UFC fans have been familiar with Mike Beltran for a while now. He has been a perennial presence inside the UFC octagon as a referee. Beltran is known for is famous and distinctive mustache, which is almost two feet long.
He is a former Marine, Retired LA County Sheriff. He holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is raising his son as a single parent. In this article LatinTRENDS will walk you through Beltran’s interesting journey.
Mike Beltran is a well-respected and experienced UFC referee who has been officiating fights in the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization for several years. He is widely recognized as one of the best referees in the sport and has been praised for his professionalism, impartiality, and expertise in the cage.
Beltran began his journey as a martial artist at a young age, practicing various forms of combat sports such as boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, in which he has a brown belt.
He eventually found his calling in mixed martial arts and quickly developed a passion for the sport. He trained as an MMA fighter and competed in several amateur and semi-pro fights before he transitioned to officiating.
Beltran’s journey as an MMA referee began in 2010 when he started officiating amateur fights in Florida. He quickly made a name for himself with his knowledge of the rules, his fair and impartial judging, and his ability to maintain control of the cage during fights.
It wasn’t long before he was noticed by the UFC and was offered the opportunity to referee in the organization.
Since then, Beltran has become a staple of the UFC, officiating numerous high-profile fights over the years. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the sport, including Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and Israel Adesanya, to name a few.
His professionalism and attention to detail have earned him a reputation as one of the best referees in the sport, and he has become a favorite among fans and fighters alike.
One of Beltran’s key strengths as a referee is his ability to maintain control of the cage. He has a commanding presence and the ability to enforce the rules in a calm and confident manner, ensuring that fights are conducted in a safe and fair environment.
He has a deep understanding of the sport’s rules and is able to make quick and accurate decisions in the heat of the moment, which has helped him to maintain control of many high-stakes fights.
Beltran is also known for his impartiality in the cage. He is committed to ensuring that fights are conducted in a fair and unbiased manner and has always been praised for his objectivity.
He has never been accused of favoring one fighter over another and has always made decisions based on the rules and the situation in the cage.
Another important aspect of Beltran’s role as a UFC referee is his ability to manage the fighters’ safety. He has a deep understanding of the various techniques used in MMA and is able to recognize when a fighter is in danger.
He is quick to intervene when necessary and has been instrumental in preventing injuries to fighters in the cage.
Aside from his duties as a UFC referee, Beltran is also an accomplished martial arts coach. He has trained numerous fighters over the years and has helped many of them reach the UFC. He is a well-respected figure in the MMA community and is often sought after for his expertise and knowledge of the sport.
The Mustache:
Of late, the mustache has opened doors for Beltran outside of the cage, even opportunities in Hollywood with TV roles, such as: the “Sons of Anarchy” spinoff, “Mayans M.C.,” as a biker named Ibarra, in a Geico commercial, as an arm wrestler and in Byron Balasco’s criminally unsung series, “Kingdom,” which remains the best depiction of MMA out there.
In regards to opportunities outside UFC, Beltran stated: “So long as I’m representing ‘clean,’ because my parents look at this, my family, my son, and obviously the sport of MMA. If it’s something that’s done tastefully, and it’s something that I know I can represent myself well with and the sport, I’ll do it.”
“I did some small B-movies back in the day, as a referee, because they needed some guy to jump in there, so I did it,” he says. “But ‘Kingdom’ was the first breakthrough for me, which got me introduced to the world of Hollywood.
Jonathan Tucker, Matt Lauria, Frank Grillo and all those guys. Actually, Jonathan Tucker came out to see my son wrestle for the first time as a freshman, see him get his first victory.”
Beltran held down an important day job for 25 years. He was a Sheriff in The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Beltran retired in 2020 after serving twenty five years.
Beltran appears tough and is equipped to handle the world’s best fighters in the UFC octagon, but in a Twitter post, (see below) he showed his sentimental side by writing this about his son and his journey as a single dad.
FBF, approx 8 years ago I promised my son, Mikey I’d get us into a home that would be ours. I was a single Dad with full custody raising a young man on my own. I followed through and purchased “CASA BELTRÁN”. This pic brings a sense of joy and accomplishment. We love CASA BELTRÁN pic.twitter.com/Lgwmbzbqx6
— Mike Beltran (@RefMikeBeltran) April 1, 2022
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