15 Facts About Rick Cheek

Richard P "Rick" Cheek was born on October 4,1977 and is an American kickboxer and mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division.

Rick Cheek holds notable wins over WSOF standout Dave Huckaba in MMA, 2001 K-1 Japan Grand Prix Champion Nicholas Pettas and multiple time world kickboxing champion Mike Sheppard.

Rick Cheek was the United States Air Force boxing champion and started training in kickboxing and Muay Thai in 2000 at the age of twenty-three.

Rick Cheek followed this up with the IKF's Amateur California Muay Thai title when he stopped Ben Davis with low kicks in round one in Fairfield, California on March 26,2005.

Rick Cheek was absent from both K-1 Las Vegas events in 2006 due to a torn ACL and MCL he sustained in February 2006.

Rick Cheek stopped Imani Lee with a barrage of unanswered punches in round three in the quarter-finals but was unable to continue in the tournament due to a leg injury and was replaced by Doug Viney, who eventually went on to win the title.

In early 2008, Rick Cheek fought for the Miami Force in the World Combat League and, on June 20,2008, faced Patrice Quarteron for the vacant IKF World Super Heavyweight Muay Thai title in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Rick Cheek was sent to the canvas early with a flurry of punches and elbows.

Rick Cheek soon made his way back to K-1 to fight in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Hawaii in Honolulu on August 9,2008.

Rick Cheek won by TKO against Kyokushin karate stylist Nicholas Pettas in the quarter-finals when Pettas aggravated a groin injury sustained in training early in the fight.

Rick Cheek was then eliminated by the eventual tournament winner Gokhan Saki in the semis.

Rick Cheek was floored with low kicks before being crumpled with a liver punch towards the end of round one.

Rick Cheek struggled with the knees of Banks, being floored by them on four occasions throughout the match.

Rick Cheek suffered a one-sided beating at the hands of Catalin Morosanu, after re-tearing his MCL in the first round in their SuperKombat World Grand Prix 7 in Varna, Bulgaria bout on July 7,2012.

Rick Cheek was dropped five times, forcing referee Cezar Gheorghe to call a halt to the bout in the second round.