About Ivan Salaverry
Born 1971. Ivan Salaverry is a Canadian mixed martial arts fighter, kickboxer and thai boxer.
Ivan E. Salaverry (born January 11, 1971) is a Canadian mixed martial arts fighter and instructor. He is a member of Tito Ortiz's Team Punishment, and is known for his well-rounded skills. Salaverry is a middleweight veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, BAMMA and the now-defunct World Fighting Alliance. He is also notable for being a pioneer of the crucifix-style position from side control, which is often referred to as "The Salaverry" during mixed martial arts broadcasts, particularly by UFC commentator Joe Rogan. He also holds notable wins over Andrei Semenov and Joe Riggs.
Mixed martial arts career Salaverry began his MMA career in August 1999. Over the next four years Salaverry acquired an 8-2 professional record, his most notable fight taking place in Japan for Shooto against Akihiro Gono, which he lost via KO in the first round. In 2002 Salaverry made his UFC debut defeating Russian fighter Andrei Semenov. Salaverry would continue to fight for the UFC, but struggled to find consistency. He lost by decision to Matt Lindland, submitted Tony Fryklund, choked out Joe Riggs, lost a decision to Nathan Marquardt, lost via TKO to Terry Martin and lost via armbar submission to Rousimar Palhares. After the Palhares fight, Ivan Salaverry announced his retirement. On 28 April 2011, it was announced that Salaverry would come out of retirement to replace the injured Phil Baroni at BAMMA 6. Here he fought Matt Ewin losing a disappointing decision. On 21 July 2012, he fought Fraser Opie for the Cage Contender Light Heavyweight title - coming in as a late replacement for former UFC fighter, Jeff Monson, who failed to make weight for the fight. He lost this fight in the second round due to an illegal headkick.
Personal life He opened his own gym, Ivan Salaverry MMA, October 2005, in Seattle, Washington, where he lives with his wife and two sons.
On December 11, 2015 Salaverry was promoted to black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu by 5th degree black belt Marcelo Alonso in Seattle.
On May 24, 2016 he was promoted to brown belt in Judo by 2nd Degree black belt Taylan Yuasa at his own gym in Seattle.
Championships and accomplishments Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC.com Awards 2005: Ranked #7 Submission of the Year
Mixed martial arts record Win
Jerome Jones Decision (unanimous) Cage Warrior Combat 9
Kent, Washington, United States Middleweight bout. Loss
Fraser Opie DQ (illegal kick) Cage Contender XIV
Dublin, Ireland Loss
Matt Ewin Decision (unanimous) BAMMA 6: Watson vs. Rua
London, England Loss
Rousimar Palhares Submission (armbar) UFC 84
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss
Terry Martin TKO (suplex and punches) UFC 71
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win
Art Santore TKO (punches) WFA: King of the Streets
Los Angeles, California, United States Loss
Nate Marquardt Decision (unanimous) UFC Ultimate Fight Night
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win
Joe Riggs Submission (triangle choke) UFC 52
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win
Tony Fryklund Submission (body triangle) UFC 50
Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Win
Khaliun Boldbataar Decision (unanimous) K-1 Beast 2004 in Niigata
Niigata, Japan Return to Middleweight. Loss
Rene Rooze TKO (dislocated finger) K-1 Survival 2003 Japan Grand Prix Final
Yokohama, Japan Heavyweight debut. Loss
Matt Lindland Decision (unanimous) UFC 39
Uncasville, Connecticut, United States Win
Andrei Semenov TKO (punches) UFC 37
Bossier City, Louisiana, United States Win
John Renken TKO (strikes) HOOKnSHOOT - Overdrive
Evansville, Indiana, United States Win
Jason Rigsby Decision HOOKnSHOOT - Kings 2
Evansville, Indiana, United States Win
Steve Heath TKO (cut) IFC - Warriors Challenge 15
Oroville, California, United States Win
Dan Corpstein KO (knees) AMC: Revenge of the Warriors
Rochester, Washington, United States Loss
Akihiro Gono KO (spinning back kick) Shooto - To The Top 1
Tokyo, Japan Win
Dan Corpstein Submission (rear-naked choke) AMC - Path of the Warrior
Kirkland, Washington, United States Loss
Adam Ryan KO (punches) Western Canada's Toughest 2
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Win
Jason Derrah Submission (armbar) UFCF - Everett 1
Everett, Washington, United States Win
Auggie Padeken Decision (unanimous) SuperBrawl 17
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Win
Peter da Silva Submission PPKA: Wenatchee
Wenatchee, Washington, United States Kickboxing record
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Important facts
People in Ivan Salaverry's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ivan Salaverry's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Ivan Salaverry?
Canadian martial artist
When was Ivan Salaverry born?
Ivan Salaverry was born on 11 January 1971 in Toronto.
What is Ivan Salaverry's occupation?
Ivan Salaverry is a mixed martial arts fighter, kickboxer and thai boxer.
What nationality is Ivan Salaverry?
Ivan Salaverry is Canadian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ivan Salaverry. https://biography.guide/ivan-salaverry/
MLA: "Ivan Salaverry." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ivan-salaverry/.
Chicago: "Ivan Salaverry." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ivan-salaverry/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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