Tag: Ask Gary

“Ask Gary” #4: Defending GSP, Crying Over Leg Kicks, and Losing Via ‘No Apparent Reason’

Gary Goodridge Don Frye UFC MMA photos
(The good old days — when men were men and briefs were shiny.)

Hello to all of my Cage Potato friends and thanks again for your interest and questions. It’s been a busy 2011 so far and things are only looking better from here. Thank you for the wonderful night before UFC 129 in Toronto. To those who missed it, there was a Cage Potato: Banned party that week and I had the opportunity to meet many loyal readers and Cage Potato “Big Wigs.” As you may know, I’ve reached a different stage in my career and I hope to provide you with more honest insights into many of the things that I’ve learned. I’m pleased to be black by popular demand. Ask away for my next column. Also, add me on Facebook, Twitter, and my blog www.bigdaddyfightteam.com.

All the best and Happy Humping,
Gary Goodridge

‘Bob Villa’ asks: How do you feel about all the lay and pray we’ve been subjected to lately? What do you think about guys like GSP who seem to fight not to lose and never go for the finish?
You’re asking the wrong guy because I always went for the finish. I think just lying on top of somebody is just crap and ridiculous. However, when fighters start doing that they pay the price because the promotions are not going to bring you back. You already know I like Wanderlei Silva and Chris Leben; I also like a lot of the U.K. fighters like Dan Hardy because they always provide entertaining fights.

GSP is a different animal though. He is a champion. He doesn’t have to finish these guys. They have to finish GSP. His job is to keep his belt any way that he can because the belt means prestige and, more importantly, money. If I were him I would use every fibre in my body to walk away with the belt. I never won a championship beyond the International Vale Tudo Championship so I was never in a position to have to try and retain my belt. I was the guy who tried to shatter the myths of others fighters as champions.

People need to understand that guys like GSP are facing the top competition in the world every fight. There is no room for a mistake. It may not look like he’s doing much but trust me, he is.

‘bgoldstein’ asks: At PRIDE 11, you gave Yoshiaki Yatsu one of the most savage beatings I’ve ever seen in my life. Why did PRIDE book a rematch of that fight the next year? Did you feel bad accepting it?

Gary Goodridge Don Frye UFC MMA photos
(The good old days — when men were men and briefs were shiny.)

Hello to all of my Cage Potato friends and thanks again for your interest and questions. It’s been a busy 2011 so far and things are only looking better from here. Thank you for the wonderful night before UFC 129 in Toronto. To those who missed it, there was a Cage Potato: Banned party that week and I had the opportunity to meet many loyal readers and Cage Potato “Big Wigs.” As you may know, I’ve reached a different stage in my career and I hope to provide you with more honest insights into many of the things that I’ve learned. I’m pleased to be black by popular demand. Ask away for my next column. Also, add me on Facebook, Twitter, and my blog www.bigdaddyfightteam.com.

All the best and Happy Humping,
Gary Goodridge

‘Bob Villa’ asks: How do you feel about all the lay and pray we’ve been subjected to lately? What do you think about guys like GSP who seem to fight not to lose and never go for the finish?
You’re asking the wrong guy because I always went for the finish. I think just lying on top of somebody is just crap and ridiculous. However, when fighters start doing that they pay the price because the promotions are not going to bring you back. You already know I like Wanderlei Silva and Chris Leben; I also like a lot of the U.K. fighters like Dan Hardy because they always provide entertaining fights.

GSP is a different animal though. He is a champion. He doesn’t have to finish these guys. They have to finish GSP. His job is to keep his belt any way that he can because the belt means prestige and, more importantly, money. If I were him I would use every fibre in my body to walk away with the belt. I never won a championship beyond the International Vale Tudo Championship so I was never in a position to have to try and retain my belt. I was the guy who tried to shatter the myths of others fighters as champions.

People need to understand that guys like GSP are facing the top competition in the world every fight. There is no room for a mistake. It may not look like he’s doing much but trust me, he is.

