Todd Duffee Quietly Puts Together One of UFC’s Oddest Back Stories

Professional athletes fall off of the radar quite often. Numerous factors, such as injuries and personal situations, push competitors out of their sport before they had the opportunity to make a true impact. Todd Duffee was once considered such an indi…

Professional athletes fall off of the radar quite often. Numerous factors, such as injuries and personal situations, push competitors out of their sport before they had the opportunity to make a true impact. Todd Duffee was once considered such an individual, yet he has slowly made his way back into the world of professional fighting. Looking at his story opens up an interesting chapter in the development of mixed martial artists that is very unique in its own right.

Travel in a time machine five years back to 2009. Duffee would have just faced Tim Hague back at UFC 102. In this fight he would snatch the recognized UFC record of fastest knockout with a seven-second stoppage. There would be an explosion of excitement surrounding the potential that Duffee would have within MMA, but that storyline would not come to fruition.

Duffee would then begin to experience the injuries that have continued to plague his career. He would be pulled from a planned fight on UFC 107 but would make his return to the Octagon against Mike Russow at UFC 114. That is where the wheels began to fall off.

Duffee would dominate Russow for 10 minutes of this contest before being knocked out in the third round. This is well-known information. However, the peculiar moment came before the fight when Duffee would make some interesting comments that should have raised concerns about his mental state in relation to the sport.

A 2010 piece by Ray Hui of MMA Fighting revealed an honest side to Duffee before the Russow fight in which he called himself “overhyped.” He would go on to reveal other internal feelings that he had about the sport that are refreshing to hear from a fighter now and were even more so back then.

“I’ve been overhyped but I’m not overrated by any means,” Duffee said on the MMA Hour, MMA Fighting’s weekly studio show (as reported by Hui). “The guys I train with. The people I’m around … If I’m overrated, they are too.”

That statement, coupled with the result of the fight, put Duffee in a very hard place to recover from. Months after that defeat he would find himself on the outside of the UFC as he was cut from the promotion. He was just as shocked as much of the MMA community. 

“I thought it was a joke at first,” Duffee said in a MMA Fighting report by Ben Fowlkes. “I mean, they’re not cutting me off one loss. They don’t do that. It didn’t make sense to me.”

Duffee would fight one more time in 2010, a first-round defeat to Alistair Overeem, before disappearing from the sport all together. Two years and a movie later, Duffee crept his way back into the MMA scene. One victory in Super Fight League would allow him to be welcomed back into the UFC at UFC 155, where he stopped Phillip De Fries.

This point in his career deserves a huge reference point as he was competing without the full abilities available to other fighters. He was diagnosed with a rare condition that threatened his entire career, via MMA Mania. Being an athlete is hard enough, but doing so while battling Parsonage-Turner Syndrome (PTS) is amazing in its own right. However, this hurdle has not stopped Duffee as he is expected to face Anthony Hamilton at UFC 181 in December.

Todd Duffee’s story is interesting for a number of reasons. From hot prospect to potential bust, Duffee is still a name to watch in the heavyweight division. At just 28 years old he still has a lot to offer the sport at its highest levels. However, he seems more comfortable riding under the radar rather than being the face that everyone expects to smash opponents.

“I always want to be an underdog going into a fight, no question,” said Duffee before his fight with Russow. It’s just more exciting. Your training camps are so long and there is so much room for injury in your career, so sure you want to try to fight the best opponents you can fight always.”

He may finally have his request as he looks to rebuild his name among the biggest men in mixed martial arts. The heavyweight division needs a fighter who can establish himself as the man to watch. Duffee has shown the flashes in the past, but this more quiet approach—along with his backstory—make him a name to watch in the near future.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Friday Links: Todd Duffee Returns to the UFC, The Five Best Saitama Super Arena Fights, Filthy Tinder Pickup Lines + More

(Jon Jones vs. Les Grossman. Language verrrrrry NSFW.)

