Lorenz Larkin

Lorenz 'The Monsoon' Larkin is a 38-year-old welterweight and middleweight journeyman from Riverside, California, with a 27-8 pro record spanning three major MMA promotions and now branching into Karate Combat. Coming up through amateur boxing and kickboxing in the early 2000s, Larkin compiled an undefeated 12-0 record before joining Strikeforce in 2011, where his signature win over future UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler marked the high point of his career trajectory. When Strikeforce folded in 2013, he transitioned to the UFC with mixed results, going 5-5 over a three-and-a-half year run; though he earned Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses for exciting finishes against Santiago Ponzinibbio and John Howard, split decisions against Albert Tumenov and Derek Brunson suggested he'd hit a ceiling at elite level.

Larkin's style is built on aggressive pressure striking, heavy leg kicks, and explosive clinch work - a volume approach that saw him land 594 significant strikes over his UFC tenure. His finishing rate is genuinely impressive: 61% of his UFC wins came by knockout or TKO, and he has recorded 15 total knockouts across his 27 professional victories, making him a legitimate threat to finish any opponent. He is not a submission threat and does not initiate grappling exchanges, instead riding his solid takedown defense (79%) and making opponents engage him standing.

After leaving the UFC in 2016, Larkin found stability and momentum in Bellator (2017-2024), where he competed for multiple titles and went on a strong late-career run, losing only one of his last eleven outings. He has remained active into his late 30s, fighting twice in 2024 for PFL and Bellator - knocking out Alan Dominguez and Levan Chokheli in the first round - and recently signed with Karate Combat to keep competing. For the casual fan, Larkin is the definition of a durable, exciting journeyman: heavy hands, volume output, and a willingness to bang on the feet make him a reliable draw for mid-tier promotion cards.