Bret Bergmark

Last updated
Bret Bergmark
Angry hick 2007.jpg
Born (1973-11-24) November 24, 1973 (age 49)
Novato, California, United States
Other namesThe Angry Hick
Nationality American
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight170 lb (77 kg; 12 st)
Division Welterweight
Fighting out of Pleasant Hill, California, United States
TeamCesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy
Fairtex Gym
RankBrown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Years active2002-present
Mixed martial arts record
Total8
Wins6
By knockout2
By submission1
By decision3
Losses1
By submission1
Draws1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Bret Bergmark (born November 24, 1973) is an American professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2002, Bergmark has formerly competed for the WEC, Strikeforce, and Pancrase.

Contents

Biography

Bret was born in Novato, California, the son of a San Francisco police officer. He attended and graduated from San Marin High School, where he wrestled for four years. After high school Bret took up rodeo bull riding, until a wrist injury forced him to retire. It was at this time that Bret turned his energy toward training in Gracie Jiu Jitsu, joining the Ralph Gracie academy in 1999. After gaining his blue belt he left the Ralph Gracie academy to train at the Cesar Gracie academy in Pleasant Hill, California, in 2002. It was at the Cesar Gracie academy that Bret earned his purple belt and started fighting in professional MMA matches. Bret currently trains and teaches out of the Cesar Gracie academy in Pleasant Hill, California. He also occasionally trains at the respective academies of Jake Shields (Graciefighter Berkeley), Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz (Graciefighter Lodi), Gilbert Melendez (El Nino Training Center), Jon Santos (Team Santos Jiu Jitsu) and Dave Terrell (Nor Cal Fighting Alliance). [1]

Mixed martial arts career

Bergmark had his first professional MMA fight on August 3, 2002, shortly after joining the Cesar Gracie academy. He fought Paul Ano in Warriors Quest 6 - The Best of the Best. After a brutal fight, which saw each fighter give and receive punishment, Bergmark locked up an armbar at 4:45 of the second round forcing the referee to stop the action and giving Bret the victory.

Bret next fought in a superfight for the Ultimate Athlete 4 - King of the Mountain tournament on September 28, 2002. He was matched up against seasoned veteran and American Kickboxing Academy member Brian Ebersole. The fight would go the distance, with both fighters landing punches and takedowns. Bergmark would earn the victory via split decision.

Bret's third fight was against Brodie Farber at WEC 6: Return of a Legend on March 27, 2003. After some early ground fighting that saw Bret taking his opponent down and several sweeps and reversals, Bret finally achieved mount and forced the referee to stop the match at 3:57 of the first round due to strikes, giving Bret the victory.

For his fourth fight Bret moved to the legendary Pancrase organization in Japan, taking on UFC and Pancrase veteran Keiichiro Yamamiya at Pancrase Hybrid: 11 on December 21, 2003. After going all three rounds without either fighter able to finish the bout, the fight went to the judges scorecards and was ruled a draw.

Bret's next fight was back in the WEC at WEC 10: Bragging Rights on May 21, 2004. Again Bret was matched up against a seasoned Pancrase veteran in Daisuke Ishii. In an exciting back and forth fight that saw action both on the ground and on the feet, Bret finally secured the mount and forced the referee to stop the fight at 4:49 of the first round due to strikes, earning him his fourth victory.

On October 14, 2005 Bret took on Mike Pyle at WEC 17: Halloween Fury 4. The fight quickly went to the ground, where after several reversals of position Pyle locked in a triangle choke, forcing Bret to tap at 3:36 of the first round and giving Bret his first loss.

After a two-year layoff, Bret dropped to the 170 pound weight class to fight Jesse Juarez on April 26, 2008, in the Iroquois MMA championships. After 3 rounds of action Bret earned a unanimous decision.

Bret made his Strikeforce debut on June 26, 2010 in San Jose California as he fought Vagner Rocha in the prelims. Bret earned his first victory for the company by unanimous decision.

Bret was scheduled to fight October 9, 2010 at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II against Cung Le product James Terry, but had to pull out due to an injury sustained while training for the fight.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Bergmark is currently a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt under the world-renowned Cesar Gracie, with whom he has been training since 2002.

