1. Overview
Brock Orville Larson (born August 23, 1977) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed primarily in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions. Standing at approximately 71 in (180 cm) tall, with a reach of 71 in (180 cm), and weighing around 170 lb (77 kg), Larson had a professional career spanning from 2002 to 2016. He is known for his aggressive grappling style, rooted in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling, and for having competed in major promotions such as the UFC, WEC, and ONE FC. Throughout his career, Larson accumulated various championship titles and performance bonuses, showcasing his proficiency in submissions and knockouts.
2. Early Life and Background
Brock Larson's formative years were shaped by his upbringing on a family beef farm in Brainerd, Minnesota, and his early engagement in competitive sports, which ultimately laid the foundation for his mixed martial arts career.
2.1. Childhood and Education
Born in Brainerd, Minnesota, Brock Larson spent his childhood on a beef farm. From a young age, he developed an interest in wrestling, a sport he continued to pursue throughout his time at Brainerd High School. His dedication to wrestling provided him with a strong athletic base that would later prove crucial in his professional fighting career.
2.2. Introduction to Mixed Martial Arts
While attending Itasca Community College, Larson was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by a friend, marking his initial foray into the discipline in 2002. This newfound interest quickly led to competitive experiences, including a submission tournament held by the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. Both Larson and his friend emerged victorious from this tournament, earning them invitations to train alongside future UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk. Larson also demonstrated his grappling prowess by defeating former UFC fighter Tom Speer in an all-grappling match. His professional mixed martial arts career officially commenced in 2002.
3. Mixed Martial Arts Career
Brock Larson's professional mixed martial arts career saw him compete across various promotions, demonstrating a durable and opportunistic fighting style. His journey included stints in the regional circuit, major organizations like the UFC and WEC, and international stages such as ONE Fighting Championship.
3.1. Early Career
Larson made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2002. He quickly established himself as a dominant force on the regional circuit, amassing an impressive undefeated record of 15-0 before securing a contract with the UFC. During this period, he captured several titles, including the ISKA MMA North American Middleweight Championship in 2005 and the Extreme Challenge 63 tournament in the same year. He also claimed the ICC Light Heavyweight Championship in 2004. Before his initial UFC signing, his winning streak stood at 12 consecutive victories.
3.2. Ultimate Fighting Championship (Initial Stint)
Larson's first appearance in the Ultimate Fighting Championship took place on October 3, 2005, at UFC Fight Night 2. He competed in a Middleweight bout against Jon Fitch, ultimately losing the fight via unanimous decision. Following this loss, Larson made the strategic decision to transition to the welterweight division. After accumulating six additional consecutive victories outside the promotion, Larson returned to the UFC at UFC Fight Night 7 on December 13, 2006, where he faced Keita Nakamura, securing a win via unanimous decision in his welterweight debut within the organization.
3.3. World Extreme Cagefighting
Following his second UFC appearance, Larson transitioned to WEC. He made his promotional debut at WEC 26: Condit vs. Alessio on March 24, 2007, where he achieved a first-round victory over Erik Apple via kimura submission. Larson continued his success in the WEC on June 3, 2007, at WEC 28, defeating Kevin Knabjian by TKO just 27 seconds into the first round. With a 2-0 record in the promotion and a nine-fight winning streak overall, Larson earned a shot at the WEC Welterweight Championship. He challenged then-champion Carlos Condit at WEC 29 on August 5, 2007, but was defeated in the first round by armbar submission. A planned rematch with Condit at WEC 39 was later cancelled due to an injury sustained by Larson. In December 2008, the WEC welterweight division was officially merged with the UFC's Welterweight division as the WEC began to focus on lower weight classes.
3.4. Ultimate Fighting Championship (Return Stint)
Larson's return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship saw him continue to demonstrate his submission skills. He faced Jesse Sanders at UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann on April 1, 2009, winning by rear-naked choke submission in the first round. His next fight was at UFC 98 on May 23, 2009, where he defeated Mike Pyle with an arm-triangle choke submission in the first round, earning him "Submission of the Night" honors. On November 21, 2009, at UFC 106, Larson fought Brian Foster. During the bout, Larson had two points deducted in the first round due to an illegal kick and an illegal knee. He was eventually defeated by technical knockout in the second round. Following this loss, Larson was released from his UFC contract.
