James Vick (born February 23, 1987) is a former mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the welterweight and lightweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Peaking at #10 in the rankings before fighting Justin Gaethje. Vick was a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter: Live.
James Vick | |
---|---|
Born | Mineral Wells, Texas, United States | February 23, 1987
Nickname | The Texecutioner |
Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
Division | super middleweight (boxing) Lightweight / Welterweight (MMA) |
Reach | 76 in (193 cm)[1] |
Stance | Orthodox |
Fighting out of | Temple Hills, Maryland, United States |
Team | Team Lloyd Irvin |
Rank | brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Lloyd Irvin Jr.[2] |
Years active | 2011–2021 (MMA) 2010, 2022–present (boxing) |
Professional boxing record | |
Total | 4 |
Wins | 2 |
By knockout | 2 |
Losses | 2 |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 19 |
Wins | 13 |
By knockout | 3 |
By submission | 5 |
By decision | 5 |
Losses | 6 |
By knockout | 5 |
By decision | 1 |
Other information | |
Boxing record from BoxRec | |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog |
Background
editVick was born to a modest Texan family on February 23, 1987.[3] He grew up in Olney, Texas with his five siblings.[3] Vick took up boxing following his senior year at Olney High School in 2005.[4] Mixed martial arts piqued his interest initially when he saw The Ultimate Fighter 1 around the time he graduated from high school.[3] Nevertheless, he wound up playing basketball in junior college only to be kicked out of the team due to physical altercations and eventually dropping out of college too.[3]
After the failed attempt at college, Vick started training boxing under Jarred Kemp.[3] Eventually, he became two-time Golden Gloves champion in the open division, winning the first title in 2007. Having already been training mixed martial arts during his amateur boxing tenure, Vick decided to drop off boxing in order to pursue an MMA career.[3]
Mixed martial arts career
editAfter a 4-1 Amateur Record. Vick began his professional career fighting in regional shows in his home state of Texas. His first four fights all came in 2011, where he went undefeated with four straight wins.[5]
The Ultimate Fighter
editVick was one of 32 lightweight fighters announced by the UFC to participate in the first live season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show.[6]
Vick won his way into the house when he defeated Dakota Cochrane by split decision after one round.[7] He was then chosen to be part of Team Cruz as Cruz's fifth pick and ninth overall.
For the first official fight of the show, he was chosen to fight Team Faber's third pick Daron Cruickshank. After a rough first part of the round, Vick landed a knee on Cruickshank as he shot in for a takedown, and won the fight by knockout in the first round.[8]
His quarter-final fight came against Team Faber's Joe Proctor. Vick was able to dominate the fight, out-striking Proctor on the feet and successfully defending all of Proctor's take down attempts. Vick won the fight by unanimous decision, earning his way into the semi-final round.[9]
Vick was selected to fight Team Faber fighter and eventual show winner, Michael Chiesa, in the semi-final round. Vick lost the fight via TKO in the second round.[10]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
editVick was scheduled to face castmate Vinc Pichel on June 1, 2012, at The Ultimate Fighter: Live Finale. However, due to his TKO loss in the semifinals, Vick was unable to compete at the event and Pichel was pulled from the card as well.[11]
In his official debut, Vick faced Ramsey Nijem on August 17, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 26.[12] He won the fight via submission at just 58 seconds into the first round.
Vick was expected to face promotional newcomer Valmir Lazaro on August 2, 2014, at UFC 176.[13] However, after UFC 176 was cancelled, Vick/Lazaro was rescheduled and eventually took place on August 23, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 49.[14] He won the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision.
