Gustavo Balart (Full Name: Gustavo Eddy Balart Marin, born February 10, 1987) is a 38-year-old Cuban mixed martial artist and former amateur Greco-Roman wrestler. His height is 4 feet 11 inches (150 cm/1.50 m) and he is married to Anna Maria Perez with whom he shares three kids.
Balart is one among several short fighters in MMA. Such a height may have placed him at a disadvantage position in other combat sports but MMA affords him the chance to utilize various fighting styles to his advantage. He has been thriving thereof since he made his debut in 2015. Before joining MMA, he represented Mexico as a wrestler at regional and international wrestling events; including the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico and the 2012 London Summer Olympics. He won gold at the Pan American Games but failed to go beyond the quarterfinal stage in the latter event.
Summary of Gustavo Balart’s Biography
- Full Name: Gustavo Eddy Balart Marin
- Nickname: El Gladiador
- Place of Birth: Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
- Date of Birth: February 10, 1987
- Age: 38 Years Old
- Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
- Nationality: Mexican
- Ethnicity: White Mexican
- Siblings: 1
- Relationship Status: Married
- Wife: Anna Maria Perez
- Children: Three Daughters
- Instagram: @gladiador_balart
- Twitter: @balarteddy
7. At 4 Feet 11 Inches (150 cm/1.50 m) Gustavo Balart Is One of the Shortest Male Fighters to Grace the Cage
Gustavo Balart’s height is 4ft 11in (150 cm/1.50 m), making him one of the shortest male fighters to fight in MMA on the One Championship roster. His strength and fighting skills make up for his lack of height. He revealed in an interview that people underrated him because of his height, but the Cuban has proved to his critics that his small stature and height are not a barrier.
He is dedicated to his trade and works hard to win every fight that comes his way. This explains why his MMA records as of June 2022 are 10 wins, 4 losses, and zero draws. While he is the smallest male MMA fighter at the moment, many others are slightly taller than he is and has as well achieved milestones in MMA.
Some of the smallest MMA fighters that have set themselves apart despite their heights include:
- Hector Sandoval (5ft 2in, 157cm/1.57m)
- Demetrious Johnson (5ft 3in, 160cm/1.60m)
- Jarred Brooks (5ft 3in, 160cm/1.60m)
- John Dodson (5ft 3in, 160cm/1.60m)
- Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto (5ft 3in, 160cm/1.60m )
- John Lineker (5ft 3in, 160cm/1.60m)
- Joseph Benavidez (5ft 4in, 163cm/1.63m),
- Henry Cejudo (5ft 4in , 163cm/1.63m)
- Ray Borg (5ft 4in, 163cm/1.63m)
- Frankie Edgar (5ft 6in, 168cm/1.68m)
6. He Is Married to Anna Maria Perez and They are Parents to Three Daughters
Gustavo Balart has been married to Anna Maria Perez for more than a decade now. Even though there is nothing to indicate when exactly the pair got married, Richathletes gathered they marked their 10th anniversary in 2020. Going by that, the marriage may have taken place in 2010.
Moving forward, the Cuban MMA fighter and former wrestler has three children with his wife. While their names and birth year are under wraps, we used certain circumstances to determine when they were born. He revealed in an interview that when he was leaving Cuba in 2015, his oldest daughter was 5, the youngest was 3, and his wife was 3 months pregnant.
Based on what he said, it means his first daughter was born in 2010, the second in 2012, and the youngest in 2016.
5. The 4 Feet 11 Inches Cuban Mixed Martial Artist Was Born In Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Gustavo Balart 38 was born Gustavo Eddy Balart Marin on the 10th of February 1987 in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. When he was 5, his parents went their separate ways. Despite the separation, he shares a close connection with them.
He said that after the separation, his mother relocated to a different city in Cuba. So he lived with his father, the woman his father spent more than 2 decades with, and his half-brother from his father’s side.
He had a friendly disposition since his childhood days. So while growing up, he was surrounded by many friends. It was from here that he became interested in sports, wrestling to be precise.
