Benny Urquidez

Quick Facts

Full Name	Benny Urquidez
Occupation	Kickboxer
Date Of Birth	Jun 20, 1952(1952-06-20)
Age	72
Birthplace	Los Angeles
Country	United States
Birth City	California
Horoscope	Gemini

Benny Urquidez Biography

Benny Urquidez is one of the most popular and richest Kickboxer who was born on June 20, 1952 in Los Angeles, California, United States. American actor and kickboxer, often referred to as The Jet, who became the first to introduce full-contact combat. He won six world titles across five weight classes and completed his professional career with over 60 wins.

He starred alongside He performed alongside Jackie Chan in the 1984 film Wheels on Meals. in the 1984 film Wheels on Meals.

Benny began competing in 1958, at the age of five, in “peewee” boxing and wrestling in Los Angeles. His martial arts instruction started when he was seven years old; his first formal teacher was Bill Ryusaki. Urquidez received his black belt at the age of 14, a highly unusual feat in the 1960s. His siblings also achieved the rank of black belt. His sister Lilly Rodriguez was a pioneer in kickboxing for women., and their late brother Reuben Urquidez appeared with Benny in a documentary on the combination martial art budojujitsu.

He entered the point circuit in 1964 and earned a reputation as a colorful fighter. At the 1972 Santa Monica Kempo Open, Urquidez lost in the finals to Brian Strian. In the 1973 Internationals, he fought John Natividad in what is considered one of the greatest non-contact bouts in history. In an unprecedented 25-point overtime match, Natividad won the match 13–12, receiving the Grand Title and the $2,500 purse. In May 1974, at the PAWAK Tournament, Urquidez lost a 4–1 decision to Joe Lewis. He also competed in England and Belgium as a member of Ed Parker’s 1974 US team. Also in 1974, he began his move away from the non-contact style by entering and winning the World Series of Martial Arts Championship, effectively a tough-man contest with few rules. Over the next two decades, he fought under various kickboxing organizations (NKL, WPKO, Professional Karate Association (PKA), World Kickboxing Association (WKA), AJKBA, Shin-Kakutojutsu Federation, NJPW and MTN) to amass a record of 58 wins with no losses. This undefeated record, though official, is controversial and highly disputed.

The couple and their wife Sara are members of the Blackfoot American Indian tribe. His mother was wrestler, while his father boxer.

Benny Urquidez Net Worth

Benny Urquidez is one of the richest Kickboxer from United States. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Benny Urquidez 's net worth $3 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)

He earned his black belt for the first time in martial arts when he just 14 years old.

He was named as Black Belt Magazine’s 1978 Competition of the Year.

Benny Urquidez (born June 20, 1952) is an American kickboxer, martial arts choreographer and actor. Nicknamed “The Jet”, Urquidez was a non-contact karate competitor who later pioneered full-contact fighting in the United States. 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.

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Benny Urquidez height 5 ft 6 in Benny weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Who is Benny Urquidez Dating?

According to our records, Benny Urquidez married to Sara Urquidez. As of December 1, 2023, Benny Urquidez’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record : We have no records of past relationships for Benny Urquidez. You may help us to build the dating records for Benny Urquidez!

In 1977, Urquidez traveled to Japan and fought under the WKA’s compromise US–Japan rules which included leg kicks and knees to the body. He defeated Katsuyuki Suzuki by KO in the 6th round (August 1977) as part of the professional wrestling event in which Antonio Inoki fought Everett Eddy in what was said to be a wrestler/karate fighter mixed match but was a pre- determined pro wrestling match. The Suzuki fight materialized because the newly formed WKA organization could not compete against the PKA in the US. At the same time, Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki, who gained the worldwide fame by fighting Muhammad Ali in the controversial 1976 boxer/wrestler mixed-match in Japan, had been looking for new opponents for what he called the world martial arts championship series. Eventually, promoter Ron Holmes discovered Everett Eddy for Inoki. By that time, Eddy had been coached by Arnold Urquidez, and lost in a knockout in the 1st round to PKA world heavyweight champion Ross Scott in the previous year. In the same event, Benny Urquidez knocked out Howard Jackson, but soon his lightweight title was stripped by the PKA, and so both Eddy and Urquidez had no action in the US, and had to look for fights overseas. Even though the Inoki/Eddy bout was successful, it was the fight between Urquidez and Suzuki, which shocked Japan, where Japanese kickboxing had been very popular. Though never tested for or achieved any rank in Japanese karate, Urquidez has decided to bestow upon himself the rank of sensei, a Japanese honorific term which at the most shallowest term, would mean “guide”.

Facts & Trivia

Benny Ranked on the list of most popular Kickboxer. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in United States. Benny Urquidez celebrates birthday on June 20 of every year.

Meanwhile, on August 2, 1978, Urquidez faced the then fifth-ranked welterweight Thai boxer, Prayout Sittiboonlert, in Tokyo as part of the Shin- Kakutojutsu Organization’s first independent event. The rules for the bout included six two-minute rounds, one-minute intervals, and no elbow contact as per agreement with Urquidez. Urquidez lost a heart-stopping decision to the Thai, who controlled the fight with relentless knee attacks and through the masterful use of Thai clinches. Afterward, Urquidez claimed he had been maneuvered into a competitive bout under unaccustomed “new rules” through deliberate misrepresentations. A rematch was set on October 30, 1978 at the Budokan (Martial Arts Hall) as part of the five world championships card for the Shin-Kakutojutsu Organization. However, for unknown reasons, Urquidez canceled the fight on the day of the event. According to one report, Urquidez did travel to Japan, but was unable to recover sufficiently from a high fever which he contracted from an allergic reaction to pain medication being used to treat a lingering left knuckle injury. This sanctioning organization was among several discontinued in 1981 for alleged ties to organized crime. Both the WKA and the STAR world ratings regarded this bout as muay Thai, a separate sport, and did not include it as part of Urquidez’s rankings and record count for kickboxing.

What happened to Benny the Jet Urquidez?

His ring career largely came to a halt after 1985, and he retired after facing Yoshihisa Tagami at the age of 41. Subsequently, Urquidez became devoted to acting, teaching kickboxing and martial arts choreography.

How many black belts does Benny Urquidez have?

Benny “The Jet” Urquidez is a six-time World Kickboxing Champion and member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame. Urquidez began training at three years old, and competing at five. In 1974, Urquidez entered the world of full- contact karate. That year, the World Series of Martial Arts Championship was held in Hawaii.

How old is Benny the Jet Urquidez?

69 years (June 20, 1952)

Who is Billye Jackson?

Howard Jackson
Born| 27 June 1951 Detroit, Michigan, United States
Died| 7 March 2006 (aged 54) Duarte, California, United States
Style| Chun Kuk Do, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Tang Soo Do, Karate, Boxing
Teacher(s)| Harold Williams, Chuck Norris, Pat E. Johnson

Where is Benny the Jet Rodriguez now?

The 43-year-old former childhood actor has been a firefighter for the Los Angeles Fire Department since 2002 and still lives in the Southern California city.