Ryan Jimmo
Ryan Jimmo was born on November 27th, 1981 in
Saint John, New Brunswick, and is no stranger to Martial Arts. He grew
up in a Karate family, and is the youngest of four children. His father,
a 5th degree black belt passed the sport onto Jimmo, and at the age of
ten he did what he does with everything else in his life, he thirsted
for more. As a child he was a victim of bullying, but as he progressed
as a fighter and gained confidence through Karate, his fighting
abilities demanded respect on the streets of Saint John.
His siblings use to test his balance while he walked across a two by
four by shaking it. He spent night after night in his parent's
basement, which was floored with brown shag carpet covered in tape to
assist him with his foot work. He would practice the same kicks over and
over again, perfecting every move until his feet were raw and dripping
with blood. One weekend while his parents were away, ambivalent to any
consequences, he sold their couch and television for $100 to make more
room to train. His fathers only objection was that he didnt get more
money for the couch. With his father as his Sensei, and his mothers
unwavering support, Jimmo has over a 1000 Karate fights under his belt,
presently holds a 2nd degree black belt, and is a Pan Am Silver and
Bronze medalist. His Karate background continues to play a pivotal role
in and outside of the octagon. Karate taught him not only great
fighting techniques but great discipline, focus and work ethic.
"Its taught me to understand a system of fighting and understand how to learn it in a more efficient manner. The athleticism and physicality are great attributes. I found my kicks are a step above most MMA practitioners as well as my footwork. There are two sides to most karate systems, traditional and sport and both have attributes that warrant praise. My time in Karate has been invaluable in my life and I wouldnt be the person I am today without it.". - Ryan Jimmo
This 29 year old Big Deal MMA fighter has Big Dreams and limits his
distractions by living a life free from extravagances; allowing himself
to fully marinate in a vision, a vision to be at the top of this sport.
A vision to be the best in the world. And his eat, sleep, train
mentality is going to get him there, one opponent at a time. When he is
not in the gym pushing his body to the limits, he is spending his time
pushing his mind there. The only thing that comes close to his thirst
for being the best in the world in the Octagon, is his thirst for
knowledge. His brain is a sponge, constantly searching for more wisdom
and new information to soak in. His collections of books range in
subject from Quantum Physics, Chess, to Religion to enough books to
complete an undergrad degree in Psychology. He can reference George
Carlin, Stephen Hawkings, or W.C Fields (to name a few) without
hesitation. In high school he was President of the Chess club as well as
captain of the Football team. In 2004, he broke his leg in Karate, and
to fill the time he took up amateur bodybuilding. After five short
weeks of training he went on to win several championships. Ryan Jimmo
is out to prove that he is a Big Deal in all venues of life, he defies
the stereotypes and will always be mentally and physically prepared to
get in the ring and deliver.
Jimmo originally moved to Halifax to train more extensively with
Karate, and then began training further in Jujitsu, which started in
Saint John for cross training. He became frustrated with the lack of
opportunities for amateur sports in this country and decided that if he
could become one of the best in the world in one sport, that he could
put that same dedication and drive toward MMA and have more
opportunities to open himself up as a fighter.
Three years after his first professional fight, Jimmo is on a 17-1 winning streak, and is considered by some, to be the best in Canada for his weight class (205LB); currently undefeated in the UFC holding the fastest KO in UFC history.
In 2008, Jimmo was the first Maritimer to appear on
Ultimate Fighter, TUF8. His experience on the show, with trainer
ANTONIO ROGERIO NOGUEIRA and other like-minded fighters gave him a taste
of what is to come. Shorty after his appearance on TUF8; Jimmo
quickly secured 2 TKO wins, first against Chris Fontaine (Former TKO
champ) and then Rick Roufus (6x World Kick Boxing champ), as well as a
win over Jesse Forbes (Ultimate Fighter, Season 3). On February 4th,
2009 Jimmo was ranked 25th out of the top 100 Light Heavies by TopGun
MMA . Shortly thereafter Jimmo realized that his training potential
would soon plateau if he remained in Halifax. With the realization that
he needed to access a deeper pool of talent, he made an important
pivotal decision for his career and decided to move once again, this
time to Edmonton, Alberta. July of 2009 Jimmo ventured across country
with nothing in hand but the bag on his back, and it has since proved
fruitful. Upon his arrival he signed a contract with MFC, found a home
with Hayabusa Training Center and continued his winning streak against
notable fighters, Marvin Eastman (UFC vet) and Emanuel-Newton. To be
mentioned in the same breath as some of the best in the world, only
three short years after his first Professional fight, confirms that
Jimmo is proving himself to be the fastest rising MMA star in the
country.
When it comes to training, Jimmo is a force to reckon with. This
fighter is hungry. And he's a fighter to watch out for. Don't let his
resume of deadly kicks and successes influence you to categorize him.
Keep in mind, that he defies all stereotypes. His confidence does not
supersede his humility. This is a fighter to love: for his fight, for
his character and for his ability to deliver.. And lets not forget his
signature move. Hes a 6"2, 205 lb MMA fighter who break dances and
entertains with his smooth robotic moves after every win. Just more
spotlight for this young fighter whose eyes light up at the thought of
stardom. And its just around the corner.