Houston Alexander

Houston Alexander (born March 22, 1972) is an American professional mixed martial artist who last competed in 2017.[1] A professional competitor since 2001, he has fought for the UFC, Bellator, Shark Fights, the RFA, and KSW. Alexander is probably best known for his brutal upset first-round knockout of Keith Jardine in his UFC debut at UFC 71.

Houston Alexander
Houston Alexander in 2007
Born (1972-03-22) March 22, 1972
East St. Louis, Illinois, United States
Other namesThe Assassin
NationalityAmerican
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight206 lb (93 kg; 14 st 10 lb)
DivisionHeavyweight
Light Heavyweight
Reach72 in (183 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Fighting out ofOmaha, Nebraska, United States
TeamGrudge Training Center
Finney's HIT Squad
Years active2001-2017
Mixed martial arts record
Total36
Wins17
By knockout14
By decision3
Losses16
By knockout10
By submission2
By decision4
Draws1
No contests2
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Background

Alexander was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, and lived there for the first eight years of his life. Growing up in a rough neighborhood, Alexander quickly learned how to defend himself before moving to Omaha, Nebraska. He was athletic growing up, and attended Omaha North High School, where he played football and wrestled, excelling at both and also started boxing when he was a teenager. He is also a very talented artist, mostly with graffiti, and was accepted to the Savannah College of Art & Design in Georgia during his senior year of high school, but ultimately decided that he did not want to leave behind his daughter. Alexander then worked as a head machine operator at an asphalt company, before turning to mixed martial arts.[2]

Mixed martial arts career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Alexander made his UFC debut at UFC 71 on May 26, 2007 against Keith Jardine. He knocked out Jardine in 49 seconds during the first round in a huge upset.[3]

He has since trained full-time; three times a day and seven days a week.[4]

Alexander then signed a new three-fight contract with the UFC. At UFC 75 Alexander beat Italian Alessio Sakara.[5] Just like his previous fight, Sakara threw a couple of early shots before Alexander countered with close-contact strikes. "The way I was taught was that all your strength is inside versus outside,” Alexander said before the fight of his explosive ability when close to an opponent. "My short strikes are really, really good, and that’s from lifting weights and doing a lot of reps."

At UFC 78 Alexander faced then undefeated contender Thiago Silva. Silva won by TKO after the referee stopped the fight at 3:25 in the first round. In the fight Silva achieved mounted position on top of Alexander and landed punches until the referee called a stop to the contest.

On April 2, 2008, Alexander fought former WEC Heavyweight Champion James Irvin as the first fight on the televised portion of UFC Fight Night: Kenny Florian vs Joe Lauzon in Broomfield, Colorado.[6] Irvin led off with a superman punch to the jaw that knocked Alexander down. He followed with three more devastating punches to the face that knocked him unconscious[7] and Steve Mazzagatti rushed in to stop the fight. Alexander immediately got to his feet and protested the quick stoppage. The eight-second knockout tied the record for the fastest knockout in the UFC alongside Don Frye's knockout at UFC 8.[8] The loss was officially ruled as a TKO due to strikes,[9][10][11] although some sources list it as a KO.[12][13]

Alexander fought Eric "Red" Schafer at UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Neer in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.[14] After landing some effective knees early in the fight, Alexander lost the fight via arm triangle submission in the first round.[15]

Alexander was scheduled to face Andre Gusmão at UFC 98, but had to withdraw due to a broken hand suffered in training camp.

With the permission of the UFC, Alexander fought the late Sherman Pendergarst in a Heavyweight fight at Adrenaline MMA's Fourth Event.[16] Alexander defeated Pendergarst by TKO due to leg kicks that dropped "The Tank" followed by punches on the ground.

Alexander made his return to the UFC at The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale against internet superstar Kimbo Slice at a catchweight of 215 pounds.[17] Alexander was defeated by Kimbo Slice by unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, and 30–27) in a bout that many thought would not make it out of the first round. The fight was characterized by Alexander circling away from Kimbo while utilizing quick but not powerful leg kicks instead of directly engaging him. While the first and third rounds were largely spent at a distance, the most spectacular moment of the fight arguably came in the second round when Slice administered a suplex that rocked Alexander. Shortly following the loss, Alexander was cut from the UFC.[18]

Independent promotions

Following his release from the UFC, Alexander then fought heavy-handed Joey Beltran at 5150 Combat League's "New Year's Revolution" on January 16, 2010, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Alexander controlled the first round by using movement and using quick leg kicks to keep Beltran at bay, In the second round Alexander was utilizing the same tactics that had won him the first round but Beltran caught Alexander with an uppercut-left hook combination that dropped and finished Alexander at 3:49 in the 2nd round.

