Yves Edwards: Record, Net Worth, Weight, Age & More!
Who is Yves Edwards?
Yves Edwards is a retired professional mixed martial artist from the Bahamas. He is best known for his time spent working his way through the UFC in the Lightweight ranks where he fought over twenty times. Before entering the UFC, Yves already had a long competition career that began in 1997 and included fights for Pride, Strikeforce, EliteXC, Bellator, the WEC, King of the Cage, and even the short-lived BodogFIGHT promotion. All told, Yves Edwards is one of the most accomplished lightweight mixed martial artists alive.
What this article covers:
- Who is Yves Edwards?
- How Old is Yves Edwards?
- Yves Edwards Fight List
- Yves Edwards's Best Fight of All Time
- Yves Edwards Record
Yves was born in the fall of 1976 in the Bahamas, on an island named New Providence. He spent his childhood in the tropics and got his first taste of the United States upon landing in the state ofTexas around the age of 14.
ENTER THUG JITSU is the magnum opus from UFC and Pride Veteran Yves Edwards!
In his youth, Edwards initially got exposed to the world of combat sports through traditional martial arts like Karate. Shortly after starting his journey, he moved on to Kung Fu before finally settling on the sport that would pay his bills and make him a star, Mixed Martial Arts. He credits his entry into the sport to Kung Fu movies and comic books that showed heroes in command of martial arts. He was inspired.
Upon entering the world of mixed martial arts, Edwards recognized almost immediately that his background in traditional arts would only go so far. To help shore up this part of his game, Edwards began training in Muay Thai as well as general MMA.
Growing up in Houston as a teenager, Edwards focus was almost entirely on striking. He was briefly exposed to the grappling arts at the age of 17 while visiting his home country, but overall did not get the technical grappling education that brings many young stars to the sport.
Although he had minimal training in grappling, Edwards managed to learn to keep fights standing and to focus on the Muay thai skills he had developed. Edwards also was able to fall back frequently on the high level boxing training that he had engaged in with some serious, top-level boxers. He never trained in the Gi, but Edwards certainly earned his stripes on the ground through his work on the general art of MMA.
ENTER THUG JITSU is the magnum opus from UFC and Pride Veteran Yves Edwards!
Edwards first turned pro in 1997, which was very early on in the wild west of MMA. He burned his way through the budding sport by outstriking nearly every opponent along the way. By the time he made his UFC debut, he was already 18-5-1 in several major promotions.
His first fight in the UFC came against none other than future legend Matt Serra, who was and is a grappling specialist. In the early days of the UFC, it wasn’t as clear who would win between a dedicated striker and a dedicated wrestler, so it was exciting to watch even as Serra worked his way to a “boring” unanimous victory on the ground.
Despite this setback early on, Edwards had already cut his teeth on tough opponents and knew that he could continue to make waves as a lightweight once he got back in the training room. He did just that as he impressed the world with a 6-1 run during his next seven fights for the promotion.
Soon after this, Edwards knocked out fellow striking wizard Josh “Wonderboy” Thomson, with an amazing flying head-kick that broadcasted his name to the entire fight community. Because the UFC Lightweight title was vacant, fans were soon referring to Edwards as the Uncrowned Lightweight Champion.
Edwards left the UFC in 2004 after his knockout of Thomson to pursue different options in the fight world. He first tested his skills in the EliteXC promotion, where he lost a title fight to the champion, K.J. Noons. Unfortunately, Edwards was knocked out in the very first round.
On the heels of this defeat he tried his luck against Duane “Bang” Ludwig, another notable striker in the combat sports world, and was bested via unanimous decision. This proved that he could hang with some of the best strikers in MMA, even if he didn’t come out on top.
After six years away and some more highlight reel knockouts, Edwards returned to the UFC for a second run in the fall of 2010. He stepped in at the last minute to replace Efrain Escudero on the main card of UFC Fight Night 22. Given this chance to shine, Edwards dominated the fight to win via unanimous decision.
In 2011, Edwards was forced to face a surprise opponent in Cody McKenzie when the UFC had to shuffle the entire card to adjust for an injury to Kenny Florian. Even though he took the match on very short notice, Edwards did something that fans had been waiting for. The striker took McKenzie to the ground, secured back position, and won the bout via rear naked choke. This earned him not only fight of the night but also submission of the night from the UFC; not bad for a striker!
After a few more matches, Edwards faced one of his toughest challenges to date in the person of Tony Ferguson. The two were slated as the main event for the finale of the Ultimate Fighter 14, and it was an even contest that resulted in a lot of damage to both fighters. Ultimately, Tony Ferguson stepped away with the nod from the judges.
