Nick Ring is a Canadian professional mixed martial artist

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...

 who competes in the middleweight

Middleweight (MMA)

The middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Strikeforce's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb...

 division. A professional MMA competitor since 2002, Ring fought in various promotions, most notably the Bellator Fighting Championships. Ring was a competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...

's eleventh season of The Ultimate Fighter

The Ultimate Fighter

The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...

.

Early career

Ring's early background in fighting was as a kickboxer, where he compiled around 30 fights. His transition to MMA was quoted as being because "eventually what I liked about MMA versus kickboxing - and I love kickboxing - was just the whole ground aspect. I like the purity of an MMA fight."

Ring was also a professional boxer (during his hiatus from MMA through injury) with a record of 4–1, with 2 victories coming by knockout.

Ring started his MMA career in 2002 in local promotions in his home region of Alberta, Canada against Bill Mahood. Ring was able to win via verbal submission just 22 seconds into the first round.

A year later, Ring made his second professional MMA appearance against Wyatt Lewis. Ring was again victorious, this time via decision after 2 rounds.

Just two weeks later, Ring fought again. Against Alex Gasson, Ring won another decision and followed this up with a submission (strikes) victory over Kevin Dolan.

Two years later, Ring made his return to mixed martial arts against Kimo Woelfel, winning via first round rear naked choke. Ring next fought Mike Malone and won via first round TKO; his first TKO of his career. Ring later won a unanimous decision over Ryuichi Murata

Ryuichi Murata

is a Japanese judoka and mixed martial artist. He was a world-class judo competitor with 5 top-3 Judo World Cup tournament finishes and has won multiple silver and bronze medals at world and national judo competitions. Most recently, he's competed in MMA and currently has an MMA record of 8 wins, 3...

.

Injury and return at Bellator

Ring suffered a knee injury which forced him out of competition for over three years. During this time, Ring took up a professional boxing career, compiling a record of 4–1, with three knockouts. He eventually made his return to MMA when he signed with Bellator.

At Bellator 9, Ring fought Isidro Gonzalez and was able to submit him in 39 seconds with a guillotine choke. Ring then won his next two fights against Chester Post and Yannick Galipeau, both in the first round.

It was rumoured that Ring was offered a place in Bellator at the same time as The Ultimate Fighter.

The Ultimate Fighter

In March 2010, Ring was announced as part of the upcoming eleventh season of The Ultimate Fighter

The Ultimate Fighter

The Ultimate Fighter is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts competition produced by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship , and soon to be shown on FX. The show features unknown, professional MMA fighters living together in Las Vegas, Nevada, and follows them as...

.

In a dominant first performance, to gain entry into the TUF house, Ring defeated Woody Wetherby via TKO due to punches in round 1. Ring earned praise from Tito Ortiz

Tito Ortiz

Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, having held the title from April 14, 2000 to September 26, 2003. Along with fighters like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, he was one of the sport's early stars...

, who expressed his interest in selecting Ring as the first member of Team Punishment. This was indeed to be the case as Ortiz selected him as his number one pick, making Ring the first overall pick of the competition.

For his second bout, Ring fought Court McGee

Court McGee

Courtney Scott McGee is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, McGee mostly fought in local promotions in Utah before signing with the UFC....

, winning via majority decision (20–18, 19–19, 20–18).

Later on in the competition, McGee was reinstated and the two were set to have a rematch in the quarter-finals. However, after visiting the doctor, Ring discovered that he faced a third ACL reconstruction surgery and faced a choice; fight on injured and risk tearing his meniscus, or withdraw from competition and have surgery immediately. James Hammortree

James Hammortree

James Hammortree is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz.-Early life:...

 was named as Ring's replacement.

Due to his knee injury and surgery, Ring was not able to compete at the TUF 11 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...

. Ring's surgery took place on April 8, 2010 and afterwards, Ring faced a long period of recovery time, getting cleared to train in September. After his recovery, Ring trained for his debut at UFC 127 at his home club, BDB Martial Arts in Calgary AB, and at Tristar Gym

Tristar Gym

The Tristar Gym is a mixed martial arts training centre located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Instructors at the gym include former world kickboxing champion Conrad Pla, Firas Zahabi and Bruno Hernandez....

 in Montreal QC, with the likes of Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald

Rory MacDonald (fighter)

Rory MacDonald is a Canadian professional mixed martial artist. He holds MMA lightweight titles with King of the Cage and King of the Cage Canada. MacDonald has signed a four-fight deal with UFC and debuted in January 2010....

.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ring beat promotional newcomer and DEEP middleweight champion, Riki Fukuda

Riki Fukuda

Riki Fukuda is a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a middleweight.-Early career:...

 on February 27, 2011 at UFC 127

UFC 127

UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, 27 February 2011 at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Due to the time zone difference it aired live on Saturday, 26 February in North America...

 via controversial unanimous decision. All three judges gave Ring the first two rounds despite Fukuda controlling all three rounds with takedowns. Literally all major MMA media news organizations scored the fight as a decision win for Fukuda. Regardless of Ring's win on the scorecards, UFC president Dana White

Dana White

Dana White is the current President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , a mixed martial arts organization based in the United States.- Biography :...

