The legendary fighter recalls some of the biggest brawls in his explosive career

1. Biker field fight, College

I was a sophomore at a party way out in the middle of nowhere in my hometown of Fremont, Ohio. Five carloads of bikers pulled up but I didn’t see the problem because we had about 300 people there. Well, 297 of my hometown guys took off running. The biggest biker took the lead and came at me. I had no choice but to throw a Hendo Bomb at him. The big boy went straight down. There were about 25 of them. There was a cease-fire and they were ready to leave but when they did, the Fremont boys who'd run away, threw rocks at their cars and brought them back! Round two went a lot quicker. No exaggeration, I had to drop at least eight guys. There were no double legs that night. It was all on the feet.

2. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Pride 31

It was a huge fight for me. I was getting close to forty and the clock was ticking. I had already fought all the best. It was my last fight on the contract. The last thing they wanted was for old Mark Coleman to beat their up-and-coming young superstar. Shogun tried a few submission attempts and I was in on a double leg and Shogun posts his arm. If he was a wrestler he would have known he shouldn’t have posted that way, his arm bent the wrong way. I heard some pain but my head was on the other side. I was ready for some more. It turned into a street fight. Wanderlei Silva, who was in the front row, made a beeline toward me. I was held up against the ropes. Some Brazilians were taking shots at me. Needless to say, Chute Boxe and Hammer House were no longer good buddies. It all came full circle, because we forgive and forget. A lot of shit happens in the heat of the moment. Respect is what comes out in the end.

3. Dan Severn, UFC 12

It was for the first UFC Heavyweight championship. I was confident that I was the better wrestler and the better striker. I would have done anything to win that fight. Severn later told me that the first punch I threw landed right on the nose and the next thing he knew he was seeing three of me. I didn’t know I rocked him with that first punch. He shot the double leg and I ran him over right to his stomach. I started the ground and pound there. He went right to his guard. I had been working that side headlock choke in practice. It worked for me in training with all the monsters at Hammer House but he fought that neck crank for forty or fifty seconds. I wasn’t going to let go. He is the nicest guy in the world but when your life is on the line you will do anything. He stuck his fingers in my eye a few times. Finally I heard him tap. Wow. That was something else. My telephone started ringing a little more after that one.

4. Igor Vovchanchyn, Pride Grand Prix Final 2000

Not many people gave me a chance. Certainly, the PRIDE organization didn’t want me to win the tournament. Little did they know, I was feeling good. I was healthy. I put in an eight-month training camp. Somehow, in overtime, we had a little scramble in the corner and he ends up on his back with me in the north south position. I got him in a front headlock. I couldn’t believe it happened. I fired about twelve right knees to his head. I hit him with sixteen in total, all with my right knee. I put my right leg down and raised my left leg and threw the first left and he didn’t block it at all. I threw three more that landed straight on his head. The next thing you know he was tapping on my stomach. I really couldn’t believe it. I had come back from so far down and I had just won the biggest tournament in the history of MMA. I don’t know what is talked about more, the fight or my celebration attempt!

5. Don Frye, UFC 10

I knew I was the bigger, stronger, better wrestler and I was very confident going in. I had one basic game plan. I wanted to take Don Frye down and hit him until he taps out. It was going very well. No disrespect, but I was getting the better of him. It was open game for me. I couldn’t knock him out but I was hitting him over and over. My hands hurt. I was using the head butt. I was plowing the ribs. I got a few knees in there. I thought it was crazy. It was cool crazy, though. I couldn’t believe he was not quitting. He was never going to tap that night. I think the promotion wanted him to win that night. He was a pro boxer and collegiate wrestler. He was multitasking here. After they restarted us I just took him right back down. I continued the combination of head butts, left hands, right hands and elbows. I was exhausted. He was beat up. Thank the Lord Big John pulled me off this guy. I had achieved my childhood goal. I was world champion. That was a world title to me. And Don Frye and I have total respect for each other and are friends to this day.