Steve Jennum
Steve Jennum (born c. 1961) is an American police officer from Nebraska[1] and retired mixed martial arts fighter. He is notable for winning the UFC 3 tournament in 1994.
| Steve Jennum | |
|---|---|
| Born | Omaha, Nebraska, United States |
| Other names | Ninja Cop |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15.4 st) |
| Style | Ninjutsu |
| Fighting out of | Omaha, Nebraska |
| Rank | 3rd Dan Black Belt in Ninjutsu |
| Years active | 1994–1997 (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 5 |
| Wins | 2 |
| By submission | 2 |
| Losses | 3 |
| By submission | 3 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Mixed martial arts career
Jennum entered the UFC 3 tournament as an alternate. Ken Shamrock made it to the finals of UFC 3 but withdrew due to injuries received in the earlier fight against Felix Lee Mitchell. Jennum then stepped in as a replacement and subsequently won his fight, winning the tournament. Therefore, Jennum only needed one fight to win the UFC 3 tournament (normally a fighter would have had to participate in three matches to win). This anomaly prompted the UFC to change its rules, requiring alternates to win a preliminary fight to balance the advantage of being an alternate.
After UFC 3, Steve Jennum would go on to win only one more fight in his career, defeating Melton Bowen in UFC 4, who was 31-6 as a professional boxer going into the bout.[2] Jennum performed a high profile O goshi hip throw on the boxer, much to the delight of the crowd, eventually forcing him to submit to a straight armbar. Jennum could not continue in UFC 4 due to swelling of his hands after hitting Bowen repeatedly in the head when Jennum was on full mount.
Prior to his debut in the ring, Jennum was a high ranking Black Belt Instructor in Robert Bussey's Warrior International (RBWI).[3] Jennum also started his own martial arts school in Omaha, NE. Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre mentioned that watching Jennum win UFC 3 contributed to his decision to compete in mixed martial arts.[4]
Championships and accomplishments
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC 3 Ultimate Fighting Champion
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 5 matches | 2 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 0 | 0 |
| By submission | 2 | 3 |
| By decision | 0 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2–3 | Jason Godsey | Submission (choke) | Extreme Challenge 4 | February 22, 1997 | 1 | 2:02 | Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States | |
| Loss | 2–2 | Marco Ruas | Submission (punches) | World Vale Tudo Championship 1 | August 14, 1996 | 1 | 1:44 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 2–1 | Tank Abbott | Submission (neck crank) | Ultimate Ultimate 1995 | December 16, 1995 | 1 | 1:14 | Denver, Colorado, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Melton Bowen | Submission (armbar) | UFC 4 | December 16, 1994 | 1 | 4:47 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Harold Howard | Submission (punches) | UFC 3 | September 9, 1994 | 1 | 1:27 | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | Won UFC 3 Tournament. |
References
- https://www.thesportster.com/mma/15-first-generation-ufc-stars-where-are-they-now/
- boxer Melton Bowen at boxrec.com
- "The 13 Strangest Fighting Styles to Ever Grace UFC's Octagon". Retrieved 2015-02-13.
- UFC 48: Georges St-Pierre MMA News Written by Arnold "The Sushiboy" Lim Archived 2012-09-08 at Archive.today (Tuesday, 15 June 2004)
