Steve Jennum (born 23rd September 1963) is an American police officer from Nebraska[1] and retired mixed martial arts fighter. He is notable for winning the UFC 3 tournament in 1994.

Steve Jennum
Born23rd September 1963
Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Other namesNinja Cop
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight195 lb (88 kg; 13.9 st)
DivisionOpenweight
StyleNinjutsu, Taijutsu, Taekwondo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Judo, Wrestling, Boxing
Fighting out ofOmaha, Nebraska
Rank  3rd Dan Black Belt in Ninjutsu
Years active1994–1997 (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total5
Wins2
By knockout1
By submission1
Losses3
By knockout1
By submission2
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Mixed martial arts career edit

Jennum entered the UFC 3 tournament as an alternate. Ken Shamrock made it to the finals of UFC 3 but withdrew due to injuries[2] received in the earlier fight against Felix Mitchell. Jennum then stepped in as a replacement and subsequently won his fight, winning the tournament. Therefore, Jennum only needed one fight to win the UFC 3 tournament (normally a fighter would have had to participate in three matches to win). This anomaly prompted the UFC to change its rules, requiring alternates to win a preliminary fight to balance the advantage of being an alternate.

After UFC 3, Steve Jennum would go on to win only one more fight in his career, defeating Melton Bowen in UFC 4, who was 31-6 as a professional boxer going into the bout.[3] Jennum performed a high profile O goshi hip throw on the boxer, much to the delight of the crowd, eventually forcing him to submit to a straight armbar. Jennum could not continue in UFC 4 due to swelling of his hands after hitting Bowen repeatedly in the head when Jennum was on full mount.

Prior to his debut in the ring, Jennum was a high ranking Black Belt Instructor in Robert Bussey's Warrior International (RBWI). Jennum also started his own martial arts school in Omaha, NE. Former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre mentioned that watching Jennum win UFC 3 contributed to his decision to compete in mixed martial arts.[4]

Championships and accomplishments edit

Mixed martial arts record edit

Professional record breakdown
5 matches 2 wins 3 losses
By knockout 1 1
By submission 1 2
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 2–3 Jason Godsey Submission (choke) Extreme Challenge 4 February 22, 1997 1 2:02 Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States
Loss 2–2 Marco Ruas TKO (submission to punches) World Vale Tudo Championship 1 August 14, 1996 1 1:44 Tokyo, Japan
Loss 2–1 Tank Abbott Submission (neck crank) Ultimate Ultimate 1995 December 16, 1995 1 1:14 Denver, Colorado, United States
Win 2–0 Melton Bowen Submission (armbar) UFC 4 December 16, 1994 1 4:47 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Win 1–0 Harold Howard TKO (submission to punches) UFC 3 September 9, 1994 1 1:27 Charlotte, North Carolina, United States Won UFC 3 Tournament.

References edit

  1. ^ "15 First Generation UFC Stars: Where Are They Now?". 18 June 2016.
  2. ^ "15 First Generation UFC Stars: Where Are They Now?". 18 June 2016.
  3. ^ boxer Melton Bowen at boxrec.com
  4. ^ UFC 48: Georges St-Pierre MMA News Written by Arnold "The Sushiboy" Lim Archived 2012-09-08 at archive.today (Tuesday, 15 June 2004)

External links edit