UFC - 20 Year Thread

[wandshogun09]

Yeah, Diego should always be in 5 rounders. Most of the time he's just warming up by round 3. If he'd had another two rounds against Ellenberger he'd probably have won that fight. And he started to give Melendez problems in the 3rd of their fight also.

 

There's so many more fights I want to see Sanchez in, at both 155 and 170, but I don't know how long he can keep fighting the way he does. It's unlikely given their ties at Jackson's but I'd kill to see a Sanchez vs Condit fight.

[PowerButchi]

Don Frye and Bas Rutten are the two most personality charged fighters I've ever seen. This pair are beyond charismatic if you ever hear an interview with them. They are David Schultz or some shit. Like real characters who have a million stories to tell about their life. Both came from the pre-modern era boom period as well, so I dont think they get nearly the praise they should. Both could have (and I reckon would have) crossed over into wrestling if WCW hasn't have died. They both did worked matches in their life time, and Don was talking with the WWF in 2001. Once WWF bought out WCW, they weren't looking to bring anyone else in. And Bas was made for pro wrestling. Both could have been massive.

 

Especially Don Frye. A top Gaijin in NJPW for a period of time with awesome long hair mixing it up with a retirement tour Inoki. Although I think he marked his cards with WCW and wouldn't have ended up there after the whole meeting with Bischoff/argument with The Greatest Ernest The Cat Miller in 1997 or whenever it was when Bisch wanted that Toughman division for MMA fighters, hard Pacific Islanders, and future murderers of spouses and children.

[Egg Shen]

That's a man right there.

[jimufctna24]

That's a man right there.

Not a proper bloke though

 

Although I think he marked his cards with WCW and wouldn't have ended up there after the whole meeting with Bischoff/argument with The Greatest Ernest The Cat Miller in 1997 or whenever it was when Bisch wanted that Toughman division for MMA fighters, hard Pacific Islanders, and future murderers of spouses and children.

Never heard that, what did he argue with Miller over.

[PowerButchi]

Apparently when he was in negotiations with Bischoff in 1997 or so to come in Ernest Miller was there as well, and Miller claimed he'd beat Frye. Frye was calm and said something like "I'm sure you're very good, but in that situation I'd try and take you down and control you from there", and Miller was all I'M A THREE TIME WORLD KARATE CHAMPION YOU CANNOT BEAT ME", and Bischoff probably believed Miller being a massive Karate mark and I think they argued and Frye just said "Fuck it, I'll twat you now". Apparently Miller only got into wrestling because he was Garrett Bischoff's Karate teacher. EasyE rules.

 

 

From our own MagnumMilano.

 

There is a really good interview with Don Frye on one of the old Eyada Wrestling Observer Live shows, and he has a funny story about a meeting he had with Eric Bischoff in regards to him possibly coming to WCW.

 

Basically they were having a meal somewhere discussing things and then got talking about UFC and fighting. Bischoff then starts building up his buddy, and saying he's a champion kickboxer, won numerous titles etc really bigging him up and then says to Frye 'He's outside, do you want to meet him?'. Frye says yeah, and then in comes Ernest Miller. Miller then starts saying how he could win the UFC title and how they've never had any real kickers in the promotion, at which point Frye brings up Maurice Smith. Miller then belittles Smith and says how he could beat him, and could beat anyone in the UFC, which leads to Frye getting in his face and saying how 'You couldn't beat me' and basically offers him out there and then. Anyway, that cost Frye a shot at getting into WCW, and he said how Bischoff/WCW didn't even pay for his meal and whatnot after the outburst.

[jimufctna24]

Cheers Butch.

 

I am kinda of glad they never did come to blows, I would not want either to get humbled. I always found Miller to be a lovable rogue, and Frye is well Frye.

 

Miller was at it again lately saying he sparred with Brian Stann and did well, he might have done given his striking background, but MMA is different kettle of fish with takedowns and submissions involved.

 

You would think on paper that Frye would be marketable and better suited to wrestling than other UFC mainstays that crossed over, Ken Shamrock and Tank Abbott come to mind.

[Egg Shen]

Wild!

 

Sad little story about myself, when i originally bought the WCW vs. NWO games on the N64 i was unfamiliar with a lot of the WCW characters. Biscoff was a playable character but was unique in that he couldn't grapple but could do loads of funky karate kicks, for years i genuinely thought Bischoff was some legit bad-ass martial artist cause of that game

 

Speaking of UFC fighters in WCW, how did the Tank Abbott thing ever come about?

