Mark Holst
Encyclopedia
Mark Holst is a Canadian martial artist from Ottawa, Ontario, who has fought in the UFC. He is currently training and teaching Muay Thai
and MMA
at the Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts (OAMA) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
He holds a purple belt in Renzo Gracie
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Pat Cooligan.
.
When he received his black belt in shotokan karate, he decided it was time to move on to different martial arts, and began training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
and Muay Thai
at Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts.
Mark has made several trips to traveled Thailand for Muay Thai
and to Brazil for BJJ. He has spent time with Greg Jackson's, Renzo Gracie
in New York and with the Ricardo Almeida
New Jersey team. He also trains at the well-known Montreal Wrestling Club, which is where UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre also trains.
/kickboxing
and BJJ as well. His first MMA fight was against Shane Savage
, where Mark won via TKO in the first round.
He has since became known for finishing many of his opponents quickly in his MMA fights, all in the first or second round. His nickname, "Boots" was given to him by his head coach Pat Cooligan because of his tendency to use kicks and his overall striking ability.
After obtaining a 5–0 record, Mark lost his first fight against Martin Grandmont via knockout
, a fight he was dominating until getting caught by a crushing right hand from Grandmont. In addition to his striking background, he has also garnered many submission
wins; Mark's most notable submission is over The Ultimate Fighter 5 veteran, Corey Hill
. Mark won via second round submission, winning him the XKL Lightweight Championship. After the win, he was signed to the UFC.
on June 19, 2010, at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale
, replacing Paul Taylor
. In what became a grappling contest, Gunderson controlled Holst for the majority of the fight, and Holst consequently lost the fight via unanimous decision. Despite losing, Holst demonstrated very good submission defense, and he was soon awarded his purple belt in BJJ.
Holst's next bout was against UFC newcomer Paul Sass
at UFC 120
in London, England. He lost the fight via submission due to a triangle choke
in the first round, and was subsequently released by the UFC.
, QC at the Casino de Hull for Wreck MMA. The fight became a catch-weight bout as Wedderburn failed make 170 pounds (as he often does). Holst won the fight via Rear Naked Choke with only seconds remaining in the second round. He suffered a boxer's fracture
during the fight.
Holst revealed on January 15, 2011 that after the fight with Wedderburn he would "retire from MMA" to open a martial arts school with his coach and mentor Pat Cooligan. His rationale is that he wants to spend more time managing and coaching his students, and he also plans to return to BJJ and Muay Thai
/Kickboxing
competition as he originally did, to "take a step back and work on [his] weaknesses." However, he does not rule out returning to MMA in the later future, and even expressed interest in a rematch with Nabil Khatib if the fight is offered to him.
|Win
|align=center|9-3
|
Markhaile Wedderburn
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|Wreck MMA: Strong and Proud
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|4:56
|Gatineau, Quebec
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|8–3
|
Paul Sass
|Submission (triangle choke)
|UFC 120
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:45
|London, England
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|8–2
|
John Gunderson
|Decision (unanimous)
|The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada
, United States
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|8–1
| Corey Hill
|Submission (kimura)
|XKL: Evolution 1
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|4:06
|Ypsilanti, Michigan
, United States
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|7–1
| Nabil Khatib
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|Wreck MMA: Fight for the Troops
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:21
|Gatineau, Quebec
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|6–1
| Chris Vorano
|Submission (triangle choke)
|W-1 MMA 2: Unplugged
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|1:42
|Gatineau, Quebec
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|5–1
| Martin Grandmont
|KO (punch)
|W-1 MMA 1: Inception
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:13
|Gatineau, Quebec
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|5–0
| Antoine Coutu
|TKO (punches)
|XMMA 6: House of Pain
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:22
|Montreal, Quebec
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|4–0
| Kris Donaldson
|TKO
|Freedom Fight: Title Quest
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|0:30
|Hull, Quebec
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|3–0
| Justin Doyon
|TKO (doctor stoppage)
|Freedom Fight
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|N/A
|Hull, Quebec
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|2–0
|
Alex Castro
|Submission (triangle choke)
|Geran Haga: Blood Wars 1
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|1:51
|Agana, Guam
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|1–0
| Shane Savage
|TKO
|Freedom Fight: Canada vs. USA
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:55
|Hull, Quebec
|
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
and MMA
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...
at the Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts (OAMA) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
He holds a purple belt in Renzo Gracie
Renzo Gracie
Renzo Gracie is a Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. and a former mixed martial arts competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship . He is member of the Gracie family of Brazil. He is the son of Robson Gracie, grandson of Carlos Gracie, nephew of Carlos...