Vick faced Nick Hein on November 22, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 57.[15] Vick won the fight by unanimous decision.[16]
Vick faced Jake Matthews on May 10, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 65.[17] Vick won the fight via submission in the first round.[18] The win also earned Vick his first Performance of the Night bonus award.[19]
Vick next faced Glaico França on April 23, 2016, at UFC 197.[20] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[21]
Vick was expected to face Evan Dunham on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199, filling in for an injured Leonardo Santos.[22] In turn, Dunham pulled out for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Beneil Dariush.[23] He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[24]
Vick was scheduled to face Johnny Case on February 4, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 104.[25] However On January 19, Case pulled out the fight citing injury and was replaced by Abel Trujillo.[26] Vick won by submission via submission in the third round.[27]
Vick faced Polo Reyes on May 13, 2017, at UFC 211.[28] He won the fight via TKO in the first round.[29] After the bout with Reyes, Vick signed a new, four-fight contract with UFC.[30]
Vick faced Joseph Duffy on November 4, 2017, at UFC 217.[31] He won the fight via TKO in the second round.[32]
Vick faced Francisco Trinaldo on February 18, 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Medeiros.[33] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[34]
Vick was scheduled to face Paul Felder on July 14, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 133.[35] However, Vick was pulled from that fight in favor of a main event bout with Justin Gaethje on August 25, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 135.[36] He lost the fight via KO in the first round.[37]
Vick faced Paul Felder on February 17, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 1.[38] He lost via unanimous decision.[39]
Vick faced Dan Hooker on July 20, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 4.[40] He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[41] Subsequently, Vick announced he will be moving up to the welterweight division.[42]
Vick faced Niko Price on October 12, 2019, at UFC on ESPN+ 19.[43] He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[44]
Following this fight, Vick's contract expired and the UFC elected not to renew it, making him a free agent.[45]
Post-UFC career
editFollowing his release from the UFC, Vick fought André Fialho at XMMA event on January 30, 2021.[46] Vick lost the fight by second-round technical knockout.[47] Vick announced his retirement after the loss,[48] stating:
.... One of my main reasons for still fighting was to prove to my son that you can’t just give up when things get hard in life. But this is not the way to teach him that. This is not like failing a test or losing a basketball or football game. This is combat sports and this shit can be permanent. One of the last punches he landed i knew something was seriously wrong. I’m glad the ref stepped in because lord knows I would have been too tough and dumb to do that. My orbital is broke on my right side, the fracture went all the way through to the other side causing a bilateral break, plus my jaw is completely displaced so tomorrow they are finally doing surgery to fix it.....[48]
Professional boxing career
editAfter a successful amateur boxing career, Vick turned professional in 2010, losing his debut via majority decision.[49] Following retirement from mixed martial arts after a decade in the sport, Vick returned to boxing in 2022.[50] He faced Simon Alejandro Heredia Cortes on March 26, 2022, and won the bout via second-round technical knockout. Nearly two months later on May 5, 2022, Vick stepped into the ring with Robert Lartigue and won the fight again via second-round technical knockout. Vick last fought Rodrigo Octavio Gonzalez on September 24, 2022, losing the fight via decision.
Karate Combat
editOn October 29, 2022, Vick would debut with Karate Combat, suffering a unanimous decision loss to Jorge Perez.
Returning to the promotion on April Vick 1st, 2023, Vick secured his first Karate Combat win via unanimous decision against opponent Gabriele Cera.
Vick most recently faced Rafael Alves at Karate Combat 47 on June 29, 2024, suffering a KO loss via head kick.[51]
Vick’s record with the promotion stands at 1-2-0.
Personal life
editJames and his wife Ada have a son, James Jr (born 2018).
