Liam F. Kerrigan

Liam Kerrigan is the owner and head instructor of Stafford MMA in Manahawkin, New Jersey, opened in September 2012 with Melissa Kerrigan after he retired from professional fighting. He began training at Tong Dragon MMA in Bayville in 1995 at age seven, in Muay Thai, jiu jitsu, boxing, wrestling and Doces Pares Escrima, with annual team trips to Nilton Ferreira's Gracie Barra academy in Salvador, Bahia. He is a third-degree jiu jitsu black belt, with all of his belts awarded by Professor Sarmento Jr. Kerrigan began competing in submission grappling in 1998, won the juvenile division at the first No-Gi Pan Am in 2003 at age 14, and the blue belt division at the 2005 IBJJF Pan Ams. He went 5-1-1 in amateur MMA with two 159-pound titles, then 3-2-1 as a professional, and since 2012 has refereed for the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, including UFC events.