“The Beast” walked away from the sport in 2013 at the age of 54, having compiled a 101-19-7 record across nearly two decades of active competition. A two-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Arizona State University, Severn burst onto the mixed martial arts scene with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1994 and went on to win the UFC 5 and Ultimate Ultimate 1995 tournaments before eventually capturing the UFC superfight title. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on April 16, 2005.
As Severn’s exploits fade further and further into memory, a look at some of the numbers that accompanied him throughout his tenure:
63: Years of age for Severn, who was born on June 8, 1958 in Coldwater, Michigan.
54: Severn victories by submission, accounting for 53% of his career total (101). His methods of choice included 13 keylocks, 10 rear-naked chokes, six arm-triangle chokes, four armbars, three neck cranks and two kimuras. Severn owns 23 other victories by knockout or technical knockout and 24 more by decision.
7: Draws on the Severn resume. He fought to stalemates with Jerry Vrbanovic, Homer Moore, Pat Stano, Travis Fulton, Pat Miletich, Kimo Leopoldo and Jeremy Horn.
19: Consecutive calendar years in which Severn made at least one appearance. He went 2-1 in 1994, 6-1 in 1995, 6-0 in 1996, 6-1-2 in 1997, 8-0-1 in 1998, 7-0 in 1999, 8-2 in 2000, 5-1-1 in 2001, 6-0 in 2002, 5-1-2 in 2003, 7-4-1 in 2004, 5-3 in 2005, 6-0 in 2006, 9-1 in 2007, 3-1 in 2008, 3-1 in 2009, 5-0 in 2010, 3-2in 2011 and 1-0 in 2012.
44: Seconds needed for Severn to submit Robert Stines with a neck crank under the Dangerzone banner on May 20, 2000. As one of five sub-minute stoppage victories on his ledger, it ranks as the fastest finish of his 127-fight career.
24: Straight outings without a loss for Severn between May 10, 1997 and Nov. 22, 1999—a run during which he compiled a 21-0-3 record.
222: Total strikes by which Severn outlanded David “Tank” Abbott in the semifinals of the Ultimate Ultimate 1995 tournament on Dec. 16, 1995. He connected 233 times while absorbing only 11 shots in return.
12: Countries in which Severn competed as a mixed martial artist. He fought in the United States, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, England, Canada, Australia, South Korea, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, Ireland and the Czech Republic.
260: Combined wins between the 18 men who defeated Severn: Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Mark Coleman, Josh Barnett, Pedro Rizzo, Jonathan Wiezorek, Ulysses Castro (twice), Seth Petruzelli, Tony Bonello, James Thompson, Bob Stines, Victor Valimaki, Joop Kasteel, Dave Legeno, Pavel Botka, William Richey, Ryan Fortin and Lee Beane. They sport a cumulative record of 260-128-8.
6,592: Days spent by Severn as a professional mixed martial artist. He debuted with a first-round rear-naked choke submission of Anthony Macias at UFC 4 on Dec. 16, 1994 and announced his retirement on Jan. 1, 2013.