Wesley Correira

Wesley John Correira Jr. (born November 11, 1978), nicknamed Cabbage, is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight and super heavyweight divisions. An iron chinned brawler, Correira began his career in 2000 and came to prominence with a number of knockout wins on the heavyweight scene in his native Hawaii before a two-year stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship between 2002 and 2004. Following this, he became a journeyman heavyweight, fighting a number of notable opponents mostly in his native state.

Wesley Correira
BornWesley John Correira Jr.
(1978-11-11) November 11, 1978
Hilo, Hawaii, United States
Other namesCabbage
Nationality American
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight117.9 kg (260 lb; 18.57 st)
DivisionHeavyweight
Super Heavyweight
Reach200 cm (79 in)
StyleBoxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Judo
Fighting out ofHilo, Hawaii, United States
TeamB.J. Penn's MMA
Grappling Unlimited
Cabbage MMA
Rank     brown belt in Judo
Years active2000-2009
2013-present
Kickboxing record
Total3
Wins1
By knockout1
Losses2
By knockout2
Draws0
Mixed martial arts record
Total37
Wins21
By knockout17
By submission2
Losses16
By knockout8
By submission3
Draws0
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: March 15, 2013

Early life

Wesley Correira trained in boxing, judo (earning a brown belt[1]), karate and wrestling during high school, and eventually made the jump to mixed martial arts. He went on to train with Egan Inoue, B.J. Penn and Falaniko Vitale. He earned the nickname "Cabbage" as a child due to his resemblance to the Cabbage Patch Kids.[2]

Career

Correira debuted on July 22, 2000, at the Rings USA: Rising Stars Block B regional qualifying tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii, losing to Eric Pele by submission due to an armbar in round two of their semi-final bout. After joining the SuperBrawl promotion, he would then lose to Travis Fulton by the same method three months later and Preston Hartzog by split decision a month after that. Having begun his career with three consecutive losses, he won his first fight with a disqualification victory over Marcelo Tigre at SuperBrawl 21 on May 24, 2001, before a string of three technical knockout wins brought his record into the winning margin.

In late April 2002, Cabbage was invited to compete in the SuperBrawl 24: Return of the Heavyweights tournament held over two consecutive days in Honolulu. He TKO'd Kevin Jordan in the tournament's first round and caused Travis Wiuff to tap with knee strikes in the quarter-finals but was unable to fight in the semis due to an injury sustained. When a knockout of Kauai Kupihea the following month improved his record to 7-3 with six knockouts, he was signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and debuted against Tim Sylvia, the man who won the SuperBrawl tournament, at UFC 39 in Uncasville, Connecticut on September 27, 2002. The bout was the "Fight of the Night" as Correira took everything Sylvia could dish out for the first round. Cabbage's corner threw in the towel nearly two minutes into the second round after he took too much abuse. As he took such a heavy beating without ever being knocked down, commentator Mike Goldberg exclaimed during the fight "this man is not human!". In fact, during the seven minutes the fight lasted, Correira absorbed the highest number of power strikes ever recorded in one fight in UFC history.[3]

After returning to Hawaii and taking two KO wins over Jason Lambert and Joe Riggs before the end of 2002, he made his way back to the UFC to face Sean Alvarez at UFC 42 in Miami, Florida on April 25, 2003. A noted grappler, Alvarez was unable to take Correira down for much of the fight. After he finally got the takedown, Alvarez was too tired to be able to control Correira, who made his way back to his feet and TKO'd him with punches and knees in round two. After another two fight stint on the Hawaiian circuit, a split decision win over Justin Eilers and TKO of Steve Sayegh, Cabbage took on fellow brawler Tank Abbott at UFC 45 in Uncasville on November 21, 2003. He dropped Tank a couple of time early in the fight and opened a cut, which caused the ringside doctor to stop the fight and give Correira the TKO victory. Immediately after the stoppage, Cabbage did his trademark "Cabbage Patch dance" and then gave Abbot the finger which set off a mini riot as John Marsh, Eddie Ruiz and other members of Abbott's posse mixed with Chuck Liddell and others who came to break up the conflict.