‘bgoldstein’ asks: At PRIDE 11, you gave Yoshiaki Yatsu one of the most savage beatings I’ve ever seen in my life. Why did PRIDE book a rematch of that fight the next year? Did you feel bad accepting it?
No, I didn’t feel bad about accepting it at all. Why would I feel bad? If he wanted to take the fight again, who am I to turn him down? I will say that nobody can ever question Yatsu’s heart. In fact, it you ever see a Yatsu watch next to a Timex, pick the Yatsu because guaranteed it’ll take a licking and keep on ticking.


(Goodridge vs. Yatsu, 10/31/00. The brutal finish begins around the 9:40 mark.)

‘RWilsonR’ asks: What injury have you sustained that has hurt the worst? Randy Couture said he has never felt pain like a broken orbital bone. Do you have an especially painful injury story?
I have never felt pain like I did when Musashi gave me my first taste of a legitimate leg kick. If you watch the fight you can see that I can’t even stand. My nerves weren’t used to receiving those types of strikes and I didn’t know how to defend against them. After that fight, I went straight to the dressing room and cried for a long time. I didn’t even know why I was crying because it didn’t stop the pain. But I had never felt anything like the leg kicks in K-1.

‘NotReadyStatus’ asks: I have seen you listed as repping Canada and/or Trinidad-Tobago. Which Country do you feel is more “Big Daddy’s”?
This is an odd question for me because I don’t consider myself very patriotic. I say I’m Canadian though because I’ve been here for over 40 years of my life. Canada is my home. All of my family is here expect one of my sisters who lives in Jamaica. My mother is very patriotic. She chose to bring her family here for a better life. I know she’s similar to other immigrants in that she sees herself as more Canadian than many people who were born here. Out of all of the places in the world, this is where she chose to come. As far as I’m concerned, promoters can say I’m from wherever they want me to be from. That type of stuff never bothered me.

‘RWilsonR’ (again) asks: What’s the story behind your fight with Mario Neto? It says you lost via Submission (No Apparent Reason) on Sherdog.
I have a hard time remembering this fight and a lot of people tend to bring it up. All I can say is that I was exhausted. It was early in my career and I didn’t know how to train properly. People ask me how I didn’t know that I needed cardio…I just didn’t know. None of us knew anything. At that point I didn’t have the mental fortitude that fighters need in order to surpass that point of exhaustion. I was exhausted and I couldn’t defend myself so I didn’t want to stay in there and take more damage.

‘LOKI’ asks: Did you ever turn down a fight for any reason that in retrospect you wish you had taken?
No I never turned down any fights in my life. Only when I got married. Take that as you will ;)

“Ask Gary” #3: Hard Hitters, Mistaken Identity, and Booty

Gary Goodridge Maurice Smith Susie sister MMA photos
(The splash of green on the far right edge of the photo? That’s Susie. Photo courtesy of MMAWeekly)

Editor’s note: Yeah, it’s been over a month since Gary has graced us with his presence; long story, but it’s our fault, not his. Please forgive us for the delay. If you have any burning questions for the next installment of “Ask Gary,” please submit them in the comments section below, and catch up on his past columns here and here.

By Gary “Big Daddy” Goodridge

‘zaman fu’ asks: Please tell us some crazy stories about your sister.
Susie and I have always been really close and most fans would be familiar with seeing her in photos or post-fight ring celebrations. Throughout her life, Susie’s had a number of different boyfriends and, most of them, I didn’t like. The only men who I ever liked have been her husband and the man that she’s with right now. I’m sure there is an entire biography that can be written based solely on crazy stories about my sister Susie. She’s a party animal. Anytime I went to a fight, she would party enough for the both of us. I’d always go back to my hotel room and she’d go out to party with the fighters and fans. Needless to say, she’s got the skinny on everybody.

‘DARKHORSE06’ asks: Dear Gary, How come you never got paid what you deserved? Why were people always ripping you off? And why was it so hard to save? Not to push any buttons.
Hindsight is 20/20. Each one of us has our own life to live. Nobody makes all of the right choices at the right times. I’ve done both good and bad things but when all is said and done, I’m the one living my life. I’ve learned not to spend too much time worrying about how other people think they may have lived my life. Everybody gets ripped off and I’m no different. Old guys like us may have gotten taken advantage of sometimes but it’s nothing to whine about. Hopefully the new fighters can benefit from our experience by learning to watch their back and pay attention to what’s going on. Don’t let people make decisions for you. Make decisions for yourself and be careful who you give your trust to.

