The MMA world is currently buzzing with the news that former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre wants to make a comeback to the UFC after a three year break from fighting. Given his past success, there’s every chance that if and when he does return, GSP will be able to win back his title and reclaim
The MMA world is currently buzzing with the news that former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre wants to make a comeback to the UFC after a three year break from fighting.
Given his past success, there’s every chance that if and when he does return, GSP will be able to win back his title and reclaim his spot at the summit of the pound-for-pound rankings.
However, nothing is certain in this rapidly evolving sport, and as you’ll see in this article, over the years there’s been many occasions where stars have returned to the cage after a lengthy absence, only to have their dreams of recapturing past glories quickly turn into the stuff of nightmares.
Mixed martial arts has evolved so much in the last 20 years, going from a sordid pleasure to a mainstream attraction in a relatively short time. It seems like just yesterday that bar brawlers who could knock a guy out were the biggest draws, names like Tank Abbott of the UFC old school spring to
Mixed martial arts has evolved so much in the last 20 years, going from a sordid pleasure to a mainstream attraction in a relatively short time. It seems like just yesterday that bar brawlers who could knock a guy out were the biggest draws, names like Tank Abbott of the UFC old school spring to mind on that topic. Now we see a much more polished product, with the market leader the Ultimate Fighting Championship constantly carving a new era in the sport.
Of course the one punch knockout artist is still one of the biggest attractions for the casual fan, but what we see in terms of skill and training in the modern UFC athlete far exceeds the limitations of the men who’s blood and sweat make the foundations of modern MMA. One man who’s followed the sport keenly is WWE legend Bill Goldberg, who talks about owning one of the biggest MMA gyms in the 1990’s, and discusses the evolution of mixed martial arts with The Ringer.
“I was a huge fan of the UFC, and of mixed martial arts, back in its embryonic state, when the Gary Goodridges, and the Don Fryes, and the Tank Abbotts were getting paid 100 bucks to smash people’s face for entertainment. I owned the largest MMA gym in the country back in the late ’90s.”
“They used to train?—?whether it was [Randy] Couture, or Frye, or Kevin Randleman?—?they used to train at my place. I had a love affair with the martial arts and it very much interests me, and I thought the combination of a guy that weighed 290 that could do a backflip and do these submission moves would succeed. I knew that the UFC and that mixed martial arts in general was going to prosper”
“I was at Jared Allen’s Night-Ops golf tournament, benefiting the military, and Ryan Bader was there two days ago. And Bader came up and asked to pick me up, asked me to pick him up; it’s a completely different relationship. All those guys wanna be us. All the fighters wanna be in professional wrestling, I don’t care what they say. There’s a huge parallel in it and they [the MMA fighters] very much appreciate those guys [the pro wrestlers] and conversely we very much appreciate what they do.”
Of course where this translates in to current events is the UFC’s growing relationship with the WWE. With Brock Lesnar, the most successful pro wrestling to MMA crossover set to make his return at UFC 200, fighters Paige VaZant and Ronda Rousey are rumoured for a Summerslam and Wrestlemania exchange. The worlds of wrestling entertainment and mixed martial arts have never been closer than now.
But Goldberg, even though one of the most well known faces in the outlandish and brash world of pro wresting, is not a fan of Conor McGregor’s style.
Guys, I’m not quite sure how to break this, so I’ll just come right out and say it. You remember that mother of all freakshow fights between Tank Abbott and Dan Severn that was supposed to headline that insanely-awesome looking UR Fight card this weekend? You know, the one that was set to feature Sonnen vs. Bisping in a grappling match, Angle vs. Mysterio in a professional wrestling match, and Roy Jones Jr. killing a guy? The one that was basically the summation of everything great about America in an era dominated by PC feminazi libtards who want to take away our guns?
It’s off. The fight is off and my heart is literally tearing in two right now.
