Skip Hall (martial artist)

J. "Skip" Hall (born September 9, 1944) is a former mixed martial artist and IBM sales manager. At 57, "Skip" claimed to be the oldest pro-debuting fighter, and in 2008 at the age of 63 he gained a measure of notoriety as an unusually old combat sports athlete. He was a participant in the Jasper City Slugfest in August 2006 against former UFC Superfight Champion Dan Severn, and retired in 2009 from active MMA fighting after declaring himself "Oldest Active MMA Fighter in history."[1]

Skip Hall
BornJ. Skip Hall
(1944-09-09) September 9, 1944 (age 80)
Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Other namesNo Mercy, Disturbed
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)
DivisionLight Heavyweight
TeamSkip Hall's Martial Arts Center
Mixed martial arts record
Total8
Wins2
By submission2
Losses5
By knockout2
By submission3
No contests1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Biography

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Hall served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Korea as a Clerk Typist. He later became something of a novelty attraction as a mixed martial arts fighter over the age of 60 with limited in-ring success. In 2008, Skip's simultaneous status as an active fighter and senior citizen - as well as since-debunked claims about his special forces background - led to a series of uncritical profiles by various media outlets.[2][3]

Military service claims

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Hall claimed he served in the U.S. Army Special Forces during the Vietnam war, as a "5th SF SOG A Team Leader."- a leadership position in a legendary special operations unit that conducted clandestine missions throughout the conflict.

Attention to Hall's Special Forces claims arose due to a profile written in 2008 by NBC Sports writer Mike Chiappetta.[4] That article led to a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request for his official records by Special Forces veterans who were not convinced of Hall's claims. The FOIA report clearly stated Hall did not serve in the U.S. Army Special Forces, nor did he ever deploy to Vietnam as he had claimed for years. His service was as a 71B (Clerk Typist), stationed in Korea.[5]

Mixed martial arts record

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Professional record breakdown
8 matches 2 wins 5 losses
By knockout 0 2
By submission 2 3
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
NC 2–5 (1) Kelly Rundle No Contest March 24, 2008 1 N/A Alabama, United States Originally a TKO loss, the result was changed to a "no contest" after Hall claimed to have been poked in the eye.
Loss 2–5 Dan Severn Submission (choke) Jasper City Slugfest August 26, 2006 1 N/A Alabama, United States
Win 2–4 Chuck Costello Submission (rear naked choke) Worldwide Fighting Championship - Rumble in the Rockies January 21, 2006 1 2:14 Loveland, Colorado, United States
Loss 1–4 Anthony Barbier TKO (punches) Reality Combat Fighting - Duel in the Delta September 25, 2004 1 1:25 Runica, Mississippi, United States
Loss 1–3 Graeme Hussey Submission (guillotine choke) Pride and Glory 2 - Battle of the Ages April 10, 2004 1 N/A Eldon Square, England
Win 1–2 James Wakefield Submission (guillotine choke) International Cage Brawl August 13, 2003 1 N/A Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Loss 0–2 Bob Ostovich Submission (choke) Underground Fight Club 8 February 22, 2003 1 2:10 Alabama, United States
Loss 0–1 Michael Buchkovich TKO (corner stoppage) Reality Superfighting 4 - Circle of Truth September 22, 2001 1 1:46 Savannah, Georgia, United States

References

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  1. ^ Chiapetta, Mike (2008-03-19). "The baddest grandfather on the planet". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on 2008-03-23. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  2. ^ "Meet Skip Hall, MMA's Oldest Fighter". USA Today. 2008-03-20. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  3. ^ Currie, J.P. (2016-03-22). "John John Florence Didn't Win The Eddie; Clyde Aikau Did". The Inertia. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  4. ^ Chiapetta, Mike (2008-03-19). "The baddest grandfather on the planet". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on 2008-03-23. Retrieved 2020-02-17.
  5. ^ Jordan, Bryant (2011-05-24). "Security Expert's SF Record Questioned". Military.com. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
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