Todd Duffee to Return at UFC 181 (ESPN)

The Five Best MMA Fights at Saitama Super Arena in Japan (MMAJunkie)

Lee Mein Pleads Not Guilty to Sexual Battery Charge (MMAFighting)

Nevada Athletic Commission to Address Daniel Cormier-Jon Jones Brawl at Sept. 23 Hearing (Sherdog)

Gratuitous Rose Namajunas Booty Shot From TUF 20 (gfycat)

A Lesson in Street MMA: Watch Out for the Bouncer With Jose Aldo Leg Kicks (MiddleEasy)

The 9 Filthiest Tinder Pick Up Lines Ever (PopHangover)

Cast Art So Amazing It Was Worth the Broken Bones (Radass)

Former SS Guard Charged With 300,000 Counts of Accessory to Murder (EveryJoe)

How Much is $2.5 Billion in Minecraft Terms? (EscapistMagazine)

MateFit Picks – A Fight, A Song, A Model (VFD Marketing)

Deadpool To Actually Become a Movie, Gets February 2016 Release Date (ScreenJunkies)

Everything You Need to Know About the Iggy Azalea Sex Tape (AskMen)

The 25 Best Thrillers and Suspense Movies of All Time (HiConsumption)


(Jon Jones vs. Les Grossman. Language verrrrrry NSFW.)

Todd Duffee to Return at UFC 181 (ESPN)

The Five Best MMA Fights at Saitama Super Arena in Japan (MMAJunkie)

Lee Mein Pleads Not Guilty to Sexual Battery Charge (MMAFighting)

Nevada Athletic Commission to Address Daniel Cormier-Jon Jones Brawl at Sept. 23 Hearing (Sherdog)

Gratuitous Rose Namajunas Booty Shot From TUF 20 (gfycat)

A Lesson in Street MMA: Watch Out for the Bouncer With Jose Aldo Leg Kicks (MiddleEasy)

The 9 Filthiest Tinder Pick Up Lines Ever (PopHangover)

Cast Art So Amazing It Was Worth the Broken Bones (Radass)

Former SS Guard Charged With 300,000 Counts of Accessory to Murder (EveryJoe)

How Much is $2.5 Billion in Minecraft Terms? (EscapistMagazine)

MateFit Picks – A Fight, A Song, A Model (VFD Marketing)

Deadpool To Actually Become a Movie, Gets February 2016 Release Date (ScreenJunkies)

Everything You Need to Know About the Iggy Azalea Sex Tape (AskMen)

The 25 Best Thrillers and Suspense Movies of All Time (HiConsumption)

Throwback Thursday: Alistair Overeem’s Eight Greatest Squash Match Performances


(Simon says, “Die.” Photo via sescoopes)

If the bookies are to be believed, Alistair Overeem should tear through Ben Rothwell like tissue paper at Fight Night Mashantucket tomorrow. Currently listed as high as a 7 to 1 favorite over “Big” Ben, Overeem is already making some pretty bold claims about his next run at a title, which cannot possibly backfire a second time. Hell, Overeem might even throw Anthony Johnson a pity beatdown on his way to said title, just for kicks. He’s THAT confident.

Then again, confidence has never really been an issue for Overeem, and it’s easy to see why. When he is paired up against anyone less than a top contender, Overeem fights as if he’s been beamed down from a distant planet (let’s call it, “Pectoria”) to remind us humans of how puny and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of it all. Even his nickname, “The Demolition Man”, is otherworldly in its awesomeness.

And while it’s true that Overeem has struggled against upper echelon competition throughout his career, it’s also true that there isn’t a fighter alive who crushes cans quite like he does (not that Rothwell is by any means a can). Ubereem is the foremost purveyor of squash matches, indeed, so let these eight videos serve as a testament to his greatness.

In Which The Uber Makes Gary Goodridge Cry Out in Agony

By the time Gary Goodridge got around to fighting Alistair Overeem, he was a 42-year-old (though oddly enough, introduced as 32) relic of his former self who was waist deep in the eight-fight losing streak that would end his MMA career. Overeem, on the other hand, had just obliterated Mirko Cro Cop‘s testicles at DREAM 6. To say that these men’s careers were heading in opposite directions would be a slight understatement.


(Simon says, “Die.” Photo via sescoopes)

If the bookies are to be believed, Alistair Overeem should tear through Ben Rothwell like tissue paper at Fight Night Mashantucket tomorrow. Currently listed as high as a 7 to 1 favorite over “Big” Ben, Overeem is already making some pretty bold claims about his next run at a title, which cannot possibly backfire a second time. Hell, Overeem might even throw Anthony Johnson a pity beatdown on his way to said title, just for kicks. He’s THAT confident.