This goes on to say he started wrestling when he was little. Thanks to his father who was a wrestler and a member of the Cuban national team. Hence, the motivation came from his father.
4. Gustavo Balart Started Wrestling at a Young Age
His wrestling journey began at the age of 9 and after more than a decade of plying his trade on the mat, he left to be in the cage at 25. Before that, he represented his country in both regional and international competitions.
In 2011, won a gold medal at the 2011 edition of the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. The following year, he represented Cuba at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. He was unable to replicate his previous feat at the Pan American Games as he was eliminated at the quarterfinal stage.
Despite that, he said it is every athlete’s dream to represent his/her country on the international stage such as the Olympics. Besides, going to the Olympics has always been his dream, so he feels fulfilled to have achieved it.
3. El Gladiador Left Cuba at 28 to Begin His MMA Journey in the United State
Gustavo Balart was fascinated with MMA when he was wrestling. He went as far as watching videos of MMA fights and concluded that he was going to join. So during the London 2012 Olympics, he watched the video of how Demetrious Johnson was crowned champion of ONE Championship’s flyweight Grand Prix. This further fueled his interest in MMA.
Consequently, he began to prepare for his transition to MMA by training and getting acclimatized with the rules of the game. Unfortunately, there was no way he could pursue that dream in Cuba because MMA was illegal at the time. The only way to get what he wanted was to move to the United States where the sport was thriving. He left Cuba at the age of 28 for the US and it marked the beginning of his MMA journey.
2. It Took Him Four Months to Get to the United States
Together with his father, he left his country behind and began the journey to the United State, a journey tagged ‘treacherous’ by several sources. He spent over four months and passed through several countries including Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico to reach the US.
During the perilous journey, the 4 feet 11 inches Cuban and his father encountered so many challenges from thieves, traffickers, and unscrupulous police personnel. Narrating his experience, he said criminals are aware that Cubans traveling to the US carry money, but he said they were lucky not to come across them. At some point, they were stopped by the authorities despite having a legal tourist visa.
He touched down on US soil on 8th March 2016 after leaving Cuba on 28th November 2015. Thereafter, he joined the well-known American Top Team gym.
1. Gustavo Balart Made His MMA Debut in 2015
Although the Cuban’s main MMA career began right after reaching the US in 2016, it was in 2015 that he made his debut in the sport. Subsequently, he went on an 8-1 record on regional promotions, prompting ONE Championship to give him a contract.
In April 2019, he made his ONE Championship debut in the flyweight category against Tatsumitsu Wade but lost by unanimous decision. He also lost his second fight against Chan Rothana 4 months later. He recorded his third loss against Robin Catalan through knockout in November 2019.
After three straight losses, Balart got his first win two years later by unanimous decision against Ryuto Sawada in July 2021. The following year, he got his second win by unanimous decision over Yosuke Saruta in April 2022.
Career Highlights and Physical Profile
- Famous for: Career as an amateur wrestler and MMA
- Years Active: 2015-Present (10) Years
- Gustavo Balart’s MMA Records:
- No. of Fights: 14
- Wins: 10
- Losses: 4
- Draws: 0
- Height: 4 Feet 11 Inches (150 cm/1.50 m)
- Weight: 56 kg (125 lbs)
Quick Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about El Gladiador
What Is Gustavo Balart’s Record?
As of June 2022, his MMA record is 10-4-0. To be clear, he fought 14 bouts, recording 10 wins and 4 losses. 9 out of his 10 wins were through a unanimous decision, and 1 through knockout. While 2 out of his 4 losses were via knockout, the remaining 2 were by unanimous decision.
What Is Gustavo Balart’s Biggest MMA Win?
The biggest fight of the Cuban mixed martial artist was against Yosuke Saruta, former Shooto flyweight champion, and ONE Strawweight Champion. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
Where Are His Family Members?
He left his wife and kids behind in Cuba in 2015 to travel to the US with his father. However, he made plans to bring them over to the US, but that was dependent on winning his fight with Yosuke Sarutu. A win would give him a performance bonus of $50,000 which he said would help him bring his family to the US. Well, he won the fight.
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