Sean Salmon

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Sean Salmon is an American mixed-martial artist who currently competes as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He has a record of 9 wins and 2 losses, and he has 0 wins and 1 loss in the UFC.

[edit] MMA Career

Salmon made his UFC debut in the main event of UFC Fight Night 8 on January 25, 2007. He entered the nationally televised fight against Rashad Evans, the heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 2, and was considered a major underdog. Although Salmon won the first round of the Spike TV event, he suffered a brutal knockout from a high leg kick at 1:06 in the second round. The blow knocked Salmon unconscious, and the broadcast ended before he had ever regained consciousness. No updates were given to the television audience, nor were any official updates posted on the UFC's Web site. Only after one of his sponsors posted an update on its Web site did UFC fans learn that Salmon suffered no serious injuries and was released from the hospital within a few hours. The UFC received widespread criticism for the way it handled the situation, though Salmon reported that the UFC had officials by his side the entire time he was at the hospital.

Salmon's career in combat sports is rooted in a long and storied career in amateur wrestling. He was a state high school wrestling champion during his senior year, amassing a 44-1 record. His only loss was his first match of the season.

Salmon wrestled for two years at Ohio State University and ranked as high as 10th in the nation in the 167-pound division. He quit competing for the university after two seasons but assisted the program as a volunteer coach. Salmon continued to compete, though, and later became a qualifier for the Olympic Trials. He was also a frequent competitor on the Ohio International Wrestling Club freestyle circuit.

He and his training partner and fellow UFC fighter, Rex Holman, eventually began competing in mixed-martial arts in 2005. Prior to signing a three-fight deal with the UFC in December 2006, Salmon amassed a 9-1 record fighting for smaller organizations, including the Legends of Fighting Championships and King of the Cage.

Salmon is now a columnist for a UFC news site called UFCjunkie.com. In his column on February 19, 2007, he confirmed that he will next fight Eric Schafer at UFC 71 on May 26, 2007.