3.5. Post-UFC Career
After his second release from the UFC, Larson returned to the regional circuit, securing three consecutive victories. On September 11, 2010, he faced future Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Tarec Saffiedine at Shark Fights 13, losing the bout via unanimous decision. Larson continued to compete actively, facing Gabe Wallbridge on October 29, 2010, at King of the Cage: Mainstream, where he won by submission due to strikes in the first round. Other notable fights in this period include a unanimous decision victory over Eduardo Pamplona at Resurrection Fighting Alliance 6 on January 18, 2013, a first-round armbar submission win against Anthony Lemon at King of the Cage: Fire and Ice on December 1, 2012, and a first-round Von Flue choke submission win over Lucas St. Clair at Cage Fighting Extreme 38 on September 1, 2012. He also faced Antônio Braga Neto at MMAAD: MMA Against Dengue 2 on March 4, 2012, losing via kneebar, and Eric Davila at Extreme Challenge 188 on July 23, 2011, where he suffered a knockout loss. He also secured victories against Eddie Larrea (via kimura) at Gladiator Evolution/Cage Fighting Xtreme on August 14, 2010, Nick Almen (via TKO) at CFX: Cage Fighting Xtreme on May 15, 2010, and Brian Green (via rear-naked choke) at CFX / XKL: Mayhem in Minneapolis on April 24, 2010.
3.6. ONE Fighting Championship
Larson was subsequently signed by ONE FC, an Asia-based mixed martial arts promotion. He made his debut with the organization on April 5, 2013, at ONE Fighting Championship: Kings and Champions, where he faced Melvin Manhoef in a Middleweight bout and secured a unanimous decision victory. On March 14, 2014, Larson competed for the inaugural ONE FC Welterweight Championship against Nobutatsu Suzuki at ONE FC: War of Nations. He was defeated by unanimous decision, failing to capture the title.
3.7. Legacy Fighting Championship and Retirement
In July 2015, Larson made his debut for Legacy Fighting Championship. He challenged Derrick Krantz for the vacant Legacy FC Welterweight Championship but was defeated by knockout in the third round. His final professional fight occurred on February 5, 2016, at Legacy FC 51, where he faced Travis Coyle. Larson overcame an early scare, surviving a deep guillotine choke attempt from Coyle, and ultimately won the fight via TKO in the first round. Following this victory, Larson's team presented him with a personalized belt commemorating his career from 2002 to 2016. He announced his retirement from active mixed martial arts competition to focus on his coaching career.
4. Championships and Accomplishments
Throughout his mixed martial arts career, Brock Larson earned several significant championships and performance bonuses across various promotions:
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Submission of the Night (one time) vs. Mike Pyle
- World Extreme Cagefighting
- Knockout of the Night (one time) vs. Carlo Prater
- International Cage Combat
- ICC Light Heavyweight Championship (2004)
- International Sport Karate Association
- ISKA MMA North American Middleweight Championship (2005)
- Extreme Challenge
- Extreme Challenge 63 Tournament Winner (2005)
5. Personal Life
Brock Larson is a father of three children. Prior to becoming a full-time professional mixed martial artist, he worked in road construction. After his retirement from active competition in 2016, Larson transitioned into coaching. He currently serves as the head professor at START BJJ MN, where he continues to be involved in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. During his active career, he was associated with Team Extreme and later the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy.
