Matt Serra is a top UFC welterweight contender and former champion. He began practicing martial arts at an early age, first studying kung fu. In the 1990s, he began studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Renzo Gracie and on May 23, 2000 was awarded his black belt, the first American to do so under Gracie. He won the Ultimate Fighter 4 Welterweight Tournament Champion, a victory that earned him a guaranteed title shot against Georges St. Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship, which he won in a major upset.