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Pat Cooligan.
Background
At only seventeen years old, Mark started training for kickboxing matches. He began in MMA with Karate, Boxing and Kickboxing with 23-time world champion Jean-Yves TheriaultJean-Yves Theriault
Jean-Yves Thériault is a Canadian kickboxer, kickboxing trainer, and author.-Biography:Jean-Yves Thériault was born on January 15 of 1955 in Paquetville, New Brunswick, Canada. He was the fifth of six sons....
.
When he received his black belt in shotokan karate, he decided it was time to move on to different martial arts, and began training Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...
and Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
at Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts.
Mark has made several trips to traveled Thailand for Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
and to Brazil for BJJ. He has spent time with Greg Jackson's, Renzo Gracie
Renzo Gracie
Renzo Gracie is a Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. and a former mixed martial arts competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship . He is member of the Gracie family of Brazil. He is the son of Robson Gracie, grandson of Carlos Gracie, nephew of Carlos...
in New York and with the Ricardo Almeida
Ricardo Almeida
Ricardo Almeida is a retired Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler residing in Bordentown, New Jersey.-Background:...
New Jersey team. He also trains at the well-known Montreal Wrestling Club, which is where UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre also trains.
Early career
In January 2006, Mark turned pro in MMA, earning himself a reputation for his strong striking skills. He would also continue to compete in Muay ThaiMuay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
/kickboxing
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....
and BJJ as well. His first MMA fight was against Shane Savage
Shane Savage
Shane Savage is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League, playing for the Hawthorn Football Club.Born in New Zealand, Savage moved to Australia as a boy...
, where Mark won via TKO in the first round.
He has since became known for finishing many of his opponents quickly in his MMA fights, all in the first or second round. His nickname, "Boots" was given to him by his head coach Pat Cooligan because of his tendency to use kicks and his overall striking ability.
After obtaining a 5–0 record, Mark lost his first fight against Martin Grandmont via knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
, a fight he was dominating until getting caught by a crushing right hand from Grandmont. In addition to his striking background, he has also garnered many submission
Submission
Submission is the acknowledgement of the legitimacy of the power of one's superior or superiors.Submission may also refer to:* Submission/Submitter , an Islamic organisation...
wins; Mark's most notable submission is over The Ultimate Fighter 5 veteran, Corey Hill
Corey Hill
Corey Cornelius Hill is an American mixed martial artist. He was a high school state champion wrestler on multiple occasions in Florida. Hill was a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida and 2x National Finalist college wrestler.-The Ultimate Fighter:Hill competed as a...
. Mark won via second round submission, winning him the XKL Lightweight Championship. After the win, he was signed to the UFC.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Holst made his UFC debut against John GundersonJohn Gunderson
John Edward Gunderson is a is an American mixed martial artist. He used to fight with the UFC and currently fights under the Tachi Palace Fights banner....
on June 19, 2010, at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale, also referred to as The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale was a mixed martial arts event that was held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on June 19, 2010. Featured were the...
, replacing Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor (fighter)
Paul Simon Taylor is an English mixed martial artist from Walsall. He stands 6'0" and weighs . He has fought regularly for Ultimate Fighting Championship. He holds notable wins over Jess Liaudin and Gabe Ruediger....
. In what became a grappling contest, Gunderson controlled Holst for the majority of the fight, and Holst consequently lost the fight via unanimous decision. Despite losing, Holst demonstrated very good submission defense, and he was soon awarded his purple belt in BJJ.
Holst's next bout was against UFC newcomer Paul Sass
Paul sass
Paul Sass is an English mixed martial artist. He lives in Liverpool, training with Next Generation MMA and Team Kaobon.-Early career:Sass' professional MMA record stands at 12-0, with 8 of the victories by triangle choke...
at UFC 120
UFC 120
UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 16, 2010 at the O2 Arena in London, England. The first ever UK UFC Fan Expo coincided with this event. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the U.S. and Canada...
in London, England. He lost the fight via submission due to a triangle choke
Triangle choke
A triangle choke, or sankaku-jime in Judo, is a type of figure-four chokehold which strangles the opponent by encircling the opponent's neck and one arm with the legs in a configuration similar to the shape of a triangle...
in the first round, and was subsequently released by the UFC.
