Steve Cantwell - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Steven Francis Cantwell is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a 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...

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...

. He was the last reigning World Extreme Cagefighting

World Extreme Cagefighting

World Extreme Cagefighting was an American mixed martial arts promotion. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of Ultimate Fighting Championship , in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135, 145 and 155 lbs. To accommodate the smaller...

Light Heavyweight champion.

World Extreme Cagefighting

After acquiring a 3–0 record in smaller shows, Cantwell made his WEC debut at WEC 26
WEC 26
WEC 26: Condit vs. Alessio was the second mixed martial arts event held by the World Extreme Cagefighting under Zuffa management. The event was held on March 24, 2007. WEC 26 hosted three title fights on March 24. The first of the title fights was for the WEC Bantamweight Title, between challenger,...

in 2007 against Brian Stann, where he suffered a quick TKO loss. After two subsequent victories, Cantwell again faced Stann, the Light Heavyweight champion, at WEC 35
WEC 35
WEC 35: Condit vs. Miura was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on August 3, 2008 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event drew an estimated 423,000 viewers on Versus...

and won by TKO in the second round. Shortly after Cantwell took the title, the WEC dropped both its Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions, making Cantwell the final WEC Light Heavyweight champion.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Later that year, Cantwell signed with the UFC, which is owned by the WEC's parent company Zuffa. Cantwell faced fellow UFC newcomer Razak Al-Hassan

Razak Al-Hassan

-Early life:Al-Hassan's parents are from Ghana and he was the first person in his family to be born in the United States-Ultimate Fighting Championship:...

at UFC: Fight for the Troops
UFC: Fight for the Troops
UFC: Fight for the Troops, also referred to as UFC Fight Night 16, was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 10, 2008 at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina...

and earned a technical submission victory by dislocating Al-Hassan's elbow in an armbar, causing Mario Yamasaki

Mario Yamasaki

Mario Yamasaki is a mixed martial arts referee licensed in many states, most recognizable from his duties with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as well as founder and chief instructor of the Yamasaki Academy in the USA...

to stop the fight. Cantwell's celebration of the victory and post-fight comments sparked some criticism when he said, "I've been waiting so long to do that, you have no idea". He later apologized for his behavior.

He fought Luiz Cané

Luiz Cane

Luiz Arthuro Cané Jr. is a Brazilian mixed martial artist. Born and raised in the Jardim Bonfiglioli neighborhood, located in the district of Butantan, west side of the city of São Paulo, Luiz Cane alternated working hours in the , with their parents, with hours of training in Jiu-Jitsu Academy...

at UFC 97

UFC 97

UFC 97: Redemption was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 18, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It broke the UFC attendance record that was set 364 days earlier in Montreal at UFC 83, by 61 people.-Preliminary card:*Light Heavyweight bout: Vinicius...

, but lost the fight via unanimous decision.

He rematched Brian Stann, the man he defeated to become the last reigning WEC Light Heavyweight champion, for the second time at UFC Fight Night 19, Cantwell lost the rubber match via unanimous decision.

Cantwell was expected to face Vladimir Matyushenko

Vladimir Matyushenko

Vladimir Vladimirovich Matyushenko is a Belarusian mixed martial artist and the first and only International Fight League light heavyweight champion...

on January 2, 2010 at UFC 108

UFC 108

UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 2, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.- Background :...

, but pulled out of the bout for undisclosed reasons. Since there was no time to find a suitable replacement to face Matyushenko, the bout was called off. 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 :...

mentioned at the UFC 108 Pre-Fight Press Conference that Cantwell may never fight again, but refused to disclose what Cantwell's medical issues were.

With the questions surrounding his medical condition apparently cleared, Cantwell was expected to face UFC newcomer Ricardo Romero

Ricardo Romero (fighter)

Ricardo Romero is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. He was a featured competitor on multiple occasions for the Ring of Combat promotion which featured on HDNet Fights and also competed for their Light Heavyweight title...

on July 3, 2010 at UFC 116

UFC 116

UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 3, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States...

. However, for unknown reasons, Cantwell was replaced by Seth Petruzelli

Seth Petruzelli

Seth Petruzelli is an American mixed martial artist, former kickboxer and entrepreneur. He is infamously known as the first man to defeat Kimbo Slice in mixed martial arts competition, knocking him out in 14 seconds. Seth went to school at the University of Central Florida to study Psychology...

.

Cantwell was expected to face Stanislav Nedkov

Stanislav Nedkov

Stanislav Nedkov is a Bulgarian mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship .His nickname is Staki.-Early career:...

on October 16, 2010 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...

