Matt Horwich

Last updated
Matt Horwich
BornMatthew Peter Horwich
(1978-02-10) February 10, 1978 (age 46)
Seattle, Washington, United States
Other namesSuave
Residence Los Angeles, California, United States
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight185.6 lb (84.2 kg; 13.26 st)
Division Middleweight
Light Heavyweight
Reach75 in (190 cm)
Fighting out of Hollywood, California, United States
Team Kings MMA
10th Planet Jiu Jitsu
RankBrown belt in 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu
Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Years active2003–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total56
Wins30
By knockout6
By submission21
By decision3
Losses25
By knockout2
By submission4
By decision19
Draws1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Matthew Peter Horwich (born October 2, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Middleweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, Horwich has fought in BAMMA, Strikeforce, Bellator, the UFC, and for the Seattle Tiger Sharks of the IFL where he was the IFL Middleweight Champion.

Contents

Background

Horwich was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. He watched many Bruce Lee films growing up and entered Dojo Kai Korean traditional martial arts classes. Growing up, Horwich had little interest in school due to low opinions of his teachers. Unmotivated, lost and without a concrete path to embark on, he began to experiment with drugs and alcohol. He then garnered interest for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) at the age of 17 and saved up enough money to learn from none other than Royce Gracie himself. After that, he reluctantly made an unwise decision and was placed in jail for thirty days for fighting and breaking windows. He served his time and chose to relocate to Seattle, Washington with the intention of starting a band. While there, he performed odd jobs and lived in squats as he crossed-paths between becoming either a musician or martial artist. He then eventually experienced a religious conversion as a self-described "spiritual" Christian and rededicated himself to a successful, focused career in martial arts. [1]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Horwich developed his skills as a submission specialist training with Team Quest as well as BJJ black belts B.J. Penn and Eddie Bravo. [1] He has also trained extensively with accomplished Kickboxer and Muay Thai Fighter Chris Reilly. [2] [3] Matt Horwich earned the nickname "The Fighting Hippy" due to his extremely unusual personality and interests. [4]

Before signing with the International Fight League's Portland Wolfpack, Matt Horwich amassed a strong record of 15-6-1 fighting in small promotions. It was there that he rose to prominence, when a 5-3 record earned him an opportunity to face Benji Radach in the World Grand Prix Finals to determine the first middleweight champion. Horwich defeated the noted striker by knockout in the second round, becoming the IFL's first ever middleweight champion. [1]

Matt Horwich then signed with the UFC after the IFL folded and made his debut at UFC 90. His opponent, none other than the latest IFL middleweight champion Dan Miller. Horwich came close to sinking in a fight-ending choke in this exciting bout as the clock suspensefully ticked at the final part of the second round. Despite his wholehearted efforts, Miller controlled most of the first and third rounds and took the unanimous decision. [5] Horwich then made his second UFC appearance at UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann against Ricardo Almeida which resulted in a second decision loss and his release from the company.

After that, he debuted with Bellator and then Aggression MMA where he came back with a solid, split-decision victory over Jason Lambert. This very well-fought rematch took place in Alberta, Canada as Horwich successfully returned to his winning ways. [6]

Horwich fought Tom 'Kong' Watson at BAMMA3 as a late replacement for Alex Reid on May 15, 2010, and lost. It was his first fight in Britain. [7]

Horwich beat Thales Leites, former UFC Middleweight contender, in an upset on August 14.

On September 9, 2010, Horwich fought Bellator season two semifinalist Eric Schambari, losing via split decision. [8]

Horwich then defeated Jake Rosholt by technical knockout in the third round at Xtreme Fight Night – Rosholt vs. Horwich in November 2010.