Guys, I’m not quite sure how to break this, so I’ll just come right out and say it. You remember that mother of all freakshow fights between Tank Abbott and Dan Severn that was supposed to headline that insanely-awesome looking UR Fight card this weekend? You know, the one that was set to feature Sonnen vs. Bisping in a grappling match, Angle vs. Mysterio in a professional wrestling match, and Roy Jones Jr. killing a guy? The one that was basically the summation of everything great about America in an era dominated by PC feminazi libtards who want to take away our guns?
It’s off. The fight is off and my heart is literally tearing in two right now.
And why has Abbott vs. Severn been called off, you ask? Oh, only because of the stupidest reason of them all: SAFETY CONCERNS. As MMAFighting reports:
A rematch between legends Dan Severn and Tank Abbott has been scrapped.
Abbott could not pass his physical and has been removed from the fight against fellow UFC veteran Severn by the Arizona Boxing and MMA Commission, a spokesman for UR Fight confirmed with MMA Fighting on Thursday morning. A replacement is being sought.
Now, before you take to the streets to burn everything held sacred by this unjust world to the ground, you should know that the event itself is still scheduled to go on as planned, and a last-minute replacement opponent is being sought for Severn (please let it be Royce Gracie, please let it be Royce Gracie…). It would appear that the near-death of Dada 5000 at Bellator 149 has once again reared its ugly head, forcing athletic commissions around the country to step up their game and only sanction fights between “healthy” and “able-bodied” fighters.
It’s a f*cking disgrace if you ask me, even if it does make you wonder how Tank Abbott couldn’t pass a physical that this guy could:
I mean, come on. Tank could destroy this chump with a belly full of chicken wings and a half-empty keg tied to his belt, Always Sunny-style.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated when/if Severn’s new opponent is announced, but one thing’s for sure: this does not bode well for The Beast’s proposed “Master’s Division.” Hell, it doesn’t bode well for America.
Not to sound selfish, but the recent near-death of Dada 5000 following his Bellator 149 scrap with Kimbo Slice has really taken a lot of fun out of this whole “freakshow fight” concept. Up until that (nearly) fateful evening in February, the fact is that freakshow fights had produced nothing but wholesome, entertaining, and legitimate results LITERALLY 100PERCENT OF THE TIME. Now, we’ve been forced to act all “thoughtful” and “humane” each time one of them is booked like a bunch of vegan hipster pussies.
Thank God there are still “real” men and “real” promotions out there who don’t give a f*ck about things like safety regulations and common sense, or our sport would probably have fallen prey to Bernie Sanders’ socialist PC zeitgeist libtard pacifist gun control bureaugamy by now. We’re talking about men like Tank Abbott and Dan Severn, and promotions like UR Fight, the latter of which recently booked the two aging UFC vets to throw down as part of what may very well be the most insane event ever scheduled. ‘Murica!
Not to sound selfish, but the recent near-death of Dada 5000 following his Bellator 149 scrap with Kimbo Slice has really taken a lot of fun out of this whole “freakshow fight” concept. Up until that (nearly) fateful evening in February, the fact is that freakshow fights had produced nothing but wholesome, entertaining, and legitimate results LITERALLY 100PERCENT OF THE TIME. Now, we’ve been forced to act all “thoughtful” and “humane” each time one of them is booked like a bunch of vegan hipster pussies.
Thank God there are still “real” men and “real” promotions out there who don’t give a f*ck about things like safety regulations and common sense, or our sport would probably have fallen prey to Bernie Sanders’ socialist PC zeitgeist libtard pacifist gun control bureaugamy by now. We’re talking about men like Tank Abbott and Dan Severn, and promotions like UR Fight, the latter of which recently booked the two aging UFC vets to throw down as part of what may very well be the most insane event ever scheduled. ‘Murica!
Details after the jump.
You see, while the Reebok-endorsed feminazi colony of bruised-footed namby-pambys known as the UFC can barely scrape together one decent main event for the average card, UR Fight has gone ahead and booked FOUR main events for its inaugural pay-per-view on March 20th. Count ‘em, four.
