# Kimo Leopoldo
**Kimo Leopoldo** is a German-born American retired mixed martial artist, a heavyweight best known for his 1994 [UFC 3](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-3) fight against [Royce Gracie](https://www.edgepedia.org/royce-gracie), in which the muscular 250-pound newcomer pushed the two-time tournament champion harder than any opponent before him. His professional MMA record stands at 10 wins, 7 losses, and 1 draw, with a 2-4 mark inside the UFC.[1](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo/) • [2](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/bouts/2554-ufc-3-royce-gracie-vs-kimo-leopoldo)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Christian Kimo Leopoldo[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745) |
| Born | Germany; father Dennis was born in Hawaii, and Kimo was raised in Waikiki[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745) |
| Physical | 6'3", 235 lbs fighting weight; he came down from 280 pounds to fight at 235 for the Varelans bout[1](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo/) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745) |
| Pro record | 10-7-1 (win-loss-draw); UFC record 2-4 across 6 fights[1](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo/) |
| Signature fight | UFC 3, September 9, 1994: lost to Royce Gracie by armlock at 4:40 of round 1 after weighing in at 250 lbs to Gracie's 176 lbs[2](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/bouts/2554-ufc-3-royce-gracie-vs-kimo-leopoldo) |
| Notable wins | Paul Varelans (KO/TKO, Ultimate Ultimate '96), David "Tank" Abbott (arm-triangle choke, UFC 43)[4](https://combatrics.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745) |
| Last fight | July 2005[1](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo/) |
## Early life and persona
Christian Kimo Leopoldo was born in Germany, where his Hawaiian-born father Dennis was serving in the military and met Kimo's mother. The family moved to Hawaii and raised him in Waikiki.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745) When he entered the sport in 1994, he was billed as a "warrior in the service of the Lord", dedicated his fighting career to his faith, and was a practicing minister.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745) His ring entrances, including the giant crucifix he carried, made him one of the recognizable figures of the early UFC era.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745)
His listed background was a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, and he later trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with UFC veteran Joe Moreira.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745)
## The UFC 3 fight with Royce Gracie
Leopoldo made his Octagon debut at UFC 3: The [American Dream](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-dream) on September 9, 1994, at the Grady Cole Center in [Charlotte, North Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlotte-north-carolina), in a tournament quarter-final against Royce Gracie, who had won the first two UFC tournaments.[2](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/bouts/2554-ufc-3-royce-gracie-vs-kimo-leopoldo) The bout was open weight: Leopoldo weighed 250.0 lbs against Gracie's 176.0 lbs, a difference of nearly 75 pounds.[2](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/bouts/2554-ufc-3-royce-gracie-vs-kimo-leopoldo)
Gracie won by armlock submission at 4:40 of round 1, refereed by John McCarthy, but the fight was one of the hardest of his UFC run. Leopoldo out-landed Gracie in significant strikes, 6 of 9 attempted to Gracie's 2 of 6, landed 1 of 1 takedowns, and scored a reversal.[2](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/bouts/2554-ufc-3-royce-gracie-vs-kimo-leopoldo) Contemporary accounts describe it as one of the most dramatic and hard-fought victories of Gracie's octagon career, and the fight is credited with showing cracks in the perceived invincibility of the [Gracie family](https://www.edgepedia.org/gracie-family)'s [Brazilian jiu-jitsu](https://www.edgepedia.org/brazilian-jiu-jitsu).[5](https://mixedmartialarts.com/ufc/royce-gracie-has-a-hard-time-against-kimo-leopoldo-at-ufc-3/) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745)
## UFC career, 1994 to 1998
Leopoldo's six UFC appearances spanned a decade. After the Gracie loss he met [Ken Shamrock](https://www.edgepedia.org/ken-shamrock) at UFC 8: David vs Goliath in February 1996, a title fight in which Shamrock secured a kneebar and Leopoldo tapped just over four minutes into the first round.[4](https://combatrics.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745)
His best UFC-era result came at Ultimate Ultimate '96 in December 1996, where he stopped Paul Varelans by KO/TKO at 9:08 of round 1. Leopoldo had cut from 280 pounds to 235 for the bout; after a grueling standing and ground exchange he rained punches on the exhausted Varelans until the corner threw in the towel, though Leopoldo himself could not continue in the tournament afterward.[4](https://combatrics.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745)
His final UFC appearance of that period came at UFC 16: Battle in the Bayou in March 1998, a decision loss to Tsuyoshi Kohsaka. Leopoldo controlled long stretches on the mat and reached mount, but gassed as Kohsaka chopped away with kicks and punches; the bout went to overtime, where Kohsaka earned a clear unanimous decision.[4](https://combatrics.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745)