In his final UFC appearance, Cabbage was TKO'd by Andrei Arlovski in round two at UFC 47 in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 2, 2004. He then lost on points to John Marsh and Yoshihiro Nakao in the Rumble on the Rock promotion in his next two outings before bouncing back with a first-round KO of Walt Pels at WEC 14 in Lemoore, California on March 17, 2005. A rematch between Correira and Tank Abbott went down at Rumble on the Rock 7 in Honolulu on May 7, 2005, and Abbott got his revenge when he became the first man to knock Cabbage unconscious, doing so in the first round.

He ventured into the world of kickboxing when he was recruited by K-1 to fight in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii on July 29, 2005. Paired with fellow MMA slugger and eventual tournament champion Gary Goodridge in the quarter-finals, Correira went out as is typical of MMA fighters trying their hand at kickboxing; he was chopped down with low kicks in round one.[4][5] Returning to MMA, he took three straight wins by first round stoppage[6][7] before falling to Eric "Butterbean" Esch via TKO due to a broken arm at Rumble on the Rock 8 in Honolulu on January 20, 2006, in a fight which took place under special rules, ground fighting being limited to fifteen seconds per instance regardless of the situation.[8] This triggered a run of defeats as Cabbage was submitted with a Kimura by Kazuhiro Hamanaka at Rumble on the Rock 9 on April 21, 2006, and then stopped via cut by debuting professional wrestler Mike Polchlopek at Rumble on the Rock: Beatdown 1 on June 17, 2006.[9]

Cabbage was scheduled to fight Ruben Villareal at Strikeforce: Tank vs. Buentello in Fresno, California on October 7, 2006,[10] but withdrew due to medical reasons.[11] Another bout that fell through was a proposed fight with Tengiz Tedoradze at Cage Rage 19: Fearless in London, England on December 9, 2006.[12]

He lost to Antônio Silva by first-round TKO in the co-main event of EliteXC: Destiny in Southaven, Mississippi on February 10, 2007. After surviving an early onslaught of ground-and-pound, Cabbage made his way back to his feet but was floored with a flying knee and followed up on with punches. This loss effectively resigned Correira to journeyman status.[13]

His anticipated Cage Rage debut was moved back to Cage Rage 22: Hard As Hell on July 14, 2007, where he was set to face James Thompson but once again it fell through as he was replaced by Neil Grove.[14]

Wesley Correira made his second foray into the kickboxing ring at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Hawaii on August 9, 2008, where a rematch with Eric Esch awaited him at the quarter-final stage. He spent four months practicing Muay Thai in Bangkok, Thailand before the tournament[15] and his training paid off as he finished Butterbean with a high kick in round two to secure a place in the semis. There, he was initially set to face Mighty Mo but he was injured and replaced by Randy Kim. Cabbage's inability to check kicks was once again his downfall as he was knocked down twice and stopped with kicks to the lead leg in the second round.[16][17]

Although this would be his last appearance in a ring or cage for almost five years, a match with Lion's Den fighter Buddy Roberts was penciled in for February 13, 2009, on a WarGods/Ken Shamrock Productions co-promoted event, Valentine's Day Massacre. Correira backed out of the fight an hour beforehand after he learned the promotion would be cutting his fight purse in half to cover last-minute costs for his state-required medical tests.[18] Further controversy arose when he tested positive for marijuana in a pre-fight drug test. While anyone with above 50 ng/mL of the drug in their system is considered "a truely [sic] active user", Cabbage registered a staggering 700 ng/mL.[19] He was suspended for six months and fined $1,000 by the California State Athletic Commission.[20]

Correira made his comeback to the cage on January 19, 2013, at Rumble World Entertainment: Just Scrap 19 in his hometown of Hilo, Hawaii, losing to Deutsch Pu'u by TKO in round one.[21] He then earned his first MMA win in five years and his first proper submission victory when he tapped Paea Paongo with a Kimura in the second round of the Rumble World Entertainment: Just Scrap Maui 4 main event in Maui, Hawaii.[22]

Personal life

On May 11, 2011, Correira was arrested on charges of burglary and theft.[23]

