Jake "Irish" O'Brien joins the MMA History Podcast for episode 322. The former Purdue wrestler and UFC veteran recounts his journey from dominating Indiana high school wrestling as a three-time state champion to becoming one of the most promising young heavyweights in early UFC history.

O'Brien shares rare stories from the Midwest MMA scene, including his wild amateur debut in a Cage Rage tournament against a one-armed opponent, early pro fights under Keith Palmer at venues like the 82nd Saloon and Madtown Throwdown, and training alongside legends such as Chris Liddell and Alex Stiebling at Integrated Fighting. He details his explosive UFC run, highlighted by a standout TKO victory over Pride veteran Heath Herring, and memorable bouts against elite competition: Andrei Arlovski, Cain Velasquez, and a young Jon Jones at UFC 100.The conversation covers O'Brien's wrestling roots, his identical twin brother's boxing background, the challenges of balancing college athletics with unsanctioned fights, the evolution of regional MMA in Indiana, and life after the Octagon, including coaching at Top Level gym in Indianapolis and his current work as a rural mail carrier. He also opens up about personal challenges, family resilience, and the support he received during difficult times.Hosted by the MMA Detective Mike Davisand Joey Venti, this episode preserves the unfiltered history of mixed martial arts through the eyes of a true pioneer who faced multiple future champions and helped build the sport's Midwest foundation.Listen for insights into early UFC matchmaking, the raw intensity of 2000s regional shows, and the lasting impact of wrestling in MMA.Subscribe for more interviews and stories direct from the men who lived MMA history.#MMAHistory #JakeOBrien #UFC #Wrestling

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In this special international episode, UFC veteran Xavier Foupa-Pokam — known as Professor X — takes listeners on his unforgettable road to the UFC. A true pioneer of French MMA and one of the earliest members of the Snake Team under trainer Cyril Diabate, Foupa-Pokam details his transition from traditional karate to Muay Thai and mixed martial arts in the early 2000s, when the sport was illegal in France. Fighters trained in secret, competed under the guise of other disciplines, and often faced law enforcement interference at events.

With a professional career spanning more than 50 bouts and a verified record of 32-22-0, Professor X became one of the most traveled fighters of his era, competing primarily as the B-side in promotions across Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and beyond. He shares stories from legendary events including Cage Rage in the UK, Jungle Fight in Brazil, and international tournaments, as well as his preparation with Dan Henderson’s Team Quest in the United States to mimic Anderson Silva. The conversation covers his UFC appearances at UFC 97 against Denis Kang and UFC 98 against Drew McFedries, plus memorable matchups against Paul Daley, Hayato Sakurai, Paulo Coelho, and more.
Foupa-Pokam also discusses the challenges of building French MMA from the ground up, the outlaw atmosphere of the early days, his 11 amateur fights before turning pro, and insights into fellow Cameroonian-French fighter Francis Ngannou. This episode highlights the passion, resilience, and global experiences that defined one of MMA’s most dedicated journeymen.

The MMA History Podcast documents the sport we love through hundreds of interviews and thousands of hours of research conducted by the most obsessed minds in the business. Subscribe for new episodes every week featuring the men who lived the early days of MMA.

0:00 MMA history podcast intro  
0:32 Joey Venti’s guest introduction 
0:54 interview start 
1:14 part of the foundation for French combat sports
5:51 Karate fighters transitioning to MMA
8:56 Golden Trophy events 
10:06 Francis Ngannou vs Zoumana Cisse
15:33 training before first fight 
17:18 illegal amateur bouts in France 
19:09 issues with Law enforcement 
20:58 coming into fights as a B side 
25:31 Xavier Foupa vs Nelson Monteiro
27:00 Xavier Foupa vs David Pierre
29:49 Xavier Foupa vs Paul Williamson
31:02 Xavier Foupa vs Matt Ewin
32:29 research on opponents before fight 
34:10 Xavier Foupa vs Ferene Gancs
36:09 Xavier Foupa vs Poulo Coelho
37:47 French fighters vs BJJ black belts 
41:52 Cage Rage parties behind the scenes 
46:42 Xavier Foupa vs Martin Kampmann
48:53 Xavier Foupa vs John Oskar
52:33 Xavier Foupa vs Paul Daily
54:25 coming off 3 losses 
55:13 Xavier Foupa vs Jose Mata
59:40 Michael Bisping vs Cyrille Diabate 
1:02:08 Xavier Foupa vs Itamar Rosa
1:03:15 Xavier Foupa vs Ken Hamamura
1:04:04 Xavier Foupa vs Hoon Kim
1:06:42 Xavier Foupa vs Sol Gilbert
1:10:24 Xavier Foupa vs Ryuta Sakuri
1:13:08 Xavier Foupa vs Alex Reid
1:15:38 interactions with Lee Murray 
1:16:57 Xavier Foupa vs Tom Watson
1:17:28 Xavier Foupa vs Pierre Guillet
1:18:00 Xavier Foupa vs Murilo Rua
1:18:54 Cyrille Diabate vs Murilo Rua 
1:19:44 Far Eastern Modern Pancration Federation 
1:26:19 dealings with Wallid Ismail
1:27:03 training with Dan Henderson at Team Quest 
1:30:12 getting a phone call from the UFC 
1:31:51 interview wrap up 
1:35:28 outro/ closing thoughts

