Founded by | Matt Serra Ray Longo |
---|---|
Primary owners | Matt Serra Ray Longo |
Primary trainers | Matt Serra Ray Longo Chris Weidman |
Past titleholders | Matt Serra Chris Weidman Aljamain Sterling |
Training facilities | Long Island, New York, U.S. |
Website | Serra BJJ Academy Longo-Weidman MMA |
Serra-Longo Fight Team is a mixed martial arts team based on Long Island, New York that was formed by Matt Serra and Ray Longo. The team has two gyms operating under it, Serra BJJ Academy and Longo-Weidman MMA. It has produced three former UFC champions, Matt Serra (former UFC Welterweight Champion, Chris Weidman (former UFC Middleweight Champion), and Aljamain Sterling (former UFC Bantamweight Champion)
When Matt Serra was 17, he met Ray Longo at Oishi Judo gym in New York City and the two became friends. Longo was an accountant who owned a gym and would train fighters at night. The two formed a team where Serra was an MMA fighter and Longo would act as the coach where he organized and provided all the resources needed to help Serra win his fights. [1] [2] [3] The crowning achievement of the team was in 2007 where Serra defeated Georges St-Pierre at UFC 69 in one of the biggest upsets to become UFC Welterweight Champion. [1] [2] [3]
The team has expanded in size and currently operates two gyms, Serra BJJ Academy and Longo-Weidman MMA.
Serra BJJ is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym founded by Matt Serra in 2001 and is currently based in Huntington, New York. [4] [5] Serra acts as the head instructor sharing his experience as the first American to be awarded a Black Belt by Renzo Gracie and a 2001 ADCC Silver Medalist. [6]
Longo-Weidman MMA (LAW MMA) is a mixed martial arts gym based in Garden City, New York and is currently owned by Ray Longo and Chris Weidman. Previously named Ray Longo's International Martial Arts Academy, it was originally founded in 1990 [7] by Longo. Longo is the head instructor. He is a certified instructor of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kun Do Concepts [8] and focuses mainly on the striking aspect. Chris Weidman is a Former UFC Middleweight Champion who was also coached by Longo to defeat Anderson Silva in an upset at UFC 162 in 2013. [9]
Matthew John Serra is an American former professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner who competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the co-star of Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight and co-host of the official podcast of the UFC, UFC Unfiltered, alongside Jim Norton. Serra defeated Pete Spratt, Shonie Carter and Chris Lytle en route to becoming The Ultimate Fighter 4 Welterweight Tournament Winner. He captured the UFC Welterweight Championship immediately after. Serra also served as the head coach for The Ultimate Fighter 6 reality show opposite Matt Hughes, and he is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame. In grappling, Serra holds a Silver Medal in the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship.
Ronaldo Souza dos Santos, nicknamed "Jacare", is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist, submission grappler and 4th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt.
Christopher James Weidman is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he competes in the middleweight division. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion.
Gianpiero Villante is a retired American mixed martial artist who previously fought in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional from 2009 to 2021, he also has competed for Strikeforce.
The Tristar Gym is a mixed martial arts training centre located in Le Triangle Borough in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Instructors at the gym include Firas Zahabi, Conrad Pla and Georges St-Pierre. Tristar Gym is one of the top professional MMA training camps.
Marlon Luiz Moraes is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Featherweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL). He previously competed in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Series of Fighting (WSOF), the original incarnation of the PFL. He was the former and inaugural WSOF Bantamweight Champion.
Aljamain Sterling is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where he is the former UFC Bantamweight Champion. Sterling is the first UFC champion to win a title by disqualification. He also competed for Cage Fury Fighting Championship, where he is the former Cage Fury Fighting Championship Bantamweight Champion. Sterling holds the record for most wins, most consecutive wins as well as the most consecutive title defenses in UFC Bantamweight history. As of August 22, 2023, he is #1 in UFC bantamweight rankings, and as of October 24, 2023, he is #11 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.
Cody Gibson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Frankie Ozuna Saenz III is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the bantamweight division. A professional since 2009, he made a name for himself fighting mostly in his native state, where he was King of the Cage Flyweight Champion (135 lb), World Fighting Federation Featherweight Champion and Coalition of Combat Featherweight Champion and for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
UFC on Fox: Weidman vs. Gastelum was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 22, 2017, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.
Augusto Mendes is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner. He is currently signed to the Absolute Championship Berkut. He was the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Black Belt World 70 kg champion (2013), International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation World Nogi 73.5 kg champion in 2012 and 2015 and UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro Champion in 2011 and 2013.
Franklin Beldad Camacho is a Chamorro mixed martial artist in the lightweight division. He was a 2010 Blue Belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World champion and a 2006 Micronesian Games wrestling gold medalist. He competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Merab Dvalishvili is a Georgian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of August 22, 2023, he is #2 in the UFC bantamweight rankings.
Raoni Barcelos is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, former amateur wrestler and grappler. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he competes in the bantamweight division. Prior to signing with the UFC, Barcelos was a one-time Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) featherweight champion, and a five-time Brazilian national wrestling champion.
Ray Longo is a mixed martial arts (MMA) coach, a stunt man and actor. Considered one of the top coaches in MMA, he is the Head coach of the Serra-Longo fight team. He has trained and cornered three UFC Champions: Matt Serra, Chris Weidman, and Aljamain Sterling.
Ricky Simón is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2012, he was a former Legacy Fighting Alliance Bantamweight Champion. As of December 12, 2023, he is #13 in the UFC bantamweight rankings.
Bradley Devin Katona is a Canadian mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former Brave CF Bantamweight Champion. He is also the only fighter to win The Ultimate Fighter twice, winning The Ultimate Fighter 27 featherweight tournament and The Ultimate Fighter 31 bantamweight tournament.
Casey Kenney is an American mixed martial artist. He is currently competing in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and he was the former Tachi Palace Fights Flyweight champion and Legacy Fighting Alliance Flyweight and Bantamweight champion.
UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 11, 2023, at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Paradise, Nevada part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.
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