In the final win of his career, Edwards faced Jeremy Stephens. The two athletes had been dancing around each other for some time, and it was a battle of two vicious strikers waiting to happen. When it finally went down after multiple cancellations, Edwards’ slick style overcame the violent explosion embodied in Jeremy Stephens in the first round. It was the first time that anyone had ended Stephens’ night with strikes.
When his career was said and done, Edwards had competed in 66 professional MMA fights over 17 years, making him one of the most prolific and active lightweights to ever grace the octagon. Along the way, he amused and amazed with his self-coined “thugjitsu” fighting style. He was known for his unorthodox striking patterns and his slick and flashy knockouts. Thugjitsu incorporates all styles and borrows heavily from the great Bruce Lee: “Absorb what is useful. Reject what is useless. Add what is essentially your own”
How Old is Yves Edwards?
Yves Edwards was born on September 30th of 1976. He is 46 years old as of 2022.
Yves Edwards Family
Not much has been published about Yves Edwards’s family. He maintains a private life, preferring to focus on the sport when interviewed. What we do know is that Yves Edwards is a family man: he has two children; a son and a daughter.
How Much is Yves Edwards Worth?
Yves Edwards’s net worth is not public information. He is one of the most successful lightweight MMA fighters of his generation, fighting over 20 times in the UFC alone! Before his long run in the UFC, Edwards was on several other budding promotions making a name for himself, including the WEC, Strikeforce, King of the Cage, and EliteXC.
How Tall is Yves Edwards?
Yves Edwards is 5’10”, making him about average length for a lightweight fighter.
How Much Does Yves Edwards Weigh?
Yves Edwards competed most frequently as a lightweight in MMA. The cutoff for that division is 155 pounds, or about 70 kg.
Yves Edwards Fight List
Yves competed in 66 professional fights over the course of 17 years and it’s impractical to list them all here. Take a look at a summary of his biggest accomplishments in combat sports:
ENTER THUG JITSU is the magnum opus from UFC and Pride Veteran Yves Edwards!
Ultimate Fighting Championship
- 11-9 over two stints in the UFC
- 2x Fight of the Night (vs. Joe Stevenson & Cody McKenzie)
- Knockout of the Night vs. Jeremy Stephens
- Submission of the Night vs. Cody McKenzie
HOOKnSHOOT
- Middleweight Champion
- 5-0-1 professional record
Yves Edwards's Best Fight of All Time
For a fighter like Yves Edwards, who was so prolific and active, it’s hard to pin down one amazing moment in a career full of highlights. Still, his last win stands out as one of his greatest. He faced Jeremy Stephens on UFC on Fox in 2012. Fans wanted to see if Stephens' violent aggressive style could overcome the slick, deadly method employed by Edwards.
Fans waited less than two minutes for a resounding answer when Edwards launched a brutal flying head kick and followed it up with punches to render Jeremy Stephens unconscious via strikes for the very first time in his career. There can't be many moments more glorious than that. For his efforts, he was recognized with the UFC’s knockout of the night bonus.
Who Did Yves Edwards Lose To?
Along with the amazing highlights come the darker moments that drive a true competitor to even greater success. Yves Edwards’s toughest loss was likely to Tony Ferguson. He was on his way up and making a name for himself on the Ultimate Fighter 14, but Ferguson was just too tough. The two went to war for three rounds in Las Vegas before Tony was ultimately declared the winner in a hard fought decision.
Yves Edwards Record
Yves Edwards has an overall professional MMA record of 42-22-1-1, with one draw and one “no contest”. His UFC record is 11-9; impressive for the toughest fight league on earth.
ENTER THUG JITSU is the magnum opus from UFC and Pride Veteran Yves Edwards!
Yves Edwards Injuries
Many fighters and grapplers who dedicate their lives to the mat find themselves injured as their career progresses. Even a competitor like Yves Edwards has experienced some physical setbacks.
In 2012, Edwards was set to face off against crowd-favorite and UFC legend Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC: The Korean Zombie vs. Poirier. Edwards was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury; this was the only time in his career that this happened. Instead of Yves, Jeremy Stephens made his way to the cage that night to fight Cerrone.
Is Yves Edwards Retired?
Yves Edwards is retired from professional Fighting. He now spends his time coaching, creating content, and even working as stuntman for popular shows such as HBO’s Westworld. Yves has an active social media following and remains an outspoken member of the MMA community, always good for a hot take or interesting podcast interview.
In addition to his in-person work as a coach and trainer, Yves Edwards also works hard to translate his considerable fighting skill into video format so that others can benefit from the time he’s spent learning the art. Check out his “Thugjitsu: The Art of the Modern Beatdown” in order to add some of his tricks to your game. In it, you’ll get a taste of Edward’s signature style that found him equal parts evasive, deadly, and creative. Don’t miss a chance to learn from one of the best!
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