At Shark Fights 14: Horwich vs. Villefort on March 11, 2011, Horwich squared off with UFC and WEC veteran Danillo Villefort, losing by unanimous decision after being controlled both on the feet and the floor for the entirety of the 15-minute affair. [9]

Horwich faced a rematch with Jake Rosholt at Shark Fights 17: Horwich vs. Rosholt 2 on July 15, 2011, losing by unanimous decision. Rosholt used his wrestling to neutralize any attempt at a takedown and utilized a much improved striking game to win the nod from the judges. [10]

Horwich fought Piotr Strus at KSW 25 on December 7, 2013. Though the fan favorite coming into the fight, Horwich lost by majority decision. [11]

Personal life

Matt Horwich was married the day after his first attempted defense of the IFL Middleweight Championship. [12] Horwich is often described as a hippie who frequently quotes Bible passages and personal aphorisms in conversation. [1] His hobbies include playing guitar and writing music and poetry, mostly themed around his interest in quantum mechanics. [12] He also knows the difference between a 301 EZO and a 307 SR end.

In September 2022, Matt was featured in underground mini-comic issue #12 "MULTIVERSE" by Spencer Wile.

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
56 matches30 wins25 losses
By knockout62
By submission214
By decision319
Draws1
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Win30–25–1Piotr SiwkowskiTKO (elbows)PLMMA 73: CiechanówMay 20, 201711:20 Ciechanów, Poland
Win29–25–1David RamirezSubmission (rear-naked choke)PLMMA 72: ŁomiankiMarch 4, 20172N/A Łomianki, Poland
Loss28–25–1 Marcin Naruszczka Decision (unanimous)PLMMA 70: ChampionshipsNovember 4, 201655:00 Warsaw, Poland
Loss28–24–1 Vyacheslav Vasilevsky Decision (unanimous)Fightspirit Championship 6: Horwich vs. VasilevskySeptember 9, 201635:00 Saint Petersburg, Russia
Loss28–23–1Jae Young KimKO (punch)Top FC 9: Battle of IncheonOctober 24, 201510:31 Incheon, South KoreaFor the Top FC Middleweight Championship.
Loss28–22–1Piotr StrusDecision (majority)KSW 25: Khalidov vs. SakuraiDecember 7, 201335:00 Wrocław, Poland
Win28–21–1 Terry Martin TKO (punches)KSW 21December 1, 201224:08 Warsaw, PolandCatchweight bout of 191 lbs.
Win27–21–1Antoni ChmielewskiTKO (punches) KSW XIX May 12, 201232:19 Łódź, Poland
Loss26–21–1 Thales Leites Submission (arm-triangle choke)Amazon Forest Combat 2March 31, 201224:39 Manaus, BrazilCatchweight bout of 194 lbs.
Loss26–20–1 Michał Materla Decision (unanimous) KSW 17: Revenge November 26, 201133:00 Łódź, Poland KSW Middleweight Championship eliminator; fight went to three-minute OT round.
Loss26–19–1 Jake Rosholt Decision (unanimous) Shark Fights 17: Horwich vs. Rosholt 2 July 15, 201135:00 Frisco, Texas, United States
Loss26–18–1 Danillo Villefort Decision (unanimous) Shark Fights 14: Horwich vs. Villefort March 11, 201135:00 Lubbock, Texas, United States
Win26–17–1 Jake Rosholt TKO (punches)Xtreme Fight Night: Rosholt vs. HorwichNovember 12, 201032:56 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Loss25–17–1 Eric Schambari Decision (split) Bellator 28 September 9, 201035:00 New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Win25–16–1 Thales Leites Submission (rear-naked choke)Powerhouse World Promotions: War on the MainlandAugust 14, 201040:44 Irvine, California, United StatesWon PWP Middleweight Championship.
Loss24–16–1 Tom Watson Decision (unanimous) BAMMA 3 May 15, 201055:00 Birmingham, EnglandFor the BAMMA Middleweight Championship.
Loss24–15–1 Jason MacDonald Decision (unanimous)LGIO MMA 1: MacDonald vs HorwichApril 23, 201035:00 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Win24–14–1 Jason Lambert Decision (split) AMMA 1: First Blood October 24, 200935:00 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Loss23–14–1 Bryan Baker Decision (unanimous) Bellator 10 June 5, 200935:00 Ontario, California, United States
Loss23–13–1 Ricardo Almeida Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann April 1, 200935:00 Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Loss23–12–1 Dan Miller Decision (unanimous) UFC 90 October 25, 200835:00 Rosemont, Illinois, United States
Win23–11–1Joey GuelDecision (unanimous)IFL: Mohegan SunMay 16, 200834:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Loss22–11–1Ryan McGivernDecision(unanimous)IFL: VegasFebruary 29, 200854:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United StatesLost IFL Middleweight Championship.