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In episode 320 of the MMA History Podcast, host Mike Davis and Joey Venti sit down with UFC veteran and The Ultimate Fighter season 3 finalist Josh Haynes for an in-depth interview about his road to the Ultimate Fighter. As a former mixed martial arts fighter with a professional record of 14 wins and 11 losses, Haynes shares his gritty journey from starting MMA in 2002 as a 330-pound amateur in Oregon's Full Contact Fighting Federation to competing at the highest levels in the UFC.

Post-retirement, Haynes transitioned to law enforcement with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in 2009, where he now serves as a sergeant. He details his heroic actions during the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, saving a wounded rookie officer under fire and earning the Medal of Valor for exceptional bravery. This episode explores themes of resilience, survival mentality, and life after MMA, offering valuable insights for aspiring fighters on planning beyond the octagon.

0:00 MMA history podcast intro  
0:32 Joey Venti’s guest introduction 
0:52 interview start 
0:54 truth about fight career 
4:02 beginnings in MMA 
5:43 deciding to become a fighter 
10:57 
15:03 thoughts on Robert Follis 
19:14 Phil Baroni Sparring incident with Evan Tanner 
22:40 opportunities after fighting 
26:00 Josh Haynes vs Larry Vandervort 
30:24 reflecting after first loss 
31:49 Josh Haynes vs Josh Bennett 
34:15 taking fights consistently 
35:20 Gina Carano 
35:52 Josh Haynes vs Carl Pope 
39:30 coach Shawn Tompkins 
41:16 Josh Haynes vs Jordan Ramos 
43:27 training with the “White Buffalo Warriors” 
44:12 Matt Hume 
44:46 Josh Haynes vs Jim Pope 
48:57 riding a 7 fight win streak 
51:35 fighters from the Pacific Northwest 
53:04 Josh Haynes vs Jerry Vrbanovic 
57:19 Josh Haynes vs Vince Lucero 
59:20 interactions with John Alessio 
1:01:56 Ulysses Gomez Jiu jitsu 
1:05:08 fighters transitioning to Law enforcement 
1:08:00 realizing Team Quest was ending 
1:12:04 Scrubbing information off the internet 
1:13:44 heroic during Las Vegas mass Shooting
1:26:46 Josh Haynes vs Jake Villanueva 
1:28:19 Josh Haynes vs Carlos Garcia 
1:29:51 Josh Haynes vs Marcos Oliveira 
1:31:04 Josh Haynes vs Horace Spencer 
1:32:29 taking fights with injuries 
1:34:05 Josh Haynes vs Cedric Marks 
1:36:32 trying out for TUF 
1:39:09 Matt Horwich not making the TUF cast 
1:42:47 Team Quest teammates in TUF final
1:44:01 Josh Haynes vs Tate Fletcher 
1:45:22 Josh Haynes vs Jesse Forbes 
1:46:23 Josh Haynes vs Michael Bisping 
1:50:56 talks with Joe Silva 
1:55:32 evolution of MMA turning to point fighting 
1:59:17 interview wrap up 
2:03:53 outro/ closing thoughts 

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Thumbnails Julio Macedo  @juliosemacento

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Outro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-power

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Tank Abbott's WCW years in Part 2 of our exclusive interview on the
MMA History Podcast. From negotiating with Eric Bischoff over Vince McMahon, training at the Power Plant under legends like Paul Orndorff and Dusty Rhodes, to wild angles like the jacket-on-a-pole brawl with Big Al (yes, that knife moment at SuperBrawl 2000), Tank spills the unfiltered truth on backstage politics, his near-title run, and clashes with icons like Goldberg and Sid Vicious.
Fact: Tank debuted in WCW on December 13, 1999, as a legit UFC heavyweight (with wins over Yoji Anjo and Hugo Duarte) brought in to feud with Goldberg, but navigated a rollercoaster of mutinies and mishaps until his 2000 release.

