteXC and Strikeforce promotions and is known for his incredible leg lock variations, all but one of his submission wins are by way of Heel...
at EliteXC's first ShoXC
ShoXC
ShoXC was a mixed martial arts series produced by the mixed martial arts organization EliteXC, Showtime and Proelite.com. The series was announced on July 11, 2007. The purpose of the show is to highlight up and coming MMA fighters....
event, he would then face Nick Diaz
Nick Díaz
Nicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...
for the promotion's first 160 pound title at EliteXC: Renegade
EliteXC: Renegade
EliteXC: Renegade was a mixed martial arts event promoted by EliteXC that took place on Saturday, November 10, 2007 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The main card aired live on Showtime. The main event featured a showdown between Nick Diaz and KJ Noons for the new EliteXC...
. Noons dominated the fight using his outstanding boxing and striking against the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert, Nick Diaz. Diaz attempted to take the fight to the ground but was unsuccessful with his takedown attempts and was also countered with a knee strike to the face on one occasion. Midway through the first round, Diaz was finally successful with a takedown, but Noons got back to his feet instantly. Moments later, the referee would hault the fight and send Diaz to his corner to check on his cuts over his right eye. Diaz was given the o.k. and continued to fight. Noons would keep the fight standing and dropped Diaz with a straight right punch around the 2:07 mark of the round. After round one finally ended, the doctors in Diaz's corner would stop the fight due to how badly his face was cut. Noons was then be declared the winner of the fight by way of TKO due to cuts, and would become EliteXC's new Lightweight Champion.
On June 14, 2008 Noons was successful in his first and only title defense with a TKO win over Yves Edwards
Yves Edwards
|-| Win| align="center" | 41-17-1| Rafaello Oliveira| TKO | UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson| | align="center" | 2| align="center" | 2:44| Washington, D.C||-| Loss| align="center" | 40-17-1| Sam Stout| KO...
in Hawaii at EliteXC: Return of the King
EliteXC: Return of the King
EliteXC: Return of the King was a mixed martial arts event promoted by EliteXC that took place on Saturday, June 14, 2008 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Oahu, Hawaii. The main card aired live on Showtime. The Welterweight title bout of Jake Shields vs. Drew Fickett was removed from the...
. Following the fight, Nick Diaz, whom fought on the event's co-main event, would step into the cage to confront Noons for a rematch during K.J.'s post-fight interview with Bill Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
. After Noons asked the fans if Diaz deserved the rematch, Diaz grabbed a hold of Goldberg's microphone and said "Don't be scared homie." An in-cage melee then ensued while incited by Noons's father, whom appeared to be inebriated at the time. About two months later, Noons would be stripped of the title for refusing a rematch with Nick Diaz. The promotion would then go defunct before a new champion could be crowned.
Strikeforce and DREAM
While Noons was still competing in professional kickboxing as a teenager, he previously fought for Strikeforce on their kickboxing fight cards before Strikeforce became a mixed martial arts promotion in 2006.On December 2, 2009, Noons signed with mixed martial arts promotion, Strikeforce
Strikeforce
Strikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
. In March 2010, Noons made his Japanese MMA debut as he represented Strikeforce at Dream 13. In his first MMA fight in nearly 2 years, Noons defeated Andre Amade
Andre Amade
Andre "Dida" Amade is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Muay Thai kickboxer. Until late 2007 he trained at the Chute Boxe Academy in Curitiba, Brazil....
via unanimous decision.
KJ was set to make his Strikeforce MMA debut against undefeated prospect Billy Evangelista
Billy Evangelista
Billy Evangelista is an American mixed martial artist who has fought for World Extreme Cagefighting and Strikeforce in his career. His most notable wins are over former UFC fighters Luke Caudillo, Jorge Gurgel and current UFC fighter Nam Phan.-Early career:...
at Strikeforce: Miami
Strikeforce: Miami
Strikeforce: Miami was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce on January 30, 2010 in Sunrise, Florida, United States at the BankAtlantic Center. The event aired live on Showtime in the US and on Super Channel in Canada.-Background:...