Then again, confidence has never really been an issue for Overeem, and it’s easy to see why. When he is paired up against anyone less than a top contender, Overeem fights as if he’s been beamed down from a distant planet (let’s call it, “Pectoria”) to remind us humans of how puny and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of it all. Even his nickname, “The Demolition Man”, is otherworldly in its awesomeness.

And while it’s true that Overeem has struggled against upper echelon competition throughout his career, it’s also true that there isn’t a fighter alive who crushes cans quite like he does (not that Rothwell is by any means a can). Ubereem is the foremost purveyor of squash matches, indeed, so let these eight videos serve as a testament to his greatness.

In Which The Uber Makes Gary Goodridge Cry Out in Agony

By the time Gary Goodridge got around to fighting Alistair Overeem, he was a 42-year-old (though oddly enough, introduced as 32) relic of his former self who was waist deep in the eight-fight losing streak that would end his MMA career. Overeem, on the other hand, had just obliterated Mirko Cro Cop‘s testicles at DREAM 6. To say that these men’s careers were heading in opposite directions would be a slight understatement.

The age, speed, size, and everything else discrepancy was apparent from the very get-go, as Overeem followed up a few of his trademark vicious knees by just kind of gently guiding Goodridge to the ground to deliver a further beating. A series of brutal body shots followed, each sending shockwaves through the canvas with a sickening thud, and then, like a cat who had grown tired of its prey, Alistair mercifully finished off “Big Daddy” (phrasing) with an Americana.

Perhaps “mercifully” is the wrong word to use, as Goodridge was left crying out in pain like a man who had just received a botched vasectomy as it was happening. In any case, this fight was so insignificant that it is not even mentioned on either Overeem’s or Goodridge’s Wikipedia pages.

In Which The Uber Treats James Thompson Like a Child’s Play Thing

I may not speak the language, but I’d like to think that the announcers calling this fight were actively mocking it as it took place, hence their near constant bouts of uncontrollable laughter. The Japanese are unapologetically earnest when it comes to their love of freak show fights, and while Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg would be trying their hardest to sell us on James Thompson‘s underrated ground game or heavy hands, these two chose to treat the blasphemy of matchmaking that was Overeem vs. James Thompson like a nutshot compilation video on Youtube. Or maybe the Japanese language is just a series of pitched chuckles and guffaws. Researching it any further would only ruin the surprise.

In any case, Overeem’s fight with Thompson at DREAM 12 actually turned into a rather surprising affair, in that it somehow didn’t end in a 30-second KO victory for Alistair. It did, however, end in a 30-second submission win for Alistair after Thompson shot in on an ill-fated single leg takedown attempt. Uber broke less of a sweat finishing “The Colossus” than the announcers did laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole affair.

In Which a Pre “Uber” Uber Wipes the Floor With a Porn Star

Back in 2003, Alistair Overeem was but a frail beanpole of a man who could stand in the shadow of his future self. He was an Overeem who had yet to begin accumulating mass through totally natural means, but he was a dangerous Overeem nonetheless. Facing one-time UFC vet and future porn star Aaron Brink (a.k.a “Dick Delaware”) in his native Netherlands, Gauntereem looked every bit as dominant as his future Hulkish self would, scoring a quick takedown and locking up his patented guillotine choke in just under a minute.

The win would mark Overeem’s 10th straight and earn him a trip back to Japan, where he would knee Mike Bencic into submission at PRIDE 26. Brink would spend the rest of his days battling meth addiction while plowing premo trim in such films as Bossy MILFs 2, Gang Bang Virgins 2, Teens Take It Big 2, and Family Guy: The XXX Parody. So you tell me who’s led a more fulfilling life.

In Which The Uber Ends a Man’s Career Before It Ever Began

Poor Tae Hyun Lee. The sorry SOB never stood a chance.

Paulo Thiago and Five Other Fighters Who Never Lived Up to Their UFC Debuts


(“Quick Paulo, more spinach!!!” Photo via Getty)

I think it was midway through the second round of Paulo Thiago‘s bout with Gasan Umalatov on the TUF Brazil 3 Finale undercard that I began to feel a heavy, sinking feeling in my stomach. I thought it was just fight fatigue at first, my body’s way of telling me to step away from the television and do something, anything to negate the effects caused by a (by that point) six hour binge of manure ads, Linkin Park-dubbed promos, and the occasional MMA fight.

