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Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing  Cuba
Olympic Games
	1996 Atlanta	48 kg
World Championships
	1993 Toronto	48 kg
	1994 Istanbul	48 kg
	1995 Atlanta	48 kg
Pan American Games
	1995 Mar del Plata	48 kg

Alexis Vila Perdomo (born March 12, 1971) is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist. An accomplished wrestler, Vila is also a two-time World Champion and 1996 Olympic bronze medallist. At the 1996 Summer Olympics he won the bronze medal in the Freestyle Light Flyweight (– 48 kg) category.

Background

Born and raised in a rough neighborhood in Villa Clara, Cuba, Vila began getting into street fights from a young age. After winning multiple titles in wrestling and earning a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Vila defected to the United States in 1997 and found a job coaching at Michigan State University where he worked with future UFC fighters Rashad Evans and Gray Maynard. In 2004, Vila accidentally crashed his car into Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Though no one was hurt, authorities mistakenly believed it to be attempted terrorism and Vila was charged with airport violence and sent to prison for three years. Upon his release, Vila began his career in mixed martial arts.

Mixed martial arts career

Bellator Fighting Championships

Vila made his Bellator debut by defeating Featherweight Champion Joe Warren in the quarterfinals of the Bantamweight tournament at Bellator 51. Vila next faced Marcos Galvao and won by controversial split decision.

In the finals, Vila faced Eduardo Dantas for the Season 5 Bellator Bantamweight Tournament Championship. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Vila's next fight was against Luis Nogueira in the Quarterfinals of the Season 6 Bantamweight Tournament. Vila lost via unanimous decision.

World Series of Fighting

Vila faced Josh Rettinghouse in a Bantamweight bout at World Series of Fighting 6: Burkman vs. Carl on October 26, 2013. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Vila faced Sidemar Honorio at WSOF 8. He won the bout via unanimous decision.

Vila then faced Brandon Hempleman at WSOF 12 on August 9, 2014. Vila lost via unanimous decision.

Other promotions

Vila faced Brazilian prospect Marcel Adur at Fight Time 23: Mayhem In Miami on February 6, 2015. He lost the fight via body kick TKO, suffering the first TKO loss of his career.

Personal life

He has a daughter in Cuba. He married Adriana Vila Perdomo (née De La Cruz) in Miami on April 26, 2012, but later divorced. She is now married to fellow Cuban boxer Joel Casamayor. On April 23, 2018, Vila was arrested for charges including 2nd degree murder. In December 2019, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison following his conviction for his role in organizing the kidnapping, torture and murder of Camilo Salazar.

Mixed martial arts record

References

1. "Alexis Vila ("The Exorcist") | MMA Fighter Page".
2. MMA Junkie Staff (26 September 2011). "Video: Alexis Vila's knockout of Joe Warren at Bellator 51". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
3. Bratcher, Jack (1 November 2011). "Alexis Vila talks win over Galvao and fighting in the Bellator tournament finals *VIDEO*". prommanow.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
4. Al-Shatti, Shaun (24 October 2011). "Bellator 59: Alexis Vila Vs. Eduardo Dantas Tapped For Bantamweight Tournament Finale". mma.sbnation.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
5. Thomas, Luke (23 October 2011). "Bellator 55 Results: Alexis Vila, Eduardo Dantas Reach Bantamweight Finals". mma.sbnation.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
6. "Alexis Vila vs. Josh Rettinghouse added to next week's WSOF 6 event". mmajunkie.com. October 15, 2013.
7. De Souza, Dale (14 January 2014). "Alexis Vila: Looking to Slay Another Giant at World Series of Fighting 8". themmacorner.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
8. "Hempleman To Face Vila At Wsof12, August 9th". sbgidaho.com. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
9. "WSOF 12 results: Luis Palomino knocks out Lewis Gonzalez, asks for title shot". mmafighting.com. August 10, 2014.
10. "Alexis Vila returns to face Marcel Adur on Fight Time's CBS Sports Network debut". adcombat.com. January 31, 2015. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
11. "Beyond the Octagon: Inaugural Bellator champ Lyman Good wins regional title, UFC and TUF vets turn in mixed results". bloodyelbow.com. February 9, 2015.
12. "Alexis Vila: Finding the Dream in the Land of Opportunity".
13. "MMA veteran Alexis Vila arrested on second-degree murder charge". 23 April 2018.
14. "Ex-MMA Fighter and Associate Sentenced in 2011 Murder in Miami-Dade". NBC 6 South Florida. December 3, 2019. Retrieved 2021-06-22.

• Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Alexis Vila". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18.

External links

• Professional MMA record for Alexis Vila from Sherdog
• Alexis Vila at Bellator
• Alexis Vila at the International Wrestling Database
• Alexis Vila at Olympics.com
• Alexis Vila at Olympedia (archive)

• 1971 births
• Living people
• Wrestlers at the 1996 Summer Olympics
• Cuban male sport wrestlers
• Olympic wrestlers for Cuba
• Olympic bronze medalists for Cuba
• Cuban male mixed martial artists
• Flyweight mixed martial artists
• Bantamweight mixed martial artists
• Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling
• Defecting sportspeople from Cuba
• Cuban emigrants to the United States
• Olympic medalists in wrestling
• Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics
• Pan American Games gold medalists for Cuba
• Pan American Games medalists in wrestling
• Wrestlers at the 1995 Pan American Games
• Medalists at the 1995 Pan American Games
• American people convicted of murder
• Sportspeople from Villa Clara Province