, fans, and spectators all felt Fukuda won the bout. Dana stated on his Twitter

Twitter

Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

 account that Fukuda would be paid his win bonus.

For his sophomore UFC bout, Ring faced promotional newcomer James Head

James Head (fighter)

James Head is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the UFC and fights in the middleweight division.- Mixed martial arts :...

 on June 11, 2011 at UFC 131

UFC 131

UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Background:...

. He won the fight via submission in the third round.

In his third UFC fight, Ring faced Tim Boetsch

Tim Boetsch

Tim Boetsch is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship . He was released by the UFC in late June 2009, with a record of 2 wins and 2 losses...

 on September 24, 2011 at UFC 135

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:...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision, the first loss of his professional MMA career.

Mixed martial arts record

|-
|Loss
|align=center|12-1
|  Tim Boetsch

Tim Boetsch

Tim Boetsch is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship . He was released by the UFC in late June 2009, with a record of 2 wins and 2 losses...

| Decision (unanimous)
|UFC 135

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:...

|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|Denver, Colorado

Denver, Colorado

The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|12-0
|  James Head

James Head (fighter)

James Head is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the UFC and fights in the middleweight division.- Mixed martial arts :...

|Submission (rear naked choke)
|UFC 131

UFC 131

UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Background:...

|
|align=center|3
|align=center|3:33
|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|11-0
|  Riki Fukuda

Riki Fukuda

Riki Fukuda is a Japanese mixed martial artist who currently fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship as a middleweight.-Early career:...

|Decision (unanimous)
|UFC 127

UFC 127

UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, 27 February 2011 at Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Due to the time zone difference it aired live on Saturday, 26 February in North America...

|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|Sydney, Australia
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|10–0
|  Yannick Galipeau
|Submission (armbar)
|AMMA 1 – First Blood
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:30
|Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|9–0
|  Chester Post
|TKO (punches)
|Rumble in the Cage 36
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:24
|Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|8–0
|  Isidro Gonzalez
|Submission (guillotine choke)
|Bellator 9
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|0:39
|Monroe, Louisiana

Monroe, Louisiana

Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|7–0
|  Ryuichi Murata

Ryuichi Murata

is a Japanese judoka and mixed martial artist. He was a world-class judo competitor with 5 top-3 Judo World Cup tournament finishes and has won multiple silver and bronze medals at world and national judo competitions. Most recently, he's competed in MMA and currently has an MMA record of 8 wins, 3...

|Decision (unanimous)
|Deep – 23 Impact
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|5:00
|Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|6–0
|  Mike Malone
|TKO (punches)
|Icon Sport – Opposites Attract
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|3:04
|Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|5–0
|  Kimo Woelfel
|Submission (rear-naked choke)
|Superbrawl – Icon
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|2:06
|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

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|4–0
|  Kevin Dolan
|Submission (punches)
|WFF 4 – Civil War
|
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1:20
|Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|3–0
|  Alex Gasson
|Decision (unanimous)
|Calgary Max
|
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| style="text-align:center;"|5:00
|Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|2–0
|  Wyatt Lewis
|Decision (unanimous)
|Roadhouse Rumble 7
|
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|5:00
|Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|1–0
|  Bill Mahood
|Submission (verbal)
|Roadhouse Rumble 5
|
| style="text-align:center;"|N/A
| style="text-align:center;"|N/A
|Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

|

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" style="font-size:85%; text-align:left;"
| align="center" style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#f0f0f0;"|Result
| align="center" style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#f0f0f0;"|Record
| align="center" style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#f0f0f0;"|Opponent
| align="center" style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#f0f0f0;"|Method
| align="center" style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#f0f0f0;"|Event
| align="center" style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#f0f0f0;"|Date
| align="center" style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#f0f0f0;"|Round
| align="center" style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#f0f0f0;"|Time
| align="center" style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#f0f0f0;"|Location
| align="center" style="border-style:none none solid solid; background:#f0f0f0;"|Notes
|-
|Win
|align=center|2–0
|  Court McGee

Court McGee

Courtney Scott McGee is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, McGee mostly fought in local promotions in Utah before signing with the UFC....

|Decision (majority)
|The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz was the eleventh installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship -produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. The show began taping in early 2010 and premiered on Spike on March 31, 2010...

|
|align=center|2
|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...

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|1–0
|  Woody Weatherby
|TKO (punches)
|The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz was the eleventh installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship -produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. The show began taping in early 2010 and premiered on Spike on March 31, 2010...

|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:42
|  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...

|
|-

External links

• Official UFC Profile