MAIN EVENT #4: 57-year-old Dan Severn vs. 50-year-old Tank Abbott in an MMA fight
Do you think that the trailblazers over at UR Fight seem concerned about the “moral dilemma” or “repercussions” of having a man with literally zero boxing experience face a legend of the sport, or that Michael Bisping has “technically” been medically suspended for 180 days following his fight with Anderson Silva, or that Abbott and Severn’s combined age is greater than most California redwoods? FUCK NO THEY AREN’T, and that’s how business should be done!
Look, this might be difficult for all you social-justice-crusading, neckbearded keyboard warriors to understand, but if two people want to fight in a cage instead of on an Interweb forum, then these so-called “athletic commissions” are pretty much powerless to stop them. The same goes for the promotions, who outside of sending both parties to a therapist (or some other gutless treatment meant for non-alphas) can really only provide them with a place to throw down and slap a reasonable price tag on the proceedings…say, $11.99. THIS IS A FACT.
And while we’re dropping truths, we should point out that Dan Severn has been calling for a senior’s…pardon me…”Masters” division in MMA for some time now, and with Ken Shamrock too busy healing from the bruised vagina that Royce Gracie gave him, the honor of facing him has fallen on Tank Abbott, a dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue patriot if there ever was one.
So if you consider yourself an American — Hell, if you even consider yourself a red-blooded human being — then it is your civic duty to go to the UR Fight website, pony up the necessary 11 dollars and 99 cents and watch this fight with a foam finger in one hand and a Pabst Blue Ribbon in the other on March 20th. #TRUMP2016 bitches!!!
Not to sound selfish, but the recent near-death of Dada 5000 following his Bellator 149 scrap with Kimbo Slice has really taken a lot of fun out of this whole “freakshow fight” concept. Up until that (nearly) fateful evening in February, the fact is that freakshow fights had produced nothing but wholesome, entertaining, and legitimate results LITERALLY 100PERCENT OF THE TIME. Now, we’ve been forced to act all “thoughtful” and “humane” each time one of them is booked like a bunch of vegan hipster pussies.
Thank God there are still “real” men and “real” promotions out there who don’t give a f*ck about things like safety regulations and common sense, or our sport would probably have fallen prey to Bernie Sanders’ socialist PC zeitgeist libtard pacifist gun control bureaugamy by now. We’re talking about men like Tank Abbott and Dan Severn, and promotions like UR Fight, the latter of which recently booked the two aging UFC vets to throw down as part of what may very well be the most insane event ever scheduled. ‘Murica!
Not to sound selfish, but the recent near-death of Dada 5000 following his Bellator 149 scrap with Kimbo Slice has really taken a lot of fun out of this whole “freakshow fight” concept. Up until that (nearly) fateful evening in February, the fact is that freakshow fights had produced nothing but wholesome, entertaining, and legitimate results LITERALLY 100PERCENT OF THE TIME. Now, we’ve been forced to act all “thoughtful” and “humane” each time one of them is booked like a bunch of vegan hipster pussies.
Thank God there are still “real” men and “real” promotions out there who don’t give a f*ck about things like safety regulations and common sense, or our sport would probably have fallen prey to Bernie Sanders’ socialist PC zeitgeist libtard pacifist gun control bureaugamy by now. We’re talking about men like Tank Abbott and Dan Severn, and promotions like UR Fight, the latter of which recently booked the two aging UFC vets to throw down as part of what may very well be the most insane event ever scheduled. ‘Murica!
Details after the jump.
You see, while the Reebok-endorsed feminazi colony of bruised-footed namby-pambys known as the UFC can barely scrape together one decent main event for the average card, UR Fight has gone ahead and booked FOUR main events for its inaugural pay-per-view on March 20th. Count ‘em, four.
