Sean McCorkle
Encyclopedia
Sean McCorkle is an American
mixed martial artist
who competes in the heavyweight
division. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, McCorkle fought for King of the Cage
and local promotions in Indiana before signing with the UFC.
and fights out of C-4 MMA. He fought at Super Heavyweight
in his early career, weighing as much as 320 lbs. McCorkle is currently nicknamed "Big Sexy", having previously nicknamed himself "The Hater", "Curtain Jerker", "The Big Angry", and "Big Hungry".
McCorkle began his MMA training with jiu-jitsu and soon met Chris Lytle
and Jake O'Brien
who talked him into starting a career in MMA . After winning his first four fights, McCorkle faced Jeremy Norton on New Year's Eve 2006. During the bout, McCorkle dislocated his shoulder and broke his arm, but was able to continue and took a split decision victory. Due to the injury, he was out of action for fourteen months of physical therapy before he could return to MMA.
and (Brock) Lesnar
for $8,000. I wasn't interested in being used to build someone else up. Not that they would do that to me, but I was just pretty wise to that from the beginning."
After agreeing to sign with the UFC, his debut opponent was announced as the K-1
and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Mark Hunt
at UFC 119
in McCorkle's hometown of Indianapolis. In order to make weight for the fight, McCorkle had to cut down to 265 lbs - a weight he had not hit since the age of 18 - from around 320 lbs. McCorkle won the fight in just 67 seconds, after locking in a straight armbar from his back. It was later revealed that McCorkle's armlock had potentially caused significant damage to Hunt.
McCorkle next fought 6'11" Dutch fighter Stefan Struve at UFC 124
in Montreal, Quebec. Struve and McCorkle traded trash talk on the Internet in the weeks leading up to the bout, which was a new experience for the usually reserved Struve. After McCorkle unleashed a continual barrage of taunts via his Twitter
account, Struve issued a contest in which fans would Photoshop insulting pictures of McCorkle. The winner of the contest was promised the bloodstained fight gloves Struve was to use against McCorkle. The eventual winner of the contest submitted a picture of McCorkle as Justin Bieber
, which led McCorkle to show up at the weigh-ins wearing a Bieber-style wig for photographers. When the fight began, McCorkle came out strong in the opening minutes, but things began to unravel after he secured a kimura on Struve but failed to submit him. He soon ran out of energy and was reversed and pounded out by Struve.
McCorkle was defeated by Christian Morecraft
on March 26, 2011 at UFC Fight Night 24. After a closely contested first round, Morecraft came out and dominated the first four minutes of the second round. The referee briefly stopped the fight for two minutes after Morecraft delivered an illegal low blow to McCorkle's groin. When the action resumed, McCorkle dove in for a takedown but Morecraft was able to leverage this attempt into a standing guillotine choke
that left McCorkle unconscious.
In the spring of 2011, the UFC released McCorkle from the final fight on his contract following back-to-back losses against Struve and Morecraft. McCorkle recently spoke on his future with the league, saying, "I think I’m just a few wins away from getting back to the UFC. I’m not interested in coming back for a terrible matchup, just to lose and get cut again. I want to make sure that I can stay for awhile before I come back." Since his release from the UFC, McCorkle has won three fights in a row headlining various promotions.
On October 17, 2011, ESPN
announced that Sean McCorkle will be a featured heavyweight in the upcoming video game UFC Undisputed 3
.
| Win
|align=center| 13-2
|
Justin Grizzard
| Submission (kimura)
|Chicago Cagefighting Championship 4
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:57
|Villa Park, Illinois
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12-2
| Alex Rozman
| Submission (punches)
|Legends of Fighting 48: Mega
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:29
|Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 11-2
| Cameron Befort
| Submission (kimura)
| Championship Fighting Alliance 2
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:12
|Miami, Florida
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 10–2
| Christian Morecraft
| Technical submission (guillotine choke)
| UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 4:10
|Seattle, Washington
, United States
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 10–1
|
Stefan Struve
| TKO (punches)
| UFC 124
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:55
|Montreal, Quebec
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–0
| Mark Hunt
| Submission (straight arm lock)
| UFC 119
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:07
|Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–0
| Johnathan Ivey
| TKO (punches)
| Legends of Fighting 39
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 3:21
|Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–0
| Bobby Favors
| TKO (punches)
| Legends of Fighting 38
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:39
|Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–0
| Joe Mellotte
| Submission (punches)
| Legends of Fighting 37
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:29
|Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–0
| James Ferguson
| Submission (kimura)
| Legends of Fighting 19: Back in Action
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 1:28
|Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0
| Jeremy Norton
| Decision (split)
| Legends of Fighting 12: Black Tie Battles
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–0
| Justin Wade
| Submission (punches)
| Legends of Fighting 11: Total Chaos
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:51
|Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0
| Robert Hogan
| TKO (punches)
| King Of The Cage: Meltdown
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:30
|Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
| Jason Johnson
| TKO (punches)
| Battle Ground 3
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:05
|Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
| Shane Paulson
| Submission (punches)
| Legends of Fighting 2
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:32
|Indianapolis, Indiana
, United States
|
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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 heavyweight
Heavyweight (MMA)
The heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally groups fighters between .Although many ambiguities exist within the lower weight classes regarding division naming and weight limits, the Heavyweight division is, for the most part, uniform...
division. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, McCorkle fought for King of the Cage
King of the Cage
King of the Cage, also known as KOTC, is a mixed martial arts promotion based in Southern California, USA.-History:KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features up and coming MMA stars as well as experienced combat fighters....
and local promotions in Indiana before signing with the UFC.
Background
McCorkle is based in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
and fights out of C-4 MMA. He fought at Super Heavyweight
Super Heavyweight (MMA)
The super heavyweight division in mixed martial arts has no weight limit but generally refers to competitors weighing above 265 lb .Across Europe and Asia, there are numerous promotions that feature open-weight competitions that can qualify as super heavyweight bouts.One such example is in Japan,...
in his early career, weighing as much as 320 lbs. McCorkle is currently nicknamed "Big Sexy", having previously nicknamed himself "The Hater", "Curtain Jerker", "The Big Angry", and "Big Hungry".
McCorkle began his MMA training with jiu-jitsu and soon met Chris Lytle
Chris Lytle
Chris Scott Lytle is a retired American mixed martial artist, boxer and a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Lytle was prominently featured as a welterweight on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback. In Chris's MMA and boxing career he was never knocked out or submitted, though he did...
and Jake O'Brien
Jake O'Brien
Jacob Allen O'Brien is an American mixed martial arts fighter from Indianapolis, Indiana. O'Brien attended Franklin Central High School where he wrestled for four years, while earning IHSAA 215 lb. State Champion honors three years in a row from 2000–2003; holding a record of 125-4 over that...
who talked him into starting a career in MMA . After winning his first four fights, McCorkle faced Jeremy Norton on New Year's Eve 2006. During the bout, McCorkle dislocated his shoulder and broke his arm, but was able to continue and took a split decision victory. Due to the injury, he was out of action for fourteen months of physical therapy before he could return to MMA.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
McCorkle signed a four-fight contract with the UFC in July 2010. Originally, McCorkle was reluctant to sign with the UFC, saying, "I'm not interested in fighting the best guys in the world for $3,000 to show and $3,000 to win. If that's what the offer is, sorry. I'll probably pass." McCorkle also stated, "I want to let them know that I don't have any problem turning down bad opponents, like me fighting the loser of (Shane) CarwinShane Carwin
Shane Bannister Carwin is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , where he was previously the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
and (Brock) Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
for $8,000. I wasn't interested in being used to build someone else up. Not that they would do that to me, but I was just pretty wise to that from the beginning."
After agreeing to sign with the UFC, his debut opponent was announced as the K-1
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Mark Hunt
Mark Hunt
Mark Hunt ; is a New Zealand kickboxer and mixed martial artist of Samoan descent, currently living in Sydney, Australia. Hunt competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is known for his raw strength, iron chin and knockout power. He won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Final...
at UFC 119
UFC 119
UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 25, 2010, at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The event was the first that the UFC hosted in Indiana.-Background:...
in McCorkle's hometown of Indianapolis. In order to make weight for the fight, McCorkle had to cut down to 265 lbs - a weight he had not hit since the age of 18 - from around 320 lbs. McCorkle won the fight in just 67 seconds, after locking in a straight armbar from his back. It was later revealed that McCorkle's armlock had potentially caused significant damage to Hunt.
McCorkle next fought 6'11" Dutch fighter Stefan Struve at UFC 124
UFC 124
UFC 124: St-Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 11, 2010 at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec...
in Montreal, Quebec. Struve and McCorkle traded trash talk on the Internet in the weeks leading up to the bout, which was a new experience for the usually reserved Struve. After McCorkle unleashed a continual barrage of taunts via 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, Struve issued a contest in which fans would Photoshop insulting pictures of McCorkle. The winner of the contest was promised the bloodstained fight gloves Struve was to use against McCorkle. The eventual winner of the contest submitted a picture of McCorkle as Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
, which led McCorkle to show up at the weigh-ins wearing a Bieber-style wig for photographers. When the fight began, McCorkle came out strong in the opening minutes, but things began to unravel after he secured a kimura on Struve but failed to submit him. He soon ran out of energy and was reversed and pounded out by Struve.
