Nick Denis
Nick Denis (born October 11, 1983) is a retired Canadian professional mixed martial artist. A World Victory Road, Aggression Fighting Championship, King of the Cage and UFC veteran, Denis is best known for being a former KOTC Canada Bantamweight Champion, semi-finalist in the Sengoku Featherweight Tournament and his Knockout of the Night victory in his debut fight in the UFC.
| Nick Denis | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 11, 1983 North Bay, Ontario, Canada |
| Other names | The Ninja Of Love |
| Residence | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Weight | 135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st)[1] |
| Division | Featherweight Bantamweight |
| Reach | 70.0 in (178 cm)[2] |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Team | Ronin MMA Tristar Gym |
| Rank | Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black belt in Kyokushin kaikan |
| Years active | 2006–2012 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 14 |
| Wins | 11 |
| By knockout | 10 |
| By submission | 1 |
| Losses | 3 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 2 |
| University | University of Ottawa |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Denis made his MMA debut in his native Canada in October 2006. He debuted for the King of the Cage Canada promotion and quickly became their Bantamweight champion.[3]
In 2009, Denis made his international MMA debut for the World Victory Road promotion. He fought in the Sengoku Featherweight Grandprix, making it to the semifinal round.
More recently, he fought against Bellator veteran Nick Mamalis who he defeated via KO (suplex and chokeslam) in the second round.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In early December 2011, it was announced that Denis had signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC.[4]
In his UFC debut, Denis faced Joseph Sandoval on January 20, 2012 at UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller. He was successful, defeating Sandoval with a series of standing elbows.[5]
Nick was expected to face Johnny Bedford at UFC on Fox 3 on May 5, 2012.[6] However, Bedford was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Roland Delorme.[7] He lost to Delorme by rear-naked choke at 4:59 of an action-packed first round where both fighters were rocked until Delorme rallied and submitted Denis.
In November 2012, Nick announced his retirement from the sport of MMA in a post on his blog, citing research of Chronic traumatic encephalopathy.[8][9] Denis is frequently quoted and his research is the subject of many discussions on media outlets including MMA Live, The New York Daily News and The Joe Rogan Experience.
Personal life
Denis studied at the University of Ottawa, earning a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. Nick also invested part of his "Knockout of the Night" win bonus in purchasing land, owning a large part of land in North Stormont, Ontario, Canada. A fan of board games, Denis has recently designed an algorithm for efficiently playing SeaFall.
Championships and accomplishments
- King of the Cage
- KOTC Canada Bantamweight Championship (One time)
- One successful title defense
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Joseph Sandoval
Mixed martial arts record
| 14 matches | 11 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 10 | 1 |
| By submission | 1 | 2 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 11–3 | Roland Delorme | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller | May 5, 2012 | 1 | 4:59 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 11–2 | Joseph Sandoval | KO (elbows) | UFC on FX: Guillard vs. Miller | January 20, 2012 | 1 | 0:22 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | Knockout of the Night. |
| Win | 10–2 | Nick Mamalis | KO (suplex and chokeslam) | Wreck MMA: Unfinished Business | October 28, 2011 | 2 | 1:03 | Gatineau, Quebec, Canada | Return to Bantamweight. |
| Loss | 9–2 | Yuji Hoshino | Submission (guillotine choke) | World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku Raiden Championships 12 | March 7, 2010 | 2 | 0:47 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 9–1 | Sean Quinn | KO (punches) | Wreck MMA: Fights for the Troops | December 12, 2009 | 1 | 3:42 | Gatineau, Quebec, Canada | |
| Win | 8–1 | Jason Townes | TKO (knee and kick to the body) | AMMA 1: First Blood | October 24, 2009 | 2 | 1:26 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | |
| Loss | 7–1 | Marlon Sandro | KO (punches) | World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 8 | May 2, 2009 | 1 | 0:19 | Tokyo, Japan | Sengoku Featherweight Grandprix Second Round. |
| Win | 7–0 | Seiya Kawahara | TKO (punches) | World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 7 | March 20, 2009 | 1 | 2:36 | Tokyo, Japan | Sengoku Featherweight Grandprix Opening Round. |
| Win | 6–0 | Josh Kyrejto | KO (punch) | KOTC: Excalibur | July 19, 2008 | 1 | 4:59 | Edmonton, Alberta Canada | Fought at Featherweight. |
| Win | 5–0 | Josh Gallant | KO (punches) | KOTC: Brawl at the Mall 3 | April 4, 2008 | 2 | 3:14 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Defends KOTC Canada Bantamweight Championship. |
| Win | 4–0 | Dave Scholten | TKO (punch to the body) | KOTC: Brawl at the Mall 2 | October 19, 2007 | 3 | 0:23 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Wins KOTC Canada Bantamweight Championship. |
| Win | 3–0 | Chris Myra | TKO (punches) | KOTC: Capital Chaos | March 28, 2007 | 1 | 1:40 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| Win | 2–0 | Jean-Robert Monier | Submission (armbar) | KOTC: Freedom Fight | January 20, 2007 | 1 | 4:33 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| Win | 1–0 | Justin Darbyson | KO (punches) | APEX: A Night Of Champions | October 16, 2006 | 2 | 2:24 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
References
- "Sengoku Official Website". Sengoku-official.com. 2009-03-20. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
- "Nick Denis' Tapology Profile". tapology.com. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
- Sherdog.com. "Mann Sees 'Problem' for Sengoku GP Favorite Hioki". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
- mmajunkie.com (2011-12-02). "UFC signs 'The Ninja of Love' Nick Denis to multi-fight contract". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on 2011-12-05. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
- "UFC on FX 'Guillard vs. Miller' Results and Play-by-Play".
- "UFC on FOX 3 adds Johnny Bedford vs. Nick Denis, Dennis Bermudez vs. Pablo Garza". Archived from the original on 2012-02-21. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- Helwani, Ariel (April 18, 2012). "Roland Delorme Replaces Johnny Bedford Against Nick Denis at UFC on FOX 3". mmafighting.com. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
- Denis, Nick (November 22, 2012). "Nick Denis - Ninja of Love Blog: ...And Then What Happened?". TopMMANews.com. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
- MMAjunkie.com Staff (November 23, 2012). "UFC bantamweight Nick Denis retires, cites potential brain injuries". MMAjunkie.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013.