0:00 MMA history podcast intro  
0:32 Joey Venti’s guest introduction 
0:48 interview start 
2:14 Tank Abbott vs Yoji Anjo 
7:12 Tank Abbott being a large draw in UFC 
11:50 experience fighting in Japan 
15:09 Tank Abbott vs Hugo Duarte 
21:39 dedicating fight to Frank Sinatra 
22:45 never called out by Rickson Gracie
25:11 Tank Abbott vs Pedro Rizzo
27:12 incident with Pat Smith 
29:28 relationship with Jeff Blatnick
30:51 thoughts on Joe Rogan 
36:12 rumored fight with Butterbean 
37:27 issues before Frank Mir fight 
41:18 where the term “Mixed martial arts” came from 
46:32 Eddie Ruiz update 
48:25 conversations with WCW 
59:05 training at the WCW power plant 
1:01:27 locker room attitude towards wrestlers 
1:05:10 introduction during WCW taping 
1:08:19 pushback from the WCW locker room 
1:10:36 cutting a Promo on Bill Goldberg 
1:12:18 plugs/ promotions 
1:14:02 grabbing owner of Chicago Black Hawks 
1:15:22 issues with Bob Probert 
1:16:20 issues with Terry Taylor 
1:19:40 advice from Sid Vicious 
1:23:05 false rumors of winning WCW Title 
1:28:43 Doug Dillinger 
1:29:05 Jerry Flynn 
1:29:33 Mark Madden 
1:29:52 Chris Cruz 
1:31:28 false rumored match with Mark Coleman 
1:32:20 pulling out knife during match with Big Al  
1:43:40 questioned before match by the locker room 
1:46:11 losing wresting match to David Arquette 
1:47:38 Tank Abbott vs Goldberg 
1:51:32 introduced to the ICP 
1:53:36 staying in shape during WCW 
1:55:31 being a fan of 3 Count 
1:58:44 drinking with the ICP
1:59:56 released from WCW 
2:02:20 dealings with Bob Sapp 
2:03:26 interview wrap up 
2:11:39 outro/closing thoughts

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Follow the MMA History Team on Instagram: 
MMA Detective Mike Davis @mikedavis632 
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Records Keeper-  Andrew Mendoza @ambidexstress
Social Media Manager Andy Campbell  @martial_mindset_
Thumbnails Julio Macedo  @juliosemacento

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Outro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-power

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Cash App - $mikedavis1231
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ZELLE: [email protected] / ph#: 773-491-5052 

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Tedd Williams MMA & Gladiator Challenge 

Tedd Williams is a UFC veteran, grappling pioneer a national AAU Sambo champion, Gene LeBell black belt, and 7-1 pro fighter and one of the longest tenured promoters in the country. 
 Tedd Williams shares stories from the sport's raw early days: training with Bas Rutten, his UFC 24 main-event elbow KO over Steve Judson, co-founding King of the Cage, launching Gladiator Challenge, and building the regional scene that helped launch fighters like Urijah Faber and Charles Bennett.
A deep dive into MMA's Wild West era straight from one of its true architects. 