## Japan, K-1, and other promotions
Between and after his UFC runs, Leopoldo fought widely. He competed in UWFi shoot wrestling against [Yoshihiro Takayama](https://www.edgepedia.org/yoshihiro-takayama) and in the 1996 S-Cup against [Kazushi Sakuraba](https://www.edgepedia.org/kazushi-sakuraba), winning by rear choke at 4:22 of the first round in a bout whose legitimacy has been questioned.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745) In a unique U-Japan event he beat pro wrestler [Bam Bam Bigelow](https://www.edgepedia.org/bam-bam-bigelow) by strikes and rear choke.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745)
He was part of the very first PRIDE show, fighting [Dan Severn](https://www.edgepedia.org/dan-severn) to a draw in a bout originally planned against [Tank Abbott](https://www.edgepedia.org/tank-abbott).[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745) He also fought under K-1 kickboxing rules, losing to K-1 champion Masaaki Satake by knockout and later to [Bob Sapp](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-sapp) and Hiromi Amada; the Sapp bout, announced for August 15, was only the second time Leopoldo had worn boxing gloves in a K-1 bout.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745) • [6](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Sapp-vs-Kimo-Announced-for-Aug-15-K1-1095) At WFA 2 he beat Tim Lajcik by TKO after Lajcik suffered a broken toe.[3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745) His career ended with a July 2005 fight, against Ikuhisa Minowa at PRIDE Bushido 8.[1](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo/) • [7](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/PRIDE-Bushido-8-The-Lightweight-Wars-Continue-3105)
## Comeback, 2002 to 2005
Leopoldo returned to competition in 2002 and won his first two bouts back. At UFC 43: Meltdown in June 2003 he submitted David "Tank" Abbott with an arm-triangle choke at 1:59 of round 1, taking Abbott down from a kick, passing to mount, and sinking the choke.[4](https://combatrics.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745)
The comeback ended at UFC 48: Payback in June 2004, a rematch with Ken Shamrock eight years after their first meeting. Shamrock took Leopoldo down, worked to mount, and finished the fight by KO/TKO at 1:26 of round 1.[4](https://combatrics.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745) One more bout followed in Japan in July 2005 before his retirement from competition.[1](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo/) • [7](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/PRIDE-Bushido-8-The-Lightweight-Wars-Continue-3105)
## Fighting style and record
Leopoldo fought as a heavyweight pressure fighter, a striker and ground-and-pound fighter who developed into a submission student over his career.[4](https://combatrics.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo) • [3](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745) His career statistics reflect that profile: 48.1% significant strike accuracy, 1.2 significant strikes landed per minute against 2.7 absorbed, 40.0% takedown accuracy with 80.0% takedown defense, and 1.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes. Half of his wins came by KO/TKO and half by submission, with no decision wins, and his average fight lasted 4:56.[1](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo/) Across his UFC fights, 83.3% ended inside the distance.[1](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo/)
His opposition was strong: the average opponent he faced in the UFC carried a combined record of 29-15 (65.9%) at fight time, and among the fighters who beat him the average was 17-4 (81.0%).[1](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo/) His career disclosed earnings totaled $55,000.[8](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/kimo-leopoldo)
## References
1. [Kimo Leopoldo UFC Stats & Fight History, FightingData](https://fightingdata.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo/)
2. [Royce Gracie vs. Kimo Leopoldo, UFC 3, Tapology](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/bouts/2554-ufc-3-royce-gracie-vs-kimo-leopoldo)
3. [UFC 48: Payback Preview - Ken Shamrock vs Kimo Leopoldo, Sherdog](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/UFC-48-Payback-Preview-1745)
4. [Kimo Leopoldo - UFC Stats, Record & Fighter Rating, Combatrics](https://combatrics.com/fighters/kimo-leopoldo)
5. [Royce Gracie has a hard time against Kimo Leopoldo at UFC 3, MixedMartialArts.com](https://mixedmartialarts.com/ufc/royce-gracie-has-a-hard-time-against-kimo-leopoldo-at-ufc-3/)
6. [Sapp vs Kimo Announced for Aug 15 K-1, Sherdog](https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Sapp-vs-Kimo-Announced-for-Aug-15-K1-1095)
7. [PRIDE Bushido 8: Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Kimo Leopoldo, Sherdog](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/9/PRIDE-Bushido-8-The-Lightweight-Wars-Continue-3105)
8. [Kimo Leopoldo, MMA Fighter Page, Tapology](https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/fighters/kimo-leopoldo)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › Heavyweight and light heavyweight fighters › Heavyweight fighters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license