Ronnie Mann

Ronnie Mann (born 12 October 1986) is an English professional mixed martial artist who competes in the featherweight division. A professional competitor from 2003 to 2017, Mann has mostly fought in England and Japan. Mann is a veteran of the former top English organisation Cage Rage Championships and was a quarterfinalist in the Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix in 2009, losing to Hatsu Hioki.

Mixed martial arts career

Background and early career

Mann grew up in Cheltenham, England. Mann also idolised Marco Ruas and Royce Gracie as a youngster after being introduced to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mann began taking Muay Thai lessons at the age of 11 and participated in jiu-jitsu and kickboxing tournaments at the age of 13. Mann competed in his first amateur fight at the age of 16 and turned professional a year later. In Japan, he fought under the name of Ronnie Ushiwaka, his mother's maiden name. ( His Mothers Maiden Name was Promlert (THAI) Mann's professional mixed martial arts career began in November 2003 with a win over Andy Dicks. Staying in Holland, Mann won a further fight, knocking his opponent out in under two minutes. Mann then recorded five successive submission victories.

Mann later joined the Cage Gladiators promotion in England and made his promotional debut at Cage Gladiators 2, against Denas Banevicius, winning via submission (strikes) at 1:42 of the first round. Three months later, Mann returned at Cage Gladiators 3, defeating Chris Freeborn via submission (triangle choke) at 2:46 of the first round.

Mann's next fight (and third in the Cage Rage organisation) was against top domestic prospect, Robbie Olivier. The fight saw both fighters neutralise the other's ground game. In the stand-up, Mann was regarded as being unusually tentative, which gave Olivier the opportunity to take him to the floor, where again, neither fighter was able to advance position or do anything of note. After three rounds, Olivier was declared the winner via unanimous decision.

At Cage Rage 24, Mann faced Jordan Miller, who took the fight at short notice. Mann was able to take Miller down almost immediately in the fight and took a rear naked choke. Mann dominated from that point and soon after, transitioned to a triangle choke after just 53 seconds of the first round.

After this, Cage Rage became defunct and Mann re-joined Cage Gladiators, immediately competing against Frederic Fernandez for the Cage Gladiators World Featherweight Championship at the Cage Gladiators 6 event. Mann was able to utilise his wrestling skills again, dominating the takedowns, neutralising his opponent. Mann was able to take the unanimous decision after effective striking, leading Sherdog to once again label him "a star in the making."

Mann was then scheduled to face future World Extreme Cagefighting standout Brad Pickett, though the fight was later cancelled after Pickett suffered a broken arm defending a high kick.

Mann instead took a fight in Croatia, defeating Ivica Djebic via TKO (injury).

In the quarter-finals of the tournament, Mann faced early tournament favourite, Hatsu Hioki who had previously defeated World Extreme Cagefighting veteran Chris Manuel. Mann weighed in at 142.6 lbs, whilst Hioki, who was unbeaten in his last seven fights, weighed in at 143.3 lbs. Mann stated that " plan for an exciting and explosive fight."

During the fight, Mann was able to land several successful punches, before Hioki took Mann down with a trip, where he was able to land knees and execute a D'arce choke. After scrambling to avoid an armbar attempt, Mann fell to a triangle choke, tapping out at 3:09 of the first round.

After his elimination from the Featherweight Grand Prix, Mann competed in his third fight in Sengoku against Shigeki Osawa, who Sherdog labelled a talented young prospect. After three rounds, Mann was victorious, via unanimous decision.

Move to North America

Mann still had one more fight left on his Sengoku contract and also expressed a desire to join World Extreme Cagefighting and eventually fight Featherweight Champion José Aldo. The bout saw Mann hit Evans with multiple combinations and low kicks, before utilising a flying knee. Evans counter-attacked with takedowns, which he kept up into the final round. Mann won the bout via split decision (47–48, 48–47, 48–47) to become the new Shark Fights Featherweight champion.

Bellator Fighting Championships

On 17 February, it was announced Mann had signed with Bellator Fighting Championships. He had his first fight for the promotion against Josh Arocho at Bellator 42. Mann was able to dominate the fight with superior wrestling and won the fight via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27, 30-27).

That win earned Mann a place in the Bellator 2011 Summer Series Featherweight Tournament where he faced Adam Schindler at Bellator 46 in his quarter final match-up. Mann stuffed all attempts from the wrestler to take the fight to the ground before he scored a stunning first round KO win with a right uppercut left hook combination which dropped Schindler before swarming on him with hammerfists to leave him unconscious on the mat.