It wasn’t until the Thiago-Umalatov decision was handed down, however, that I was able to identify the cause of my discomfort. Paulo Thiago, real-life superhero and a fighter I have unapologetically rooted for since watching him knock out Josh Koscheck in his promotional debut at UFC 95, is likely on his way out of the UFC.Old Dad best summed up my feelings about Thiago, tweeting after the decision “Is it time for me to admit that Paulo Thiago is probably never going to be as awesome as I want him to be? Maybe, yeah.

The fact is, Thiago has consistently underwhelmed since scoring violent finishes over Koscheck and Mike Swick early in his UFC career, dropping six of his past eight fights and only scoring decision wins over IDon’t and GiveaFuck. While I won’t go as far as to call his upset wins “flukes,” it’s safe to say that Thiago has unfortunately fallen into the category of UFC fighters who were never able to exceed the hype generated by their UFC debuts. Fighters like…

Houston Alexander 

MMA fans knew knew less than nothing about Houston Alexander before he was matched up with Keith Jardine at UFC 71. Sure, he looked like something out of a Scared Straight program, but at just 7-1 as a pro, he seemed well out of his league against “The Dean of Mean.” Even Jardine, fresh off the biggest win of his career over Forrest Griffin, was baffled by the matchmaking, all but dismissing Alexander in some uncharacteristic pre-fight trash-talk.

But as Raymond Atkins once wrote, “Hubris is when God screws you over for being a smartass.” And screw over Jardine he did. In less than a minute’s time, the TUF alum found himself lying face down on the canvas thanks to a barrage of uppercuts so vicious that even his mouthguard was forced to flee for its life.


(“Quick Paulo, more spinach!!!” Photo via Getty)

I think it was midway through the second round of Paulo Thiago‘s bout with Gasan Umalatov on the TUF Brazil 3 Finale undercard that I began to feel a heavy, sinking feeling in my stomach. I thought it was just fight fatigue at first, my body’s way of telling me to step away from the television and do something, anything to negate the effects caused by a (by that point) six hour binge of manure ads, Linkin Park-dubbed promos, and the occasional MMA fight.

It wasn’t until the Thiago-Umalatov decision was handed down, however, that I was able to identify the cause of my discomfort. Paulo Thiago, real-life superhero and a fighter I have unapologetically rooted for since watching him knock out Josh Koscheck in his promotional debut at UFC 95, is likely on his way out of the UFC.Old Dad best summed up my feelings about Thiago, tweeting after the decision “Is it time for me to admit that Paulo Thiago is probably never going to be as awesome as I want him to be? Maybe, yeah.

The fact is, Thiago has consistently underwhelmed since scoring violent finishes over Koscheck and Mike Swick early in his UFC career, dropping six of his past eight fights and only scoring decision wins over IDon’t and GiveaFuck. While I won’t go as far as to call his upset wins “flukes,” it’s safe to say that Thiago has unfortunately fallen into the category of UFC fighters who were never able to exceed the hype generated by their UFC debuts. Fighters like…

Houston Alexander 

MMA fans knew knew less than nothing about Houston Alexander before he was matched up with Keith Jardine at UFC 71. Sure, he looked like something out of a Scared Straight program, but at just 7-1 as a pro, he seemed well out of his league against “The Dean of Mean.” Even Jardine, fresh off the biggest win of his career over Forrest Griffin, was baffled by the matchmaking, all but dismissing Alexander in some uncharacteristic pre-fight trash-talk.

But as Raymond Atkins once wrote, “Hubris is when God screws you over for being a smartass.” And screw over Jardine he did. In less than a minute’s time, the TUF alum found himself lying face down on the canvas thanks to a barrage of uppercuts so vicious that even his mouthguard was forced to flee for its life.

The huge upset promptly earned Alexander a front row seat on Joe Rogan’s dick (or maybe it’s the other way around, ask King Mo), as did his subsequent destruction of Alessio Sakara at UFC 75. Unfortunately for Houston, there’s this thing in MMA called a “ground game” that he never bothered to learn while flipping truck tires up hills, and his lack of grappling know-how was soundly exposed in his quick TKO loss to all around good guy Thiago Silva at UFC 78.