0:00 MMA history podcast intro  
0:32 Joey Venti’s guest introduction 
0:50 interview start 
1:40 learning Sambo early on 
3:36 training with Gene LeBell 
5:15 training with John Perretti 
6:37 interactions with John Lewis 
7:28 starting friendship with Oleg Taktarov
8:29 using sambo to become a better wrestler 
9:26 starting Victorville Jets program 
11:33 Universal above ground fighting 
14:10 Antonio McKee vs John Smith 
15:27 Antonio McKee gun story 
17:15 owning half of KOTC at the beginning 
21:09 meeting Terry Trebilcock
22:39 using same venue for KOTC and Gladiator Challenge 
25:24 hosting Gladiator Challenge in Colorado 
26:41 Tedd Williams vs Robert Burnell 
28:06 Empire fighting 
29:10 Bas Rutten invitational 
30:14 training Bas Rutten 
33:00 Tedd Williams vs Joseph Marquez 
34:46 Tedd Williams vs Travis Fulton
37:30 experience with Jamie Levine 
38:29 Tedd Williams vs Joe Campanella 
40:25 Holiday Fight Party 
47:20 Phillip Miller split from the UFC
50:45 Phillip Miller vs James Zikic 
52:07 Lee Murray and Tito Ortiz street fight 
54:26 letter to get into ADCC 2000
56:46 training with Rowdy Roddy Piper
57:44 Tedd Williams vs Steve Judson 
1:02:08 false UFC fighter resumes 
1:03:13 Tedd Williams fight camp exposed 
1:05:17 cancelled bout with Andre Roberts
1:06:27 friendship with Cal Worsham 
1:09:37 dealing with Dan Severn 
1:10:30 cross training bjj and wrestling 
1:11:02 KOTC purchased by EliteXC 
1:19:43 Tedd Williams vs Bill Parker 
1:21:39 dealings with Bob Shamrock 
1:23:01 Tony Galindo 
1:23:41 Ken Shamrock backstage fight with Mark Hall 
1:24:15 attending regional shows 
1:25:25 pushing Tito Ortiz out of cage 
1:30:05 KOTC Wet ‘N’ Wild 
1:34:43 selling Gladiator challenge video library 
1:37:16 KOTC losing money 
1:38:07 experience with Charles Bennett 
1:41:58 Charles Bennett changing name to Felony 
1:43:03 sued by Terry Trebilcock
1:46:43 Gladiator Challenge, KOTC buyouts 
1:50:27 relationship with Chris Cordero 
1:52:36 Experience with Rafiel Torre 
1:55:49 Gerald Strebendt 
1:56:34 interview wrap up 
1:59:55 outro/ closing thoughts

Please follow our channels on 

Follow the MMA History Team on Instagram: 
MMA Detective Mike Davis @mikedavis632 
Co Host Joey Venti @aj_ventitre
Records Keeper-  Andrew Mendoza @ambidexstress
Social Media Manager Andy Campbell  @martial_mindset_
Thumbnails Julio Macedo  @juliosemacento

Instagram 
https://www.instagram.com/mmahistorypodcast?igsh=aHVweHdncXQycHBy&utm_source=qr

Spotify 
https://open.spotify.com/show/3q8KsfqrSQSjkdPLkdtNWb?si=aL3D5Y3aTDi-PQZdweWL8g

Apple Podcast 
MMA History Podcast

YouTube 
https://youtube.com/@MMAHistoryPodcast?si=bj1RBXTZ2X82tv_J

Outro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-power

Mike - The MMA Detective - @mikedavis632 
Cash App - $mikedavis1231
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  MMA Docu Series

Dive into the incredible story of Marco Ruas, the barefoot Brazilian who stepped into the UFC octagon before the sport even had a name. Often called the forgotten pioneer, Ruas arrived at UFC 7 in 1995 with a revolutionary well-rounded game—blending Muay Thai devastation, judo throws, jiu-jitsu mastery, and luta livre grappling—that shattered the era of pure specialists. Watch as he dismantles opponents like Larry Cureton with early heel hooks, outstrikes Remco Pardoel, and methodically chops down the massive Paul Varelans with those legendary low kicks that echoed through the arena.

We explore his gritty Rio origins, training under legends like Oswaldo Alves and Luis Alves, his vale tudo roots, the rivalry with the Gracies that never fully materialized, his dominant UFC 7 tournament win that proved versatility was the future, later battles against names like Oleg Taktarov and Maurice Smith, and the heartbreaking what-if matchup with Don Frye that fans still debate. Beyond the cage, Ruas's lasting impact shines through as a coach—he mentored Pedro Rizzo, whose devastating leg kicks carried Ruas's influence forward to shape fighters like Jose Aldo.
If you're into MMA history, early UFC pioneers, or the evolution from vale tudo to modern mixed martial arts, this mini documentary uncovers why Ruas was truly ahead of his time—the first complete fighter who forced the sport to evolve.

Hit play now and discover the man who mastered MMA before it even existed. If you love deep dives into MMA's roots, subscribe to the channel for more untold stories from the early days of the UFC and beyond—new episodes drop regularly!