Championships and accomplishments
edit- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Jake Matthews
- The Ultimate Fighter Semi Finalist
Mixed martial arts record
edit19 matches | 13 wins | 6 losses |
By knockout | 3 | 5 |
By submission | 5 | 0 |
By decision | 5 | 1 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 13–6 | André Fialho | KO (punches) | XMMA: Vick vs Fialho | January 30, 2021 | 2 | 2:21 | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States | |
Loss | 13–5 | Niko Price | KO (upkick) | UFC Fight Night: Joanna vs. Waterson | October 12, 2019 | 1 | 1:44 | Tampa, Florida, United States | Return to Welterweight. |
Loss | 13–4 | Dan Hooker | KO (punch) | UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Edwards | July 20, 2019 | 1 | 2:33 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | |
Loss | 13–3 | Paul Felder | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Velasquez | February 17, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |
Loss | 13–2 | Justin Gaethje | KO (punch) | UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs. Vick | August 25, 2018 | 1 | 1:27 | Lincoln, Nebraska, United States | |
Win | 13–1 | Francisco Trinaldo | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Medeiros | February 18, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Austin, Texas, United States | |
Win | 12–1 | Joseph Duffy | TKO (punches) | UFC 217 | November 4, 2017 | 2 | 4:59 | New York City, New York, United States | |
Win | 11–1 | Polo Reyes | TKO (punches) | UFC 211 | May 13, 2017 | 1 | 2:39 | Dallas, Texas, United States | |
Win | 10–1 | Abel Trujillo | Submission (D'Arce choke) | UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie | February 4, 2017 | 3 | 0:49 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
Loss | 9–1 | Beneil Dariush | KO (punch) | UFC 199 | June 4, 2016 | 1 | 4:16 | Inglewood, California, United States | |
Win | 9–0 | Glaico França | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 197 | April 23, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Win | 8–0 | Jake Matthews | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Miocic vs. Hunt | May 10, 2015 | 1 | 4:53 | Adelaide, Australia | Performance of the Night. |
Win | 7–0 | Nick Hein | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Swanson | November 22, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Austin, Texas, United States | |
Win | 6–0 | Valmir Lazaro | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos | August 23, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | |
Win | 5–0 | Ramsey Nijem | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen | August 17, 2013 | 1 | 0:58 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | |
Win | 4–0 | Chris Pecero | Decision (unanimous) | Back Alley Promotions | September 3, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Arlington, Texas, United States | |
Win | 3–0 | Mike Salazar | TKO (punches) | STFC 16 - All or Nothing | August 12, 2011 | 1 | 2:17 | McAllen, Texas, United States | Welterweight bout. |
Win | 2–0 | Jimmy Taylor | Submission (armbar) | Xtreme Knockout 11 | July 23, 2011 | 1 | 1:56 | Arlington, Texas, United States | |
Win | 1–0 | Cody Carrillo | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Undisputed MMA 1 | June 18, 2011 | 1 | 3:30 | Amarillo, Texas, United States |
Mixed martial arts exhibition record
editExhibition record breakdown | ||
4 matches | 3 wins | 1 loss |
By knockout | 1 | 1 |
By decision | 2 | 0 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 3–1 | Michael Chiesa | TKO (punches) | The Ultimate Fighter: Live | May 12, 2012 (Live airdate) | 2 | 1:55 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | The Ultimate Fighter: Live Semi-Final round. |
Win | 3–0 | Joe Proctor | Decision (unanimous) | May 11, 2012 (Live airdate) | 3 | 5:00 | The Ultimate Fighter: Live Quarter-Final round. | ||
Win | 2–0 | Daron Cruickshank | KO (knee) | March 16, 2012 (Live airdate) | 1 | 2:16 | The Ultimate Fighter: Live Preliminary round. | ||
Win | 1–0 | Dakota Cochrane | Decision (split) | March 9, 2012 (Live airdate) | 1 | 5:00 | The Ultimate Fighter: Live Elimination round. |
Professional boxing record
edit4 fights | 2 wins | 2 losses |
---|---|---|
By knockout | 2 | 0 |
By decision | 0 | 2 |
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | Loss | 2–2 | Rodrigo Octavio Gonzalez | MD | 4 | September 24, 2022 | Indoor Soccer World, Mesquite, Texas, U.S. | |
3 | Win | 2–1 | Robert Lartigue | TKO | 2 (4), 2:31 | May 5, 2022 | La Hacienda Event Center, Midland, Texas, U.S. | |