Losses to James Irvin, Eric Schafer, and Kimbo Slice would follow before Alexander was let go for good from the UFC in 2010. The mythos surrounding him debunked, Alexander has gone 7-5 1 NC since, picking up wins over Thierry Sokoudjou and his dirty-talking son (unsanctioned) while eating tough KO losses to Steve Bosse and Gilbert Yvel. After signing with Bellator last year, Alexander was immediately bested by Vladimir Matyushenko in a snoozer before picking up a doctor stoppage TKO over some guy named Matt Uhde. Yay for happy endings!

On the next page, a high-flying WEC vet and an all but forgotten Croatian…

Todd Duffee Battling Rare Neurological Disorder: Eyes UFC Return

Todd Duffee has a rare nerve disorder which has kept him out of the Octagon since December 2012.
However, the UFC heavyweight has said that he’s hoping to have a fight soon if things continue to progress.
The news first broke on UFC Tonight, Wedn…

Todd Duffee has a rare nerve disorder which has kept him out of the Octagon since December 2012.

However, the UFC heavyweight has said that he’s hoping to have a fight soon if things continue to progress.

The news first broke on UFC Tonight, Wednesday. Duffee has Parsonage-Turner Syndrome, a condition that disrupts motor skills, according to the report.

Recovery from the disorder can take between 12-24 months, although Duffee said he’s looking to return in less time than that.

“I am doing my own rehab, sadly. So, there is no telling,” Duffee told Fox Sports 1 reporter Ariel Helwani (H/T MMA Mania). “I am trying to be smart. I have successfully grappled and sparred. I am nowhere near where I need to be. I will hopefully know more in two months. If things progress, I will ask for a fight with a four-month camp, looking at a September or October time frame.”

Duffee has had a rocky career in MMA. He was cut from the UFC in 2010 after getting KO’d in only his second fight to Mike Russow. That was followed by a 19 second KO by way of an Alistair Overeem knee at Dynamite!! 2010 which was shown on sportlemon.

To add to the 28-year-old’s embarrassment, he was later revealed to be a user of TRT during a furore over its use in MMA. He was 24 at the time he was given the exemption for the first time to use the steroid hormone.

Things have been looking better for him, more recently. He scored a victory over Neil Grove at Super Fight League 2, was welcomed back into the UFC fold and knocked out Phillip De Fries.

That was in December 2012 and he hasn’t been able to get back into action since.

During his absence, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has outlawed TRT and other commissions are following suit.

That could complicate his return, depending on how reliant on TRT he actually was when he was taking it.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Todd Duffee Recovering from Rare Disease, Could Miss a Year

Popular UFC heavyweight Todd Duffee is known for his knockouts in the cage. It won’t be so easy to defeat his latest opponent.
Duffee revealed this week that he has been diagnosed with a painful nerve condition known as Parsonage-Turner syndrome. The d…

Popular UFC heavyweight Todd Duffee is known for his knockouts in the cage. It won’t be so easy to defeat his latest opponent.

Duffee revealed this week that he has been diagnosed with a painful nerve condition known as Parsonage-Turner syndrome. The disorder, which comes on with little or no warning and has no known cause, affects the nerve bundles around the arms, shoulders and chest, resulting in weakness, numbness and severe pain. 

“It’s one of those moments where your whole perspective on life changes and you have to start kind of looking at things differently,” Duffee said this week on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” program

According to Duffee, the UFC was considering him for an appearance on the UFC 168 megacard, headlined by a title fight between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman. However, Duffee’s doctors apparently ruled that out immediately, given that the average recovery time for Parsonage-Turner sufferers can take up to two years.

Duffee said on the radio interview, however, that he is aiming to return within a year, though a specific timetable remains uncertain.

“I’ve talked to all the therapists I’ve worked with and the doctors,” Duffee said, “and they’re all very confident that I can come back inside a year…Already I’ve had a very fast recovery. I’m very advanced.”

Duffee, 27, returned to the UFC last December after more than two years outside the Octagon. And he returned in style, notching a first-round TKO of Philip De Fries. The return came at the end of a strange, winding road for Duffee, who at one point seriously considered leaving the sport.

The chiseled heavyweight (8-2) is known for his heavy hands, which have earned him all eight of his pro wins, including a near-record seven-second knockout of Tim Hague in Duffee’s UFC debut. After his win over De Fries, Duffee is now 2-1 under the UFC banner.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com