Alexander next faced Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou on September 11, 2010 at Shark Fights 13: Jardine vs. Prangley. Following a tough first round that saw Alexander rocked and knocked down on several occasions, he came back in the second round to win via TKO (punches) at 1:31, he won Knockout and Fight of the Night.

Alexander next was scheduled to fight a rematch against James Irvin from UFC Fight Night: Kenny Florian vs Joe Lauzon back in 2008, where Irvin knocked out Alexander 8 seconds into the 1st round via a superman punch. The 8-second knockout tied the record of fastest knockout in UFC history, until UFC 102, where Todd Duffee broke the record with a 7-second KO. It was set to take place at Shark Fights 14: Horwich vs. Villefort on March 11, 2011 in Lubbock, Texas. The fight was cancelled on March 2 due to a training injury suffered by Alexander and a failed drug test by Irvin.

Alexander faced Razak Al-Hassan at MMA Fight Pit: Genesis. He dominated and won the fight via TKO due to a doctor stoppage by a cut.

Alexander recently faced Canadian brawler Steve Bosse. He was knocked out in the 2nd round via a brutal elbow to the head from the clinch.

Alexander took on knockout-artist and longtime veteran Gilbert Yvel on Friday, March 30, 2012 at the second Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) show. Houston lost via one punch KO in the first round.

On September 15, 2012, Alexander faced the KSW Light heavyweight Champion Jan Błachowicz at KSW 20 in Gdańsk, Poland. Błachowicz dominated Alexander on the ground for most of the fight, he lost via unanimous decision.

On March 30, 2013, Alexander defeated Dennis Reed via submission due to punches at Victory Fighting Championship 39.

On July 27, 2013, Alexander defeated Chuck Grigsby via Knockout in the fourth round at Victory Fighting Championship 40 to win the VFC Light heavyweight Championship.

Bellator MMA

Alexander faced former IFL Light heavyweight Champion and UFC veteran Vladimir Matyushenko on September 13, 2013 at Bellator 99 after Matyushenko's original opponent Christian M'Pumbu pulled out due to injury.[19] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

On April 18, 2014, Alexander faced Matt Uhde at Bellator 117. He won the fight via TKO due to doctor stoppage at the end of the second round.

Alexander was expected to face Pride FC veteran James Thompson on October 17, 2014 at Bellator 129 in a heavyweight bout.[20] However, on October 10, 2014 it was announced that Thompson was pulled from the fight due to injury.[21] Alexander instead faced Virgil Zwicker.[22] The fight ended in a majority draw due to a point being deducted for repeated illegal headbutting.

