5 Things You Might Not Know About Ben Rothwell

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Ben Rothwell may have many more fights behind him than in front of him, but his competitive fire still burns hot enough to keep him relevant in the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division.

Rothwell will seek his fourth win in five outings when he faces American Top Team’s Marcos Rogerio de Lima in the UFC Fight Night 197 co-main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The Duke Roufus and Pat Miletich protégé has compiled a 9-7 record inside the Octagon—a run that includes victories over Josh Barnett, Alistair Overeem and Matt Mitrione. Rothwell last competed at UFC Fight Night 188, where he submitted Chris Barnett with a guillotine choke in the second round of their May 22 pairing.

As Rothwell zeroes in on his three-round battle with Rogerio de Lima, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He chose on-the-job training.

Rothwell accepted his first bout as a pro at the age of 19, as he needed just 21 seconds to prompt a corner stoppage against Robert Schinkel under the Freestyle Combat Challenge banner on Jan. 6, 2001. He went 4-1 in five appearances prior to his 20th birthday, losing only to future UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia.

2. He often takes the judges out of play.

“Big Ben” has proven himself as one of the heavyweight division’s most prodigious finishers during a career that now spans more than two decades. He has delivered 35 of his 39 victories (89.7%) by knockout, technical knockout or submission, 28 of them inside one round.

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3. Reliability has been a selling point.

Rothwell has endured just one losing streak during his 52-fight career. He suffered three straight defeats—all by decision—to Junior dos Santos, Blagoy Ivanov and Andrei Arlovski between April 10, 2016 and July 20, 2019.

4. The ultimate prize has eluded him.

Despite his consistency, success and durability, Rothwell has still never fought for a major mixed martial arts championship. However, his trophy case does not sit completely bare. Rothwell did capture the United States Mixed Martial Arts heavyweight title with a 74-second technical knockout of Johnathan Ivey in September 2002.

5. He left an imprint at the highest level.

Rothwell ranks second among active UFC heavyweights in submission attempts (six), second in submission average per 15 minutes (0.53), fifth in appearances (16), fifth in total fight time (2:50:08), fifth in control time (32:18), fifth in significant strikes landed (679), sixth in wins (nine) and sixth in total strikes landed (842).