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Joe “Hybrid” Duarte (b. August 4) is a Chamorro professional mixed martial artist who holds a record of (3) wins and (0) losses in professional mixed martial arts competition. . He has trained extensively in various combat arts including Western boxing, Muay Thai, Freestyle Wrestling, Japanese catch wrestling (Shooto) and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Duarte is was a contestant on the UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter” which premiered in September 2008. Currently, Joe signed a six fight contract with the Canada-based fight promotion, Colleseo Championship Fighting.

Professional Statistics: Duarte made his professional MMA debut as a light heavyweight on September 9, 2006 at Total Combat 16:Annihalaiton held at the Ipayone Center in San Diego, California. He went the distance in a three round regulation match against Chris Kennedy and took home the decision victory. His next fight took place in inaugural Unleashed Fight/GP Galaxy fight promotion as a lightweight where he won a first round submission victory over Randy Bowers. He is currently the Unleashed Fight Lightweight champion with his phenomenal first round victory over Ulfrano Rodriguez on March 22, 2008. Duarte suffered his first “loss” on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show against Brooklyn based fighter Philip Nover. Fortunately, the fights on TUF are not reflected upon a professional fighter’s official record, thus Duarte remains undefeated in professional MMA competition.

Early Years:

His early years were troubled but he learned from an early age that to earn what one had to get in life, one had earn it with perseverance, extraordinary courage, and guile. Raised by his relatives, Joe grew up in the village of Dededo, the largest and most densely populated metropolitan center on the island. Although he was an average student in the classroom, Joe found his niche out on the playing fields. Actively involved in sports since the tender age of 6, he led various youth sporting organizations to their respective league championships and was also an avid biker, skateboarder, and waterman. He became involved in the combat arts with his first introduction to freestyle/folkstyle wrestling as an eight-grade student at F.B. Leon Guerrero Middle School where he also dabbled in the rudiments of western boxing.

Through 1997-2001, Joe attended Simon A. Sanchez High School in Yigo, Guam where he continued to excel in athletics. In such time, Joe garnered various accolades including earning a medal the DODEA Far East High Schools Wrestling Championships and winning multiple team championships in varsity football, track and field, and men’s soccer in his senior year.

Introduction to Mixed Martial Arts: Joe began his mixed martial arts training early in high school. At only 15 years old, Joe began training in submission grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the first Purebred Shooto Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Submission Academy in Hagatna, Guam in 1999. It was a tremendous learning experience for him as he grew to appreciate the fundamentals of a little known or respected fighting art such as MMA. Although a gifted athlete with decent skills as a wrestler, Joe soon learned that the striking game was his key asset especially with his good hands and strong chin. It was in the striking game that became his niche as he trained under the tutelage of Pat “Gori-Chan” Ayuyu, an accomplished lightweight pugilist who also earned a respected following upon his entrance into the elite kickboxing organization known as K-1.

A Fighter’s Chance:

Upon graduation from high school in 2001, Joe dabbled in the local MMA scene that was still a fledgling sport that was under-developed and dominated by only a select pool of elite fighters. Thus after working a couple of odd jobs and playing semi-professional league football, Joe took a chance and decided to leave home in search of better opportunities in the U.S. mainland. With nothing more that the a couple clothes in a bag, $500 dollars in his pockets, and a one-way ticket, Joe left his island home in 2002 embarked on a journey that would change his life.

After leaving Guam, Joe made his way out to Texas where he joined up with his cousin who was serving in the United States Navy. While in Texas, Joe used much of his street-savvy skills to earn his way into a local boxing gym and started training with the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Bernard Hopkins in Corpus Christi, Texas. Soon after, Joe had developed an impressive boxing arsenal with which he amassed an impressive amateur record of 9-0.

A Warrior’s Calling

Although he was climbing his way up the ranks as a boxer, a desire to serve his country had beckoned at Duarte since he was a kid. Without much urging by anyone but his closest family members, Duarte made his was down to the Army Recruiting Station and enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman in 2002.

Upon completion of basic training, Duarte would earn his basic parachutist wings and the coveted Ranger tab. At the conclusion of initial special operations training, Duarte would be called to serve with 1-141 Infantry 3rd Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Riley, Kansas. Duarte would serve two tours of duty in Iraq from 2003 to 2005 where he distinguished himself as a competent combat leader despite the loss of his close friend, Dean Richardson during a combat patrol in the heart of Iraq’s infamous Sunni Triangle.

As Duarte recalled: The truth is, is that I did alot of growing up on April 3, 2005. Its the day that changed my life forever. After seeing one of your best friends pass away in front of you, it does something to you. I felt responsible and a lot I of times I still do I was actually leading the patrol for alittle while with Dean right behind me and about 3-5 minutes before we got ambushed I had Dean come to the front so I could try and fix the radio. Minutes later the fire fight started and all hell broke loose. I was trapped by myself in the canal closest to the ambush and Dean was on the opposite side. I started moving throught the shallow canal in the opposite direction because the enemy knew exactly where I was. After a long period of being by myself and calling for Dean and no one answering, I started losing hope of no one being alive and me dying by myself. I stayed there trapped alone and firing my weapon til' I ran out of ammo. Then a little bit after that I hand to swim with all my gear on through a thick muddy part of the canal. I still think up to this day I have never been so tired in my life....not even in training or fighting. I remember taking off my kevlar after that and staring at this picture of tracey that I kept in there and while they where still firing at me when I was barrelled down in the canal I sat there and looked at the picture and said quietly to myself, Im sorry for being the way I was and I wish I could have made things right. Then about 5 minutes later I heard Corey Scott and he was standing there firing his weapon with another guy from the squad. They were on the opposite side of the canal and they were amazed that I was still alive. He told me c'mon but everytime I stood up to try to run the Iraqis would pin me down with fire. So he said that they were gonna come and get me and I told them no just go on and I'll be alright because I didnt want 2 or 3 guys dying to save me. I was so exhausted and I'll never forget the words that Scott said to me he said...."You dont wanna die in this shit hole, this is not a place you want to die in". I looked at the picture one more time and I took one last breathe and ran my ass up that hill to the other side being fucking shot at the whole time. It felt like a real bad movie....but it was real. I looked around and I see Garner and Hunsberger all wet only wearing there kevlars and nothing else, not even their weapons and I looked at Scott and said wheres Dean and Scott didnt say anything and then I said "where the fuck is Dean!!" and the words that changed my life forever.....Scott put his head down and said "Deans gone Joe"....I went crazy. I'll never forget that day...it forever changed me. After that day, air smelled different, water tasted different, and I looked at life at a whole other angle. The Neo-Genesis of the Hybrid After returning from Iraq, it was a tumultuous time for Duarte. Yet he found that during his time in service, he continued to yearn to fight and keep fighting because that is was made him feel alive even when the world around him had changed. Thus upon his separation from the service with an honorable discharge in April of 2006, Joe would journey out to San Diego, California where he began training with San Digeo Fight Club, a small mixed martial arts stable located in El Cajon, California.