Muay Thai

Bret also trains in Muay Thai kickboxing, starting his training with World Team USA and then continuing at Gym 445 in San Francisco, California. He currently trains Muay Thai at Fairtex Gym in San Francisco.

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
8 matches6 wins1 loss
By knockout20
By submission11
By decision30
Draws1
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Win6–1–1 Vagner Rocha Decision (unanimous) Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum June 26, 201035:00 San Jose, California, United States
Win5–1–1 Jesse Juarez Decision (unanimous)Iroquois Mixed Martial Arts Championships IIIApril 26, 200835:00 Ontario, California
Loss4–1–1 Mike Pyle Submission (triangle choke) WEC 17 October 14, 200513.36 Lemoore, California, United StatesFor the vacant WEC Welterweight Championship.
Win4–0–1Daisuke IshiiTKO (punches) WEC 10 May 21, 200414:49 Lemoore, California, United States
Draw3–0–1 Keiichiro Yamamiya Draw Pancrase: Hybrid 11 December 21, 200335:00 Tokyo, Japan
Win3–0 Brodie Farber TKO (punches) WEC 6 March 27, 200313:57 Lemoore, California, United States
Win2–0 Brian Ebersole Decision (split)Ultimate Athlete 4: King of the MountainSeptember 28, 200235:00 Auberry, California, United States
Win1–0Paul AnoSubmission (armbar)Warrior's Quest 6: Best of the BestAugust 3, 200224:45 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Shamrock</span> American mixed martial artist

Frank Shamrock is an American former professional mixed martial artist. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship and retired a four-time defending undefeated champion. Shamrock was the No. 1 ranked pound for pound UFC fighter in the world during his reign as the UFC Middleweight Champion. Shamrock has won numerous titles in other martial arts organizations, including the interim King of Pancrase title, the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship and the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. Shamrock is regarded as one of the first complete mixed martial artists, having adapted his game from a ground-focused style of fighting to a more well-rounded and versatile style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Ruas</span> Brazilian mixed martial artist

Marco Antônio de Lima Ruas is a Brazilian former mixed martial arts fighter, submission wrestler, kickboxer and instructor. Ruas was the UFC 7 Tournament Champion, and also competed for the World Vale Tudo Championship (WVC), PRIDE Fighting Championships and the International Fight League, where he head-coached the Southern California Condors.

Brazilian Top Team (BTT) is an academy and team specialized in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts. It was established in April 2000 by Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Libório, Mário Sperry and Luis Roberto Duarte, former members of the Carlson Gracie Academy, to develop and create new training techniques for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, submission grappling and mixed martial arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Barnett</span> American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler

Joshua Lawrence Barnett is an American mixed martial artist, submission wrestler, professional wrestler and color commentator currently signed to Bellator MMA. Barnett previously competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was the youngest-ever UFC Heavyweight Champion. In 2003, Barnett was the final Openweight King Of Pancrase and was a finalist in both the 2006 PRIDE Openweight Grand Prix and the 2012 Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship Grand Prix. He has also competed in Affliction, World Victory Road, DREAM and Impact FC. In submission grappling, Barnett was a World No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Champion in 2009, the inaugural Metamoris Heavyweight Champion in 2014, and a Catch Wrestling World Champion in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Diaz</span> American mixed martial artist

Nickolas Robert Diaz is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Diaz is a former Strikeforce, WEC and IFC welterweight champion and a UFC title challenger. He also notably competed in PRIDE, EliteXC, DREAM, and Shooto. Nick is the older brother of former UFC fighter Nate Diaz, with the pair of brothers being one of the biggest influences in the sport of MMA.

