Kimo Leopoldo
| Kimo Leopoldo | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 4, 1968 Munich, West Germany |
| Residence |
Hawaii (previous) Los Angeles, California (current) |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 250 lb (110 kg; 18 st) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Style | TKD, BJJ, Wrestling, Kickboxing, |
| Fighting out of | Santa Ana, California |
| Team | Team Kimo Gold's Gym Santa Ana (current) |
| Rank | 4th degree black belt in Taekwondo Black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu |
| Years active | 1994-2011 |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 3 |
| Losses | 3 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 18 |
| Wins | 10 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 8 |
| Losses | 7 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 4 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Kimo Leopoldo (born 4 January 1968), or simply Kimo, is a retired American mixed martial artist. He made his MMA debut at UFC 3 in 1994 losing to Royce Gracie by submission.
He was credited with a black belt in taekwondo in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut at UFC 3. Kimo is well known for his Christian beliefs: he sports many religious tattoos, and entered the arena at UFC 3 carrying a large cross on his back.
Leopoldo was born in Munich to an American father of Caucasian and Polynesian descent and a half-German; half-French mother from Germany. Four months after he was born his family moved to Hawaii. Leopoldo was a natural athlete growing up, playing football, wrestling, and he also had an interest in surfing. Leopoldo was a dominant wrestler at Waianae High School and played on the team that won the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Championship. Leopoldo was also a very talented middle linebacker in football, and attended the University of Washington on a partial athletic scholarship, but he was unprepared for college, and returned to Hawaii shortly after.
In Huntington Beach, California, he sought to renew his career in football. Going under the name "Kim Leopold" he quickly became an NJCAA All-American and gained interest from many Division I colleges. However, he tore both of his ACLs, and his success only lasted until the middle of his sophomore year. Depressed and with seemingly no future, he met Joe Son and turned to mixed martial arts after studying films of fights including UFC 1, among other fights featuring Royce Gracie, who Leopoldo would later make his debut against.
At UFC 3, billed as a taekwondo fighter, Kimo fought the reigning, defending UFC 1 and UFC 2 champion Royce Gracie in the first round. Though Gracie tried to take him down at all costs, Kimo stayed firmly on his feet, and even managed to capture his back in a failed trip. Royce eventually turned it into a full mount, but only briefly, as Kimo flipped him over and landed multiple headbutts through Gracie's guard. The Brazilian fighter then grabbed Kimo's ponytail in an attempt to get the advantage, but it didn't stop Kimo from taking his back standing. Finally, Royce rolled around and locked an armbar, making Leopoldo submit.
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