‘danomite’ asks: Who, out of all the people you have fought, hit the hardest?

Gary Goodridge Maurice Smith Susie sister MMA photos
(The splash of green on the far right edge of the photo? That’s Susie. Photo courtesy of MMAWeekly)

Editor’s note: Yeah, it’s been over a month since Gary has graced us with his presence; long story, but it’s our fault, not his. Please forgive us for the delay. If you have any burning questions for the next installment of “Ask Gary,” please submit them in the comments section below, and catch up on his past columns here and here.

By Gary “Big Daddy” Goodridge

‘zaman fu’ asks: Please tell us some crazy stories about your sister.
Susie and I have always been really close and most fans would be familiar with seeing her in photos or post-fight ring celebrations. Throughout her life, Susie’s had a number of different boyfriends and, most of them, I didn’t like. The only men who I ever liked have been her husband and the man that she’s with right now. I’m sure there is an entire biography that can be written based solely on crazy stories about my sister Susie. She’s a party animal. Anytime I went to a fight, she would party enough for the both of us. I’d always go back to my hotel room and she’d go out to party with the fighters and fans. Needless to say, she’s got the skinny on everybody.

‘DARKHORSE06′ asks: Dear Gary, How come you never got paid what you deserved? Why were people always ripping you off? And why was it so hard to save? Not to push any buttons.
Hindsight is 20/20. Each one of us has our own life to live. Nobody makes all of the right choices at the right times. I’ve done both good and bad things but when all is said and done, I’m the one living my life. I’ve learned not to spend too much time worrying about how other people think they may have lived my life. Everybody gets ripped off and I’m no different. Old guys like us may have gotten taken advantage of sometimes but it’s nothing to whine about. Hopefully the new fighters can benefit from our experience by learning to watch their back and pay attention to what’s going on. Don’t let people make decisions for you. Make decisions for yourself and be careful who you give your trust to.

‘danomite’ asks: Who, out of all the people you have fought, hit the hardest?
You never even feel the people who hit the hardest because they just put you to sleep. I’d say that Fedor is one of the hardest hitters because he put me to sleep and I didn’t even feel a thing. Heath Herring also put me on Queer Street; a lot of people don’t give Herring the credit he deserved as a fighter but I’m telling you, he hits very hard. It’s very important for people to understand that just because somebody knocks you out, doesn’t necessarily mean they hit hard. It just means they hit you correctly, meaning you’re not breathing at the proper time or you don’t clinch your jaw at the right time. There’s a lot of guys who can hit hard but to be honest, no one personal really stands out. I was always prepared for the guys who hit hard so nobody ever really caught me off guard. I always did my research on my opponents and would train accordingly.


(Goodridge vs. Herring, Hero’s 4, 3/15/06)

‘danomite’ (again) asks: What do you think about Zuffa being the only big organization left?
Zuffa’s been treating everybody really well but the only problem with only having one player on the block is that it looks like a monopoly. Zuffa is cleaning up and doing what they need to do by taking the market share away from as many competitors as possible. And you know what? Good for them. You cannot blame them for making decisions in the best interest of the company. Now that Zuffa’s number one, other people are out to take a piece of their pie. The industry is starting to learn that if they are going to get any piece of the pie that Zuffa has been baking, they can’t be greedy and try to take more than their share.

‘jimbonics’ asks: How often are you mistaken for Gilbert Yvel?
‘danomite’ (wow) asks: Which black athlete or movie star do you get mistaken for most often? My money is on LT (Ladainian Tomlinson, not the other guy)
I always get mistaken for Rampage. Rampage Jackson and I go back a long way and we’ve had many conversations regarding how often we get mistaken for each other. We’ve hung out a lot together and we always have each other’s back. Rampage married a Japanese woman at the same time that I was thinking about marrying a Japanese woman. Rampage and I both know how to entertain the fans as arena celebrities; however, we are also very personable and approachable to individual fans. Both of us have been fighting our entire lives and have developed strong wills. We’ve always had the same attitude towards the sport and he’s always been my brother in this difficult sport.

‘SnackDaddy’ asks: Tits or ass?
Anybody who knows Big Daddy knows that I’m “Ass all the way, ass all day.” I love big booty.

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