Kalib Starnes
Kalib Starnes born January 6, 1975) is a Canadian mixed martial artist. He was a semi-finalist on SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter, training under UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock. He holds notable victories over Chris Leben and Jason MacDonald. Starnes is currently under contract with World Series of Fighting, fighting in their light heavyweight division.
| Kalib Starnes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Kalib Axel Starnes January 6, 1975 Surrey, British Columbia, Canada |
| Nationality | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canadian |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[1][2] |
| Weight | 216.8 lb (98.3 kg; 15.49 st)[3] |
| Division | Middleweight Light Heavyweight Heavyweight |
| Reach | 74 in (187 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Surrey, British Columbia, Canada |
| Team | Aegis Athletics American Top Team Revolution Martial Arts Brazilian Top Team Canada,[4] |
| Rank | black belt in Judo black belt in Aikido black belt in Karate black belt in Kung Fu black belt in Taekwondo |
| Years active | 1998 - present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 29 |
| Wins | 17 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| By submission | 10 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Losses | 11 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 5 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Mixed martial arts career
Background
Starnes got involved in the martial arts at an early age and began teaching when he was a teenager. He started training Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at the Gracie Academy in 1994 in Torrance, California. He also trained in Las Vegas and Fort Lauderdale from 2006 - 2008 at the famous American Top Team gym. His primary styles are Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Wrestling and Boxing, other styles include Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Aikido, Muay Thai, Sambo, and Karate. He has studied under prominent trainers such as Olympic boxing gold medalist Howard Davis, Jr. and Olympic wrestler Colin Daynes.
The Ultimate Fighter
Starnes fought early in the series, defeating Mike Stine by referee stoppage in the first round which immediately advanced him to the semi-finals. However, in the semifinals he lost to Kendall Grove in the third round via verbal submission due to a rib injury. Neither of these fights count towards his professional record, as they were considered exhibition matches by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Kalib made his professional debut on June 24, 2006 at the Finale of TUF 3, winning via rear naked choke over Danny Abbadi. For the UFC 64 event Starnes suffered a third-round TKO to Yushin Okami.[5]
At a National Fighting Challenge event, Starnes defeats fellow Canadian and at the time, highly regarded veteran middleweight Jason MacDonald by technical knockout in the first round. At UFC 71, he picks up another victory over The Ultimate Fighter 1 semifinalist Chris Leben by decision. At UFC 77, Starnes loses via TKO due to injury to Alan Belcher.
In his final UFC bout, he lost a unanimous decision to Nate Quarry at UFC 83 in Montreal Canada. Starnes was criticized by MMA pundits and fans for avoiding Quarry for the majority of the match, leading to a new nickname, "The Running Man." Many speculate that his poor performance in this fight was one of the main reasons he was released by the UFC.
Independent promotions
After fighting for the UFC, Starnes worked on improving his athleticism and conditioning to bolster his areas of expertise, which are Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling.[6]
Starnes took the first step back to reinvigorating his career when he defeated Chris Cisneros at the inaugural event for the Destiny MMA promotion on November 15, 2008 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
This was the Surrey native’s first bout since his decision loss to Nate Quarry at UFC 83 in April.[7]
Kalib went on to face Hector Lombard at Cage Fighting Championship 11 on 11 November 2009 in Sydney, Australia. Starnes was defeated by Hector Lombard by way of submission.
On March 6, 2010, Starnes fought in the main event against Marcus Hicks (not to be confused with former WEC Lightweight title contender Marcus Hicks) at the 2nd Aggression Fighting Championship show in Victoria, B.C., Canada. Starnes entered the ring to the children's song "Do you know the Muffin Man", a song picked by Starnes' daughter. The fight did not last long, Starnes dominated Hicks in the first round with a quick submission (rear naked choke) victory.[8]
Starnes faced Falaniko Vitale at X-1 World Events Champions 2 on March 20, 2010 for the X-1 middleweight championship. He lost the fight via ezekiel choke submission in the first round.[9]
Starnes faced and defeated former King of the Cage light heavyweight champion Nick ("The Juggernaut") Hinchliffe July 17, 2010 at Aggression Fighting Championship for the middle weight title. The fight started well for Hinchliffe who had Starnes on his back, but Starnes finished the fight with an arm-bar.[10]
Starnes lost a (unanimous) decision at his debut for Canadian promotion Ringside MMA taking on former UFC title contender Patrick Cote on April 9, 2011.