Post-UFC and retirement/hiatus from MMA
Holst's next MMA fight was planned as welterweight bout against fellow Canadian Thaiboxer Markhaile ‘Showtime’ Wedderburn in GatineauGatineau
Gatineau is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is the fourth largest city in the province. It is located on the northern banks of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario, and together they form Canada's National Capital Region. Ottawa and Gatineau comprise a single Census...
, QC at the Casino de Hull for Wreck MMA. The fight became a catch-weight bout as Wedderburn failed make 170 pounds (as he often does). Holst won the fight via Rear Naked Choke with only seconds remaining in the second round. He suffered a boxer's fracture
Boxer's fracture
A "Boxer's fracture" is the second and/or third metacarpal transverse neck fracture that is more likely to occur from a straight punch. The "Boxer's" designation is suggestive of the generally well tolerated way of striking a hard object with the closed fist, with the second and third metacarpal...
during the fight.
Holst revealed on January 15, 2011 that after the fight with Wedderburn he would "retire from MMA" to open a martial arts school with his coach and mentor Pat Cooligan. His rationale is that he wants to spend more time managing and coaching his students, and he also plans to return to BJJ and Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
/Kickboxing
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....
competition as he originally did, to "take a step back and work on [his] weaknesses." However, he does not rule out returning to MMA in the later future, and even expressed interest in a rematch with Nabil Khatib if the fight is offered to him.
Mixed martial arts record
|-|Win
|align=center|9-3
|
Markhaile Wedderburn|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|Wreck MMA: Strong and Proud
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|4:56
|Gatineau, Quebec
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|8–3
|
Paul SassPaul sass
Paul Sass is an English mixed martial artist. He lives in Liverpool, training with Next Generation MMA and Team Kaobon.-Early career:Sass' professional MMA record stands at 12-0, with 8 of the victories by triangle choke...
|Submission (triangle choke)
|UFC 120
UFC 120
UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 16, 2010 at the O2 Arena in London, England. The first ever UK UFC Fan Expo coincided with this event. This event aired on the same day, via tape delay, on Spike TV in the U.S. and Canada...
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:45
|London, England
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|8–2
|
John GundersonJohn Gunderson
John Edward Gunderson is a is an American mixed martial artist. He used to fight with the UFC and currently fights under the Tachi Palace Fights banner....
|Decision (unanimous)
|The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz Finale, also referred to as The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale was a mixed martial arts event that was held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on June 19, 2010. Featured were the...
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|8–1
|
Corey HillCorey Hill
Corey Cornelius Hill is an American mixed martial artist. He was a high school state champion wrestler on multiple occasions in Florida. Hill was a multi-time high school state champion wrestler in Florida and 2x National Finalist college wrestler.-The Ultimate Fighter:Hill competed as a...
|Submission (kimura)
|XKL: Evolution 1
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|4:06
|Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|7–1
|
Nabil Khatib|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|Wreck MMA: Fight for the Troops
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:21
|Gatineau, Quebec
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|6–1
|
Chris Vorano|Submission (triangle choke)
|W-1 MMA 2: Unplugged
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|1:42
|Gatineau, Quebec
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|5–1
|
Martin Grandmont|KO (punch)
|W-1 MMA 1: Inception
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:13
|Gatineau, Quebec
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|5–0
|
Antoine Coutu|TKO (punches)
|XMMA 6: House of Pain
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:22
|Montreal, Quebec
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|4–0
|
Kris Donaldson|TKO
|Freedom Fight: Title Quest
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|0:30
|Hull, Quebec
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|3–0
|
Justin Doyon|TKO (doctor stoppage)
|Freedom Fight
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|N/A
|Hull, Quebec
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|2–0
|
Alex Castro|Submission (triangle choke)
|Geran Haga: Blood Wars 1
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|1:51
|Agana, Guam
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|1–0
|
Shane Savage|TKO
|Freedom Fight: Canada vs. USA
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|4:55
|Hull, Quebec
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
|
Titles and accomplishments
- 2× Grapplers Quest Champion
- 1× Arnolds Schwarzenegger Classic Champion
- 1× Copa Atlantica Champion
- World Muay Thai Federation Middle Weight Champion
- Freedom Fight MMA Lightweight Champion
- Xtreme Kombat League Lightweight Champion