, but the fight was withdrawn after Evangelista suffered an undisclosed injury during training.
Noons would then be scheduled to compete in a rematch against Charles Bennett at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum
Strikeforce / M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Werdum was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce on June 26, 2010 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.-Background:...
. After Bennett pulled out of the fight due to scheduling conflicts, Noons was rescheduled to face Conor Heun
Conor Heun
Conor Heun is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Lightweight division.-Mixed martial arts career:...
at Strikeforce: Los Angeles
Strikeforce: Los Angeles
Strikeforce: Los Angeles, also referred to as Strikeforce Live was a mixed martial arts held by Strikeforce. The event took place on June 16, 2010 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.-Background:...
in a catchweight bout of 160 lbs, which would take place ten days before the date he was originally set to rematch Bennett. Noons would go on to win in a closely contested split decision by the judges' score of 29-28, 27-30, and 29-28.
At weigh-ins, the day before the bout with Gurgel, Noons weighed in at 156.25 lbs, a quarter of a pound over the maximum weight limit. Gurgel accepted the fight and waived off the extra weight, so the fight was continued as a lightweight bout. On August 21 Noons fought Jorge Gurgel
Jorge Gurgel
Jorge Valente Gurgel is a Brazilian-American Mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner who currently competes in Strikeforce's lightweight division.- Early life :...
at Strikeforce: Houston. As the final seconds of the first round were coming to an end, Gurgel threw a flurry of punches while Noons responded with a left hook that landed and dropped Gurgel just a split second after the bell at the end of the round. The crowd reacted to what appeared to be a late punch while a wobbled Gurgel was struggling to find his corner. Right at the opening bell for round number two, Noons landed a right hand followed by a left hook that dropped Gurgel to the canvas once again. Noons looked to the referee expecting a stoppage and received no response. As Noons then continued to land punches on Gurgel, he threw a knee that appeared to land to the head of a still downed opponent, finally prompting the referee to stop the fight. Replay showed that the knee Noons threw did not land, although Noons's foot tapped Gurgel on the chin as it followed through. KJ Noons would be decided as the winner of the fight by KO at 0:19 of round number two.
Noons moved up one weight class to fight Nick Diaz
Nick Díaz
Nicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...
in a grudge rematch for the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship on October 9, 2010. Noons and Diaz previously fought at EliteXC: Renegade
EliteXC: Renegade
EliteXC: Renegade was a mixed martial arts event promoted by EliteXC that took place on Saturday, November 10, 2007 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The main card aired live on Showtime. The main event featured a showdown between Nick Diaz and KJ Noons for the new EliteXC...
where Noons won by TKO due to cuts. Noons lost by Unanimous Decision, giving Noons his second MMA career loss and first loss by decision. After the fight Noons revealed that he had sustained a broken jaw in the first round and a broken hand in the second.
Noons faced Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal is an American mixed martial artist of Cuban descent who trains with American Top Team. Currently signed to Strikeforce, Masvidal's record includes notable wins over Yves Edwards, Joe Lauzon, Satoru Kitaoka, Ryan Schultz, Billy Evangelista and K.J...
at Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum, also known as Strikeforce: Dallas, was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce. The event took place on June 18, 2011 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas...
. Noons-Masvidal is set as a lightweight title eliminator, which will grant the winner of the bout a title shot against reigning Strikeforce lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez
Gilbert Melendez
Gilbert Melendez is an American mixed martial artist of Mexican descent. Currently fighting out of San Francisco, California, he formerly competed in the lightweight division of PRIDE Fighting Championships and now competes in Strikeforce...
. Originally headlining the preliminary card on HDNet
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
, the bout was promoted to the Showtime portion of the main card after women's MMA superstar, Gina Carano
Gina Carano
Gina Joy Carano is an American model, actress, and mixed martial arts fighter. Carano appeared as the Gladiator "Crush" on American Gladiators...
