Willow Glen Resident

Cover Story

Photograph by Vicki Thompson

Southworth trains and teaches at Industrial Strength Kickboxing Xtreme Fitness Center.

Fight Club

Bobby Southworth wins the Strikeforce light heavyweight title

By Alicia Upano

Bobby Southworth might never have been in the ring if his parents had anything to do with it.

Southworth is the adopted son of pacifists. He spent his younger years surfing and playing basketball in Santa Cruz, but his athletic skill led him into a sport that is downright brutal. He competes in what is considered the ultimate street fight--the sport of mixed martial arts uses the entire body.

On Dec. 8, the 37-year-old fighter went five rounds with Vernon "Tiger" White for the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight championship at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. He took home the world title.

Southworth began as a jiu-jitsu competitor, and trained in boxing and wrestling to round out his martial arts expertise.

"I don't like hurting people, but I look at it as a sport. Instead of putting the ball in the hole, you're putting your fist in some guy's face," Southworth says. "It took my mom a long time to come and watch me fight."

Southworth undersells his ability, saying he's more athlete than fighter. He's just a guy who likes to joke around, spend time his with 15-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son, and read mystery novels. He says he fights only to support his passion for teaching the sport.

Although Southworth has been fighting in mixed martial arts since 1999, his titles have given him experience that students appreciate.

"My students know that I'm legit," says Southworth, who has been teaching at the Industrial Strength Kickboxing Xtreme Fitness Center in Campbell for nearly two years.

Many of Southworth's students come to him as novices, and he enjoys watching them build their skills and meet their goals, whether it's in the fitness training or learning to fight.

Javier "Thunder" Mendez, one of Southworth's trainers and mentors, says students like Southworth because he's a technical athlete who gives sound explanations about proper technique. Southworth is also very protective of his students, according to Mendez. He ensures they don't enter fighting situations beyond their skill level, which would expose them to harm.

"He hardly makes any mistakes," Mendez says. "He's one of the most complete fighters out there."

Teammate Gary Owens agrees.

"As a fighter, Bobby's very methodical," says North Willow Glen resident Owens. "He tries to adapt. He doesn't offer just one dimension. He tries to pick and choose based on what's coming at him. He's good at countering."

The sport of mixed martial arts encompasses boxing, muy tai, jiu-jitsu and wrestling, Owens says.

Southworth is one of the mixed martial arts fighters who has come a long way, Owens says. "Bobby has come full circle, but it wasn't always easy."

Southworth has not forgotten what it's like to be a beginner. He became involved in martial arts at age 25, after a friend took him to a Brazilian jiu-jitsu seminar. Prior to that, his knowledge of martial arts had been watching kung fu movies, he jokes.

Jiu-jitsu was a natural fit, according to Southworth. Brazilian jiu-jitsu uses leverage and technique to make a larger opponent submit. After Southworth progressed, his jiu-jitsu instructors encouraged him to compete.

"I never wanted to be a fighter. I'm just good at what I know, and I'm competitive," he says. "I'm just a fan who went out there and tried to do it."

In 1998, he became friends with former mixed martial arts fighter "Crazy" Bob Cook, who is now Southworth's manager. Cook recalls Southworth had solid boxing and jiu-jitsu skills at the time, but still needed to work on his wrestling and kickboxing.

"I used to say desire was enough," Cook says about the difficulties of mixed martial arts fighting. "But now you've got to be an athlete, you've got to be so proficient at so many different disciplines. It's so hard to come in just being a tough guy."

The following year, Southworth competed in his first mixed martial arts fight and lost. Within days he was back in the ring, and Southworth TKO'd his opponent. Today, his record is 13-4.

His career has had its ups and downs. Over the years, he's taught, he's fought, and he's dealt poker for a living. In 2004, he got mainstream exposure as a cast member in The Ultimate Fighter, Spike TV's reality show. He and other fighters spent eight weeks in Las Vegas shooting the show, training and fighting.

The show was a hit, and enabled Southworth to refocus on fighting. When he competed for the world light heavyweight title in December, crowds expected to see the savage show associated with ultimate fighting.

"We want blood," the crowd chanted, booing when the fight wasn't to their liking.

"They're used to boxing; they just want to see people get punched," Southworth says.

The emerging sport of mixed martial arts has been a controversial one, Owens notes.

"Everything goes, but the fight usually ends up on the ground," he says. "Fighters are looking for a choking or arm submission. There's a lot of tap-outs."

Many fans cannot see the sport beyond the blood, he says, but this hasn't hindered its popularity.

"Society wants that ultimate combat sport," he says. "It's sometimes likened to a street fight, but the rules are pretty straightforward. Occasionally, there's a lot of blood, but if you watch the fight you can see the guys' technique."

Southworth's fight was full of groundwork and control--technically sound but not visually exciting. In contrast, the audience at his fights in Japan reacted as if they were on a golf course rather than a gladiator arena, he says.

However, Mendez says, "He did exactly what he was supposed to do. Unfortunately his opponent was playing it safe, and it made it a lackluster fight."

Mendez adds, "Bobby was doing quite a bit of damage. Why would a fighter who's winning every round open himself up just to please the crowd?"

Southworth hopes to face off against world champions in mixed martial organizations such as Ultimate Fighting Championships and Pride Fighting Championships. He will defend his Strikeforce title in April.

For more information about Bobby Southworth, visit www.bobbysouthworth.net.

Staff writer Mayra Flores De Marcotte contributed to this story.