An iron chinned brawler, Correira began his career in 2000 and came to prominence with a number of knockout wins on the heavyweight scene in his native Hawaii before a two-year stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship between 2002 and 2004.
16 Facts About Wesley Correira
1.
2.
Wesley Correira trained in boxing, judo, karate and wrestling during high school, and eventually made the jump to Mixed Martial Arts.
3.
Wesley Correira earned the nickname "Cabbage" as a child due to his resemblance to the Cabbage Patch Kids.
4.
Wesley Correira debuted on July 22,2000, at the Rings USA: Rising Stars Block B regional qualifying tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii, losing to Eric Pele by submission due to an armbar in round two of their semi-final bout.
5.
The bout was the "Fight of the Night" as Wesley Correira took everything Sylvia could dish out for the first round.
6.
Wesley Correira dropped Tank a couple of time early in the fight and opened a cut, which caused the ringside doctor to stop the fight and give Correira the TKO victory.
7.
Wesley Correira then lost on points to John Marsh and Yoshihiro Nakao in the Rumble on the Rock promotion in his next two outings before bouncing back with a first-round KO of Walt Pels at WEC 14 in Lemoore, California on March 17,2005.
8.
Wesley Correira ventured into the world of kickboxing when he was recruited by K-1 to fight in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii on July 29,2005.
9.
Wesley Correira lost to Antonio Silva by first-round TKO in the co-main event of EliteXC: Destiny in Southaven, Mississippi on February 10,2007.
10.
Wesley Correira made his second foray into the kickboxing ring at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Hawaii on August 9,2008, where a rematch with Eric Esch awaited him at the quarter-final stage.
11.
Wesley Correira spent four months practicing Muay Thai in Bangkok, Thailand before the tournament and his training paid off as he finished Butterbean with a high kick in round two to secure a place in the semis.
12.
Wesley Correira backed out of the fight an hour beforehand after he learned the promotion would be cutting his fight purse in half to cover last-minute costs for his state-required medical tests.
13.
Wesley Correira was suspended for six months and fined $1,000 by the California State Athletic Commission.
14.
Wesley Correira made his comeback to the cage on January 19,2013, at Rumble World Entertainment: Just Scrap 19 in his hometown of Hilo, Hawaii, losing to Deutsch Pu'u by TKO in round one.
15.
Wesley Correira then earned his first MMA win in five years and his first proper submission victory when he tapped Paea Paongo with a Kimura in the second round of the Rumble World Entertainment: Just Scrap Maui 4 main event in Maui, Hawaii.
16.
On May 11,2011, Wesley Correira was arrested on charges of burglary and theft.