, was pulled from the card. Noons would lose a unanimous decision.
He is next set to face Billy Evangelista
Billy Evangelista
Billy Evangelista is an American mixed martial artist who has fought for World Extreme Cagefighting and Strikeforce in his career. His most notable wins are over former UFC fighters Luke Caudillo, Jorge Gurgel and current UFC fighter Nam Phan.-Early career:...
at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal
Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal
Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by Strikeforce. The event will take place on December 17, 2011 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California.-Background:...
in December 2011.
Personal life
Karl James Noons was given the nickname 'K.J.' due to his first and middle initials. Noons's first name comes from his father's first name, while his middle name comes from his grandfather's middle name.When not training for a fight, K.J. likes to enjoy the beach with his family, friends, and dogs. He also likes to surf, golf, and relax. Noons is engaged to model, Melany Lorenzo, who used to play for the San Diego Seduction
San Diego Seduction
The San Diego Seduction is an charter team in the Lingerie Football League which began play in its inaugural 2009-10 season. The Seduction is based in San Diego, California, with home games played at the Valley View Casino Center...
in the Lingerie Football League
Lingerie Football League
The Lingerie Football League is a women's 7-on-7 tackle American football league, created in 2009, with games played in the fall and winter at NBA, NFL, NHL and MLS arenas and stadiums. The league was founded by Mitch Mortaza...
.
Mixed martial arts
- StrikeforceStrikeforceStrikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
- Best of 2010 Awards: Fight of the Year vs. Nick DiazNick DíazNicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...
on October 9
- Best of 2010 Awards: Fight of the Year vs. Nick Diaz
- Elite Xtreme CombatElite Xtreme CombatElite Xtreme Combat, also known as EliteXC, was a U.S.-based mixed martial arts organization owned and operated by ProElite. It was founded as a partnership between Showtime Networks and ProElite and officially announced on December 14, 2006. It was headquartered in Los Angeles, California.The...
- EliteXC Lightweight Championship (One time; First; Last; Only; 1 Successful title defence)
- PRIDE Fighting Championships
- 2005 "Best Striker" Auditions Winner
Kickboxing
- Art of War-K. Superstar Production
- Art of War Sanshou Middleweight Championship (One time)
- U.S. Open International Martial Arts Championships
- U.S. Open Sanshou International Middleweight Championship (One time)
- International Sport Karate AssociationInternational Sport Karate AssociationThe International Sport Karate Association is one of the major international bodies regulating karate and kickboxing matches, and is based in the United States...
- ISKAInternational Sport Karate AssociationThe International Sport Karate Association is one of the major international bodies regulating karate and kickboxing matches, and is based in the United States...
Amateur Sanshou International Super Middleweight Championship (One time)
- ISKA
- Long Beach International Karate ChampionshipsLong Beach International Karate ChampionshipsThe Long Beach International Karate Championships — is an International Karate and martial arts tournament in Long Beach, California. It is well-known due to several appearances of the famous martial artist legend Bruce Lee, and his use of the one inch punch...
- 1997 Black Belt 17 and Under Kenpō Championship
Mixed martial arts record
|-| Loss
|align=center| 10-4
| Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal is an American mixed martial artist of Cuban descent who trains with American Top Team. Currently signed to Strikeforce, Masvidal's record includes notable wins over Yves Edwards, Joe Lauzon, Satoru Kitaoka, Ryan Schultz, Billy Evangelista and K.J...
| Decision (unanimous)
| Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum
Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum, also known as Strikeforce: Dallas, was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce. The event took place on June 18, 2011 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 10–3
| Nick Diaz
Nick Díaz
Nicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...
| Decision (unanimous)
| Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II
Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II
Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II, also known as Strikeforce: San Jose, was a mixed martial arts event held by Strikeforce on October 9, 2010 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, United States...