. However less than 48 hours before the event, Cantwell was forced off the card after suffering a knee injury during a pre-fight workout. With no time to find a suitable opponent for Nedkov, the bout was cancelled.

Cantwell faced Cyrille Diabaté

Cyrille Diabate

Cyrille Diabaté is a French mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He has also competed in shoot boxing and Muay Thai. He has fought at Palace Fighting Championship, PRIDE, ShoXC, Deep, Cage Rage and Ultimate Fighting Championship....

on March 3, 2011 at UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann

UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann

UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 3, 2011, at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The event was broadcast on Versus in the U.S. and Rogers Sportsnet One in Canada...

and lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Cantwell dropped to 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...

for his next fight and faced Mike Massenzio

Mike Massenzio

Mike Vito Massenzio is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He wrestled in New Jersey and was a two-time high school state champion in 2000 and 2001 at St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey. Additionally in 2001,...

on October 8, 2011 at UFC 136

UFC 136

UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 8, 2011, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event coincided with a two day UFC Fan Expo held at the George R...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Cantwell is expected to face 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 26, 2012 at UFC 144

UFC 144

UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson is an upcoming mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The event is expected to take place on February 26, 2012 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan....

Mixed martial arts record

|-
| Loss
|align=center| 7–5
|

Mike Massenzio

| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 136

UFC 136

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

United States

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

Cyrille Diabaté

Cyrille Diabate

| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann

UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann

Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

, United States

United States

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

|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 7–3
|

Brian Stann

Brian Michael Stann is an American mixed martial artist and former US Marine who competes as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former WEC Light Heavyweight champion...

| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard

UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard

UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard, also referred to as UFC Fight Night 19, was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 16, 2009 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.-Background :...

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...

, United States

United States

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

|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 7–2
|

Luiz Cané

Luiz Cane

| Decision (unanimous)
| UFC 97

UFC 97

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| 7–1
|

Razak Al-Hassan

-Early life:Al-Hassan's parents are from Ghana and he was the first person in his family to be born in the United States-Ultimate Fighting Championship:...

| Technical submission (armbar)
| UFC: Fight for the Troops

UFC: Fight for the Troops

UFC: Fight for the Troops, also referred to as UFC Fight Night 16, was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 10, 2008 at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina...

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....

, United States

United States

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

| Submission of the Night.
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–1
|

Brian Stann

Brian Michael Stann is an American mixed martial artist and former US Marine who competes as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former WEC Light Heavyweight champion...

| TKO (punches)
| WEC 35

WEC 35

WEC 35: Condit vs. Miura was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on August 3, 2008 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event drew an estimated 423,000 viewers on Versus...

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| 5–1
|

Tim McKenzie
| Submission (rear-naked choke)
| WEC 33

WEC 33

WEC 33: Marshall vs. Stann was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on Wednesday, March 26, 2008....

Las Vegas, Nevada

, United States

United States

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

|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–1
|

Justin McElfresh
| TKO (punches)
| WEC 29

WEC 29

WEC 29: Condit vs. Larson was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting. The event took place on Sunday, August 5, 2007 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event aired live on the Versus Network....

Las Vegas, Nevada

, United States

United States

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

|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 3–1
|

Brian Stann

Brian Michael Stann is an American mixed martial artist and former US Marine who competes as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former WEC Light Heavyweight champion...

| TKO (punches)
| WEC 26

WEC 26

WEC 26: Condit vs. Alessio was the second mixed martial arts event held by the World Extreme Cagefighting under Zuffa management. The event was held on March 24, 2007. WEC 26 hosted three title fights on March 24. The first of the title fights was for the WEC Bantamweight Title, between challenger,...

Las Vegas, Nevada

, 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
|

Leonardo Pecanha
| TKO (doctor stoppage)
| Jungle Fight Europe

Jungle Fight Europe

Jungle Fight Europe, also known as Jungle Fight 7 was a mixed martial arts event held by Jungle Fight on December 17, 2006 at Tivoli Hall in Ljubljana, Slovenia. To date, it is the only Jungle Fight event outside of Brazil.-Results:...

Ljubljana

Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...

, Slovenia

Slovenia

Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
|

Glendale, Arizona

Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....

, 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
|

Richie Hightower

Richie Hightower is an American mixed martial artist. He was a fighter on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra, fighting on Team Serra....

Glendale, Arizona

Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....

, United States

United States

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

External links

Official UFC Profile

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