MAIN EVENT #4: 57-year-old Dan Severn vs. 50-year-old Tank Abbott in an MMA fight
Do you think that the trailblazers over at UR Fight seem concerned about the “moral dilemma” or “repercussions” of having a man with literally zero boxing experience face a legend of the sport, or that Michael Bisping has “technically” been medically suspended for 180 days following his fight with Anderson Silva, or that Abbott and Severn’s combined age is greater than most California redwoods? FUCK NO THEY AREN’T, and that’s how business should be done!
Look, this might be difficult for all you social-justice-crusading, neckbearded keyboard warriors to understand, but if two people want to fight in a cage instead of on an Interweb forum, then these so-called “athletic commissions” are pretty much powerless to stop them. The same goes for the promotions, who outside of sending both parties to a therapist (or some other gutless treatment meant for non-alphas) can really only provide them with a place to throw down and slap a reasonable price tag on the proceedings…say, $11.99. THIS IS A FACT.
And while we’re dropping truths, we should point out that Dan Severn has been calling for a senior’s…pardon me…”Masters” division in MMA for some time now, and with Ken Shamrock too busy healing from the bruised vagina that Royce Gracie gave him, the honor of facing him has fallen on Tank Abbott, a dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue patriot if there ever was one.
So if you consider yourself an American — Hell, if you even consider yourself a red-blooded human being — then it is your civic duty to go to the UR Fight website, pony up the necessary 11 dollars and 99 cents and watch this fight with a foam finger in one hand and a Pabst Blue Ribbon in the other on March 20th. #TRUMP2016 bitches!!!
…Or, we could all just kick back, crack open an A.M. Ale and remember a better time. A time when guys like Tank Abbott and Wesley “Cabbage” Correira were considered elite athletes despite holding a little something extra around the midsection. A time when the term “brawler” could be used to describe someone’s fighting style without question or the smallest sense of irony. A time when men were men, dammit.
Abbott and Correira’s pair of bouts were quick and anything but painless, lasting a combined fight time of just three minutes and thirty-seven seconds, yet managed to capture everything that we loved about mid-2000’s MMA: wild haymakers, the muay Thai clinch, and gas tanks that expired before most of the audience could even find their seats. They were the kind of brawls that you might see in a John Wayne movie, but the fact that they were being contested inside a cage and for money instantly elevated them to near legendary status among true fans of the sport.
So rather than bore you with the same mundane news you could read anywhere else, let’s relive the visual poetry that was Cabbage vs. Tank, starting with their first encounter at UFC 45. After the jump: Abbott vs. Correira, pt. II.
…Or, we could all just kick back, crack open an A.M. Ale and remember a better time. A time when guys like Tank Abbott and Wesley “Cabbage” Correira were considered elite athletes despite holding a little something extra around the midsection. A time when the term “brawler” could be used to describe someone’s fighting style without question or the smallest sense of irony. A time when men were men, dammit.
Abbott and Correira’s pair of bouts were quick and anything but painless, lasting a combined fight time of just three minutes and thirty-seven seconds, yet managed to capture everything that we loved about mid-2000′s MMA: wild haymakers, the muay Thai clinch, and gas tanks that expired before most of the audience could even find their seats. They were the kind of brawls that you might see in a John Wayne movie, but the fact that they were being contested inside a cage and for money instantly elevated them to near legendary status among true fans of the sport.
So rather than bore you with the same mundane news you could read anywhere else, let’s relive the visual poetry that was Cabbage vs. Tank, starting with their first encounter at UFC 45. After the jump: Abbott vs. Correira, pt. II.
![040315-UFC-bill-goldberg-and-quinton-jackson-ahn-PI.vresize.1200.675.high.81[1]](http://cdn.lowkickmma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/040315-UFC-bill-goldberg-and-quinton-jackson-ahn-PI.vresize.1200.675.high_.811.jpg)
![snRYAMR[1]](http://cdn.lowkickmma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/snRYAMR1.jpg)