Mann faced Pat Curran in the Featherweight tournament semifinals at Bellator 47. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Mann fought Kenny Foster at Bellator 53 for a spot in the next Featherweight tournament. He dominated the stand-up but then got taken down which gave him the opportunity to finish via submission (triangle choke) in the first round.

Mann was defeated by Mike Corey via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in the Bellator Season Six Featherweight Tournament. In the first round he dropped Corey twice, but was outwrestled in the next two to lose the decision.

Cage Warriors

On 6 June 2013 Cage Warriors announced that they signed Mann to a five fight deal. He is scheduled to meet Jose Luis Zapater at Cage Warriors 57. And he would go on to defeat Zapater by way of TKO (punches) in the 1st round.

He next fought Marat Pekov at Cage Warriors Fight Night 9 on 25 October 2013. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Mann faced Marcelo Costa at Cage Warriors 68 on 3 May 2014. Mann lost the fight via rear naked choke in the second round.

Championships and accomplishments Shark Fights Shark Fights Featherweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Damien Lapilus Decision (unanimous) BAMMA 28

Belfast, Northern Island Win

Graham Turner KO (punch) BAMMA 25

Birmingham, England, United Kingdom Loss

Shajidul Haque Decision (unanimous) M4TC 17: Long vs. Quinn

Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom Win

Moktar Benkaci Decision (unanimous) Cage Warriors 73

Liverpool, England, United Kingdom Loss

Marcelo Costa Submission (rear-naked choke) Cage Warriors 68

Liverpool, England, United Kingdom Win

Marat Pekov Decision (unanimous) Cage Warriors Fight Night 9

Amman, Jordan Win

Jose Luis Zapater TKO (punches) Cage Warriors 57

Liverpool, England, United Kingdom Loss

Rodrigo Lima Decision (unanimous) Bellator 94

Tampa, Florida, United States Loss

Mike Corey Decision (unanimous) Bellator 60

Hammond, Indiana, United States Win

Kenny Foster Submission (triangle choke) Bellator 53

Miami, Oklahoma, United States Loss

Pat Curran Decision (unanimous) Bellator 47

Rama, Ontario, Canada Win

Adam Schindler KO (punches) Bellator 46

Hollywood, Florida, United States Win

Josh Arocho Decision (unanimous) Bellator 42

Newkirk, Oklahoma, United States Win

Doug Evans Decision (split) Shark Fights 13: Jardine vs Prangley

Amarillo, Texas, United States Win

Shigeki Osawa Decision (unanimous) World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 11

Tokyo, Japan Loss

Hatsu Hioki Submission (triangle choke) World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 8

Tokyo, Japan Win

Tetsuya Yamada Decision (unanimous) World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 7

Tokyo, Japan Win

Steve McCombe Submission (choke) Cage Gladiators 8

England, United Kingdom Win

Ivica Djebic TKO (injury) WFC 5 - Noc Gladiatora

Dubrovnik, Croatia Win

Frederic Fernandez Decision (unanimous) Cage Gladiators 6

Liverpool, England, United Kingdom Win

Jordan Miller Submission (triangle choke) Cage Rage 24

London, England, United Kingdom Loss

Robbie Olivier Decision (unanimous) Cage Rage 22

London, England, United States Win

Ashleigh Grimshaw Decision (split) Cage Rage 20

London, England, United Kingdom Win

Chris Freeborn Submission (triangle choke) Cage Gladiators 3

Liverpool, England, United Kingdom Win

Denas Banevicius Submission (strikes) Cage Gladiators 2

Liverpool, England, United Kingdom Draw

Ashleigh Grimshaw Draw (majority) Cage Rage Contenders

London, England, United Kingdom Win

Harold Roder Submission (armbar) Staredown City

Oostzaan, Holland Win

Kyle Davis Submission (triangle choke) House of Pain - Fight Night 4

Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom Loss

Allan Lee TKO (punches) Intense Fighting

Cambridge, England, United Kingdom Win

Marco Dritty Submission (triangle choke) Urban Destruction 2

Bristol, England, United Kingdom Win

Gary Howe Submission (choke) Urban Destruction 1

Bristol, England, United Kingdom Win

Aaron Blackwell Submission (armbar) Anarchy Fight Night

England, United Kingdom Win

Abdul Bahaj KO (punches) IMA - Fight Mix

Landsmeer, Holland Win

Nayeb Hezam Submission (triangle choke) Shooto Holland - Knockout Gala 3

Vlissingen, Holland Win

Andy Dicks Submission (triangle choke) Grapple and Strike 8

Kidderminster, England, United Kingdom