Kalib faced Rodrigo Carvalho in a 10-minute B.J.J. Super fight in Surrey, BC in early March the same year. He lost due to a gi choke by Carvalho.
In June 2011, Kalib Starnes announced his retirement.
On September 15, 2012 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre, Kalib came out of retirement and fought Joe Doerksen. Doerksen defeated Starnes by a (unanimous) decision. The fight was considered fight of the night performance for Starnes.
After almost 8 months of no fighting, Starnes got back into the Aggression Fighting Championship cage on May 19, 2013. This time fighting David Perron. Starnes won the fight by TKO at 4:05 in the second round.[11] He announced afterwards in an interview that he'd like to possibly fight in the UFC one more time before retiring.[12]
On April 26, 2013, it was announced that Starnes would step up to Heavyweight and fight Tim Hague at Aggression Fighting Championship 19 in Edmonton, Alberta July 5, 2013.[13] Starnes, who has competed at middleweight throughout much of his career, moved up to heavyweight for the bout.
Starnes defeated fellow UFC vet Tim Hague by a 30-27 (unanimous) decision win on July 5, 2013.[14]
Starnes defeated Clay Davidson on August 9, 2013 at Five Star Fight League 8: Barefoot Beach Battle, by TKO at 1:21 of the first round in Penticton, BC
World Series of Fighting
In October 2013, Starnes signed with World Series of Fighting.
Kalib faced Dwayne Lewis on December 7, 2013 at World Series of Fighting 7: Johnson vs. Kyle.[15] He won the fight via knockout due to an elbow in the second round.
Titan Fighting Championships
Kalib faced Dave Herman on 16 May 2014 at Titan FC 28. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Championships and accomplishments
- Armageddon Fighting Championship
- AFC Middleweight Champion (One time)
- Fight of the Night (One time)
- Destiny MMA
- Destiny MMA Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 29 matches | 17 wins | 11 losses |
| By knockout | 5 | 4 |
| By submission | 10 | 2 |
| By decision | 2 | 5 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 17–11–1 | Tim Hague | TKO (leg kick) | XFFC 9: Conviction | April 15, 2016 | 4 | 0:13 | Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada | Lost XFFC Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 17–10–1 | Craig Hudson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | XFFC 7: Bad Blood | October 9, 2015 | 2 | 4:31 | Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada | Won vacant XFFC Heavyweight Championship. |
| Loss | 16–10–1 | Rodney Wallace | Decision (split) | HKFC: Hard Knocks 44 | June 26, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | |
| Loss | 16–9–1 | Dave Herman | Decision (unanimous) | Titan FC 28: Brilz vs. Davis | May 16, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Newkirk, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 16–8–1 | Dwayne Lewis | KO (elbow) | WSOF 7 | December 7, 2013 | 2 | 1:02 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | WSOF Debut. |
| Win | 15–8–1 | Clay Davidson | TKO (punches) | Fivestar Fight League 8: Barefoot Beach Battle | August 9, 2013 | 1 | 1:21 | Penticton, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Win | 14–8–1 | Tim Hague | Decision (unanimous) | AFC 19: Undisputed | July 5, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Heavyweight bout. |
| Win | 13–8–1 | David Perron | TKO (punches) | AFC 18: Mayhem | May 19, 2013 | 2 | 4:05 | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Loss | 12–8–1 | Joe Doerksen | Decision (unanimous) | AFC 11: Takeover | September 15, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 12–7–1 | John Salter | KO (punches) | AFC 6: Conviction | June 18, 2011 | 2 | 4:13 | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Loss | 12–6–1 | Patrick Côté | Decision (unanimous) | Ringside 10: Cote vs. Starnes | April 9, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| Win | 12–5–1 | Matt MacGrath | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Wreck MMA – Strong and Proud | January 28, 2011 | 2 | 3:14 | Gatineau, Quebec, Canada | |
| Win | 11–5–1 | Nick Hinchliffe | Submission (armbar) | AFC 3: Evolution | July 17, 2010 | 1 | 3:49 | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | Won the AFC Middleweight Championship. |
| Loss | 10–5–1 | Falaniko Vitale | Submission (ezekiel choke) | X-1 - Champions 2 | March 20, 2010 | 1 | 2:22 | Hawaii, United States | For the X-1 middleweight championship. |
| Win | 10–4–1 | Marcus Hicks | Submission (rear-naked choke) | AFC 2: Aftershock | March 6, 2010 | 1 | 1:22 | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Loss | 9–4–1 | Hector Lombard | Submission (punches) | Cage Fighting Championships 11 | November 20, 2009 | 1 | 1:55 | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | For the CFC middleweight championship. |