6. Mixed Martial Arts Record
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 42-10 | Travis Coyle | TKO (punches) | Legacy FC 51: Ramos vs. Vasquez | February 5, 2016 | 1 | 2:03 | Hinckley, Minnesota, United States | Catchweight (175 lb (175 lb)) bout. |
| Loss | 41-10 | Derrick Krantz | KO (punches) | Legacy FC 43: Larson vs. Krantz | July 17, 2015 | 3 | 2:38 | Hinckley, Minnesota, United States | For the vacant Legacy FC Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 41-9 | Kyle Olsen | TKO (punches) | KOTC: Bad Blood | May 2, 2015 | 1 | 1:41 | Saint Michael, North Dakota, United States | |
| Win | 40-9 | Eddie Larrea | TKO (punches) | KOTC: Fighting Spirit | January 17, 2015 | 1 | 1:57 | Saint Michael, North Dakota, United States | Return to Middleweight. |
| Loss | 39-9 | Roan Carneiro | Decision (unanimous) | BattleGrounds MMA 5: O.N.E. | October 3, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | BattleGrounds MMA 5: Welterweight Tournament Finals. |
| Win | 39-8 | Joe Ray | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 | Welterweight Tournament Semifinal. | |||
| Win | 38-8 | Cody McKenzie | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | 2 | 1:43 | Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal. | |||
| Loss | 37-8 | Nobutatsu Suzuki | Decision (unanimous) | ONE FC: War of Nations | March 14, 2014 | 5 | 5:00 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | For the inaugural ONE FC Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 37-7 | Melvin Manhoef | Decision (unanimous) | ONE FC: Kings and Champions | April 5, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Kallang, Singapore | Middleweight bout. |
| Win | 36-7 | Eduardo Pamplona | Decision (unanimous) | Resurrection Fighting Alliance 6 | January 18, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 35-7 | Anthony Lemon | Submission (armbar) | KOTC: Fire and Ice | December 1, 2012 | 1 | 3:20 | Walker, Minnesota United States | Return to Welterweight. |
| Win | 34-7 | Lucas St. Clair | Submission (Von Flue choke) | Cage Fighting Extreme 38 | September 1, 2012 | 1 | 1:00 | Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, United States | |
| Loss | 33-7 | Antônio Braga Neto | Submission (kneebar) | MMAAD: MMA Against Dengue 2 | March 4, 2012 | 1 | 1:04 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Middleweight bout. |
| Loss | 33-6 | Eric Davila | KO (punch) | Extreme Challenge 188: Larson vs. Davila | July 23, 2011 | 1 | 0:07 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 33-5 | Gabe Wallbridge | TKO (submission to punches) | KOTC: Mainstream | October 29, 2010 | 1 | 1:13 | Morton, Minnesota, United States | |
| Loss | 32-5 | Tarec Saffiedine | Decision (unanimous) | Shark Fights 13: Jardine vs Prangley | September 11, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Amarillo, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 32-4 | Eddie Larrea | Submission (kimura) | Gladiator Evolution/Cage Fighting Xtreme | August 14, 2010 | 1 | 2:05 | Brockton, Massachusetts, United States | |
| Win | 31-4 | Nick Almen | TKO (punches) | CFX: Cage Fighting Xtreme | May 15, 2010 | 1 | 0:30 | Red Lake, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 30-4 | Brian Green | Submission (rear-naked choke) | CFX / XKL: Mayhem in Minneapolis | April 24, 2010 | 1 | 4:39 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | |
| Loss | 29-4 | Brian Foster | TKO (submission to punches) | UFC 106 | November 21, 2009 | 2 | 3:25 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 29-3 | Mike Pierce | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard | September 16, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 29-2 | Mike Pyle | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | UFC 98 | May 23, 2009 | 1 | 3:06 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Submission of the Night. |
| Win | 28-2 | Jesse Sanders | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann | April 1, 2009 | 1 | 2:01 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | |
| Win | 27-2 | Carlo Prater | KO (punches) | WEC 35: Condit vs. Miura | August 3, 2008 | 1 | 0:37 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Knockout of the Night. |