00:00 - Introduction
00:10 - Marco Ruas: The Forgotten Father of Modern MMA
01:53 - Marco Ruas as a Neighborhood Legend
02:21 - Early Life & Martial Arts Training in Rio
03:39 - Public Challenge to the Gracie Family
04:48 - Birth of Ruas Vale Tudo
05:38 - The Devastating Power of Ruas’ Leg Kicks
05:56 - UFC 7: One-Night Heavyweight Tournament Debut
06:38 - Quarterfinal vs Larry Cureton (Heel Hook)
07:12 - Semifinal vs Remco Pardoel (Striking & Grappling)
07:42 - Final vs Paul Varelans (Leg Kick Masterclass)
08:36 - Aftermath: How Ruas Changed the Game
09:24 - Later Career Fights & Transition Out of UFC
10:00 - Mentorship, Pedro Rizzo & Jose Aldo
11:43 - Brutal Training Stories & Seminar Pain
11:56 - Legacy & Reflection
12:06 - The Fight That Never Happened vs Don Frye

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Paul Buentello BEFORE the UFC 

50 Fight Club Member Paul Buentello started his journey fighting for Steve Nelson in the very tough and rugged Amarillo Texas MMA scene. 

Buentello dives into what it was like fighting absolute legends in Evan Tanner, Gan McGee and Bobby Hoffman prior to getting his opportunity within the UFC. 

This is a feel good story featuring a guy that is hard not to like 

0:00 MMA history podcast intro  
0:32 Joey Venti’s guest introduction 
0:52 interview start 
1:00 reffing fights 
4:38 training taekwondo early on 
5:48 training partner Cedric Marks 
7:38 Ultimate Athlete 2 riot 
9:36 guarding the pain inc booth 
14:11 stiffed on payment for Kerry Schall fight
19:22 USWF 8 man tournament 
24:56 Paul Buentello vs Dan Severn 
28:43 competing in tough man contest 
33:57 Lenard Garcia coming out of USWF 
34:33 Paul Buentello vs Larry Parker 
39:00 training with Sven Bean 
40:36 Paul Buentello vs Todd Broadaway
42:40 Heath Herring current life 
44:49 getting mistaken for Babalu 
47:08 losing to a WWE wrestler 
48:44 Paul Buentello vs Jimmy Westfall
51:50 forcing hands into smaller MMA gloves 
53:36 Paul Buentello vs Bobby Hoffman 
55:18 UFC current crowd compared to previous 
57:58 self managing early career 
59:09 driving 27 hours to IFC event with daughter 
1:02:39 Paul Buentello vs Rocky Batastini
1:04:08 Paul Buentello vs Gan McGee 
1:05:29 Paul Buentello vs Rico Rodriguez Wet & Wild
1:10:39 leaving to California to Train MMA 
1:12:38 training with Cain Velazquez 
1:13:25 Cameron Earle story 
1:17:54 Paul Buentello vs Roger Neff 
1:19:57 Paul Buentello vs Mike Kyle 
1:23:48 KOTC contract 
1:25:20 journey to get to the UFC
1:27:13 training for Gary Marshall
1:30:49 experience with Bob Cook 
1:31:45 thoughts on Frank Shamrock 
1:34:18 meeting Andy Anderson 
1:39:48 training partners at AKA 
1:42:22 cancelled bout with Forrest Griffin 
1:42:57 Bobby Hoffman protected KOTC 
1:45:29 Paul Buentello vs Andy Montana 
1:46:21 Paul Buentello vs Lloyd Marshbanks 
1:48:59 mentally not prepared for first UFC fight
1:50:32 getting into the UFC 
1:52:27 relationship with Joe Silva 
1:53:05 refusing to use PEDs 
1:54:35 traveling the world to fight 
1:57:01 paying dues to fight 
1:58:58 Bob Cook gym stories 
2:03:07 interview wrap up 
2:06:37 outro/ closing thoughts

Please follow our channels on 

Follow the MMA History Team on Instagram: 
MMA Detective Mike Davis @mikedavis632 
Co Host Joey Venti @aj_ventitre
Records Keeper-  Andrew Mendoza @ambidexstress
Social Media Manager Andy Campbell  @martial_mindset_
Thumbnails Julio Macedo  @juliosemacento

Instagram 
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MMA History Podcast

YouTube 
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Outro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-power

Mike - The MMA Detective - @mikedavis632 
Cash App - $mikedavis1231
Venmo - Mike-Davis-63
ZELLE: [email protected] / ph#: 773-491-5052 

#MMA #UFC #NHB #MixedMartialArts #MMADetective #MikeDavis #MMAHistory #OldSchoolMMA #MMAPodcast #fightpodcast 

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Ep 316 EliteXC Internal Chaos & CBS - Jared Shaw 

Jared Shaw joins the MMA History Podcast, delivering the 3rd episode of our multi episode  Elite XC series.