| Win | 9–3–1 | Chris Cisneros | Submission (armbar) | Destiny MMA: Pier Fighter 1 | November 15, 2008 | 2 | 4:47 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Won Destiny MMA Light Heavyweight Championship. |
| Loss | 8–3–1 | Nate Quarry | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 83 | April 19, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| Loss | 8–2–1 | Alan Belcher | TKO (doctor stoppage) | UFC 77 | October 20, 2007 | 2 | 1:39 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | |
| Win | 8–1–1 | Chris Leben | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 71 | May 26, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 7–1–1 | Yushin Okami | TKO (punches) | UFC 64: Unstoppable | October 14, 2006 | 3 | 1:40 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 7–0–1 | Danny Abbadi | Submission (rear-naked choke) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team Ortiz vs. Team Shamrock Finale | June 24, 2006 | 1 | 2:56 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | UFC Debut. |
| Win | 6–0–1 | Jason MacDonald | TKO (punches) | National Fighting Challenge 5 | November 25, 2005 | 1 | 4:37 | North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Win | 5–0–1 | Mike Yackulic | Submission (punches) | World Freestyle Fighting 9: Wild West | September 17, 2005 | 1 | 2:21 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Win | 4–0–1 | Jason Zazelenchuk | Submission (rear-naked choke) | National Fighting Challenge 3 | May 13, 2005 | 1 | 0:42 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Win | 3–0–1 | Gerry Elliot | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | World Freestyle Fighting 8: Dominance | March 26, 2005 | 1 | N/A | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Win | 2–0–1 | Ramin Astaseare | TKO (punches) | National Fighting Challenge 2 | February 18, 2005 | 1 | 1:49 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Win | 1–0–1 | Wayne Atkinson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Adrenaline Fighting Championships 1 | July 24, 2003 | 1 | 2:22 | Langley, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Draw | 0–0–1 | Leonard Carter | Draw | Ultimate Warrior Challenge | August 2, 1998 | 1 | N/A | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Mixed martial arts exhibition record
| Exhibition record breakdown | ||
| 2 matches | 1 win | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| By submission | 0 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1–1 | Kendall Grove | Verbal submission (rib injury) | The Ultimate Fighter 3 | 3 | 0:30 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Semi-finals. | |
| Win | 1–0 | Mike Stine | KO (punches) | The Ultimate Fighter 3 | 1 | 2:09 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Elimination bout. |
References
- "Kalib Starnes stats". FightMagazine.com. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
- "Kalib Starnes - Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
- "Fivestar Fight League 8 Weigh In Results from Penticton, BC - News". mmacanada.net. 2013-09-09. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
- "UFC Fighter/TUF 3 cast member Kalib Starnes Joins ATT!". American Top Team. July 18, 2007. Archived from the original on October 22, 2007. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
- "MMAjunkie.com Source: Chris Leben and Kalib Starnes to Fight in May". MMAjunkie.com. 2007-02-14. Retrieved 2013-07-25.
- "Kalib Starnes: Could he find himself back in the UFC?". Windsor Star. 2010-03-06. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
- "MM-Eh: Bocek, Starnes Talk Victory; GSP-Silva Possible". SHERDOG. 2008-11-28. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
- "Top MMA News Recaps AFC 2". Top MMA News. 2010-03-07. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
- "Vitale Submits Starnes at 'Champions 2'". SHERDOG. 2010-03-21. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- "AFC 3 results: Robert Drysdale MMA debut a success, Kalib Starnes wins a title". MMA MANIA. 2010-07-18. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- "AFC 18: Mayhem – Victoria – May 19". Top MMA News. Retrieved 2013-03-27.
- "Kalib Starnes Joins Top MMA Radio". Top MMA News. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
- "Tim Hague Returns to Face Kalib Starnes at AFC 19 July 5th in Edmonton". Top MMA News. Retrieved 2013-04-26.
- "AFC 19: Ford, Ronson Pick Up Titles, Starnes Defeats Fellow UFC Vet Hague". FC Fighter. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
- "World Series of Fighting 7 – Vancouver – December 7accessdate=2013-10-11".