Win22–10–1 Benji Radach KO (punch)IFL: World Grand Prix FinalsDecember 29, 200721:58 Uncasville, Connecticut, United StatesBecame inaugural IFL Middleweight Champion.
Win21–10–1Brian FosterSubmission (armbar)IFL: World Grand Prix SemifinalsNovember 3, 200713:59 Chicago, Illinois, United StatesCatchweight bout of 188 lbs.
Win20–10–1 Kazuhiro Hamanaka KO (head kick)IFL: EverettJune 1, 200712:07 Everett, Washington, United States
Loss19–10–1Jamal PattersonSubmission (guillotine choke)IFL: ConnecticutApril 13, 200710:37 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Win19–9–1Brent BeauparlantSubmission (kimura)IFL: AtlantaFebruary 23, 200720:28 Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Loss18–9–1Ryan McGivernDecision (unanimous)IFL: Championship FinalDecember 29, 200634:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Win18–8–1 Mike Pyle Submission (rear-naked choke)IFL: World Championship SemifinalsNovember 2, 200621:02 Portland, Oregon, United States
Win17–8–1 Bristol Marunde Decision (unanimous)IFL: PortlandSeptember 9, 200634:00 Portland, Oregon, United States
Loss16–8–1Jamal PattersonSubmission (rear-naked choke)IFL: Legends Championship 2006April 29, 200612:57 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Loss16–7–1 Roan Carneiro Decision (split)WCFC: No Guts No GloryMarch 18, 200635:00 Manchester, England
Win16–6–1Petras MarkeviciusSubmission (rear naked choke)WCFC: No Guts No GloryMarch 18, 200614:59 Manchester, England
Loss15–6–1 Brian Ebersole Decision (unanimous) Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie March 10, 200635:00 San Jose, California, United States
Win15–5–1Rob WinceSubmission (armbar)ACF: GenesisFebruary 24, 200611:46 Denver, Colorado, United States
Win14–5–1John CronkSubmission (rear naked choke)SF 13: Rocky Mountain SportfightOctober 15, 200523:28 Denver, Colorado, United States
Win13–5–1 Vernon White Submission (rear-naked choke)SF 12: BreakoutSeptember 16, 200522:38 Portland, Oregon, United States
Win12–5–1 Krzysztof Soszynski Submission (rear-naked choke)Freedom Fight: Canada vs USAJuly 9, 200520:52 Hull, Quebec, Canada
Loss11-5-1 Travis Wiuff Decision (unanimous)Extreme Challenge 62June 18, 200535:00 Medina, Minnesota, United States
Win11–4–1Brian WieberSubmission (rear-naked choke)XFC: Dome of Destruction 2April 30, 200512:37 Tacoma, Washington, United States
Loss10–4–1 Trevor Prangley Decision (unanimous)SF 9: RespectMarch 26, 200535:00 Gresham, Oregon, United States
Win10–3–1Chris KieverSubmission (triangle choke)Kickdown Classic 16February 19, 200520:40 Denver, Colorado, United States
Loss9–3–1 Jason Lambert TKO (submission to punches)WEC 12October 21, 200423:28 Lemoore, California, United States
Win9–2–1 Jason MacDonald Submission (armbar)Extreme Fighting Challenge 3October 16, 20041N/A Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Win8–2–1Billy MilesSubmission (rear-naked choke)SF 6: Battleground in RenoSeptember 23, 200420:59 Reno, Nevada, United States
Win7–2–1Antony ReaSubmission (rear-naked choke)APEX: GenesisSeptember 5, 200421:13 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win6–2–1Paul PurcellSubmission (rear-naked choke)SF 5: StadiumAugust 28, 20041N/A Gresham, Oregon, United States
Win5–2–1Mikko RupponenSubmission (triangle choke)PFA: Pride and FuryJune 3, 200430:50 Worley, Idaho, United States
Win4–2–1Chris KieverSubmission (triangle choke)Cage Fighting Championship 1May 1, 200411:47 Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Loss3–2–1 Glover Teixeira Decision (unanimous)SF 3: DomeApril 17, 200435:00 Gresham, Oregon, United States
Win3–1–1Horace SpencerSubmission (rear-naked choke)SF 2: On the MoveMarch 19, 200414:45 Portland, Oregon, United States
Win2–1–1 Joshua Burkman Submission (triangle choke)SF 1: RevolutionFebruary 21, 200422:11 Portland, Oregon, United States
Loss1–1–1Rich GuerinSubmission (armbar)DesertBrawl 9November 8, 200311:54 Bend, Oregon, United States
Draw1–0–1Shane DavisDrawUltimate Ring Challenge 6October 25, 200333:00 Longview, Washington, United States
Win1–0 Cory Devela Submission (rear-naked choke)PPKA: Ultimate Fight Night 2September 6, 200321:24 Pasco, Washington, United States