Shaw breaks down the CBS primetime peak numbers (6.51 million viewers for Kimbo vs.
James Thompson). 
The start of what is considered the “gold rush” of WMMA -  Gina Carano's pivotal win over Caitlyn Young ;, Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith stealing the show, Nick Diaz's "Don't be scared, homie" moment, & the internal power struggles within the company. 

On the controversial side… Gary Shaw’s unceremonious departure, gaming the stock market… this episode is insane 

If you think that this episode is wild… just wait for the 4th drop when everything implodes.
  
0:00 MMA history podcast intro  
0:32 Joey Venti’s guest introduction 
0:49 interview start 
0:52 having a meeting with CBS 
4:55 Gary Shaw not having a Wikipedia 
9:36 John Perretti erased from Wikipedia 
12:39 campaign to bad mouth Jared Shaw 
17:16 EliteXC street certified event 
21:35 funding StrikeForce event Frank Shamrock vs Cung Le
25:16 Nick Diaz at StrikeForce event 
26:20 Nick Diaz Marijuana Suspension 
30:06 experience with Larry Hazard 
31:51 Drew Fickett behaving during event 
32:19 Tiki Ghosn appearing on event 
33:22 ShoXC series 
35:15 Trying to Oust Gary Shaw 
40:27 EliteXC Primetime 
41:27 Kimbo Slice vs James Thompson 
48:22 Brett Rogers vs Jon Murphy 
50:15 Phil Baroni vs Joey Villasenor 
51:23 Gina Carano vs Kaitlin Young 
55:45 Robbie Lawler vs Scott Smith 
58:44 EliteXC events holding up to current day 
1:00:57 Refferee Dan Miragliotta
1:04:03 importance of a good Refferee 
1:07:46 Gary Shaw parting from EliteXC
1:10:42 ShoXC in Hawaii 
1:11:23 “Don’t be scared homie” viral comment 
1:12:44 Jared Shaw not attending Hawaii event 
1:19:17 trusting Ariel Helwani 
1:21:16 KJ Noons contract negotiation
1:32:41 interview wrap up 
1:41:05 outro/ closing thoughts

Please follow our channels on 

Follow the MMA History Team on Instagram: 
MMA Detective Mike Davis @mikedavis632 
Co Host Joey Venti @aj_ventitre
Records Keeper-  Andrew Mendoza @ambidexstress
Social Media Manager Andy Campbell  @martial_mindset_
Thumbnails Julio Macedo  @juliosemacento

Instagram 
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MMA History Podcast

YouTube 
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Outro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-power

Mike - The MMA Detective - @mikedavis632 
Cash App - $mikedavis1231
Venmo - Mike-Davis-63
ZELLE: [email protected] / ph#: 773-491-5052 

#MMA #UFC #NHB #MixedMartialArts #MMADetective #MikeDavis #MMAHistory #OldSchoolMMA #MMAPodcast #fightpodcast 

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Ep 315 Tank Abbott Fighting in the 90’s  

The Original UFC bad boy, David "Tank" Abbott, joins us for an unfiltered deep dive into the wild early days of MMA.
From his explosive knockouts at UFC 6, legendary clashes in the tournament, street-fighting roots, and raw takes on the politics, "works," and personalities that shaped the sport - Tank holds nothing back.
Now retired in the desert, this powerhouse legend (natural 625-Ib bench, no-BS 