|
|align=center| 5
|align=center| 5:00
|San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–2
| Jorge Gurgel
Jorge Gurgel
Jorge Valente Gurgel is a Brazilian-American Mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner who currently competes in Strikeforce's lightweight division.- Early life :...
| KO (punches)
| Strikeforce: Houston
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 0:19
|Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–2
| Conor Heun
Conor Heun
Conor Heun is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Lightweight division.-Mixed martial arts career:...
| Decision (split)
| Strikeforce: Los Angeles
Strikeforce: Los Angeles
Strikeforce: Los Angeles, also referred to as Strikeforce Live was a mixed martial arts held by Strikeforce. The event took place on June 16, 2010 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–2
| Andre Amade
Andre Amade
Andre "Dida" Amade is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Muay Thai kickboxer. Until late 2007 he trained at the Chute Boxe Academy in Curitiba, Brazil....
| Decision (unanimous)
| Dream 13
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 5:00
|Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–2
| Yves Edwards
Yves Edwards
|-| Win| align="center" | 41-17-1| Rafaello Oliveira| TKO | UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson| | align="center" | 2| align="center" | 2:44| Washington, D.C||-| Loss| align="center" | 40-17-1| Sam Stout| KO...
| TKO (punches and elbows)
| EliteXC: Return of the King
EliteXC: Return of the King
EliteXC: Return of the King was a mixed martial arts event promoted by EliteXC that took place on Saturday, June 14, 2008 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Oahu, Hawaii. The main card aired live on Showtime. The Welterweight title bout of Jake Shields vs. Drew Fickett was removed from the...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:48
|Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–2
| Nick Diaz
Nick Díaz
Nicholas Robert Diaz is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, WEC and IFC Welterweight Champion. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships and Elite Xtreme Combat. Diaz was promoted to black belt in Brazilian...
| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| EliteXC: Renegade
EliteXC: Renegade
EliteXC: Renegade was a mixed martial arts event promoted by EliteXC that took place on Saturday, November 10, 2007 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The main card aired live on Showtime. The main event featured a showdown between Nick Diaz and KJ Noons for the new EliteXC...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 5:00
|Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–2
| James Edson Berto
James Edson Berto
James Edson Berto is a Haitian professional mixed martial artist and the former Real Fighting Championship Lightweight Champion who has fought for the EliteXC and Strikeforce promotions and is known for his incredible leg lock variations, all but one of his submission wins are by way of Heel...
| KO (knee)
| ShoXC
ShoXC
ShoXC was a mixed martial arts series produced by the mixed martial arts organization EliteXC, Showtime and Proelite.com. The series was announced on July 11, 2007. The purpose of the show is to highlight up and coming MMA fighters....
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 0:45
|Santa Ynez, California
Santa Ynez, California
Santa Ynez is a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The town of Santa Ynez is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley, and features the Santa Ynez Airport for general aviation with a paved 2804 x 75 foot runway. The population was 4,418...
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 4–2
| Charles Bennett
| KO (punch)
| EliteXC: Destiny
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:43
|Southaven, Mississippi
Southaven, Mississippi
-Households And Families:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,977 people, 11,007 households, and 8,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 857.9 people per square mile...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–1
| Harris Sarmiento
| TKO (punches)
| ICON Sport 44: Opposites Attract
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 4:37
|Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–1
| Bryson Kamaka
| KO (head kick)
| Superbrawl 41: ICON
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:20
|Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2-1
| Malik Williams
| TKO (punches)
| Superbrawl 39: Destiny
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:43
|Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 1-1
| Buddy Clinton
| Submission (heel hook)
| Renegades Extreme Fighting
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:25
|Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1-0
| Raul Guerra
| TKO (corner stoppage)
| Renegades Extreme Fighting
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| N/A
|Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, United States
|
Professional boxing record
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="8"|11 Wins (5 knockouts, 6 decisions), 2 Losses, 0 Draws|-
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Res.
