Kimo Leopoldo

UFC vet who competed professionally from 1994 to 2006. A Tae Kwon Do and, eventually, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt he is know primarily for being one of the first UFC fighters to display strong ties to his religious faith. In his debut at UFC 3 he entered the cage carrying a large cross on his back. Born on a military base in Germany, he was raised in Hawaii. After a failed run as a college football player, that saw him become a national junior college All-American, he met fellow Christian Joe Son in Huntington Beach. The two gained an interest in MMA after watching tapes of UFC 1 and decided to enter the sport. Over the course of his career Leopoldo fought many of the sports early stars, including Royce Gracie, Patrick Smith, Ken Shamrock, Kazushi Sakuraba, Dan Severn, Tank Abbott, and Ikuhisa Minowa. He failed multiple tests for banned substances over the course of his career, and eventually was arrested in 2009 for impersonating a police officer and being under the influence of a controlled substance. Reports surfaced that he died from a heart attack, however he resurfaced later in 2009 to give a press conference announcing his desire to return to fighting. He has not competed professionally since 2006.