McCorkle was defeated by Christian Morecraft
Christian Morecraft
Christian Morecraft is an American mixed martial artist, currently fighting for the UFC in the heavyweight division.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:...
on March 26, 2011 at UFC Fight Night 24. After a closely contested first round, Morecraft came out and dominated the first four minutes of the second round. The referee briefly stopped the fight for two minutes after Morecraft delivered an illegal low blow to McCorkle's groin. When the action resumed, McCorkle dove in for a takedown but Morecraft was able to leverage this attempt into a standing guillotine choke
Guillotine choke
The guillotine choke is a chokehold in martial arts and wrestling applied from in front of the opponent. The choke involves using the arms to encircle the opponent's neck in a fashion similar to a guillotine. The technique is either a type of tracheal compression restraint that prevents air flow...
that left McCorkle unconscious.
In the spring of 2011, the UFC released McCorkle from the final fight on his contract following back-to-back losses against Struve and Morecraft. McCorkle recently spoke on his future with the league, saying, "I think I’m just a few wins away from getting back to the UFC. I’m not interested in coming back for a terrible matchup, just to lose and get cut again. I want to make sure that I can stay for awhile before I come back." Since his release from the UFC, McCorkle has won three fights in a row headlining various promotions.
On October 17, 2011, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
announced that Sean McCorkle will be a featured heavyweight in the upcoming video game UFC Undisputed 3
UFC Undisputed 3
UFC Undisputed 3 is an upcoming mixed martial arts video game featuring Ultimate Fighting Championship properties and fighters developed by Yuke's and published by THQ. It will be released February 14, 2012 in North America and February 17, 2012 in Europe for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is...
.
Mixed martial arts record
|-| Win
|align=center| 13-2
|
Justin Grizzard| Submission (kimura)
|Chicago Cagefighting Championship 4
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:57
|Villa Park, Illinois
Villa Park, Illinois
Villa Park is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County, Illinois. The population was 22,075 at the 2000 census. A special census in 2003 set the population at 22,517...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 12-2
|
Alex Rozman| Submission (punches)
|Legends of Fighting 48: Mega
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:29
|Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 11-2
|
Cameron Befort| Submission (kimura)
| Championship Fighting Alliance 2
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:12
|Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 10–2
|
Christian MorecraftChristian Morecraft
Christian Morecraft is an American mixed martial artist, currently fighting for the UFC in the heavyweight division.-Ultimate Fighting Championship:...
| Technical submission (guillotine choke)
| UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis
UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis
UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 26, 2011 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 4:10
|Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 10–1
|
Stefan Struve| TKO (punches)
| UFC 124
UFC 124
UFC 124: St-Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 11, 2010 at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:55
|Montreal, Quebec
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 10–0
| Mark Hunt
Mark Hunt
Mark Hunt ; is a New Zealand kickboxer and mixed martial artist of Samoan descent, currently living in Sydney, Australia. Hunt competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and is known for his raw strength, iron chin and knockout power. He won the K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 Final...
| Submission (straight arm lock)
| UFC 119
UFC 119
UFC 119: Mir vs. Cro Cop was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 25, 2010, at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The event was the first that the UFC hosted in Indiana.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:07
|Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 9–0
|
Johnathan IveyJohnathan Ivey
Johnathan Ivey is an American Heavyweight mixed martial artist. He has fought notable fighters such as Gan McGee, Jeremy Horn, Ben Rothwell, Dan Severn, Ricco Rodriguez and Ken Shamrock.-Mixed martial arts career:...
| TKO (punches)
| Legends of Fighting 39
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 3:21
|Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 8–0
|
Bobby Favors| TKO (punches)
| Legends of Fighting 38
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:39
|Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, 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
|
Joe Mellotte| Submission (punches)
| Legends of Fighting 37
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:29
|Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–0
|
James Ferguson| Submission (kimura)
| Legends of Fighting 19: Back in Action
|
|align=center| 2
|align=center| 1:28
|Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, 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
|
Jeremy Norton| Decision (split)
| Legends of Fighting 12: Black Tie Battles
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, 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
|
Justin Wade| Submission (punches)
| Legends of Fighting 11: Total Chaos
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:51
|Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0
|
Robert Hogan| TKO (punches)
| King Of The Cage: Meltdown
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:30
|Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
|
Jason Johnson| TKO (punches)
| Battle Ground 3
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:05
|Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
|
Shane Paulson| Submission (punches)
| Legends of Fighting 2
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:32
|Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|