2 | Win | 1–1 | Simon Alejandro Heredia Cortes | TKO | 2 (4), 1:39 | March 26, 2022 | Mesquite Arena, Mesquite, Texas, U.S. | |
1 | Loss | 0–1 | Salvador Roa | MD | 4 | March 6, 2010 | Music Hall, Austin, Texas, U.S. |
Professional kickboxing record
edit1 match | 1 win | 0 losses |
By decision | 1 | 0 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1–0 | Jeremiah Truhler | Decision (unanimous) | May 15, 2023 | 3 | 3:00 | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States |
Karate Combat Record
edit3 matches | 1 win | 2 losses |
By knockout | 0 | 1 |
By decision | 1 | 1 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1–2 | Rafael Alves | KO (switch kick) | Karate Combat 47 | June 29, 2024 | 1 | 1:24 | Orlando, Florida, United States | |
Win | 1–1 | Gabriele Cera | Decision (unanimous) | Karate Combat 38 | April 1, 2023 | 3 | 3:00 | Miami, Florida, United States | |
Loss | 0–1 | Jorge Perez | Decision (unanimous) | Karate Combat 36 | October 29, 2022 | 3 | 3:00 | Orlando, Florida, United States |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ http://ufcstats.com/fighter-details/6256b2b1562cb8e1 [bare URL]
- ^ "Super honored to get promoted to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu purple belt from Master Lloyd Irvin Jr. tonight! (...)". Facebook. February 7, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f Kevin Reese (March 21, 2019). "Texecutioner: UFC's James Vick Hits Hard in the Ring, Hunts Hog Out of It". ballisticmag.com.
- ^ "Olney's "Texecutioner" returns to the Octagon". Olney Enterprise. February 1, 2017.
- ^ "James".
- ^ "'The Ultimate Fighter 15' cast unveiled with 32 lightweight fighters". MMAJunkie.com. February 27, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "Mixed martial arts results, Season 15 - The Ultimate Fighter" (PDF). State of Nevada, Department of Business and Industry Athletic Commission. March 9, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 17, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
- ^ "The Ultimate Fighter: Live Episode No. 2 Recap: Cruz Takes Early Lead". MMA Weekly. Yahoo! Sports. March 17, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "Episode No. 10 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live'". MMAJunkie.com. May 12, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "Episode No. 12 Recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live'". mmajunkie.com. May 25, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "Semifinalists Vick, Pichel unavailable for TUF Live Finale, targeted for future UFC cards". mmajunkie.com. May 26, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "Ramsey Nijem vs. James Vick joins UFC on FOX Sports 1 1 in Boston". mmajunkie.com. June 5, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "Walmir Lazaro vs. James Vick booked for UFC 176 in Los Angeles". mmajunkie.com. June 7, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "Beniel Dariush-Tony Martin, Walmir Lazaro-James Vick rebooked for UFC Fight Night 49 in Tulsa". mmajunkie.com. July 9, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Thomas Gerbasi (September 5, 2014). "Prospects Vick and Hein collide in Austin". uk.UFC.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Steven Marrocco (November 22, 2014). "UFC Fight Night 57 results: James Vick outworks Nick Hein for unanimous decision". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night 65 official for Australia with Hunt-Miocic, Tavares-Whittaker, more". mmajunkie.com. February 17, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Steven Marrocco (May 9, 2015). "UFC Fight Night 65 results: James Vick shocks Jake Matthews with crushing guillotine". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Staff (May 10, 2015). "UFC Fight Night 65 bonuses: With 10 finishes in 12 fights, who got $50,000?". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "James Vick vs. Glaico Franca lightweight bout booked for UFC 197 in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.com. February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Ben Fowlkes (April 23, 2016). "UFC 197 results: James Vick outslugs Glaico Franca in lightweight barnburner". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Dave Meltzer (April 29, 2016). "James Vick steps in to face Evan Dunham in lightweight duel at UFC 199". mmafighting.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Ariel Helwani (May 5, 2016). "James Vick vs. Beneil Dariush targeted for UFC 199". mmafighting.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Brent Brookhouse (June 4, 2016). "UFC 199 results: Beneil Dariush drops James Vick with thunderous punch for first-round KO". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Damon Martin (November 29, 2016). "Johnny Case vs. James Vick in the works for UFC Fight Night in Houston". foxsports.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "After injuries to original opponents, James Vick and Abel Trujillo fight in Houston". mmafighting.com. January 19, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Steven Marrocco (February 4, 2017). "UFC Fight Night 104 results: James Vick finally chokes out Abel Trujillo in the third". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Themistoklis Alexis (March 9, 2017). "Vick draws Polo Reyes at UFC 211". thescore.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Steven Marrocco (May 13, 2017). "UFC 211 results: James Vick gets first-round TKO of Marco Polo Reyes in front of home fans". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Ariel Helwani (June 16, 2017). "James Vick signs new contract with UFC". mmafighting.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "Joseph Duffy meets James Vick at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden in New York". mmajunkie.com. September 25, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Dave Doyle (November 5, 2017). "UFC 217 results: James Vick finishes Joseph Duffy in last second of second round". mmafighting.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Al-Shatti, Shaun (January 4, 2018). "James Vick vs. Francisco Trinaldo, Jared Gordon vs. Diego Ferreira set for UFC Austin". mmafighting.com. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Matt Erickson (February 19, 2018). "UFC Fight Night 126 results: James Vick outworks Francisco Trinaldo, calls for big-ticket fights". MMAjunkie. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Dave Doyle (May 3, 2018). "Paul Felder vs. James Vick slated for UFC Boise". MMA Fighting. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Alexander K. Lee (June 28, 2018). "UFC announces James Vick as replacement for Al Iaquinta vs. Justin Gaethje in UFC Lincoln main event". MMA Fighting. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Matt Erickson (August 26, 2018). "UFC Fight Night 135 results: Justin Gaethje destroys James Vick with one-punch KO". MMAjunkie. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Marcel Dorff (December 13, 2018). "Many battles of canceled UFC 233 card moved to other events" (in Dutch). mmadna.nl. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ "UFC on ESPN 1 results: Paul Felder outduels James Vick in standup affair". MMAjunkie. 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
- ^ Alex Miller (2019-06-04). "Fights added to UFC San Antonio card July 20". mysa.com. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
- ^ Doherty, Dan (2019-07-20). "UFC San Antonio Results: Dan Hooker Gets First Stoppage of the Night With First Round KO". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
- ^ Steven Marrocco (July 24, 2019). "James Vick announces move to welterweight after third straight loss at 155". mmajunkie.com.
- ^ King, Nolan (2019-08-26). "James Vick moves to welterweight, fights Niko Price at UFC on ESPN+ 19". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
- ^ Evanoff, Josh (2019-10-12). "UFC Tampa Results: Niko Price Knocks Out James Vick With Upkick". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
- ^ Shelton, Cole (2020-10-15). "James Vick released from the UFC, already in talks with multiple other promotions | BJPenn.com". | BJPenn.com. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
- ^ Mike Heck (January 13, 2021). "James Vick books first matchup since parting ways with UFC, fights Andre Fialho at XMMA show on Jan. 30". mmafighting.com.
- ^ Lee, Alexander K. (2021-01-31). "XMMA video: Ex-UFC fighter Francisco Rivera wins by nasty KO in first fight since 2016, Andre Fialho punches out James Vick". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- ^ a b "Ex-UFC contender James Vick issues gut-wrenching statement announcing MMA retirement". MMA Junkie. 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- ^ Cole Shelton (March 29, 2020). "James Vick Admits 'Hands Down & My Chin Up' Has Been A Problem". mmanews.com.
- ^ Mike Bohn (March 25, 2022). "UFC veteran James Vick ends retirement, set for professional boxing bout". MMAjunkie.com.
- ^ "Karate Combat president provides update on James Vick following scary knockout loss". mmafighting.com. 2024-07-02. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "James". Sherdog. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
- ^ Sherdog.com. "James". Sherdog. Retrieved 2019-10-13.