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Record
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponnent
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Type
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Rd., Time
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location
|align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|11-2
| Julio Perez
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2009-10-10
| Arena Theatre, Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|10-2
| Randy Pogue
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2009-08-22
| Pala Casino Spa and Resort
Pala Casino Resort and Spa
Pala Casino Spa and Resort is a casino and hotel located in northern San Diego County, in the state of California near I-15 in Pala on the Pala Indian Reservation...
, Pala, California
Pala, California
Pala is a small, mostly Native American, community located in San Diego County, California near Fallbrook. It is east of Carlsbad in the San Diego-Carlsbad metro area. In the National Geographic Names Database it is officially catalogued as feature number 1661174...
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|9-2
| Enrique Gallegos
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2009-05-28
| Arena Theatre, Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
|
|-
| style="background: Loss
| align=center|8-2
| James Countryman
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2009-03-21
| U.S. Bank Arena
U.S. Bank Arena
U.S. Bank Arena is an indoor arena, located in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, along the banks of the Ohio River, next to the Great American Ball Park. Completed in September 1975, the arena seats 17,556 people...
, Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|8-1
| Alejandro Bogarin
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2008-11-13
| Expo Center, El Monte, California
El Monte, California
El Monte is a residential, industrial, and commercial city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city's slogan is "Welcome to Friendly El Monte," and historically is known as "The End of the Santa Fe Trail." As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 113,475,...
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|7-1
| Anthony Cannon
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2007-06-01
| Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, California
Santa Ynez, California
Santa Ynez is a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The town of Santa Ynez is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley, and features the Santa Ynez Airport for general aviation with a paved 2804 x 75 foot runway. The population was 4,418...
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|6-1
| Roberto Estrada
| align=center|TKO
| align=center|2 (6), 0:55
| align=center|2006-09-15
| Quiet Cannon, Montebello, California
Montebello, California
Montebello is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the southwestern part of the San Gabriel Valley. It is located on of land just east of downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of the Gateway Cities, and the city is a member of the Gateway Cities Council of...
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|5-1
| Velvet Malone
| align=center|TKO
| align=center|4 (4), 1:01
| align=center|2006-05-19
| Quiet Cannon, Montebello, California
Montebello, California
Montebello is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the southwestern part of the San Gabriel Valley. It is located on of land just east of downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of the Gateway Cities, and the city is a member of the Gateway Cities Council of...
|
|-
| style="background: Loss
| align=center|4-1
| Daniel Stanislavjevic
| align=center|UD
| align=center|6
| align=center|2006-02-02
| Henry Fonda Theater, Hollywood, California
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|4-0
| Damon Franklin
| align=center|TKO
| align=center|3 (4), 1:24
| align=center|2005-09-22
| Henry Fonda Theater, Hollywood, California
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|3-0
| Thomas Rittenbaugh
| align=center|UD
| align=center|4
| align=center|2005-08-26
| Golden Acorn Casino, Campo, California
Campo, California
Campo is a census-designated place located in the Mountain Empire area of southeastern San Diego County, California. The population was 2,684 at the 2010 census....
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|2-0
| Ray Seja
| align=center|TKO
| align=center|3 (4), 1:30
| align=center|2005-06-17
| Table Mountain Casino, Friant, California
Friant, California
Friant is a census-designated place in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 549 at the 2010 census, down from 778 at the 2000 census. Friant is located north of Clovis, at an elevation of 344 feet .-Geography:Friant is located at...
|
|-
| style="background: Win
| align=center|1-0
| Ernest Lesure
| align=center|TKO
| align=center|4 (4), 2:55
| align=center|2004-06-18
| Dodge Arena, Hidalgo, Texas
Hidalgo, Texas
Hidalgo is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 11,198 at the 2010 census. It is home to the Rio Grande Valley Magic of the Southern Indoor Football League, the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the Central Hockey League, and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA...
|
|-
Kickboxing record (Incomplete)
Kickboxing Record | |
---|---|
Legend: |