Kickboxing record
Kickboxing record
1 win (1 KO), 2 losses, 0 draws
DateResultOpponentEventLocationMethodRoundTimeRecord
2008-08-09Loss Randy KimK-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Hawaii, Semi FinalsHonolulu, Hawaii, USAKO (left low kick)21:001-2
2008-08-09Win Eric EschK-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Hawaii, Quarter FinalsHonolulu, Hawaii, USATKO (left high kick)20:531-1
2005-07-29Loss Gary GoodridgeK-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii, Quarter FinalsHonolulu, Hawaii, USATKO (right low kick)12:430-1

Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

Championship and Accomplishments
  • Icon Sport
    • Icon Sport Heavyweight Championship (1 Time, First, Last)[24]

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
37 matches 21 wins 16 losses
By knockout 17 8
By submission 2 3
By decision 1 5
By disqualification 1 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 21–16 Daniel Spitz Decision (unanimous) RWE: Just Scrap April 22, 2016 3 5:00 Hilo, Hawaii, United States [25]
Win 21–15 Matt Kovacs TKO (punches) RWE: Just Scrap November 13, 2015 1 0:52 Hilo, Hawaii, United States [26]
Win 20–15 Paea Paongo Submission (kimura) RWE: Just Scrap Maui IV March 15, 2013 2 1:55 Maui, Hawaii, United States
Loss 19–15 Deutsch Pu'u TKO (punches) RWE: Just Scrap 19 January 19, 2013 1 0:43 Hilo, Hawaii, United States
Loss 19–14 Jeff Ford TKO (punches) Worldwide Fighting Championship: Armageddon April 12, 2008 1 4:59 Denver, Colorado, United States
Win 19–13 Jacob Faagai TKO (shoulder injury) X-1: Events-Champions January 26, 2008 1 2:17 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Loss 18–13 Chris Marez Decision (unanimous) X-1: Extreme Fighting 2 March 17, 2007 3 5:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Loss 18–12 Antônio Silva TKO (flying knee and punches) EliteXC: Destiny February 10, 2007 1 3:49 Southaven, Mississippi, United States
Win 18–11 Kim Ji-Hoon TKO Pacific Xtreme Combat 8: Terror Dome July 28, 2006 1 2:07 Mangilao, Guam
Loss 17–11 Mike Polchlopek TKO (cut) Rumble on the Rock: Beatdown 1 June 17, 2006 1 1:46 Hawaii, United States
Loss 17–10 Kazuhiro Hamanaka Submission (kimura) Rumble on the Rock 9 April 21, 2006 2 1:53 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Loss 17–9 Butterbean TKO (doctor stoppage) Rumble on the Rock 8 January 20, 2006 2 5:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Correira broke his arm.
Win 17–8 Manny Chong TKO Fury Full Contact Fighting 4: Collision December 10, 2005 1 1:50 Guam
Win 16–8 Junior Sua Submission (position) Rumble on the Rock: Just Scrap November 5, 2005 1 1:21 Hilo, Hawaii, United States
Win 15–8 Lloyd Marshbanks TKO Rumble on the Rock: Showdown in Maui October 7, 2005 1 3:16 Maui, Hawaii, United States
Loss 14–8 Tank Abbott KO (punch) Rumble on the Rock 7 May 7, 2005 1 1:23 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win 14–7 Walt Pels KO (punches) WEC 14: Vengeance March 17, 2005 1 0:23 Lemoore, California, United States
Loss 13–7 Yoshihiro Nakao Decision (split) Rumble on the Rock 6 November 20, 2004 3 5:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Loss 13–6 John Marsh Decision (unanimous) Rumble on the Rock 5 May 7, 2004 3 5:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Loss 13–5 Andrei Arlovski TKO (punches) UFC 47 April 2, 2004 2 1:15 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 13–4 Tank Abbott TKO (cut) UFC 45 November 21, 2003 1 2:14 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Win 12–4 Steve Sayegh TKO (punches) Rumble on the Rock 3 August 9, 2003 1 2:19 Hilo, Hawaii, United States
Win 11–4 Justin Eilers Decision (split) SuperBrawl 30: Collision Course June 13, 2003 3 5:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win 10–4 Sean Alvarez TKO (knees and punches) UFC 42 April 25, 2003 2 1:46 Miami, Florida, United States
Win 9–4 Joe Riggs KO (knee and punch) Rumble on the Rock 1 December 28, 2002 2 2:07 Hilo, Hawaii, United States
Win 8–4 Jason Lambert KO SuperBrawl 27 November 9, 2002 2 1:48 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Won Icon Sport Heavyweight Championship
Loss 7–4 Tim Sylvia TKO (corner stoppage) UFC 39 September 27, 2002 2 1:43 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Win 7–3 Kauai Kupihea TKO Force Fighting Championships 1 May 18, 2002 2 2:53 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win 6–3 Travis Wiuff Submission (knees) SuperBrawl 24: Return of the Heavyweights 2 April 27, 2002 3 1:40 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States SuperBrawl 24: Return of the Heavyweights tournament quarter-final.
Win 5–3 Kevin Jordan TKO (punches) SuperBrawl 24: Return of the Heavyweights 1 April 26, 2002 1 4:28 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States SuperBrawl 24: Return of the Heavyweights tournament first round.
Win 4–3 Renato Bruzzi TKO (punches) SuperBrawl 23 March 9, 2002 2 4:55 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win 3–3 Aaron Brink TKO (punches) Shogun 1 December 15, 2001 1 1:08 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win 2–3 Mike Tynanes TKO (retirement) SuperBrawl 22 November 2, 2001 2 3:22 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Win 1–3 Marcelo Tigre DQ (headbutt) SuperBrawl 21 May 24, 2001 2 0:46 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Loss 0–3 Preston Hartzog Decision (split) Superbrawl 19: Futurebrawl 2000 November 14, 2000 3 5:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Loss 0–2 Travis Fulton Submission (armbar) SuperBrawl 18 October 26, 2000 1 4:49 Hagåtña, Guam
Loss 0–1 Eric Pele Submission (armbar) Rings USA: Rising Stars Block B July 22, 2000 2 2:30 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Rings USA: Rising Stars Block B tournament semi-final.
gollark: Oh, Bad Ideas, not the trade hub suggestion?
gollark: What happened then?
gollark: What day?
gollark: Amazing how it came out *worse* than a thing on Bad Ideas!
gollark: You forgot to add "without pagination and with poorly thought out rules".