| Win | 26-2 | John Alessio | DQ (knee to downed fighter) | WEC 33: Marshall vs. Stann | March 26, 2008 | 1 | 1:50 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 25-2 | Troy Allison | Submission (rear-naked choke) | CFX 7: Brutal | November 29, 2007 | 1 | N/A | St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States | |
| Loss | 24-2 | Carlos Condit | Submission (armbar) | WEC 29 | August 5, 2007 | 1 | 2:21 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | For the WEC Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 24-1 | Kevin Knabjian | TKO (punches) | WEC 28 | June 3, 2007 | 1 | 0:27 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 23-1 | Erik Apple | Submission (kimura) | WEC 26: Condit vs. Alessio | March 24, 2007 | 1 | 3:43 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 22-1 | Keita Nakamura | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Sanchez vs. Riggs | December 13, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | San Diego, California, United States | Welterweight debut. |
| Win | 21-1 | Edward O'Daniel | Submission (Von Flue choke) | Extreme Challenge 70 | August 26, 2006 | 1 | 2:21 | Hayward, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Win | 20-1 | Manuel Quiroz | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Extreme Challenge 67 | June 30, 2006 | 1 | 0:42 | Medina, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 19-1 | Alex Carter | TKO (submission to punches) | CFX 4: Cage Fighting Xtreme 4 | April 22, 2006 | 1 | N/A | Plymouth, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 18-1 | Kenneth Allen | Submission (guillotine choke) | TCT: Twin Cities Throwdown | April 8, 2006 | 1 | N/A | Burnsville, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 17-1 | Ray Perales | Submission (rear-naked choke) | IFC: Rumble on the River | March 11, 2006 | 1 | 1:05 | Kearney, Nebraska, United States | |
| Win | 16-1 | Shannon Ritch | TKO (punches) | Extreme Challenge 66 | February 17, 2006 | 1 | 1:16 | Medina, Minnesota, United States | |
| Loss | 15-1 | Jon Fitch | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Ultimate Fight Night 2 | October 3, 2005 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 15-0 | Ryan McGivern | Submission (keylock) | Extreme Challenge 63 | July 23, 2005 | 1 | 2:09 | Hayward, Wisconsin, United States | Won the EC Middleweight Tournament. |
| Win | 14-0 | Ryan Jensen | TKO (submission to punches) | 1 | 1:39 | EC Middleweight Tournament Semifinals. | |||
| Win | 13-0 | DaMarques Johnson | Submission (keylock) | 3 | 1:02 | EC Middleweight Tournament Quarterfinals. | |||
| Win | 12-0 | Miguel Cooley | TKO (submission to punches) | CFX 3: Cage Fighting Xtreme 3 | April 23, 2005 | 1 | N/A | Brainerd, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 11-0 | Stephan Potvin | Decision (unanimous) | IFC WC 19: Warriors Challenge 19 | March 26, 2005 | 5 | 5:00 | Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, United States | |
| Win | 10-0 | Darin Brudigan | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | XKK: Fridley | February 5, 2005 | 2 | 4:50 | Fridley, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 9-0 | Mark Smolinski | TKO (punches) | CFX 2: Cage Fighting Xtreme 2 | September 4, 2004 | 1 | N/A | Brainerd, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 8-0 | Miguel Cooley | TKO (punches) | ICC: Trials 2 | April 30, 2004 | 1 | N/A | Rochester, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 7-0 | Nick Beasley | TKO (submission to punches) | DFC 1: Dakota Fighting Championships 1 | April 17, 2004 | 1 | 1:04 | Fargo, North Dakota, United States | |
| Win | 6-0 | James Fuller | Submission (armbar) | CFX 1: Cage Fighting Xtreme 1 | April 3, 2004 | 1 | N/A | Brainerd, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 5-0 | Alex Gasson | Submission (armbar) | ICC: Trials | March 12, 2004 | 2 | 4:13 | Fridley, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 4-0 | Brian Maceachern | Submission (armbar) | 1 | 1:56 | ||||
| Win | 3-0 | Kyle Olsen | TKO (submission to punches) | SS: Sabin Showdown | April 26, 2003 | 1 | 2:20 | Moorhead, Minnesota, United States | |
| Win | 2-0 | Luke Caudillo | Submission (keylock) | IWW: Iowa Winter Warriors | January 25, 2003 | N/A | N/A | Spirit Lake, Iowa, United States | |
| Win | 1-0 | Josh Hartwell | TKO (submission to punches) | ARCF 7: American Reality Combat 7 | October 19, 2002 | 1 | 0:46 | Alexandria, Minnesota, United States |