Back بيني أوركيديز Arabic بينى اوركيديز ARZ Benni Urkides Azerbaijani بێنی ئورکویدێز CKB Benny Urquidez German Benny Urquidez Spanish Benny Urquidez Basque بنی ارکیدز Persian Benny Urquidez French Benny Urquidez Italian
| Benny Urquidez | |
|---|---|
 Urquidez in 1998 | |
| Born | June 20, 1952 Tarzana, California, U.S. |
| Other names | The Jet |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[1] |
| Weight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st) |
| Division | Lightweight Super Lightweight Welterweight |
| Style | Kenpo-Shotokan, Ukidokan Kickboxing |
| Fighting out of | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Team | The Jet Center |
| Years active | 1974–1985, 1989, 1993 |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 67 |
| Wins | 63 |
| By knockout | 57 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Notable students | Pete Cunningham, David Lee Roth, John Cusack, Richard Norton, Dave Mustaine, Duff McKagan |
Benny Urquidez (born June 20, 1952) is an American former professional kickboxer, martial arts choreographer and actor.[2] Nicknamed "The Jet", Urquidez was a non-contact karate competitor who later pioneered full-contact fighting in the United States.[3][4] He made the transition from point to full-contact karate in 1974, the year of its inception in the US, frequently fighting in bouts where the rules were ambiguous and contrasts in styles were dramatic. Urquidez is also known for once holding the rare achievement of six world titles in five different weight divisions, and remained largely undefeated in his 27-year career. His only loss came in a Muay Thai match which was shrouded in controversy, as Urquidez had only agreed to a no-decision exhibition, a clause which was ignored when the fight had ended.[5]
Between 1974 and 1993, he amassed a documented professional record of 49–1–1 (win-loss-draw) with 35 knockouts and two controversial no-contests, although he is also supposed to have an additional record of 10–0–1 (10 KOs) in undocumented professional fights, making a total of 59–1–2–2 (45 KOs).[6] However, sources vary with Ratings listing Urquidez as 63–0–1, (57 knockouts) and on his own official webpage, Urquidez lists his fight record as 200–0, and says he was 63–0, with 57 knockouts in title defenses. Also, he claims to have been undefeated in the "Adult Black Belt Division" prior to entering full-contact karate. Black Belt magazine voted Urquidez "Competitor of the Year" in 1978.[7] In 2019, he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.[8]
He has appeared in occasional acting roles, including the Jackie Chan movies Wheels on Meals (1984) and Dragons Forever (1988), and played a hitman in George Armitage's Grosse Pointe Blank (1997).[9]
- ^ Colvin, Richard (November 28, 1993). "'Jet' Fighter's Final Mission : Kick-Boxing Legend Urquidez Driven in Comeback Bid". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
- ^ "Kick Boxer Benny the Jet, at 41, Readies for Bout With World Champion". Los Angeles Times. November 30, 1993. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
- ^ Henson, Steve (August 17, 1985). "The Jet: Born to Brawl, Benny Urquidez Lived Through a Death Match to Become One of the Greatest Unknown Fighters in America". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
- ^ Colvin, Richard (November 28, 1993). "'Jet' Fighter's Final Mission: Kick-Boxing Legend Urquidez Driven in Comeback Bid". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
- ^ Weiner, Don (December 5, 1993). "Urquidez Jets Way to Victory, Netting 6th Kickboxing Crown". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
- ^ "BENNY 'THE JET' URQUIDEZ". S.T.A.R. Archived from the original on August 27, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
- ^ "Black Belt Hall of Fame". Black Belt Magazine. Archived from the original on March 9, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
- ^ Dr. Robert Goldman (March 14, 2019). "2019 International Sports Hall of Fame Inductees". www.sportshof.org. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
- ^ Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) - IMDb, retrieved December 27, 2021
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