References
  1. UFC 47: It’s On! Preview
  2. Sherdog.com Preview: ROTR “Hawaii vs. Japan”
  3. "FightMetric Fun Facts: Volume I". FightMetric. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  4. Updated K-1 Grand Prix Tourney Pairings
  5. Has Big Daddy Finally Arrived?
  6. Cabbage Gets KO Win In Hawaii
  7. Cabbage Wins By Tapout In Hawaii
  8. ROTR 8 Results: Upsets And Big Breaks
  9. Cabbage Loses To Pro Wrestler By Cut Stoppage
  10. Cabbage vs. Warpath Added To Strikeforce
  11. Strikeforce Final Line-Up: Cabbage Out
  12. Shaolin, Butterbean, Cabbage Head Cage Rage 19
  13. Shamrock DQ’d; Ladies Steal The Show
  14. Cage Rage 22: July 14 In London
  15. Cabbage vs. Butterbean In K-1 Hawaii Tonight
  16. 2008 K-1 USA GP Results
  17. "Butterbean Goes Down Again, Saki and Hari Win Big at K-1 World GP 2008". Cage Potato. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  18. ‘Cabbage’ Suspended in Wargods Contract Dispute
  19. "Baby Fedor" Positive for Steroids; Cabbage Flagged for Pot
  20. Sidelnikov Suspended for Steroid Use
  21. Oh wow, Wesley "Cabbage" Correira fought for the first time in five years just a few weeks ago
  22. Correira Submits Paongo in Just Scrap IV Main Event
  23. Wesley “Cabbage” Correira Arrested on Charges of Burglary and Theft
  24. http://wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=shows&show=74880
  25. http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/sports/local-sports/mixed-martial-arts-cabbage-correira-back-hilo-octagon
  26. http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/sports/local-sports/mixed-martial-arts-cabbage-scores-tko-win-just-scrap
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