Kevin Rosier

Kevin Rosier (January 6, 1962 – April 14, 2015) was an American kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist. Rosier had notable success as a kickboxer, winning a number of national, continental and world titles in the heavyweight and super heavyweight divisions during the 1980s and 1990s, while also embarking on a career as a journeyman fighter in professional boxing. In mixed martial arts, he competed at the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship event in 1993, reaching the tournament semi-finals.

Early life Rosier was born into a farming family of French-Canadian descent and raised in the Lovejoy neighborhood of Buffalo, New York. He attended East Aurora High School, where he played football and competed in track and field, before working as a bouncer at various Buffalo nightclubs. Rosier's last bout came in 1999 when he lost to Mike Labree in a fight for the vacant International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) Pro Full Contact Rules Super Heavyweight World title on May 15, 1999, in Lowell, Massachusetts. At 26 seconds into round 10, LaBree caught Rosier with a short left to the head and Rosier went down to his knees and the bout was stopped.

He also had a 12-year career as a professional boxer in which he held a 7–17 record. Rosier boxed between 1989 and 2001 and came up against a number of notable opponents including Josué Blocus, Roman Bugaj, Tye Fields, Vincent Maddalone, Joe Mesi, Nikolai Valuev, Taurus Sykes, and Paea Wolfgramm.

Ultimate Fighting Championship In 1993, with only three weeks notice, Rosier elicited the help of his former student World Kickboxing Champion A.J. Verel to coach and train him for UFC 1, the very first mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. His first match in the tournament, the second in the card, pitted him against American Kenpo expert and two-time World Kickboxing Federation super heavyweight champion Zane Frazier.

Rosier opened the match knocking Frazier down with punches, knee strikes and an elbow strike to the turtled-up Frazier's back, but his opponent recovered and went to exchange knee strikes with him in the clinch. The kenpo fighter dominated the fight with striking combinations both standing and on their knees,

Later life After retiring from competition, Rosier suffered several bouts of illness (including open-heart surgery and a nearly fatal fall while already in intensive care). By August 2013, he was in stable health and reportedly residing in a retirement resort in suburban Nashville. He had been suffering from dementia.

Championships and awards

Kickboxing 1994 WKKC (World Karate and Kickboxing Council) World Superheavyweight Champion 1990 WKA (World Karate Association) World Superheavyweight Champion (above the waist) 1990 ISKA (International Sport Karate Association) North American Superheavyweight Champion 3X WKA (World Kickboxing Association) World Superheavyweight Champion 1989 All-Japan World Champion 1987 United States Kung-Fu Karate National No-Rules Tournament Champion 1989 WKA (World Karate Association) World Championship Title Fight (full contact karate)

Kickboxing record

Professional boxing record

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Brad Gabriel TKO (punches) IFC: Battleground 2000

Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada Win

Joe Bramante Submission (rear-naked choke) IFC: Fighters Revenge

Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada Loss

Dan Severn Submission Cage Combat 1

Conesville, Iowa, United States Loss

Dan Severn TKO (knees) Extreme Challenge 15

Muncie, Indiana, United States Loss

Houston Dorr Submission (guillotine choke) IFC 2: Mayhem in Mississippi

Biloxi, Mississippi, United States Loss

Joe Charles Submission (armbar) UFC 4

Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States Loss

Gerard Gordeau TKO (corner stoppage)

Win

Zane Frazier TKO (corner stoppage)