0:00 MMA history podcast intro  
0:32 Joey Venti’s guest introduction 
0:51 interview start 
6:58 packaged by Dave Thomas for the UFC 
11:02 meeting with Art Davie 
16:44 
17:30 receiving letter of intent to fight in the UFC 
21:44 attending UFC 5 
24:19 interactions with Joe Son 
29:19 issues with Jim Brown 
43:42 Ken Shamrock vs Royce Gracie “rematch”
44:58 Ultimate Tank ppv 
45:50 cornering Vanilla ice for a fight 
46:31 thoughts on Tito Ortiz 
50:48 technique vs being tough 
52:02 Tank Abbott vs John Matua 
58:02 making the UFC entertaining 
59:05 Tank Abbott vs Paul Varelans
1:03:03 Tank Abbott vs Oleg Taktarov
1:07:17 Pat Smith altercation backstage 
1:09:46 attack on Pat Smith in elevator 
1:14:30 Ken Sharock calling the cops 
1:15:29 writing apology letter to John McCarthy 
1:16:59 becoming a paint artist 
1:17:44 training with Mark Schultz 
1:19:38 wrestling Chael Sonnan 
1:21:46 first fixed fight in the UFC 
1:23:09 Ken Shamrock not being pushed in UFC
1:24:58 Tank Abbott vs Dan Severn 
1:30:17 Altercation with Allan Goes 
1:40:55 sucker punched by Wallid Ismail
1:46:04 Bas Rutten vs Kevin Randleman 
1:47:05 Allan Goes incident in Puerto Rico
1:49:28 thoughts on John Perretti 
1:52:38 meeting Tito Ortiz 
1:55:32 Tito Ortiz stealing check from car 
2:02:12 Tank Abbott vs Scott Ferrozzo 
2:09:13 Tank Abbott vs Cal Worsham 
2:11:25 Direct wave TV sponsor 
2:11:44 Canceled bout with Ken Shamrock 
2:14:39 fighters taking steroids 
2:17:07 Don Frye worked fight with Mark Hall 
2:18:04 Big Al throwing burger at Frank Shamrock 
2:19:55 thoughts on the UFC hall of fame 
2:25:00 Ken Shamrock calling out Tank Abbott 
2:27:35 Pride Fc using Tank Abbott for promotional material 
2:32:05 Tank Abbott vs Maurice Smith 
2:34:26 Dan Severn pulling out of Maurice Smith fight 
2:38:37 interview wrap up/ outro

Please follow our channels on 

Follow the MMA History Team on Instagram: 
MMA Detective Mike Davis @mikedavis632 
Co Host Joey Venti @aj_ventitre
Records Keeper-  Andrew Mendoza @ambidexstress
Social Media Manager Andy Campbell  @martial_mindset_
Thumbnails Julio Macedo  @juliosemacento

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Outro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-power

Mike - The MMA Detective - @mikedavis632 
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Venmo - Mike-Davis-63
ZELLE: [email protected] / ph#: 773-491-5052 

#MMA #UFC #NHB #MixedMartialArts #MMADetective #MikeDavis #MMAHistory #OldSchoolMMA #MMAPodcast #fightpodcast 

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Ep 314 James Hergott - MMA Film Maker 

James Hergott is one of the OG’s when it comes to filming the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. 

While currently promoting his film Super Car Saints available on Amazon Prime; his past incudes Striking Truth with George’s St Pierre & Fighting for the Troops. 

This episode is special drop where we discuss MMA History current issues along with James past history 

It’s a fun listen  

Please follow our channels on 

Follow the MMA History Team on Instagram: 
MMA Detective Mike Davis @mikedavis632 
Co Host Joey Venti @aj_ventitre
Records Keeper-  Andrew Mendoza @ambidexstress
Social Media Manager Andy Campbell  @martial_mindset_
Thumbnails Julio Macedo  @juliosemacento

Instagram 
https://www.instagram.com/mmahistorypodcast?igsh=aHVweHdncXQycHBy&utm_source=qr

Spotify 
https://open.spotify.com/show/3q8KsfqrSQSjkdPLkdtNWb?si=aL3D5Y3aTDi-PQZdweWL8g

Apple Podcast 
MMA History Podcast

YouTube 
https://youtube.com/@MMAHistoryPodcast?si=bj1RBXTZ2X82tv_J

Outro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-power

Mike - The MMA Detective - @mikedavis632 
Cash App - $mikedavis1231
Venmo - Mike-Davis-63
ZELLE: [email protected] / ph#: 773-491-5052 

#MMA #UFC #NHB #MixedMartialArts #MMADetective #MikeDavis #MMAHistory #OldSchoolMMA #MMAPodcast #fightpodcast 

Thank You for your support

Support the show