Jeffrey Carl "Jeff" Blatnick was an American super heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler and sports commentator.
22 Facts About Jeff Blatnick
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Jeff Blatnick won NCAA Division II heavyweight wrestling championships in 1978 and 1979 and won the Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling in 1984 after battling back from cancer.
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Jeff Blatnick served as the UFC commissioner and was instrumental in helping the UFC get regulated by the athletic commissions, which kept the sport of mixed martial arts alive during its dark ages in the United States at the time.
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Jeff Blatnick is among the people credited with giving the sport of mixed martial arts its name.
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Jeff Blatnick served as an MMA judge for the New Jersey athletic commission.
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Jeff Blatnick began his career wrestling in 1973 at Niskayuna High School in Niskayuna, New York.
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Jeff Blatnick retired from wrestling after a second round with cancer, which required chemotherapy.
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Jeff Blatnick served as a television commentator during the 1988 Summer Olympics.
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Jeff Blatnick was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999.
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Jeff Blatnick served on the board of wrestlers for USA wrestling and was a commentator for the NCAA Division I wrestling championships.
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From 1994 to 2001 for UFC 4 to UFC 32, Jeff Blatnick served as a commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and was officially named as the commissioner of the UFC during UFC 17.
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Bob Meyrowitz, the original owner of the UFC, tasked Jeff Blatnick to push the sport forward.
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Jeff Blatnick traveled around the country, educating regulators and changing perceptions about a sport that was thought to be bloodthirsty and inhumane.
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Jeff Blatnick sat cageside in Atlantic City months later, when UFC held its first event regulated under the unified rules, headlined fittingly by two outstanding wrestlers, Kevin Randleman and Blatnick's favorite fighter, Randy Couture.
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Jeff Blatnick has been credited with giving the sport of mixed martial arts its name.
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Jeff Blatnick authored the Mixed Martial Arts Council Manual and was licensed as a referee and judge with the New Jersey commission.
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On May 20,2015, it was announced that Jeff Blatnick would be inducted into the new contributors wing of the UFC Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport and organization.
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Jeff Blatnick died on October 24,2012, as a result of complications from heart surgery.
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Jeff Blatnick's death sent shock waves through both MMA and wrestling, and resulted in massive outpouring from fans and media in remembrance of Blatnick's life.
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At the time of his death, Jeff Blatnick was a varsity wrestling coach at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School, and worked as a motivational speaker.
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Jeff Blatnick lived with his wife Lori, son Ian, and daughter Niki in Clifton Park, New York.
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Jeff Blatnick gave his credibility to our sport we all owe him a debt of gratitude.