Ralph Gracie is a retired Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and jiu-jitsu black belt. A member of the famed Gracie family, he is the son of Robson Gracie and the brother of 11 Gracies, including Charles Gracie, Renzo Gracie and the late Ryan Gracie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Kickboxing Academy</span> Martial arts gym in San Jose, California

The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) is a mixed martial arts gym based in San Jose, California. It is one of the pioneering schools of mixed martial arts (MMA). In 2014, AKA opened the AKA Thailand gym in Phuket, Thailand. Prominent trainers include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Leandro Vieira, Bob Cook, Derek Yuen, Javier Mendez, and Andy Fong. Within the facility, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling and Boxing classes are taught. Additional programs include conditioning and circuit training with TRX Suspension and Combat Circuit. The AKA is one of the top professional MMA training camps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Gracie</span> Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and mixed martial artist

Roger Gracie is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist (MMA) and 5th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner and coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Shields</span> American mixed martial artist (born 1979)

Jake Sequoyah Shields is an American mixed martial artist and submission grappler. He was the last Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion, the only Elite XC Welterweight Champion, a former Shooto Welterweight Champion and former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion. He also fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) challenging Georges St. Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gracie Humaitá</span> Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy

Gracie Humaitá or Academia Gracie de Jiu-Jitsu is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy on Humaitá Street, in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, founded by Helio Gracie. The Academy offers classes in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lion's Den (mixed martial arts)</span> American mixed martial arts team

The Lion's Den is an American mixed martial arts team and training facility that was based out of Lodi, California and San Diego, California. The team was founded in the early 1990s by UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock, and was the most dominant fight camp in the early UFC. It featured fighters such as Frank Shamrock, Guy Mezger, Vernon "Tiger" White, Jerry Bohlander, Tra Telligman, Pete Williams, and Mikey Burnett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team Quest</span> Mixed martial arts training organization

Team Quest is a mixed martial arts training camp founded by Randy Couture and Dan Henderson with facilities located in Gresham, Oregon; Murrieta, California; Encinitas, California; Redding, California; Hemet, California; and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Notable fighters that have trained at the Oregon facility are Matt Lindland, Dave Jansen, Nathan Coy, and Chael Sonnen.

Bobby Masai Southworth is a retired American mixed martial artist who fought in the Light Heavyweight division.

Ricardo Alves Almeida is a Brazilian-American former mixed martial artist and current Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler residing in Bordentown, New Jersey. Almeida is a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRIDE Fighting Championships, Grapplers Quest, and a former Middleweight King of Pancrase. In Pancrase he had notable wins over Nate Marquardt and Kazuo Misaki. Almeida trains with and teaches former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar at his longtime Gracie system gym in Robbinsville, NJ. He also trains former UFC Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and The Ultimate Fighter 19 winner Corey Anderson

Allan Alex Góes is an 8X Brazilian World Jiu-Jitsu Champion and retired mixed martial artist. Protégé of the Grandmaster himself, Carlson Gracie, he helped create various innovative techniques and strategies which revolutionized Jiu-Jitsu and was one of the first representatives to bring the sport to the northern hemisphere. He last fought for the Seattle Tiger Sharks of the International Fight League.

Jason Tan is a retired English mixed martial artist and currently a head coach of MMA Liverpool. He formerly competed in the welterweight division.

Arthur Alvin A. Aguilar is a Filipino martial artist and mixed martial arts promoter better known as Alvin Aguilar. He was born on April 28, 1974, in Bacolod, Philippines. He is the president and founder of the Universal Reality Combat Championship (2002–present); He is also the founder and head coach of DEFTAC Ribeiro Jiu-jitsu Philippines (1996–present.) and is currently serving as the president of the Wrestling Association of the Philippines. He started training in martial arts at the age of 9, first in Karate, Arnis and Greco-Roman wrestling. Having spent over 30 years of his life to the study of multiple martial arts forms including Sari-an, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Yaw-Yan, Pekiti Tirsia Kali, etc., he has developed his own unique fighting style specialized in grappling, knife, and street fighting. He is also known for being the first home-grown Filipino Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Kyle</span> American mixed martial arts fighter

Michael Andrew Kyle is an American professional mixed martial artist and boxer currently competing in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2001, Kyle has competed for the UFC, the WEC, Strikeforce, the World Series of Fighting, Absolute Championship Berkut, Pancrase, and King of the Cage. He is the former WEC Heavyweight Champion and King of the Cage Light Heavyweight Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu</span> Mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym based in Pleasant Hill, California

Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is a mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym based in Pleasant Hill, California. The gym features professional fighters who have competed in many major promotions, such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), PRIDE Fighting Championships, DREAM, and Strikeforce.

References

  1. "Bret Bergmark)". mixedmartialarts.com.