A rematch with Zwicker took place at Bellator 132.[23] Zwicker won the bout via split decision.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
36 matches 17 wins 16 losses
By knockout 14 10
By submission 0 2
By decision 3 4
Draws 1
No contests 2
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 17–16–1 (2) Rakim Cleveland TKO (punches) Primus FC: Cleveland vs. Alexander 2 December 9, 2017 3 3:04 Woodward, Oklahoma, United States
Loss 17–15–1 (2) Rakim Cleveland TKO (knees and punches) Extreme Challenge 234 April 15, 2017 1 4:45 Jefferson, Iowa, United States
Win 17–14–1 (2) Brian Green Decision (unanimous) MMA Fight Series: Alexander vs. Green October 9, 2016 3 5:00 West Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Loss 16–14–1 (2) Evan Nedd TKO (punches) Redemption Fighting Championship 2 April 29, 2016 3 4:57 Oranjestad, Aruba
Loss 16–13–1 (2) Guilherme Viana TKO (doctor stoppage) Bellator 146 November 20, 2015 2 5:00 Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States
Loss 16–12–1 (2) Tony Lopez KO (punches) Legend Fights: Lopez vs. Alexander July 24, 2015 3 4:35 Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States [25]
Loss 16–11–1 (2) Virgil Zwicker Decision (split) Bellator 132 January 16, 2015 3 5:00 Temecula, California, United States Catchweight (215 lbs) bout.
Draw 16–10–1 (2) Virgil Zwicker Draw (majority) Bellator 129 October 17, 2014 3 5:00 Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States Alexander was deducted one point for headbutting.
Win 16–10 (2) Matt Uhde TKO (doctor stoppage) Bellator 117 April 18, 2014 2 5:00 Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States
Loss 15–10 (2) Vladimir Matyushenko Decision (unanimous) Bellator 99 September 13, 2013 3 5:00 Temecula, California, United States
Win 15–9 (2) Chuck Grigsby KO (punch) Victory Fighting Championship 40 July 27, 2013 4 1:39 Ralston, Nebraska, United States Won the VFC Light heavyweight Championship.
Win 14–9 (2) Dennis Reed TKO (punches) Victory Fighting Championship 39 March 30, 2013 1 1:01 Ralston, Nebraska, United States
Loss 13–9 (2) Jan Błachowicz Decision (unanimous) KSW 20: Fighting Symphonies September 15, 2012 3 5:00 Gdańsk, Poland For the KSW Light Heavyweight Championship.
Loss 13–8 (2) Gilbert Yvel KO (punch) RFA 2: Yvel vs. Alexander March 30, 2012 1 3:59 Kearney, Nebraska, United States
Loss 13–7 (2) Steve Bossé KO (elbow) Instinct MMA 1 October 7, 2011 2 4:11 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win 13–6 (2) Razak Al-Hassan TKO (doctor stoppage) MMA Fight Pit: Genesis August 13, 2011 2 5:00 Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Win 12–6 (2) Brian Albin TKO (doctor stoppage) Caged In The Coliseum: Albin vs Alexander June 25, 2011 3 0:26 Jackson, Mississippi, United States
Win 11–6 (2) Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou TKO (punches) Shark Fights 13: Jardine vs Prangley September 11, 2010 2 1:31 Amarillo, Texas, United States Fight of the Night. Knockout of the Night.
Win 10–6 (2) David Griffin Decision (unanimous) UFA 1: The Clash at the Coliseum June 11, 2010 3 5:00 Charleston, South Carolina, United States
NC 9–6 (2) Justin Grizzard NC (eye poke) Extreme Challenge: The Aftermath March 27, 2010 2 N/A Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States Alexander landed an accidental eye poke which rendered Grizzard unable to continue.
Loss 9–6 (1) Joey Beltran TKO (punches) 5150 Combat League/XFL: New Year's Revolution January 16, 2010 2 3:49 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States For the 5150 Combat League Heavyweight Championship.
Loss 9–5 (1) Kimbo Slice Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale December 5, 2009 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Catchweight (215 lbs) bout.
Win 9–4 (1) Sherman Pendergarst TKO (leg kicks and punches) Adrenaline MMA IV: Sylvia vs. Riley September 18, 2009 1 1:51 Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States Heavyweight bout.
Loss 8–4 (1) Eric Schafer Submission (arm-triangle choke) UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Neer September 17, 2008 1 4:53 Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Loss 8–3 (1) James Irvin KO (punches) UFC Fight Night 13 April 2, 2008 1 0:08 Broomfield, Colorado, United States
Loss 8–2 (1) Thiago Silva TKO (punches) UFC 78 November 17, 2007 1 3:25 Newark, New Jersey, United States
Win 8–1 (1) Alessio Sakara TKO (knee and punches) UFC 75 September 8, 2007 1 1:01 London, England, United Kingdom Knockout of the Night.
Win 7–1 (1) Keith Jardine KO (punches and knees) UFC 71 May 26, 2007 1 0:48 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
NC 6–1 (1) Todd Allee NC (illegal knees) Extreme Challenge 76 March 31, 2007 1 3:23 Sloan, Iowa, United States Alexander delivered knees to Allee who was a grounded opponent.
Win 6–1 Jon Murphy TKO (punches) Extreme Challenge 76 March 31, 2007 1 0:56 Sloan, Iowa, United States
Win 5–1 Demian Decorah Decision (unanimous) Downtown Destruction 1 January 12, 2005 5 3:00 Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Win 4–1 Brandon Quigley TKO (punches) Judgment Night 2 November 3, 2004 1 0:41 Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Win 3–1 Justin Butler KO (punches) Gladiators 20 March 15, 2003 1 0:38 Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Win 2–1 Chuck Purdow TKO (submission to punches) Gladiators 17 August 18, 2001 1 0:58 Hastings, Nebraska, United States
Win 1–1 Jamie Webb TKO (submission to punches) Gladiators 16 June 30, 2001 1 2:18 Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Loss 0–1 Jason Medina Submission (arm-triangle choke) Extreme Challenge 40 June 16, 2001 2 0:47 Springfield, Illinois, United States

[26]

Television

Alexander made an appearance on the Fox Sports Network's "Sport Science" in 2009.

Music career

Alexander, also known as "Scrib", "Cone-Dome", or "FAS/ONE", has long been a bastion of Omaha's underground hip hop scene. In the 1980s he led a hip hop movement in North Omaha called the Scribble Crew as an alliance of graffiti writers who developed a reputation as the top tag artists in the area. The art stands today at 24th and Binney Streets and 16th and Corby Streets among other North Omaha locations, and is still respected by the community. His Midwest Alliance act was active through the 1990s and into the new millennium, and is seen as influential on the Omaha scene.[27]

Today Alexander is a DJ on KOPW 106.9, a local radio station in Plattsmouth. He hosts an independent music show featuring hip hop and facilitates an elementary school program called the "Culture Shock School Tour" which teaches students about hip hop.[1] Alexander has also been vocal about Omaha's lack of support for its hip hop artists.[28]