Related Research Articles

Jake Rosholt is an American retired mixed martial artist and former collegiate amateur wrestler. A professional competitor from 2007 to 2012, he competed for the UFC, WEC, Bellator, and Shark Fights. He is the older brother of current heavyweight MMA fighter/Oklahoma State NCAA Championship finalist Jared Rosholt.

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

Jeremy Graham Horn is an American mixed martial artist. Horn is best known for fighting in smaller American promotions, he has also competed in some of the premiere mixed martial arts organizations around the world, including the UFC, WEC, PRIDE, Bellator, Pancrase, the IFL, King of the Cage, and the International Fighting Championships (IFC). Horn is the former King of the Cage Light Heavyweight Champion and has also competed in the Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions.

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

Jason L. Lambert is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2001 until 2013, he competed for the UFC, WEC, Bellator, King of the Cage, and AFC. He is the former WEC light heavyweight champion.

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

Joshua Martin Neer is an American bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2003, he has competed for the UFC, Bellator, the Quad Cities Silverbacks of the IFL, and Shark Fights. Neer is the former Shark Fights Interim Welterweight Champion.

Benji Russell Radach is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the middleweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2001, Radach has also formerly competed for the UFC, the WEC, Strikeforce, and the Los Angeles Anacondas of the IFL.

Daniel James Miller is an American former mixed martial artist. A professional from 2005 until 2014, he is perhaps best known for competing in the UFC, but was also the final International Fight League Middleweight Champion, representing the New York Pitbulls. He is the older brother of current UFC Lightweight Jim Miller.

Gerald Harris is an American retired mixed martial artist who most recently fought in Bellator. He was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter 7 and has also competed in World Series of Fighting, the UFC, DREAM, the Portland Wolfpack in the IFL, Shark Fights, Tachi Palace Fights, and Legacy Fighting Championship.

Roy Nelson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division. As a professional, he has competed for the UFC, EliteXC, the IFL, BodogFIGHT, and most recently for Bellator MMA. In the UFC, Nelson was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights and achieved success as a top 10 UFC Heavyweight. Nelson is also the former IFL Heavyweight Champion, competing under Ken Shamrock and the Lion's Den. He holds notable victories over Mirko Cro Cop, Cheick Kongo, and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Daniel John Cramer is an American retired mixed martial artist. A professional from 2009 until 2014, Cramer made his professional debut with the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) and was a competitor on SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs Team Forrest. However, Cramer is perhaps best remembered for his 10-fight stint for Bellator.

Danillo Villefort is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. Villefort has fought for the UFC, WEC, IFL, World Series of Fighting, and Professional Fighters League fighting in their Middleweight division.

