Jared Hurst

Jared William Hurst (October 3rd, 1975) is a current professional UFC fighter, former Olympic boxer, and former collegiate wrestling champion for the UCLA Bruins. He won gold as a boxer during the 1996 Olympic Games, in Atlanta. He often jokes that he impregnated his wife, Wendy, with their first child the night after he won gold.

His MMA debut was at UFC 12, which was coincidentally the first UFC event to introduce weight classes.

Jared was the youngest of five children born in Oakland, California, to Billy (himself a failed former professional boxer-turned-office supply salesman) and Amanda Hurst. Although he's essentially been boxing since he could walk, having been taught at home by his father, Jared was kept from competing in the sport until he started high school.

Athletic Career
Jared Hurst has drawn comparisons to both Mike Tyson and Chuck Liddell during his UFC career, due to both his vicious in-ring fighting style and the legal troubles that dogged him during his early professional career; Issues with substance abuse, promiscuity and controlling his famously hair-trigger temper.

Hurst often credits his wife with saving him, and his career, by urging him to seek professional help when his addiction issues got out of control. He considers himself a feminist, and has spoken up about the toxic culture of masculinity in the UFC, and the disturbing pattern of violence against women in professional athletes.

Late in his career, he has become best known for switching up his fighting style in order to accommodate for his lost explosiveness and lack of height compared to opponents (He's generally billed as 5'10", but claims to be closer to 5'8"), trading in his early career punching power and knockouts for one of the most technically proficient ground games the sport has seen in recent memory.