Personal life

Alexander donated one of his kidneys to his oldest daughter in 2000.[29]

Community Work

In February 2017, the Houston Alexander Foundation, Inc. (HAF) was founded to connect Houston's professional passions, MMA & hip hop, with the local community. The Houston Alexander Foundation uplifts the youth through educational programs and activities to promote a more positive self-image, benefiting families and communities across America and the globe. Under Houston's vision, we can improve society through education, culture, exercise, and community.[30]

HAF's premier program is the Culture Shock School Tour. Since its inception in 2003, Houston partners with principals, teachers, & volunteers at K-12 schools & colleges in the Omaha metropolitan area and teaches the history of hip hop through music, dance, and art. Future projects include after-school programs and seminars focused on hip hop (DJing, breakdancing, street art painting), MMA, and youth leadership.[31]

gollark: This is madness.
gollark: All you need is a 1MHz single-core and 640KB of memory.
gollark: I think qualcomm makes snapdragon SBCs, actually.
gollark: They still aren't great compared to other, cooler single board computers, for much but community/hardware support.
gollark: You can get Pis as compute modules, which are probably cheaper, if harder to actually do anything with.

See also

References
  1. "MMAjunkie.com Exclusive: An Interview with UFC 71's Houston Alexander". MMAjunkie. 2007-05-22. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20120610202733/http://www.fightmagazine.com/mma-magazine/mma-article.asp?aid=19&issid=2. Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. "Brawl Sports: UFC 71 :: Houston Alexander vs. Keith Jardine". Retrieved 2007-06-04.
  4. https://web.archive.org/web/20070708031246/http://ufcmania.com/2007/07/03/style-wars-an-exclusive-interview-with-houston-alexander/. Archived from the original on July 8, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2007. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. https://web.archive.org/web/20070926225652/http://www.ufcdaily.com/2007/07/02/alexander-inks-new-deal-ufc-75-fight-to-be-broadcast/. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2007. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. "Houston Alexander". MMAjunkie. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  7. Mike Sloan (2008-04-03). "Florian Halts Lauzon; Maynard, Diaz Also Win". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
  8. Ken Pishna (2008-04-02). "Ufc fight night 13: florian brings the big guns". MMAWeekly.com. Archived from the original on 2008-06-06. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
  9. Dann Stupp and Bruce Huckfeldt (2008-04-02). "UFC Fight Night 13 Live Results". MMAJunkie.com. Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
  10. "UFC Fight Night Kenny Florian vs Joe Lauzon". UFC.com. 2008-04-02. Archived from the original on 2008-01-21. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
  11. Michael David Smith (2008-04-02). "James Irvin TKOs Houston Alexander in 8 Seconds: Fastest Knockout in UFC History". Fanhouse. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
  12. "Ufc fight night 13 live results from colorado". MMAWeekly.com. 2008-04-02. Archived from the original on 2009-02-24. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
  13. "Fight Finder – UFC – Fight Night 13". Sherdog.com. 2008-04-02. Retrieved 2009-02-21.
  14. Archived May 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  15. Archived September 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  16. Archived August 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  17. "Houston Alexander applying for NSAC license, meeting Kimbo at TUF 10 Finale?". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-30. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
  18. https://web.archive.org/web/20091213114956/http://mmajunkie.com/news/17160/ufc-to-cut-houston-alexander-following-kimbo-slice-loss.mma. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009. Retrieved December 11, 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. "Houston Alexander replaces Christian M'Pumbu, Meets Matyushenko at Bellator 99". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  20. "Bellator 129 to feature Paul Bradley-Josh Neer, Houston Alexander-James Thompson". Mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  21. "James Thompson out of Bellator 129 fight with Houston Alexander due to injury". Mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  22. "James Thompson out, Virgil Zwicker in against Houston Alexander at Bellator 129". MMAFighting.com. October 12, 2014. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  23. "Bellator 132 Fight Card". Bellator.com. Archived from the original on 2014-11-19. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  24. "Der Trevel Blog - Mmam Adman". Mmam Adman. Archived from the original on 2013-03-02. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  25. "Legend Fights". Tapology. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  26. Sherdog.com. "Houston". Sherdog. Retrieved 2018-12-20.
  27. "Midwest Alliance - Rockin' the B-Boy Language". Timmcmahan.com. 1999-03-19. Retrieved 2015-10-12.
  28. https://web.archive.org/web/20070930023614/http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/717224/on_the_town_fans_should_support_local_hiphop/index.html. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2007. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  29. "Wayback Machine". 14 November 2007. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007.
  30. "Houston Alexander Foundation". Houston Alexander Foundation. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  31. "Houston Alexander Foundation". Houston Alexander Foundation. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
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