[PowerButchi]

I think he was a holdover from the mooted WCW shooters/toughman division.

[Stylin_and_Profilin]

I remember that rumour. Nearly every week it was on the old 'newz' sites that Mark Coleman / Kerr (maybe even both?!) were only weeks away from debuting. I don't even think it was tied in with the whole Russo nonsense about putting the world title on Abbott either, but an actual shoot fighter stable in it's own right.

[bAzTNM#1]

UFC 1-3 was cut by the BBFC. No reason is given, but here is what it is says on the MelonFarmers site..

 

UFC 1: Cut by 8 minutes, 42 seconds!

UFC 2: Cut by 6 minutes, 31 seconds!

UFC 3: Cut by 6 minutes, 16 seconds!

 

!

[IANdrewDiceClay]

Another strange Bischoff story, when UFC first started, Bischoff (a martial arts purist) thought they were all homosexuals or close to it, and told Haku to get into it and show the lads how its done. Of course, Haku said "are you bloody mad" or words to that effect. Because there's a big difference between having a rep as a bar fighter and fighting pro, and Haku wasn't stupid.

 

Bischoff must have been insane in the mid-90s. He was the president of a Turner owned company spending all this money and working 20 hour days, yet he found time to try and take out his own personal grudge on Ultimate Fighting? And how embarrassing for wrestling would that have been? Seeing a contracted wrestler with the reputation of being the hardest man ever and then getting taken apart from a fighter?

 

EDIT: Did a bit of digging, Haku was rumoured to be facing Gerard Gordeau at an early UFC. It got as far as UFC agreeing to it, and then WCW pulling him from the fight.

[JNLister]

There's a Twitter thread of "Meltzer in the 90s" which is just random quotes from old issues of the Observer. Highlights in recent day include:

 

None of the matches lasted 5:00 and the brutality made UWFI look like a pillow-fight. [11/93]

 

Any wrestling fans who didn't see it would question it by the fact that the promoter of the event's brother was the eventual winner. [11/93]

 

Bischoff was continually critical of UFC. He came off like a child trying to insist that his dad could beat up someone else's dad. [6/95]

[jimufctna24]

Bischoff must have been insane in the mid-90s. He was the president of a Turner owned company spending all this money and working 20 hour days, yet he found time to try and take out his own personal grudge on Ultimate Fighting? And how embarrassing for wrestling would that have been? Seeing a contracted wrestler with the reputation of being the hardest man ever and then getting taken apart from a fighter?

It did not work well for New Japan from what I recall, as they pitted their wrestlers against shooters regularly in the early 00,s. They ever entered Liger, who got battered if I recall right.

 

Haku was very wise by the way.

 

I think the Steiners could have done alright though in the 90's, if they faced the right people.

[wandshogun09]

Yeah, New Japan had Yuji Nagata fight prime Fedor and Cro Cop in the early 2000s, with predictably brutal results. And of course, there was Takayama's brief run in Pride with the mental fight with Frye. It's mad really when you think how the Japanese companies tried to promote wrestling as a real sport, you'd think they wouldn't want to have their top guys exposed on national television getting knocked out in a minute and stuff. I guess they were hoping they'd stumble upon the next Sakuraba, who could be a huge crossover star in both sports. But Sakuraba was a rare case.

[textonly]

Count me among the many who rented UFC 1 from the video shop back in the childhood days of countless martial arts movies. My brother and I must have been 12 and 13 at the time but my newsagent knew what we were into and had no problem telling us about this awesome new thing we'd love. He'd probably have sold us sarin gas if it'd earn him a quid. Naturally a love for Royce Gracie was soon born and we rented the first few until my newsagent stopped getting them. After that there was a massive lay-off until the Royal Albert Hall show (Genki Sudo <3 ) and I've been solidly on-board ever since.

 

Fave Picture:

 

 

I am and always have been a huge fan of Rashad (and Lyoto, the man responsible for this), but I always loved this picture. When I went to the UFC Fan Expo and got my picture taken in the Octagon, my secret wish was to replicate this pose, but I'm a saddo who went alone and I didn't fancy looking like a massive twat posing that way in front of the kind lady who was paid to take my photo and everyone else.