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By: Bob Teal MMATorch Specialist
Dean Lister was born in 1976 in San Diego. He was born into a military family, so naturally as a military brat he grew up moving from place to place, including several different states around the country as well as some countries in South America including Venezuela and Panama. Dean’s family settled back in San Diego once he reached his teenage years.
Lister wrestled in high school and was a U.S. national sambo champion; however, he did not get involved with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu until after he graduated. He participated in a preparatory lesson at the Fabio Santos Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy in San Diego. Dean was instantly fascinated by and drawn to the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Lister took to it so well he started competing just six months after beginning his training.
Dean has gone on to win several grappling championships including Abu Dhabi’s absolute weight championship in 2003, and the Abu Dhabi super fight championship in 2005.
“The Boogeyman” began his mixed martial arts career in 2000 fighting for the King of the Cage promotion. In his first fight Dean tasted victory with a knee bar in the very first round against John Jensen. Dean would go on to win the middleweight belt with the King of the Cage and would defend it several times without actually losing it. He would move up in weight to face Jeremy Horn at King of the Cage 31 and lose a unanimous decision. Despite fighting in a different weight class he would later be stripped of his belt.
Dean went on to fight for the Pride Fighting Championships as well as the UFC. He has faced many experienced fighters such as Akira Shoji, Ricardo Arona, Alessio Sakara, Yushin Okami and Nate Marquardt. He would face Jeremy Horn a second time at the UFC’s Ultimate Fighter 7 finale obtaining revenge via guillotine choke in the first round of the fight.
After losing a fight to Yushin Okami at UFC 92 the UFC released Dean from his contract. He has recently been signed to a match against fellow former UFC colleague Thales Leites for the Maximum Fighting Championships in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. The fight will take place on December 4, 2009.
No doubt a convincing win over an accomplished Jiu Jitsu competitor in Thales Leites could propel Dean back into a bigger promotion and possibly be a first step towards another championship in his career.
Dean Lister has always been a very game fighter who has decent skills on his feet, but without a doubt he is one of the finest grapplers today in the world of mixed martial arts. Anytime the “Boogeyman” steps into the cage against anyone he is truly a nightmare for his opponents.
Bob Teal is a lifelong resident of Cincinnati, OH. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring you up to date on fighters you might have forgotten about or perhaps never even knew. Are there any fighters you would like me to write about? Submit your suggestions to me. You can email me at robertjteal@aol.com.
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