Tom "Kong" Watson is an English mixed martial artist currently competing in the welterweight division of Cage Warriors. A professional competitor since 2006, he is the former BAMMA Middleweight Champion, the former UCMMA Middleweight Champion, and has also competed for the UFC, Cage Rage and the MFC.

Bryan Baker is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Baker fought in various promotions, most notably World Extreme Cagefighting and Bellator. Baker was also a competitor in the second season of Bellator's Middleweight Tournament in 2010, reaching the final against Alexander Shlemenko.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BAMMA</span> Defunct UK-based MMA promotion

BAMMA (British Association of Mixed Martial Arts) was a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United Kingdom. It premiered on June 27, 2009, and was shown on the television channel Bravo. BAMMA events were shown live on ITV4 in the UK and Ireland, KIX in Asia (in Indonesia aired on tvOne), VEQTA Digital Broadcast Sports Network in India, Kwesé Sports in Africa, DAZN in Germany & Russia, FITE TV and UNILAD (Online). BAMMA events stream live on the UNILAD Facebook Page (Prelims) and ITV4 (UK) & Fite.tv (US) (Main Card). BAMMA 29 was shown on free to air channel Dave, and BAMMA 30 was also shown there on 7 July 2017 as was BAMMA 31. BAMMA 33 was shown on ITV4 on December 15 2017. The last BAMMA event was held in London on June 28, 2018.

David Branch is an American former mixed martial artist who competed as a middleweight. A professional competitor since 2007, he has fought for the UFC, World Series of Fighting, Bellator, Shark Fights, and Titan FC. Branch is the former WSOF Light Heavyweight Champion and WSOF Middleweight Champion.

Mikel "Mike" Bronzoulis is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Lightweight division of Bellator. A professional competitor since 2007, Bronzoulis has competed for Strikeforce, Legacy FC, Titan FC, Shark Fights, and was a finalist on Spike TV's Bellator: Fight Master reality show.

Brett Cooper is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, he has also competed for Bellator, PFL, Affliction, Absolute Championship Berkut, IFL, KSW, and Jungle Fight.

Tom DeBlass is an American Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, submission grappler and mixed martial artist currently signed to ONE Championship. He has competed in the middleweight division for Bellator and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niklas Bäckström (fighter)</span> Swedish mixed martial artist

Niklas Bäckström is a Swedish mixed martial arts fighter who competes in the Lightweight and Featherweight divisions. He has previously competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Sean Tyrone Spencer is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division of the Legacy Fighting Alliance. A professional since 2009, he has also competed for the UFC, Bellator, and Legacy FC.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 McCray, Brad (June 27, 2007). "Horwich dreaming big". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  2. ↑ Archived December 21, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ "Interview with Matt Horwich - MMAUniverse.com | Interviews | Interview with Matt Horwich". MMAUniverse.com. 2008-02-28. Archived from the original on 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  4. ↑ "Exclusive Interview: Matt Horwich". CagePotato.com. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  5. ↑ "UFC 90 'Silva vs. Cote' Play-by-Play". Sherdog.com. October 25, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Aggression MMA Results | Top MMA News at". Topmmanews.com. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  7. ↑ "Welcome to BAMMA - Home". Bamma.net. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  8. ↑ Ratliff, Ben (2010-09-10). "Bellator 28 results from New Orleans on Sept. 9". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  9. ↑ "Shark Fights 14 results: Villefort decisions Horwich, LaRosa taps Damm". MMAjunkie.com. 2011-03-12. Archived from the original on 2012-01-03. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  10. ↑ "Shark Fights 17 Results: Jake Rosholt Wins, Working Towards UFC Return". MMAWeekly.com. 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  11. ↑ "Piotr Strus vs. Matt Horwich". tapology.com. December 7, 2013.
  12. 1 2 Barnwell, Bill (February 21, 2008). "Matt Horwich Interview". IGN.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2009.
New championship 1st IFL Middleweight Champion
December 29, 2007 - February 29, 2008		Succeeded by
Ryan McGivern
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.